The Top 10 Things a TL needs to know about

getting and staying connected to Professional Learning Communities and Professional Associations

1. Join your local and national Professional Association. Become involved in their meetings. A Professional Association is one of the primary vehicles for implementing change in our field.

2. Attend your PA’s conferences and subscribe to their journal.

3. Look in your PA or PLC for a mentor.

4. Before you join a PLC, decide what your goals or needs are.  If you are joining on an ongoing PLC, then ensure that group meets those needs and goals.  You may be part of more than one PLC, depending on your needs and focus.

5. If you are in a formal PLC, consider creating and monitoring SMART goals to track and monitor progress. (SMART = Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely)

6. Consider creating a PLC to meet your goals and needs. An informal PLC can be a support group that meets for coffee monthly, or a book study group. 

7. Ask your administration for support if necessary to attend meetings.

8. Join a Ning, and suscribe to RSS feeds of blogs that are focused on teacher librarians and technology tools

9. Use Web 2.0 tools like Diigo, Delicious, or a wiki to share information and coordinate with your PLC.

10. Publish your discoveries, struggles, reflections as a beginning TL on a blog or a journal.