Can Twitter serves as a PD tool for educators? My response would be absolutely. My work partner Greg and I have had many discussion on how twitter has opened a world of professional development that we had not been a part of previously. As educationl technology consultants we have been fortunate to meet fellow educators in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, US and around the world that are willing to share their ideas, expertise, lessons, websites, articles, trends and upcoming technology with others.
In fact Twitter is like PD on steroids as it provides you with a direct link, you can personalize your learning and you can get addicted very easily. The great thing is when was the last time you heard a teacher say I am addicted to PD??
This kind of pd is perfect for today's learner, it is available 24/7, but you don't have to be in it 24/7. It can provide many collaborative spaces so you are not alone. It also celebrates that we are all lifelong learners regardless of age, work experience or education.
There is so much educators can do with Twitter in the classroom but I will save that for another post. For today I encourage everyone to use Twitter to find areas they want to explore in their field of teaching and learning, branch out to try something new and meet some great people.
Follow someone with the same interests and you never know where you will go!
I have included some resources that can be very useful for begining your Twitter journey.
Twitter Resources for Teachers
http://www.classroom20.com/profiles/blogs/twitter-resources-for-teachers
100 Tips and Resources for Teachers on Twitter
http://www.onlinecollegedegrees.org/2009/03/19/100-tips-apps-and-resources-for-teachers-on-twitter/
Twitter Resources for Educators:
http://nfsteacher.edu.glogster.com/twitter-resources-for-educators/
Twitter in the Classroom
http://janeknight.typepad.com/socialmedia/2009/08/twitter-in-the-classroom-10-useful-resources.html
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Friday, March 4, 2011
March already? Zeros for Students
Well, my resolution to blog regularly has "failed" must have been that I didn't prepare a rubric with which to assess myself, or was I just not engaged? Might it have been that I hadn't set out reasonable, measurable goals? Did I have choice in what I was doing?
Okay so I am not going crazy but these are the kinds of things we would ask of why students are not motivated, engaged or desire to complete tasks. Is it the task? Is it the content? Is it our instructional strategies? Combo anyone?
I don't profess to have answers but I do believe that if we as educators don't reflect and ask these kinds of questions when are students fail to rise to the occassion, skip classes, omitt assignments, engage elsewhere then we are failing as educators. We can't just slap a zero and say oh well, kid should have done their work.... or can we?
Now, I know the next argument is, do I wait forever to get the assignment? wellllll...... that is a whole other blog entry.
But I would love to hear other peoples views and comments on this...
Okay so I am not going crazy but these are the kinds of things we would ask of why students are not motivated, engaged or desire to complete tasks. Is it the task? Is it the content? Is it our instructional strategies? Combo anyone?
I don't profess to have answers but I do believe that if we as educators don't reflect and ask these kinds of questions when are students fail to rise to the occassion, skip classes, omitt assignments, engage elsewhere then we are failing as educators. We can't just slap a zero and say oh well, kid should have done their work.... or can we?
Now, I know the next argument is, do I wait forever to get the assignment? wellllll...... that is a whole other blog entry.
But I would love to hear other peoples views and comments on this...
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Wednesday Dec. 8th
To Share or Not to Share....
I confess I am a sharer! I feel that if I have something others might use it is only logical to share with them....
Recently at the 2010 ATLE conference I attened a session on Social Media with the Couros Brothers... although the topic was about Social Media, we engaged in the conversation of sharing. It has had me reflecting and thinking about this not so new idea but one that faces many of us in Ed Tech, Teaching and Learning. So this is my ponderings, please let me know your thoughts.
Do I need credit?.... not really.
Do I like it when people are grateful for the sharing? Of course, we all like our work to be appreciated. But is the simple act of someone using your material evidence or a sign of gratefulness?
When is sharing going to get easier for those that feel they put the hours into the work and therefore others should work for it too? Am I old fashioned, idealistic to believe that once we share, we will receive, and then we share more and we receive more.... crazy cycle but I like it!!
As educators we teach our students to share, we ask them to collaborate, to work together, to work cooperatively, to develop group working skills, yet often the concept of sharing with each other is a challenge to many teachers.
My question is why?
Is it greed?
Is it a need to be acknowledged?
Is it fear that their work/resources are not good enough and don't want to take the next step?
Is it horading ?
Is it competition?
What do you think?
I confess I am a sharer! I feel that if I have something others might use it is only logical to share with them....
Recently at the 2010 ATLE conference I attened a session on Social Media with the Couros Brothers... although the topic was about Social Media, we engaged in the conversation of sharing. It has had me reflecting and thinking about this not so new idea but one that faces many of us in Ed Tech, Teaching and Learning. So this is my ponderings, please let me know your thoughts.
Do I need credit?.... not really.
Do I like it when people are grateful for the sharing? Of course, we all like our work to be appreciated. But is the simple act of someone using your material evidence or a sign of gratefulness?
When is sharing going to get easier for those that feel they put the hours into the work and therefore others should work for it too? Am I old fashioned, idealistic to believe that once we share, we will receive, and then we share more and we receive more.... crazy cycle but I like it!!
As educators we teach our students to share, we ask them to collaborate, to work together, to work cooperatively, to develop group working skills, yet often the concept of sharing with each other is a challenge to many teachers.
My question is why?
Is it greed?
Is it a need to be acknowledged?
Is it fear that their work/resources are not good enough and don't want to take the next step?
Is it horading ?
Is it competition?
What do you think?
Friday, December 3, 2010
December 3rd, Twitter and it's role in Education
I have had a twitter account for some time but didn't really begin to use it for educational purposes until this summer. We were participating in the Emerge Conference in Banff Alberta and it was exciting to use the hash tags (#emerge2010) to follow along. We also introduced peers to the program. Once back at work though it became hard to follow.
My personal committment has been at least once a week check, comment and tweet. Sometimes I have many more, other times hard to get one in.
I have found some interesting people to follow in education, they have inspired me to create some lists to organize those I follow. I have also been introduced to Tweet Deck, Twitterfall and the idea of reviewing other lists to determine who you would like to follow. However the question we often here is, but what do you get out of it???
Well,
My personal committment has been at least once a week check, comment and tweet. Sometimes I have many more, other times hard to get one in.
I have found some interesting people to follow in education, they have inspired me to create some lists to organize those I follow. I have also been introduced to Tweet Deck, Twitterfall and the idea of reviewing other lists to determine who you would like to follow. However the question we often here is, but what do you get out of it???
Well,
- I get a chance to meet peers I might never meet and hear their great ideas.
- I follow individuals who point out great lessons for smartboards and other technology integration.
- I am directed to blogs, wikkis, articles and webspaces that have some very interesting trends, research and reflections on educational technology practices.
- I feel like I am a part of a larger community, beyond my jurisdiction.
What do I want to get from it?
- connections to people, places and practices.
- enrich my understanding of content, concepts and issues facing educators.
- challenge myself, discover new interests, reflect on my practice.
How will I get there?
- Well, my plan is to learn to use Tweet Deck and Twitter Fall efficiently.
- To find individuals to follow that inspire, motivate and give me cause to reflect.
- To share what I learn along the way and hope that others will provide me with guidance and advance.
- To committ to checking my twitter account regularly and to add it to this blog.
Let's see what happens, how are others using Twitter? Any advice out there or suggestions?
M
Sunday, November 28, 2010
ATLE Conference In Red Deer
Presented "All the Right Stuff" with partner Greg Woitas at the conference. Theme of team building was evident even in the evening events. Lots of laughs, fun, team building and relationship building.
Enjoyed listening to the Courus Brothers speak about Social Networking and the use of a blog or twitter account. Amazing what educators can do across the space/time continuim if they put their minds to it.
So many peers out there with great ideas, thoughts, challenges. Having your peers in other places in Alberta, Canada, the World to chat with, discuss and provoke questions that make you want ot seek out answers if what being part of a social network is about.
It is also knowing they are there! Having the net of collegues that you haven't even met is an amazing feeling.
Check out some other blogs by educators interested in social networking and educational technology:
http://educationaltechnology.ca/couros/
http://georgecouros.ca/blog/
http://shareski.ca/Home.html
Enjoyed listening to the Courus Brothers speak about Social Networking and the use of a blog or twitter account. Amazing what educators can do across the space/time continuim if they put their minds to it.
So many peers out there with great ideas, thoughts, challenges. Having your peers in other places in Alberta, Canada, the World to chat with, discuss and provoke questions that make you want ot seek out answers if what being part of a social network is about.
It is also knowing they are there! Having the net of collegues that you haven't even met is an amazing feeling.
Check out some other blogs by educators interested in social networking and educational technology:
http://educationaltechnology.ca/couros/
http://georgecouros.ca/blog/
http://shareski.ca/Home.html
Monday, September 6, 2010
Sept. 6th 2010 Interactive Whiteboards....so?
Well, I have some more ponderings. Interactive whiteboards are taking many classrooms by storm. It isn't just the main brands but many other interacitve devices and even the newest projector that will make the surface interactive. Is this something we need or just cute? Does it actually provide students with 21st century learning skills.... does it promotoe collaboration, critical thinking, global connections, organzing and analyzing? Well some would argue yes and others would argue no. My concern is the cost of providing educators with this kind of device and then it is used as a whiteboard, screen to project on.... is this really worth the cost?
How long do you wait for it to become a useful tool? My other ponder is, can educators fall into the trap of using an IWB as the old "worksheet" and make students interact but keep the learning at a level that is just knowledge and fill in the blank??
My goal is to find examples of great use of IWB and working with students to help foster the 21st century skills.
Just wondering out loud...
How long do you wait for it to become a useful tool? My other ponder is, can educators fall into the trap of using an IWB as the old "worksheet" and make students interact but keep the learning at a level that is just knowledge and fill in the blank??
My goal is to find examples of great use of IWB and working with students to help foster the 21st century skills.
Just wondering out loud...
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sept. 2010 Is technology ready for Education?
So everyone keeps writing about how technology will support and help education but my question is reversed... Is technology ready for Education? One might ask, is she crazy, what does she mean?
Well it has been my experience that there is ample Web 2.0 tools, gadgets, tools, seminars, interviews, multmedia videos and products that will help you integrate technology but then come the restrictions... security, privacy acts, filters, policy, permissions, bandwidth, infrastructure, etc etc.
So we get our teachers all excited about what is possible and then we tell them, but wait... you can't really do that yet, or this is great stuff but beware of ....... and check with.....
Wouldn't it be nice to just be able to be explorers that push boundaries and discover new lands without the worries of what is going to work, fit, secure, will download, etc.
Just a thought... share your thoughts...
P.S. Below are my posts from last year's adventure in Scotland at the Scottish Learning Festival. Amazing Conference. Sorry for the absence of posts but I am going to committ to more frequent blogging as a chance to converse with others about Technology and Education. Please comment away to keep the conversation going.
Well it has been my experience that there is ample Web 2.0 tools, gadgets, tools, seminars, interviews, multmedia videos and products that will help you integrate technology but then come the restrictions... security, privacy acts, filters, policy, permissions, bandwidth, infrastructure, etc etc.
So we get our teachers all excited about what is possible and then we tell them, but wait... you can't really do that yet, or this is great stuff but beware of ....... and check with.....
Wouldn't it be nice to just be able to be explorers that push boundaries and discover new lands without the worries of what is going to work, fit, secure, will download, etc.
Just a thought... share your thoughts...
P.S. Below are my posts from last year's adventure in Scotland at the Scottish Learning Festival. Amazing Conference. Sorry for the absence of posts but I am going to committ to more frequent blogging as a chance to converse with others about Technology and Education. Please comment away to keep the conversation going.
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