always learning...

It is becoming harder and harder for someone in the education profession to get away with not participating in professional development opportunities. Educators have to get outside the four walls of their classroom and learn something. When I say educators, I am including teachers, administrators, technology & curriculum specialists, and district leadership.

So where can I go to learn? Well.. EVERYWHERE!

I am learning more and more from the awesome people I follow on Twitter. I can get iPad app suggestions, suggestions for great blog posts on so many topics, and Common Core resources! Just last week, I came across a link for a Live Stream of an app smack down session at the T+L Tech Forum in Atlanta.  I am so glad I clicked on that link because I learned about some great apps, websites, and a really neat swivel camera! I also found a new Twitter friend to follow.

Where else can I go to learn?

I can attend a conference. I attend our state's technology conference every year and learn something new every time. There are also regional and national conference, like ISTE, you can attend.  If travel isn't your thing, several conferences now offer access to parts of their conference via the Internet.

If you want a not so conference feel, you can kind EdCamps popping up in multiple cities around the US. I really want to find out close enough to me and attend.

Do you have a really comfortable chair? If so, then pull out one of the many great ed tech books and/or magazines. Currently, I have three books on my desk - Creating a Digital-Rich Classroom, Curriculum 21, and World Class Learners.

These ideas and suggestions are just the tip of the iceberg. I don't even mention MOOC or iTunes U.

As you can see, those in the education profession have no excuse when it comes to learning and growing professional.

How do you learn? What professional development opportunities do you enjoy the most?