Blogging & Twittering

I guess it's time to dust off the blog and begin again! In looking back, the past year has been truly busy for me. So busy that I forgot to blog!! I created this blog a couple of years ago in order to mostly organize what was going on in both of my classrooms. When I began the blog, I was (and still am) very interested in personal learning networks. I think that every teacher has a personal learning network and I had hoped my blog would become part of mine. I spend time each day reading the blogs of others in my field and learning from them, sharing ideas and resources, and generally stay connected professionally to those not close geographically to me, but those who shared my educational technology philosophy. I never really intended the blog to become a tool of communication for the parents of my students. We have numerous other ways that we communicate with them on a weekly and sometimes daily basis. I can see the value in me keeping up with my blog to expand and maintain my professional learning network, which again, is extremely important to me!

I've been on Twitter for awhile and while I don't "tweet" as much as I could/should, it is again something that I use professionally as a part of that PLN. It allows me a quick peek into ideas or thoughts of those I read regularly without having to go to multiple sites. If someone posts a link, I can get to the site quickly and if someone poses a question, I can answer, if I feel compelled! I understand that the communication on Twitter is a two way street and I probably should respond or post more than I do, but again, it's the dreaded time crunch I find myself in all the time! In one of the linked resources for Week 2, David Pogue shares his frustration with Twitter. I think, like David, I eliminate many of the tweets that have to do with people's personal lives and try to remain focused on the professional aspects of the application.

I've mostly chosen to follow other Ed.Tech. people on Twitter, but I do have some personal "tweeters" as well. I do have the app installed on my phone and iPad, so I do check into Twitter regularly! Again, its a wonderful professional tool and an important part of my PLN.

Reflecting on eTech Ohio 2010

I had to return a day early from eTech to attend a funeral, so unfortunately, I missed 1 day of motivation and exciting presentations. One of my colleagues and myself attended both Monday and Tuesday sessions last week. One of the things that I find the most interesting about attending a conference is the amount of new energy I return with and the willingness to jump in and try new ideas. Because this was a technology conference, I was particularly interested in how I can energize my teachers with new project ideas and resources.

It had been a couple of years since I last attended the eTech conference and I was pleasantly surprised at the availability of wi-fi throughout the conference center. I only wish that sessions that were totally filled could've been live streamed for those of us who couldn't get into the room. I attended a few sessions on making movies in the classrooms using a variety of resources. While we've used movie making before as a project outcome, it was helpful to see other options and ideas. I really like the idea of building "digital backpacks" for students to utilize when they tackle a movie or digital picture project.

Twitter was another popular topic for a few of the sessions at the conference. I use twitter mostly as a professional development resource. I follow lots of other educational technology folks and I learn alot from them, even though I don't always "tweet".

Monday's keynote for the afternoon was David Warlick. I've followed David for a few years now and he's certainly someone who knows of what he speaks(although now when I read what he's written I hear it with a southern accent!)! I could've listened to him for another hour. He talked about building your Personal Learning Network (PLN) and showed us some new and some not so new tools for adding to your network. To me, personal learning networks are the heart of my personal professional development. They are key to helping me discover new, sometimes better ways of accomplishing tasks. They provide resources and support when needed. I'm a firm believer in not re-inventing the wheel and my PLN helps me greatly!

Overall, I was glad to have attended the conference and hope that my enthusiasm continues. It is the kind of "re-charging" I need in February! Now, if we can only find the funds to do what we want!!