Task 3A

The first step for me to really understand any task is to research other students blogs. I find that this really helps me understand the meaning of the objective and I'm able to visually see different peoples opinions and approach's. Makes the grey cloud become clearer.

With other tasks I have some what found them a little difficult to relate to as its all been new to me, whereas with this task 'Current Networks' I suddenly feel at home. Networking is something that has now become a way of life and apart of my every day routine. The use of having a mobile phone with 4G makes connectivity portable, access it anywhere and any time. 

Networking is such a huge part of my professional practise, since training at college I was aware that having a good network was going to play a huge part of my succes relating to the famous saying 'Its not what you know, its who you know'. As I have transitioned into teaching I was wondering 'who I knew' that was going to help me in creating a new circle of networking tools. I made a list of the networks that I currently use. 

I asked myself a few questions:

Q: What are the current and different ways (tools) that you have, or do, engage with your professional network ?

Facebook is a huge part of my networking in my practise. I am apart of many groups who are a mix of different people (Dance Teachers, Village group, Local dance school pages, Previous colleague groups), which allows me to target my advertising to a wide variety of communities. I can access these on the go through the use of my mobile phone, I am always in contact with social media. Other current networks are within the primary schools themselves a face to face approach, they can actively see me teach and in many circumstances they have always passed on my details to other schools or provided me with good references that help me out in new situations. 

Q: When you reflect upon current networks, can you think about the motives of others to be in the network and what values and purpose they have in mind?

• Dance Teachers Facebook group - Advertise any cover teaching they need. Free advertising of workshops, classes and events. Seek job vacancies. Meet people in the same industry, tag and help out friends for job posts.
• Village group - Parents looking for actives for their children. Looking for different ways to be apart of the community. Local business's supporting each other and sharing events. Spreading the advertisement across families who are likely to attend to events. 
• Primary schools - expand the activities/opportunities for the children. 

Q: What relative things could you do to work towards developing your ideal network?

Apply the 'Who you know' policy, use the people I know in the areas of my practise to expand my network see if it can open up any other opportunities. Contact more primary schools, with a more detail explanation of the programmes I offer. Book meetings with the schools to speak face to face about the services I can provide. Use my Facebook page a lot more other than adversing every half term keep posting things through out to keep it looking busy, may gain more interest. Maybe organise more events including not only children. 

Q: Any ethical considerations you have to think about when networking ? If so what are they and how would you need to consider them?

The approach I make to my social media pages will either help or hinder my business. Thinking to who will see my page I have to carefully consider the language I use, think about how I want to be perceived. But this will also mean that my personal profile will also have to have a professional adaptation to it as well, as I am registered as the business owner it is made very simple to access my profile, inappropriate pictures or language is forbidden as I would like all my clients to think I take things seriously and apply a professional manner. 

All these different networking tools I use allows me to stay in contact with people I met years ago on previous jobs and new people who are interested in the same thing as myself, you never know when friends and colleagues may have opportunities that you are perfect for and vice versa. Web 2.0 is brilliant for allowing this to stay alive and active.