Beyond Borders: Expanding my PLN

My flight map as I traveled home from Germany.

I'm a person who is never satisfied. I always want to be learning and growing. Over the last year, I have been challenging myself to step out of my comfort zone and expand my learning network "beyond borders." For me, that means beyond the borders of my state, my country, and my comfortable sphere of librarians and educators.

To that end, last summer I traveled to Germany on a teacher study trip and spent a week in Washington, D.C. at the White House History Teacher Institute. Both of these experiences stretched me beyond my comfort zone as I met new people, experienced a new culture, and immersed myself in place-based learning.

A unique map at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Touring the White House.

​Over the past few months, I have been interviewed for four library podcasts. This was definitely out of my comfort zone. I am used to preparing presentations, but it's another skill to think on your feet and respond intelligently and fluently to questions in the moment. However, my hosts made it easy, and the conversation flowed (usually). Overall, I express myself better through writing than through speaking because I can have more time to edit and refine my thoughts. Speaking on a podcast felt risky to me, but I grew through the process and expanded my professional network by meeting some wonderful library leaders.

I also wanted to become more active in the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), so I applied and was chosen as a blogger for Knowledge Quest. I will be submitting a couple of articles per month, and the topics are wide open, so I can share whatever is on my mind. I already have a lengthy list of ideas.

I often to say to my family and friends, "I was reading in an article the other day and learned..." I read a variety of articles daily and find them extremely valuable, so I'm happy to contribute to my professional learning community in that way.  I have enjoyed the process of synthesizing ideas and as I have written my first few blog posts.

In a couple of weeks,  I will take part in a seminar at the Kansas Leadership Center that will be attended by a cross-section of people including faith and community leaders, business people, health care workers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, and more. I am feeling a little nervous at stepping outside my comfortable circle of librarians and educators, but I am excited to expand my leadership capabilities. This training is made possible by a grant from the Kansas Library Association. I love that our association is putting librarians into the mix with other community members so we can all learn from one another.

This fall I will be traveling out-of-state to attend and present at the AASL National Conference. In 2023, I had my first AASL conference experience in Tampa, FL, and it was amazing! I look forward stepping out to meet new people and learn new things.

I'm looking forward to seeing what is possible as I reach out "beyond borders."

Preparing to record a podcast.

Examining the Berlin Wall and learning about Germany's history.