Professional social networks as a mentoring tool

[Ken Messersmith]

Connie and I have been talking about using social networks like this one to help support future teacher and beginning teachers. I have created a social network on Ning for our current students both graduate and undergraduate but haven't found a good way to make sure everyone gets a connection.
Connie also found an article talking about involving retired teachers in a supporting role for new and future teachers.
Any ideas about how we might do something like this?

[Connie Weber]

Paddy,

Thank you for your kind words about my moderating--and I extend those kind words to a whole bunch of people here at Fireside--who jump in, monitor, and participate in all sorts of forums. And to the administrators on the network, without whom the network would not be what it is!

I love what you said here: "What intrigues me about ementoring is its sheer reach. It's lovely to have a real live human being to mentor you, but having connections with people further away and in different situations has tremendous potential for widening people's personalised learning world."

[Connie Weber]

Hi Paddy,
Come on in and help us plan the project, ok? You have a wealth of knowledge to share--would value your participation!

[Jennifer Lubke]

Some following this discussion may want to tune in to the May 21 scheduled conversation with Chris Dede from Harvard over at FutureOfEducation.com. Your machine must be configured for Elluminate, so check it out early before the presentation, which is 8 p.m. EST. But I think the event may be archived for future reference if you can't "attend" syncronously.

[Connie Weber]

Hi Jennifer,
I would definitely be there if I didn't have previous commitments. I will listen to it on the archives. Really excited about that talk...

[Connie Weber]

Hi Jennifer,
Good "seeing" you last night in the Elluminate talk with Chris Dede. I ended up skipping soccer so I could participate. Glad I did.

[Connie Weber]

Thanks to everyone participating in this discussion--it gets me so excited, thinking of the possibilities. This summer let's get a Pilot planned out... With the gang participating here, we're golden. Such a wealth of experience and ideas. Such magnificent energy, background, initiative.

[Connie Weber]

Let's get it going this summer so it's ready to launch in the fall. Ken, what do you think would be a good starting point for organization? Shall we start a "group" location on Fireside for people who want to participate in the project?

I'll gather questions for conversations that should appeal to teachers new-to-the-field or upcoming, questions that can be discussed with the whole Fireside community as people wish. I'll also be puttihg thought into how we can match up educators for ongoing and focused mentor/protege relationships.

Daniel, what aspect of this do you want to help launch? I see you as being a strong advocate for providing students with what they need, via mentor-relationships. Maybe you take that component, and I'll work especially on the educator-educator side of things?

How do we gather up enough professors of education who'll bring their students here? How are we conceiving of this? Do we want to be a Grand Central Station for communications, or a Lodge that people inhabit for a while? Both? Other ways of thinking?

I like thinking through the "nodes" idea. A network of networks? How do we best facilitate collaborative learning for teachers at various stages of their professional development, uplifting the profession itself as we go along? I'm ready to move forward.

Keep the ideas coming!

[Ken Messersmith]

I agree, we should continue to work on this project as the summer progresses.

I am going to be on vacation in Virginia for the next week but will be back in early June.

[Daniel Bassill]

I think it's important to recognize that the colored flowers on each branch of this tree represent other places beyond Fireside where these conversations are already taking place or are forming. If we think of ourselves as being the branches, connecting one discussion with another, or focusing on the fertilizer, water and other resources that help the tree grow, we have many reasons to interact in this space and set an example of how others can do the same in their space.

I'll keep trying to mentor this thinking as much as I can, while drawing those working with inner city youth, and involved with non-school tutor/mentor programs, to the tutor/mentor forum on ning, or to the library of information which we host on our primary web site.

[Connie Weber]

Thanks, Daniel, good thoughts.

Actually it's a picture of a neural network, a mouse's, I believe. But a tree with flowers also works as an image for me. We'll keep the plant fertilized, watered, and provided with plenty of sunlight. We'll keep a check on the ecology in which it's a part, as well.

Ken, have a great vacation!

[Jennifer Lubke]

A flowering tree. A mouse's neural network. I love this image, and I love the different perception and interpretation it prompted. Awesome. Isn't that, in a nutshell, what this venue is all about?

May I ask, where you found this graphic?

[Ian Carmichael]

Some days, Daniel, I'm feeling too focused on the fertiliser! (- and keeping away from the fan.)