I hope you’re enjoying the crisp autumn temperatures and the beauty that is fall in Pennsylvania! Here are some updates from elem. tech!
connected educator month
It’s Connected Educator Month!
It’s October! You know what that means, it’s Connected Educator Month! You may have heard me talk about the power of connected learning and teaching and leading in the past… my stance on it hasn’t changed. Having a strong personal learning network (PLN) is vital to the success of any educator. Local networks and teacher communities are very important, but there is great benefit to connecting beyond the walls of our schools and district boundaries to collaborate and network with teachers and administrators from all over the world. Over the past five years, the number of educators using social media tools to connect with one another to share resources, provide support, and energize one another has increased exponentially.
It is well worth an investment of your time to find a network with which to engage to better your practice. Whether it is via Twitter, by joining a book club hosted by CEM or facilitating a global collaboration project such as Global Read Aloud in your classroom; through discussions in a Google+ community or posting to Pinterest boards, finding an Instagram hashtag to follow, or another connected learning endeavor, the possibilities are endless to get and stay connected with fellow educators!
Here’s the Connected Educator Month calendar. Check it out and see if there’s something in which you’d be interested in participating! These events are not solely focused on technology use in the classroom. Topics span everything from literacy to interventions to real-world problem solving to social-emotional learning! There’s something for everyone.
The focus of our November 18 Wired Wednesday workshop will be using Twitter and other social media tools to develop a personal learning network. Sign up in My Learning Plan to join us!
Follow the #ce15 hashtag on Twitter to read the latest and greatest contributions from educators around the world who are sharing their learning during Connected Educator Month…. and beyond!
If you participate in Connected Educator Month, please be sure to grab the CEM Credly badge! Along with all of the other badges you’ve earned this year thus far!
It’s Connected Educator Month!
Connected Educator Month officially kicked off this week, and there are many learning opportunities for you and your colleagues around the world all month long!
On the main CEM website, you can find a calendar filled with events to help promote connected learning. Events are hosted by organizations, schools, and classrooms around the world.
Looking to grow professionally through connected learning? The Connected Educator Month Starter Kit is a great place to start. It will provide you with background on the rationale behind this month and plenty of activities to help you begin connected or deepen the connections you already have.
Connecting with others via social media is one way to address just some of the following Spartan Digital Competencies:
SDC 2 – Communication and Collaboration with Colleagues
D. Shares and seeks ideas and resources from fellow teaching professionals.
SDC4 – Model Digital Age Learning
A. Exhibits a positive attitude and approach towards using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity within the professional culture.
B. Models and facilitates effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use digital information resources to support research and learning.
G. Models global awareness and cultural understanding by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital communication and collaboration tools (Skype, Google Hangouts, email, Global Read Aloud, Edmodo, etc.)
SDC 5 – Professional Growth and Digital Age Leadership
A. Creates a personal learning network (PLN) relevant to current professional responsibilities by:
- Participating in and contributing to learning with members of local and global professional learning communities through the use of blogging, RSS feeds, education portals, social media and virtual environments.
- Striving to become an innovative leader in professional learning environments
Interested in learning more about Twitter to form global connections, or using Google+ to participate in learning communities? Please contact me, either individually or as a team, and we will plan a learning event to help you get started! Don’t forget, while technology helps us connect on a global level, connections within your buildings and district and local colleagues should also be celebrated during CEM!
Other reads and resources:
Connected Educator Month on Pinterest
Edublogs published The Edublogger’s Guide to Connected Educators Month
Consider participating in the Global Read Aloud!
Via my connected colleague, Chris McCaffrey: “There’s nothing powerful about technology, the power lies in the hearts and minds with the people we connect. Social media just increases that circle of influence further than we could ever imagine.”
Get connected today!
October is Connected Educator Month!
Last year the first annual Connected Educator Month was organized and celebrated by the US Department of Education. This year marks the second anniversary, and there are many exciting activities and events in store this October to celebrate the wonder of being a connected educator! These are the themes for this year’s event.
There are many ways to get involved with CEM. Here is the Kickoff page that lists all of the great events during the opening days of CEM. Check out the Events Calendar to find events and activities that interest you. There are also Book Clubs being organized, Twitter chats to participate in, and ways to get your students and classrooms connected!
Are you connecting with other educators, and/or getting your kids connected through global projects? I want to share the great work you’re doing! Please let me know what types of activities you’re participating in, including Mystery Skype, Global Read Aloud, etc. I’d love to showcase your project work here and share with others!
Finally, if any of you are interested in becoming a Connected Educator – the benefits are HUGE! – please let me know. I’d be happy to organize time to meet with you/your team/your school to discuss the use of social media to connect with educators around the world! I can support you in getting started with Twitter, reading some great educational blogs, and engaging with other online communities such as those in Google+!