Are You Connected?

A few days ago I came across a great article on Connected Principals about being a connected educator. The article was titled "Plugged In" and can be found here. I completely agree with the article. Educators need to be connected in order to learn about the most up-to-date information. With the introduction of Common Core, educators can't afford to not be connected.

Where do you begin to get connected?  If you are just getting started, this question can be a real burden! Here are some ways I am connected. These are not the only ways, so if these ideas don't appeal to you, don't worry! There is something out there for everyone!

~ Twitter  (I am @techie_teach)
Twitter is a great way to connect with other educators and education experts! If you want to "test the waters" before creating an account, you can search the discussions by going to twitter.com/search and searching one of the several hashtags used by educators. Some of these include #edtech, #edapp, #mlearning, and #1stchat.
Once you create an account, you want to find the experts and learn from them! Some of the experts I follow include: Lisa Johnson (@TechChef4u), Jayme Linton (@jaymelinton), Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher), Eric Sheninger (@NMHS_Principal), and Richard Byrne (@rmbyrne).
You can find other suggestions for leaders new to Twitter here.

~ Pinterest (I am at http://pinterest.com/teachertechie/)
When you think Pinterest, you may think about recipes and home decor ideas. You should also think about education. Pinterest is a great way to "pin" and share resources, ideas, examples, and information with others. For example, Matt Gomez has a Pinterest board dedicated to free iPad apps.
Pinterest, to me, is like a large database of information but in a cute visual format. I can organize my information through the creation of boards. I have two boards created so far, fabulous teacher blogs and presenting without powerpoint.

~ Diigo (I am @ eva_harvell)
 Diigo allows you to collect website bookmarks and share with other Diigo users. What is great about Diigo is the bookmarks can be accessed from just about any device. This way you can access your favorite websites from home or school. You can join groups, like Common Core and 21st Century Learning and Diigo in Education, to gain the links of multiple Diigo members!

~ LinkedIn (I am @ Eva Harvell)
I have just recently been introduced to LinkedIn. LinkedIn is like Facebook, but for professionals to connect with each other and learn. LinkedIn is also a great way to get your name, face, and resume out there to other companies and organizations. Within LinkedIn, you can join groups to discuss/share with other educators. Some of these groups include: ASCD, Mississippi Common Core Collaboration, and ISTE.

~ Google + and Google Hangouts
I hope to start exploring Google+ and Google Hangouts soon. I came across a great resource (on LinkedIn) called Google Education ON AIR. This site is all about connecting with others via Google Hangouts.

So, how do you connect with other educators? What do you do to stay connected?