Becoming+a+Connected+Educator+and+B.Y.O.L.+with+Twitter

Connected Educators

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What is a connected educator? What are the benefits of becoming a connected educator? How are educators using Twitter to connect and build their own professional learning? We’ll explore these questions (and more) and begin building individual Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) through Twitter in this hands-on session.
 * Becoming a Connected Educator and B.Y.O.L. with Twitter **


 * Resources**

To me being a connected educator means having access to a large collective brain consisting of diverse ideas & perspectives. Being connected means that I am part of that collective — learning, sharing, collecting, and exploring what learning is and can be for ourselves as well as for our students. **Read more about my thoughts on this here.**

This is a very tough time to be an educator. There are multiple pressures and too little respect given to the individuals who work every day in our classrooms. This is also an exciting time to be educator. New technologies and new ways of connecting, collaborating, learning, and creating are providing us with a wide array of new opportunities and the possibilities for completely re-envisioning our concept of “school” and how/where/when learning can and should occur.

Unfortunately, there are still large numbers of educators who are not fully aware of all of these new opportunities and possibilities. To be fair, most of those educators are simply too overwhelmed to think beyond “the next test” or beyond “the next instructional plan.” I understand that fact. I really do.

But I also understand that today’s world requires us to become more connected. Networks, mass collaboration, connections, and the wide variety of online social tools allow instant-access to an amazing collective intelligence on a 24/7/365 basis. This means that knowledge is now at our fingertips when and where we need it. Knowledge is now at our students’ fingertips when and where they need it — if they know how to find it.

It is our responsibility as educators to know how to connect with and tap into this collective intelligence so that we can help our students understand how to do so most effectively and efficiently. This isn’t too different from the concept of driver’s education. We don’t learn how to drive a car just by reading a manual or by learning from someone who has never driven a car themselves. Our students live and will work in an increasingly highly connected and collaborative world, and we have to understand what this means for learning, working, and living in order to provide a more personal, self-directed, and more effective learning environment for our students.

// “As educators, our challenge is to match the needs of our learners to a world that is changing with great rapidity. To meet this challenge, we need to become strategic learners ourselves by deliberately expanding our perspectives and updating our approaches.” // — Heidi Hayes Jacobs in [|Curriculum 21]

// “Becoming a connected, do-it-yourself learner begins with your willingness to be a findable, clickable, searchable-on-Google person who shares openly and transparently. From there we can form a connection, a conversation, a relationship and begin to collaborate.” // – Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach and Lani Ritter Hall in [|The Connected Educator]

// “We see this process of connecting playing out all around us online all the time. Through our interactions with the people and resources in our networks, we become a part of an ongoing flow of learning. Every day there is new knowledge to make sense of and new ways of thinking about and looking at the world. As we participate in these spaces, we become one node, one participant of many in a network that in aggregate is constantly learning. In other words, even though we may not be connected at a given moment, invariably others in our network are, and they are reading, filtering, thinking, and sharing in transparent ways that will be available to us when we do go back online.” // – Will Richardson and Rob Mancabelli in [|Personal Learning Networks]

// “The educational community that I would become a part of that day changed the way I viewed students, schools, and education. I had become a node of knowledge in a network of learners. With one simple click of a button, I had created my little piece of the web that would allow me to communicate and collaborate with others who were all passionate about the same thing: learning.” // – Jeff Utecht in [|Reach]

Just a few of my favorite books related to connected learning and being a connected educator…

 [|The Connected Educator] (Get your copy of this book and then join the official [|Connected Educator Month Book Club] ) by Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach and Lani Ritter Hall

 [|Personal Learning Networks] by Will Richardson

 [|Curriculum 21] by Heidi Hayes Jacobs

 [|Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds] by Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis

 [|Teaching 2030] by Barnett Berry and the TeacherSolutions 2030 Team: Jennifer Barnett, Kilian Betlach, Shannon C’de Baca, Susie Highley, John M. Hollad, Carrie J. Kamm, Renee Moore, Cindi Rigsbee, Ariel Sacks, Emily Vickery, Jose Vilson, and Laurie Wasserman

 [|Wikinomics] by Don Tapscott and Anthony Williams

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;"> [|Wikis for School Leaders] by Stephanie Sandifer

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;"> [|What School Leaders Need to Know About Digital Technologies and Social Media] edited by Scott McLeod and Chris Lehmann

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Making Connections with Blogging] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px;">by Lisa Parisi and Brian Crosby

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;"> [|Creating Innovators] by Tony Wagner

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;"> [|Natural Learning for a Connected World] by Renate N. Caine and Geoffrey Caine


 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">Over time I’ve enjoyed the following benefits from being connected: **


 * **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: medium; vertical-align: baseline;">Less feeling of isolation **
 * **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: medium; vertical-align: baseline;">Increased exposure to more diverse ideas and learning experiences **
 * **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: medium; vertical-align: baseline;">Increased networking — getting to know a wide variety of educators from other states, regions, and countries — many on a personal level **
 * **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: medium; vertical-align: baseline;">Opportunities to collaborate on a variety of research, speaking, and writing projects **
 * **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: medium; vertical-align: baseline;">New ideas to inform my local practice — to use and to share with other local colleagues **
 * **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: medium; vertical-align: baseline;">Developing a new way of thinking about the entire learning process for all learners (children and adults) **


 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">To me being a connected educator means having access to a large collective brain consisting of diverse ideas & perspectives. Being connected means that I am part of that collective — learning, sharing, collecting, and exploring what learning is and can be for ourselves as well as for our students. **

The Original Connected Learner Manifesto Brainstorming Document

Connected Educator Self-Evaluation - follow instructions at top of document to make a copy for yourself that you can edit or print. 10 Tips for Becoming a Connected Educator - @http://www.edutopia.org/blog/10-tips-become-connected-educator-elana-leoni

Twitter Resources
@http://www.teachthought.com/technology/the-complete-guide-to-twitter-hashtags-in-education/

Connect Via Facebook
Groups & Pages for connecting with other educators

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">** Connected Educator Month **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">Had to include this one — a direct source for all of the CEM goodness this month! The official Facebook page for Connected Educator Month. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">** Facebook in Education **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">A Facebook Page for information about how educators can best use Facebook <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">** The Connected Learner **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Connected Learner is a space for change agents, children advocates, parents, educators and others who understand the power of connections as a means to making the world a better place for children. This is a collaboratively built place. Where we can all share the great work we are doing in our own spaces and a place where we can commit to learning together, sharing what we know, and collectively creating innovations. This is a deep learning space. This is where we forget competition and instead explore collaboration. This is a space of action. Where we take back what we learn and use it to inform meaningful change in our local practice, organization, or home. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">** The Innovative Educator **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">This is a group for anyone interested in providing innovative learning opportunities that would provide a brand new type of learning environment outside of traditional school options. Ideally members of this group will be interested in getting involved with taking action to ensure innovative learning options that best meet the needs of children exist in their communities. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">** Mobile Learning **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">This group is dedicated to improving education by raising awareness of mobile learning and emerging educational strategies. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">** Make Magazine **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">Facebook page of Make Magazine — links to great projects. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">** TED-Ed **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">TED-Ed is TED’s education initiative. Our mission is to capture and amplify the voices of great educators around the world. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">** The Flat Classroom Book **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">Global collaboration is transformational. Learn it. Live it. Do it. The Flat Classroom® is not just a book, it is an experience that will forever transform your teaching. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">** Digital Learning Day **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">Digital Learning Day celebrates innovative teaching and learning through digital media and technology that engages students and provides them with a rich, personalized educational experience. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">** T.H.E. Journal **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">T.H.E. Journal informs K-12 administrators, technologists and educators of ways to improve teaching and administration through technology. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">** [|Technology Tidbits] **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">A resource sharing blog for educators to help bring web 2.0/21st Century tools to the classroom and bridge the gap between education and technology. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">** #EdChat **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">#Edchat is a hashtag discussion among educators from all over the world on education related topics. This Facebook page includes related resources and continued discussions around the weekly #EdChat chats. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">** Powerful Learning Practice **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">Powerful Learning Practice is professional development for the 21st Century. PLP Alums meet here to catch up, share, and celebrate all things PLP! <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">** Tech & Learning Magazine **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">Cutting-edge news, emerging technology trends, practical tips and best practices. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">** The New Media Consortium **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sparking innovation, learning, and creativity. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">** Technology Leadership Network **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">TLN fosters a team approach to technology decision-making. As one of the most respected and established networking programs in the field, it includes every level of the district’s technology team: superintendent, educational technology and curriculum directors, principals, teachers, and school board members. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">** Edutopia **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">Inspiration and information for what works in education. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">** ISTE **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">Advancing excellence in learning and teaching through innovative and effective uses of technology. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">** ASCD **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">ASCD is a membership organization that develops programs, products, and services essential to the way educators learn, teach, and lead.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">** Change Agency Connected Educator Month Blog Posts **

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day “0” – Why Connected Educator Month Matters #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 1 – Get Your Free Starter Kit! #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 2 – Join the book club! #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 3 – Being a Connected Educator #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 4 – Recommended Reading #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 5 – The Importance of Disconnecting #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 6 – The Connected Learning Manifesto #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 7 – Leadership for Connected Professional Learning #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 8 – (a few of) My Favorite Quotes #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 9 – Facebook Connections #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 10 – The How of Connected Learning: Advice for Twitter Beginners #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 11 – Wikis in Our Work #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 12 – Working With Wikis #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 13 – Transformative Experiences #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 14 – Other Connected Ed Blog Posts #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 15 – Leadership Day 2012 #ce12 #leadershipday12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 16 – About Conundrums, Echo Chambers, &Team Planning Meetings #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 17 – Ongoing & Upcoming #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 18 – Community Engagement #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 19 – You Might Be a Connected Educator If… #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 20 – Still Connecting and Collaborating #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 21 – My Personal Connected Learning Toolbox #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 22 – The Cruciality of Connected Educator Month #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 23 – Connected Commenting Challenge #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 24 – 7 Habits of Connected Educators #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 25 – Pin all the things! Pinterest as a Gateway #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 26 – 70+ Hours of PD #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #df0000; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 27 – What Are Your Next Steps? #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 28 – The Final Week #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 29 – Step-by-Step From PLCs to PLNs #ce12]

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|Connected Educator Month Day 31 – A Few Closing Thoughts #ce12]


 * People/Organizations associated with the emerging thinking around Personal Learning Networks, Connected Learning, Connectivism, learning networks, etc. **

Will Richardson (personal learning networks) - [] Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach (connected educators, connected learning) - [] George Seimens (connectivism) - [] DML - [] U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology - [] -- specifically explore their projects: []