Strategies

How to Start Developing Your Online Network

1. Identify Your Needs and Interests
   Start by reflecting on your current practice and areas where you seek growth. Are there particular pedagogical approaches, classroom challenges, or professional goals you want to explore? This clarity will help you identify the most relevant online communities, resources, and educators to follow.

2. Engage with Like-minded Educators
   Join specialized online groups where educators share content related to your subject area, teaching style, or professional goals. Don't just follow accounts that are popular; seek out those who offer thought-provoking, evidence-based insights. Actively engage in these spaces by commenting, sharing, and asking questions. Your involvement helps build both your PLN and your role within a community. Regularly "clean up" your feed by unfollowing accounts that no longer align with your current goals, and engage with new accounts that challenge your thinking. This ensures that your feed stays relevant and focused on areas of growth.

3. Leverage Digital Tools
   While socio-technological concerns have made changes to following #edchats on Twitter, you can still follow specific hashtags like #HipHopEd, #MusicEd, and #CulturallyResponsiveTeaching on different platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram to connect with content that is tailored to your teaching needs. Utilize platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube for finding lesson ideas and instructional materials shared by experienced educators.

4. Balance Passive and Active Participation
   While lurking and reading posts can be valuable, try to actively contribute by sharing your experiences and resources. Over time, this increases your visibility and positions you as an active member in your community, reinforcing reciprocal learning and support. Don’t just like posts - comment, ask questions, and dive deeper into discussions. The more you engage, the more tailored the algorithm will become to your professional learning interests.

Reflective Questions for Personal Growth

To optimize your PLN and CoP, take time to reflect on your participation and the voices you engage with. Here are some reflective questions to guide your journey:

• What areas of my practice do I need more knowledge or support in?
  Reflect on the aspects of teaching where you feel less confident or are actively seeking to grow (e.g., classroom management, new pedagogical approaches, diverse repertoire, tech integration).

• What type of creators do I follow?
  Are the educators you follow sharing content that challenges your thinking, or are they reinforcing your existing views? Consider following creators who push you to think critically.

• Are there any voices being left out of my algorithm?
  Have you diversified the voices in your PLN? Are there groups you’re not hearing from? Perhaps teachers of color, LGBTQ+ educators, disabled educators, or educators from non-Western countries? Ensuring you have a wide range of perspectives will enrich your practice.

• Do the people I follow keep pushing to sell me their resources or affiliate links, or are they online to genuinely help other teachers?
  Evaluate the intentions behind the content you consume. Are the educators in your PLN offering free resources, engaging in thoughtful dialogue, or focusing more on selling products and showing their OOTD (Outfit of the Day)? Seek out those who are committed to authentic, peer-to-peer learning and bettering the profession.

Developing a Diverse Set of Voices in Critical Pedagogy

Online spaces are invaluable tools for critical pedagogy, allowing educators to engage in conversations that promote social justice, equity, and diversity. Exposure to new perspectives and engaging in challenging discussions online can lead to critical dialogue, which bell hooks (1994) describes as “one of the simplest ways we can begin as teachers, scholars, and critical thinkers to cross boundaries that may or may not be erected by race,  gender, class, professional standing, and a host of other differences” (p. 130). To develop a more inclusive online network, seek out educators who emphasize issues such as equity, inclusion, and culturally relevant pedagogy. These educators challenge the status quo and offer resources to help teachers make their practice more inclusive. Expand your PLN to include voices from underrepresented groups. Follow educators of color, indigenous educators, disability advocates, and those from marginalized communities to learn about culturally responsive teaching strategies and the realities these communities face. Join conversations where educators explore topics like decolonizing the curriculum, anti-racist teaching, and critical thinking in the classroom.

When examining teachers’ perceptions of their participation in structured Twitter chats using #hiphoped, Adjapong et al. (2018) revealed that PLN engagement caused educators to go beyond knowledge sharing, but offered a space to deeply reflect on their practice, confront any biases, and guide them on their journey in PD. Trust et al. (2016) also found that 96% of participants “reported modifying teaching practices as a result of what they learned from their PLNs” (p. 25). These findings indicate that teachers leverage online communities and networks to critically reflect on their practice through exploring principles of critical pedagogy, thus supporting their ongoing professional growth in ways that benefit themselves, their students, and the broader field of education

By prioritizing diverse perspectives, educators can enhance their ability to create more inclusive, thoughtful, and impactful teaching practices.

Educators to Follow

Franklin Willis, @fwillismusic

Building a robust online network and community can significantly enhance your professional development. Below are some strategies for educators to build meaningful online communities and curate resources, as well as tips for "hacking" your algorithm to support your learning goals.

“Franklin Willis is a nationally recognized music educator, composer, author, and arts advocate who has dedicated his career to transforming the landscape of music education. He currently serves as the Director of Visual and Performing Arts for Metro Nashville Public Schools, where he leads district-wide initiatives to ensure equitable access to high-quality arts education for more than 81,000 students in one of the most culturally and economically diverse school districts in the United States.” from https://www.fwillismusic.com/

Why you should follow @fwillismusic: Franklin Willis posts resources for elementary music teachers to use in their classroom that combine traditional Orff methods with culturally relevant pedagogies. Examples include a modern arrangement of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” engaging rhythm stick routines, musical stories, and many more inspiring resources to bring into your classroom.