First Post and Welcome!!

Hello, readers! Welcome to Maria's Technology Blog. I am so glad you stumbled upon my page and I am excited to share with you all my thoughts and ideas! Let's get started with a quick intro about my experience with a PLN so far. 

This is the first time I have ever done anything like this, and so far it seems like a great opportunity for me to interact with other educators and resources. I'm also curious to see what it will be like using the internet to connect with others professionally, as it is also something that I am quite unfamiliar with. I'll admit, I did have some apprehensions at first with this concept, as many of us are used to using social media such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to connect with friends. I wasn't sure how easily I would catch on to using social media professionally. I was also worried whether or not my PLN would be successful, and if it would reach many people. However, I read an interesting article the other day, titled How Do I Get a PLN? by Tom Whitby. In the article, Whitby explains the many different reasons why PLNs are great to have as a teacher and educator. One line from the reading that really caught my eye was "Every individual educator becomes a potential source of information" (Whitby, 1). This quote jumped out at me because it got me thinking that whether I have 10,000 followers or 2 followers, my PLN has the potential to help anyone in the world who finds it who may have a question about something I've written or posted about. That's what's so great about the Internet. Your connections are not limited to those in your area and can reach many people beyond your city/town, state or even country. This being said, I'm still a bit nervous about creating my PLN and have a lot to learn, but I think it will be a great learning experience and will hopefully become something I can continue to use further down the line.

Now, I have a question and challenge for all of you!

Have you ever struggled with maintaining professionalism on a PLN? If so, I challenge you to share how you overcame these difficulties!