ABC’s of Learning Beyond School. Brought to you by the Letter N.
Network.
Network to connect, share, give and learn.
Network to give freely with no expectation of getting. Focus on how you can serve and help others.
Network with other learners, parents, and mentors to share ideas, tips and encouragement.
Network with professionals, authors, scholars and potential mentors in fields of interest or study.
Network in person at conferences, events or in your neighborhood.
Network on the net with twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn, blogs. Take advantage of the many online communities that offer connection.
Nurture networks. Help them form. Enrich and strengthen them as a source of support, learning, creativity, action and accountability.
To quote Dr. Martin Luther King:
We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.
Network!
How do you build and nurture your network? How can you bring more diversity to your network? Go make a new connection and tell me about it in the comments. Lisa
Click here to see the new illustration and new thoughts for building your network.
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Thank you, Dawn. I really appreciate how your thoughtful comments add so much depth and make my post richer. You always give me an idea for an image I could add. 🙂
i love how your posts inspire me to think. they are invitations to expand my horizons and look at things in ways i had not considered before.
so, reading through this one, i started to break down the word network into net (like a fishing net) and work (an act of doing). i imagine the precision, attention to detail, and sustained effort it requires to work (make) a net. at first, when you don’t know what you are doing or even how to start, it can seem hopelessly confusing and overwhelming. but, you find a mentor or teacher or some other form of expertise to help guide you, and as you start to get a sense of what’s involved, you find a rhythm that works for you. i’ve never made a fishing net, but i do some needlework and have watched my daughter learn to weave. it gets easier and more fun as you go along.
i imagine that for a net to be strong, you must choose your materials wisely, considering what is available and will have longevity and how it may affect what you are trying to catch in it (and things you did not intend to catch).
a net must be inspected and repaired regularly to check for damage and signs of wear. its effectiveness and efficiency must be continually evaluated to determine its appropriateness for the purpose for which it was made.
a net requires mindful, consistent work.
this post reminds me to look at the networks i have created and attend to them and encourages me to work new nets in my life and in the lives of my family. thank you, lisa!