#youredustory, Week 6

Prompt: What is connected learning and WIIFM?

Connected learning is removing the walls from your classroom, building, and/or district and letting others see in. It is sharing what is working for you and your learners, but equally importantly what is not working for you and your learners. Too often we only focus on sharing the former.

Connected learning lets us see over walls between schools
Brasov city wall from Wikimedia by Angelbo

What’s in it for me? (Yes, I had to look up what WIIFM meant.) For me, connected learning has allowed me to look into so many other classrooms. It has allowed me to see the things that teachers are doing that allow their students to own and drive their learning. It has allowed me to see structures administrators are using at their sites to drive innovative practices at their school.

Connected learning has built a network of people across the world that make me want to be better - not in a competitive “I need to be a better teacher than you are” way but in a “I see the cool opportunities you’re giving your students and I know I need to do more” kind of way. It has raised the bar on what I thought was possible, but also on what I expect of myself and my students.