The Connected Educators

I recently came across a post by Peter DeWitt titled 15 Reasons Why Educators Should Be Connected. In all actuality, it should be titled 15 Books to Buy in the Corwin Connected Educator Series. Nonetheless, the “Connected Educators” IS a club I want to join. So, six months ago I created a Twitter account. But as the article mentions, it’s more than that. For me, becoming connected is a big part of my growth as a professional. I believe in the power technology provides by creating opportunities for making connections that lend to a lifelong journey of learning. How can I evolve as an educator and not be connected?

We (and by we I mean mean you, me, students, colleagues, parents, community members) all have voices. But are we being heard? Should we speak up? With technology and social networking, we have an opportunity to share, connect, interact, and learn in ways like never before.

At the same time, it’s also important to remember the connections you have right in front of you. Don’t miss them because your looking at your device. Face-to-face connections are equally, if not more, important. But you must tap into that resource, too, especially if your work environment doesn’t foster collaboration.

I will narrow DeWitt’s 15 reasons to my top 5 main take-aways or 5 things to add to my to do/think about list:

Brand your classroom

I think there is much more to this (maybe another blog post), but every classroom tells a unique story. Teachers and students can look for ways to share their classroom culture, ideas, experiences, and transformations with others in a way that connects to a broader audience.

Participate in blogging

Share your voice and participate in discussions via blogs you’re interested in, have learned from, or you have written yourself. Why not write your own blog as a record of your own professional learning journey?

Changing your ideas of PD

I love the idea of ongoing professional development that isn’t based on accumulated hours but pursuing passions and collaborating in ways that lead to authentic learning experiences for my students and for me. Professional Learning Communities are critical for the connected educator. If I'm finding ways for my students to take ownership of their learning, shouldn’t I be doing the same for myself?

Navigating the digital world

When I stop to think what the ‘digital world’ will look like in 10, 15, 20 years I think about the movie The Matrix...then I start to worry, so I stop thinking about that. But we really are preparing our students to be leaders in a world that is hard to imagine. We should also prepare ourselves. Teachers should find ways to create and share digital information, use social media, and build personal learning networks to name a few. For some, this means getting out of our comfort zone, but we may find that challenges can yield great satisfaction.

Curation

Until recently, I only thought of this word in a museum context. But for the connected educator it is a big deal. There is so much information on the web it can be overwhelming. With the right tools, it is easy to find, collect, and share reliable information.

From what I can tell, the Connected Educators are not an elusive bunch, but are welcoming all who are willing to connect. For me, I am happy to join with those who can stretch my thinking, help me see perspectives I might have missed before, interact with old and new ideas, learn, and guide others to learn as well.

If your interested in a gem I came across while getting connected, check out the Connected Educator Starter Kit or plan to join the Connected Educator Month in 2015 being organized by the American Institutes for Research in partnership with Grunwald Associates LLC, Powerful Learning Practice LLC, the United States Department of Education and Digital Promise. Visit the official Connected Educator Month site at www.connectededucators.org.

#technology #edtech #PLC #network #CEM15 #connectededucator #PLE