Assignment #4 Who Needs To Know About Your PLN

Digital Leader: 5 Simple Keys to Success & Influence Ch. 16

Empowering Others
Being a digital leader is all about building connections. As the author states,
“Every connection we know has something that we do not know.” It is important
to make sure that the people in our professional learning network feel
empowered to share information and take initiative when working toward
common goals.
A great leader must be open to new ideas and flexible enough to adapt to them.
Harvard professor Bill George expands on this idea by explaining that
leadership is a transformation process. Moving from an “I” mindset to a “We”
mindset is an important step toward becoming an authentic leader.
The author also explains that leaders in a digital world need to create
awareness by providing enough information to improve understanding. This
helps people in the network gain clarity when working toward goals and allows
everyone to recognise each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
As a leader, you gain more influence when you share useful information with
others. However, it is important not to overshare. One strategy for being
concise is to remove a sentence and see if the paragraph still makes sense.
Another suggestion is to keep messages shorter than half a page whenever
possible.

Partnership
Success often comes from having two people with different strengths who
support and empower each other in their areas of expertise. NBA legend Magic
Johnson once said that when you get the right people on a team, “you have to
listen and be ready to be humbled.”
Another important idea is to help your partners before you need help from
them. Building supportive relationships early is much more effective than only
reaching out when you are desperate for assistance. A great example of this is
the partnership between Apple and app developers. By working together and
supporting one another, both groups benefited and were successful.

Digital Philosophy
A key principle of digital leadership is following the Golden Rule: Treat others
the way you would want to be treated. Leaders need to think about how they
would want to be treated and then apply those same behaviors toward others.

Negative Posts
It is best to be proactive and post positive things about yourself and others.
When positivity is shared online, it often encourages more positive interactions
in return.

Focus on Positive Feedback
This idea requires people to focus on their strengths. Rather than spending too
much energy on negative comments, it is better to invest time responding to
people who are positive and supportive.
Bill George states, “The role of leaders is not to get other people to follow them
but to empower others to lead.” This highlights the importance of helping
others grow and succeed.
FedEx has found that customers who have had their problems successfully
resolved are four times more likely to return than customers who never
experienced a problem. Similarly, the better we engage with people digitally,
listen to their concerns, and support them, the more empowered they become.

Lessons Learned from the Chilean Miners
While 33 miners were trapped 2,000 feet underground for 69 days, shift boss
and crew leader Luis Urzúa used the five principles represented by the acronym
STAMP to help the miners survive.
S – Simplify
When people have too many things to worry about, focusing on the past or
future can become an act of futility. Instead, focus on the present, do your
best, and work with the people who are currently within your influence.
T – True
Build your network before you need your network. This means developing trust
within your team so that everyone feels safe, respected, and supported.
A – Action
Show through your actions that you care about the people in your network.
Genuine support and kindness help create stronger and longer-lasting
relationships.
M – Map
Creating a plan for how to respond to challenges helps people feel prepared.
Leaders should prepare for difficult situations while remaining optimistic about
the future.
P – People
Making sure that every person in the network has a role helps the team move
forward. When everyone contributes, people stay connected to the group’s
goals and become more invested in helping one another succeed.

Digital Deeds: Three Ways of Connecting with People

1. Get the contact information of people in your network and build
   relationships before you need a favor from them.
2. Create smaller groups within your network based on common interests or
   goals so it is easier for people to connect.
3. Use tags whenever possible, as they often notify people and help keep
   them involved in the conversation.
   The Power of Empowering Others
   When everyone understands their role, they feel more confident and
   empowered to take action. Leaders should stay aware of changes in technology
   or group membership and communicate clearly whenever responsibilities change.
   

Leaders should also make themselves available to support others. By helping
people when they need it, leaders build relationships that encourage others to
offer support in return. Following the Golden Rule and treating people
respectfully in digital spaces can lead to stronger relationships, greater
support, and a more positive experience for everyone.

Personal Reflection
This reading made me think about how I interact with groups, family members,
and friends. It reminded me that, as a leader, I should always look for ways to
improve the networking experience for others. Being a good listener helps
people feel valued and shows that I genuinely care about what they have to say.
In addition, I can help organize groups into smaller teams and encourage
members to take on specific roles. When everyone understands their
responsibilities, it becomes easier to overcome challenges together.
When I become a PE teacher, I plan to apply these same ideas in my
professional relationships. Teachers often work together on long-term projects
and school initiatives throughout the year. The sooner I build caring and
trusting relationships with my colleagues, the more successful those
partnerships will be.
I also plan to offer help wherever I can, especially with manageable tasks such
as setup and organization at the beginning of the school year. By supporting
others early on, I will be more likely to receive guidance and support when I
face challenges or need advice from more experienced teachers.
I know that starting a new position will be both exciting and challenging.
However, I feel confident that my willingness to be humble, caring, and
supportive will help me grow professionally. Whether those relationships are
built face-to-face or online, I believe this approach will help me learn,
collaborate, and succeed throughout my career.

Building AI Literacy in Pre-Service Teacher Education in Canada: A Case
Study of Two Cohorts”

This study on AI and digital tools in education and training led to several key
takeaways that are worth considering. Many teachers were excited about the
use of AI and digital technologies because they can improve efficiency and
support the creation of educational resources. In terms of networking and
communication, AI was useful for drafting messages; however, it is important to
review and revise content carefully so that audiences do not become skeptical
of its authenticity. When using AI for personalized communication, maintaining
a human voice and meaningful context remains essential.
Learning was enhanced when students were required to engage with and
critique the digital artifacts they created. In addition, students collaborated and
co-created content by using AI as a conversation starter rather than relying on
it as the author of the final product. It was also suggested that whenever AI-

generated content is used, users should evaluate it by asking: What context is
missing? Is there any bias? Does this reflect real-world nuances?
When considering the use of AI, it is critical to understand how a platform
works, how to keep personal data secure, and how to ensure that shared
information is credible. Whenever AI is used to assist with or create content,
proper acknowledgment of its role is necessary. While AI-powered automation
tools can save time and increase efficiency, overreliance on them may reduce
genuine human connection. One thing AI cannot replace is the value of
spontaneous human interaction, including active listening, empathy, and
meaningful dialogue in the way people naturally connect with one another.

Tell everyone : why we share and why it matters

The author’s purpose is to explore how social media affects people in their daily
lives and how individuals can use their voices to make an impact. Social media
provides a platform where everyone has the opportunity to share ideas and
express their opinions. However, simply having a voice does not guarantee
being heard. One of the key challenges is understanding how ideas circulate
through social media, as many posts are quickly published and then disappear
from attention.

The author also examines what makes an idea or post memorable. Capturing
the attention of others often depends on using authentic language, sharing
meaningful content, and connecting with an audience’s interests. While
endorsements or shares from influential people can help spread a message, the
author questions whether this is the only path to reaching a wider audience.
Instead, successful messages often focus on topics that people genuinely care
about and want to discuss. When content addresses a real need or interest, it is
more likely to be shared, retweeted, and discussed throughout a network. As a
result, individuals can gain credibility and influence, sometimes becoming what
the author describes as “micro-activists.” This growth in influence occurs when
people consistently share messages that resonate with others and inspire
collective support. Finally, the author highlights how social media allows people
to view and understand events, issues, and stories from a variety of
perspectives. Through these connections, social media can broaden
understanding, encourage engagement, and help individuals participate in
conversations that extend beyond their immediate communities.

Personal Reflections on Social Media Networking and AI

Currently, I have a Social Media presence for primarily my personal interests
rather than a professional one. This course has given me many thoughts on
how I intent to plan to go forward by content creating meaningful content and
encourage engagement with a Professional Learning Network for my future
career.

Aspirational Professional learning goals, SM and AI usage plans with a
PLN.
Looking ahead to the near and distant future, I hope to build a PLN with those
who have a common purpose that are empowered to support one another in
solving challenges faced in education. I would like for that group to utilise
multiple platforms for collaboration of content they create and communicate in
order to have productive dialogue. To do this it is important to set up
professional special spaces for these sharing and interactions to occur. Here
are a list and the basic areas to start with: Instagram (easy content creation,
sharing and communication,) Blogging to house content creation and sharing.
Of course I would be open to what the group feels best meets their needs. This
network would consist of a focused group of those in a specific teachable area,
for me Physical Educators. It is important though to expand our influence to
subscribe to professional groups including: BC Educators Blog and PHASE

Linkden would also be a place to expand this networking influence. Along with
partnering with many other educators on Linkden will be great for reaching out
to experts or expanding our diversities or seeking future employment.

When forming and reflecting from time to time about who makes up this PLN, I
would consider the following:
Wide diversity of backgrounds differing levels of expertise, knowledge
University students, first years teachers, veteran teachers, consultants and
highly recognised organisations. Making sure to have meaningful connections
that build synergy and trust. The PLN would need to have a working agreement
based on what we share, possibly a charter that states how we tend to share
and post high quality content that has verifiable link/references included and
that the use of AI can also be a discussed and agreed upon. Regarding the area
of AI use and research I feel that AI can be used to gather supporting articles
around a topic, helped to get an abstract summary from longer journals, maybe
even aid in the search for a specific topic that the group is working on. To help
form topics to explore, we could have a brainstorm session in person or on a
live teams call. Following a large list of topics inspired by the group, we can
make a poll to see which topics are ranked by each participant and then find
the highest ranking for the whole group. Afterwards, form roles that the group
can decide on. The researchers for example can go deeper into the topic in
the source by actually reading for context for more clarification and an even
deeper understanding. Then the synthesis or application to the PLN’s needs
can be brought back to the group. I’m certain that if the PLN has a strong
trust with a fast response time, surveys of thoughts could be very useful to
get perspectives and input into thoughts pertaining to any issue or challenge.
I would also connect in my background experiences being a student and
working as an intern in the PE Department in an international school to
provide a unique perspective.

References

Qualman, Erik. “Digital Leader: 5 Simple Keys to Success & Influence Ch. 16.”
Empower Others, 23 Feb. 2011.

Hermida, Alfred. “Tell Everyone Why We Share & Why It Matters.” 2014.

Estaiteyeh, and Mindzak. “Equipping the next generation: A pre-service teacher
education programme in integrating AI literacy across the curriculum.” Effective
Practices in AI Literacy Education: Case Studies and Reflections, 2 Dec. 2024,
pp. 31–39, https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83608-852-320241004.