There is no excuse in our digital age to feel as if you have no help, no resources, or no one who understands your professional situation. She also mentioned a great quote. I wish I had wrote it down verbatim, but it went something like this: "It's time to stop talking about getting connected and get connected."
We need communities with other educators. As I think back on the PLN's I have been a part of in the past, without them, I would have either been stuck doing things "like they have always been done" or I would have given up entirely. As I think about my new position, without these PLN's I would not have been able to start this school year strong.
Currently, I am a member of the following networks. Some I have been a member of for some time now and others I have just now joined due to my new position this school year. Below each network is a brief blurb about each one and why I have joined it. If you have any networks you have been involved with and benefit from, please comment below.
https://www.follettcommunity.com/
"We help educators prepare students for future success, do more with less, meet rigorous standards, and adapt to new technologies. With integrated solutions that combine content discovery, access, and delivery with best-in-class management and instructional systems, we empower educators to lay the strongest possible foundation for student learning." (https://www.follettlearning.com/about-us)
Our library management system at my school is powered by Follett, however, they provide much more than just book management. Their online community is robust and very active. It makes for a great resource for this new teacher/librarian.
While maybe not as robust as other networks (yet), the Future Ready Librarians section of Future Ready Schools provides great "resources, strategies, and connections for district leaders and librarians to be able to work together to promote and implement innovative learning opportunities for students." (https://futureready.org/)
"Shannon McClintock Miller is the K-12 district teacher librarian at Van Meter Community School in Van Meter, Iowa. She is also the Future Ready Librarians and Project Connect Spokesperson working with librarians, educators and students around the world every day as an international speaker, consultant and author who has a passion for education, librarianship, advocacy, technology, social media and making a difference in the world and lives of others, especially children" -(http://vanmeterlibraryvoice.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html)
While not necessarily a PLN as the others, it's impossible to find any information concerning technology and libraries without finding resources this wonderful educator has provided to her field.
https://tcea.org/
The Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) has been around since the early 80's and has a simple mission statement: "TCEA is dedicated to advancing teaching and learning through the use of technology." - (https://tcea.org/about/)
I have been a member of TCEA since 2013 and have attended many of their conferences, workshops, and webinars.
Having been a technology applications teacher for 6 years, this organization has been key to my success in the technology classroom.
Teaching 6 years as a technology applications teacher with no programs provided by the district and no budget, https://www.freetech4teachers.com/ is a go-to resource for any teacher, but especially a technology teacher.
Future Ready Librarians. (n.d.). Unleashing the instructional leadership of librarians to foster schools that are Future Ready. Retrieved September 19, 2018, from https://futureready.org/program-overview/librarians/.
McNair, Andie. (September 19, 2018). 2018 Librarian Conference. Learning from the World: Creating Experiences through Connection. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/libkeynote.
Texas Computer Education Association. (n.d.). Retrieved September 19, 2018, from https://tcea.org.