Hi, My Name is Christy and I’ve Participated in a PLN for 8 Months

Information Junkie

Many bloggers post about the joy of reading other blogs, and jumping from link to link…practically swimming in new ideas and information.  (Will Richardson describes it as a dance, and Steve Dembo reminds us to Link it Up!)  To be honest, I often feel what I like to call RSS two-way guilt  (I may or may not be the first person to use that term, but I’m surely not the first person to feel it.)  When my Reader has 100+ posts, I feel guilty that I’ve neglected my ever generous, always stimulating PLN.  After 2+ hours catching up, I feel guilty when my non-educator husband calls from the living room, “Are you still blogging?”  (He doesn’t differentiate between PLN activities..everything is “blogging” to him, mostly to yank my chain. I can’t imagine what you folks with kids do.)  Would some basic time management help?  Of course, but there are only so many hours in the day.  I have Twitter, Nings, wikis, and emails to stay on top of!  Did I mention I’m also a full-time technology AND gifted/talented teacher?   But, alas, I cannot stop…

Believe Me, I’m Not Complaining!

Discovering this “new world” of information 8 months ago is the BEST professional thing that could have happened to me.  (I have Lisa Thumann to thank for a great Web 2.0 workshop at Rutgers University.)  I was lucky enough to attend the Google Teacher Academy in NYC this past November. (Here is my application video) I met amazing people who have the same (and different)goals and ideas as I do.   I’ve encouraged my district administrators to continually add “Web 2.0″, for lack of a better term, to each technology meeting agenda.   Today, I pitched the idea of using Google Apps. for Educators with our teachers and students.  I made this simple presentation, and it sparked a forward-moving conversation.

Go Team!

My Free Master’s Program

I completed my Master’s degree in Educational Technology in 2005.  I’m very proud of that degree, but feel…well…sad, when I think about the hours I spent in musty campus computer labs creating projects that proved my knowledge of Flash (a car driving across the screen) or my superb PowerPoint abilities (creating a Jeopardy game).  In three years, I have never felt the need to recreate either of those activities.  Participating in my PLN, even if my activity is limited at times, is a free, incredibly engaging opportunity to stretch and grow.  I feel the ups and downs that all life-long learners feel:  discomfort and hesitation with the new material leading to confidence and pride with the things I’ve mastered.  I feel like the student from the YouTube video Networked Student by Wendy Dexler.   The last bit of the video describes the role of a teacher as someone who guides, supports and encourages rather than acts as the “sage on the stage”.  Somewhat ironically, I think it reinforces the need for f2f learning environments as well.  I’m very interested in learning and sharing with my peers in my PLN, but nothing beats seeing the excitement on a fellow educator’s face when they say, “My students LOVED this… it was so cool.”

Hey…You…Guuuuys (and Gals)!!! Part 2

TGI-PLN (Thank Goodness It’s Personal Learning Network)

Thank you to everyone who commented on Part 1 of this post, especially MariaD for bringing to my attention (in very professional, non-D’oh! way) that I had left out possibly the most important part of social networking… sharing and collaborating!  Haven’t I learned that “Reading’ and “Watching” aren’t enough for the 21st Century?  Sheesh…where was my head?

Summer Homework for Teachers and Administrators?  Yippeee!

In Part 1, I posted links that explained RSS feeders and how to get one.  Reading blogs is not enough.  Take full advantage of them… comment.  Leave comments for the author, or for other readers.  Many bloggers will respond to comments so feel free to pose a question or expand the discussion.  When you’re ready, start your own blog!  There are plenty of platforms to choose from.  I use wordpress.com, but find the one that’s right for you.  Edublog is specifically for teachers and students and is free.  Did you say blogs for students?  Why yes, I did.  Check out Scott McLeod’s wiki on K-12 blogs.  Read, learn, create and share. (not necessarily in that order)

Continually Create Your Personal Learning Network

The biggest mystery I faced when I started this journey was “How do I find the good stuff?”.  Why reinvent the wheel?  Why not start by investigating the same “stuff” that other educators and administrators are following?  Easy:  set up a Twitter account.  The Twitter.com FAQ’s states that, “Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers…”  Basically you pick members that you want to follow, based on common interests such as technology and education.  Following someone on Twitter allows you to see what they post.  Then the magic happens.  Professionals from all over the world are telling youwhat they are doing!!  Workshop announcements, new blog posts, interesting articles, webcasts, IT advice…all dispensed in 140 characters or less.  Watch, learn, and interact. (not necessarily in that order)

I Learned Everything in Kindergarten:  SHARE!

Share everything**. (This is something I need to start doing more often.)   Create an online identity.  Be transparent:  the person you are online is like the person you are in real life.  (thank you, Kevin Jarrett) Post photos (professional, personal, your choice) on Flickr.com.  Create a wiki so you and colleagues (inside your building and from across the world) can collaborate on projects.  Stop sending documents as “flat” email attachments.  Give them some depth by creating files in iGoogle Docs, so you can share them with others in order to collaborate!  Share videos (again, professional or personal) on YouTube or TeacherTube.  Just get out there and experience this world.  Help create this world.

Our Students Need  Us To Learn, Share and Collaborate

We can’t teach our students about these tools unless we use them ourselves.  If we don’t share this knowledge with our students, they’ll use these tools without us.  Lack of guidance could lead to cyber-bullying or simply inappropriate online behavior.  So as you actively participate and collaborate online, think of ways your students can do the same to expand their learning and acquire 21st Century skills.

Lastly, thank you to Vicki Davis for a recent post that acknowledges and supports new bloggers like:
Kristi, Matthew Needleman, and Michelle Baldwin.

**Please remember to keep safety in mind.  It is never a good idea to share personal information such as address or phone number and students should never share any personal information!  For an opposing view on sharing, read this post on Connecting the Dots, by new blogger Mike Curtin.

Homer Simpson Clipart from:  Fabiosbest’s Public Gallery