ABSTRACT Increasingly, policymakers, school and school system leaders are turning to Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) as a means to achieve bottom-up educational improvement at scale (Brown and Poortman, 2018). Likening the leadership challenges of establishing PLNs to conquering a labyrinth, this paper draws on extant literature to explore one key factor thought vital to the success of PLNs: the role of school leaders in creating a two-way link between PLNs and schools. Drawing on Bauman’s [2012. Liquid Modernity. Cambridge: Polity Press] notion of liquid modernity to ground the emergence of education networks within wider trends affecting society, this theoretical paper provides a conceptual exploration of the role of school leaders in maximising the benefits of networked ways of working for their school. Settling on three vital network leadership functions of formalising, prioritising and mobilising PLN engagement, the paper concludes by establishing some of the key areas school leaders need to consider if they are to successfully negotiate the PLN maze. Also detailed are the suggested ‘lessons’ school and system leaders should heed to maximise the impact of PLNs for all schools involved.

中文翻译：

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克服专业学习网络迷宫：网络学校领导者需要什么？

摘要越来越多的政策制定者，学校和学校系统负责人转向专业学习网络（PLN），作为实现自下而上的大规模教育改善的一种手段（Brown and Poortman，2018）。就像建立PLN的领导挑战要克服迷宫一样，本文借鉴现有文献来探讨对PLN成功至关重要的一个关键因素：学校领导者在PLN与学校之间建立双向联系的作用。借鉴鲍曼（Bauman）的著作[2012。流动的现代性。剑桥：政治出版社）流动现代性的概念，以在影响社会的更广泛趋势中建立教育网络，该理论论文从概念上探讨了学校领导者在最大程度地发挥网络化工作方式为其学校带来的好处方面的作用。在确定正式，优先和动员PLN参与的三个重要网络领导功能后，本文通过确定学校领导者是否需要成功进行PLN迷宫谈判需要考虑的一些关键领域而得出结论。还详细列出了建议的“课程”，学校和系统负责人应注意最大限度地提高PLN对所有涉及学校的影响。