Chapter 2 of The Connected Educator

        Technology and the internet have enabled people all over the world to have access to information at the click of a button.  Not only has it been effective in benefiting each of our lives personally, but also has benefits towards the workplace.  The more people an individual is exposed to allows for different perspectives and knowledge.  Technology allows for employees in the business field to have access to others pursuing the same career path around the globe.  The business field is not unique to one area or another, therefore communicating with people from around the world can help teach new information.  

      The Connected Educator has proposed the importance of connected learning communities for each occupation.  Although the text primarily focuses on the benefits that connected learning communities have on educators, it can be transferred into any other profession.  The importance of gaining new knowledge from people one might not normally communicate with is large.  The text specifically mentioned the importance of the three prongs, which are, professional learning communities, personal learning networks and communities of practice.  Professional learning communities are a traditional structure, in which the staff works together with the common goal of improving their work.  In the business marketing field, employees would collaborate to make decisions that may be foreign to them.  The focus of these specific communities is the success and achievement of the work itself.  Personal learning networks have the goal of giving and gaining new information.  Employees can use these networks to further their knowledge and abilities on their own.  It is more self-directed and independent learning practices that connect people around the globe.  In the past employees have been isolated in their acquisition of new skills and knowledge.  Connectivism encourages workers around the world to work with each other to share knowledge in order to achieve a common goal.  Finally, communities of practice emphasize the importance of working together for the greater good.  The main belief is that "none of us is as good as all of us."  People within these communities are able to challenge the status quo by getting different perspectives and knowledge from people with different cultures and backgrounds.

      After graduating from Stockton University, I plan to use my degree in business marketing, to pursue a job within the field.  By using connective learning within my future profession, it will only expose me to more knowledge and information from other individuals.  Instead of limiting myself to my own thoughts I can expand and have access to the knowledge of thousands of individuals with the same interest as me.  Communicating with people that have undergone different backgrounds and education will help challenge my decision making and create more diversity.  If everyone thought in a similar manner it would lead to a lack of ideas and uniqueness within the workplace.  Diversity can be used as one of the biggest strengths within marketing, because it provides access to many different ideas.

Nussbaum-Beach, Sheryl, and Lani Ritter Hall. The Connected Educator Learning and Leading in a Digital Age. Solution Tree Press, 2012.