In Chapter 6 (Building Your Connected Community) the readers learn the best ways to begin creating their own personal learning network/community. First it becomes clear that personal learning networks are meant specifically for the growth of the user and their interest which can lead to professional development in the future. Then it is repeated throughout the chapter that growth takes time and patience, especially in things like finding the right people, in order for true success. While finding the right people you need to make sure to pick people different from you so that there is diversity inside of a like-minded group where there isn't much new learning.
As these networks evolve, members become more familiar with each other allowing different roles for different each topic. For example, in psychology there can be the topics ranging from treating mental illness to self-care tips. The different roles can be those who focus on teaching whole others might be more focused on learning. To continue with self-care tip, leaders might give ideas like breathing exercises to journaling which the learners are able to learn to incorporate mindfulness into their practice. While for the treating mental illness tip the learners might become the leaders and teach the use of Cognitive Behavior Tips (a type of therapy that changes negative thinking into productive thoughts) to teach the learners another way of helping people. However, as the network and grow change it is important to remember that the community are real life people who need a balance between learning and teaching, or they can get overwhelmed.
This connects to my future in psychology because it will become a key in my growth. For example, I learned to making sure I'm not following/connecting with everyone who has something mental health. This is an important tip because nowadays many people include things about mental health and psychology but actually know nothing about the topics. Another way I can use the networks is to learn more about things that can affect mental health, new research, but also new ways to help different people with different backgrounds. By creating networks on different apps like for example LinkedIn, I can join groups that have people that are learning new to the mental health field to grow together and bounce ideas off each other. While I can't fully depend on network groups for growth/success, it can help get an understanding in the world of psychology.
You explained really well how personal learning networks can support growth in psychology. I like that you highlighted the importance of choosing diverse and trustworthy connections to get the most out of these networks. It’s clear that these communities can help you stay updated on new research and ideas while learning alongside others in the field.
ReplyDeleteHi Jordan,
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree that PLNs are can support growth. I liked how you talked about picking the right people because most of the time, people just follow to follow. They don't take the time to look at other profiles or see what they post. Also liked how we have to remember that the communities are real people and people can get overwhelmed.
Hi Jordan,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how specific you get with psychology examples, using the cognitive behavioral therapy framework. This is a useful insight for those who are not psychology majors, and lets your image tie in very well. I totally agree with your last sentence, and think it's important to realize the balance between our individual work and networking.
Hey Jordan, I found it most interesting that you connected your future career to the idea from the text that collaborating on leadership roles allows for more accurate and efficient work to be done (together; as a team). This will be very important for psychology, as your clients will be communicating with various medical professionals, who will look to you for peer collaboration. Similar, in digital studies, I will be navigating clients that are commissioning other professionals, in which our work will represent as one whole.
ReplyDeleteI really connect with your points about building a PLN, especially the idea that growth “takes time and patience, especially in things like finding the right people, in order for true success.” I think this is very important because it reminds us that meaningful connections aren’t instant, rather they need more thought and effort.
ReplyDelete