Greetings!
For starters, check out this great infographic I discovered when I googled, “connected educator.” Neat, huh?
For starters, check out this great infographic I discovered when I googled, “connected educator.” Neat, huh?
After going through the process of reading, thinking about, and adding information to my colleague’s blogs, I definitely now see the value of being a participant in a Professional Learning Network. Together we can pull so many resources and ideas than we can alone. It is also interesting to see what makes other educators tick and how they view our cause and process. Without this assignment, I wouldn’t have benefited from watching these TED talks because I probably wouldn’t have searched for them on my own. Like the infographic says, “Everyone benefits!”
The entire assignment including the Twitter discussion, connecting on Twitter and LinkedIn, and exploring others’ blogs, was a 101 in how to create and utilize a Professional Learning Network. To be honest, I try and minimize my social media accounts because who has time to keep track of an Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, email, Tumblr, and now Twitter AND LinkedIn BUT I can see how this would keep me up to date as a professional. However, I am a little skeptical about the benefits of LinkedIn. What unique tools for engagement does it have that are different from Twitter and how will they benefit me as an educator?
This process best fits into the ISTE Standard #3: Model Digital Age Work and Learning. Keeping up with a Professional Learning Network will model to your students that you are engaged in your own ongoing education. This models being the lifelong learner you wish your students will become. Demonstrating fluency in technology will show your students that you are up to date with the latest in education innovation and that this is something that is important to you as their teacher. Using these devices can also help you engage your students with classroom websites and other participatory web tools.
I checked out and commented on the blogs of Laura Monte, Dominic Geracitano, and Crystal Evans. These are the additional links I added to their blog posts, respectively:
- Made With Code – A website working to inspire young women to get involved in computer science through really awesome coding projects for free.
- Student-Driven Learning – A web video from Edutopia highlighting the role of the teacher in student-driven learning.
- Games in the Classroom – An article listing five reasons why games should be included in your classroom curriculum.
Jenny