professional learning is everywhere - just have to know where to look

I continually go back to Brad Currie's blog post, 100 Minutes a Week. The post talks about how you can spend just 20 minutes a day on professional learning.  Take a moment and read the post! I frequently have to remind myself it just takes 20 minutes.

Read a book, follow a hashtag, watch a webinar, read a blog post, and listen to a podcast.  Five simply ways you can gain personalized professional learning!

Lets look at each one and some go-to resources for each.  Of course, take some time and read (or reread Brad Currie's blog post above).

(1) Read a Book
New books are published everyday and just like textbooks, some are outdated the moment it hits the shelves.  I have come across a great series of books published by Corwin Press.  These are the Connected Educator series.  The books are quick reads, but full of useful information. I started with The Relevant Educator and find myself going back to it often as a reference.  Check out the Connected Educator's Series by Corwin Press.

(2) Follow a Hashtag
I have been on Twitter since 2009 and I haven't looked back!  I am able to connect with edtech gurus 24/7 and gain endless amounts of personalized learning.  A hashtag on Twitter is like a divider in a notebook.  Everything related to science goes behind the science divider in my notebook.  Think of hashtags like dividers.  There are hashtags for EVERYTHING and there are new ones created everyday.  One great place to check out is hashtag list on Cybrary Man's website. Don't let the list scare you, find your interest and go from there!

(3) Watch a Webinar
Webinars are great. I can watch from anywhere and if it is pre-recorded, I can pause and rewind. You can find webinars on sites like SimpleK12 and edWeb. Educational companies will also host webinars related to the product. These are helpful if you are thinking of making a purchase.

(4) Read a Blog Post
Blogs are great. Blogs are a way educators can share their failures, successes, and "verbalize" ideas. You can find classroom arrangement ideas, themed units, and thought provoking topics on blogs.  Some blogs, like Fifth in the Middle, provides lists of blogs by state.  You can also find some great blog suggestions here. (shameless plug for my Pinterest board) If you find yourself starting to follow a variety of blogs, take a look at Feedly. Feedly puts all of your followed blog posts in one location.

(5) Listen to a Podcast
Podcasts are my go-to resource when I have to drive alone. It is a great way to learn new ideas and forget about the fact you are driving somewhere for three hours!  Now, don't forget that you ARE DRIVING and if you need to write something down, pull over! I have the Podcast app on my phone and I am currently listening to Edchat Podcast, Edtechchat Podcast, Satchat Podcast, and Every Classroom Matters. A great list of Podcasts can be found on the BamRadioNetwork website.

That is a lot to digest!  I had a participant ask me during this year's MECA (MS Educational Computing Association) Conference how do you not feel overwhelmed.  If you go 100% on each suggestion, you will start to feel overwhelmed and want to through your hands up.  Find one or two that really click for you.  This is what is so great about personalized learning.  You pick the learning avenue!  If Twitter is your thing, then drive into Twitter.  If you are a visual learner, podcasts might not be for you.  You get to decide!

Did I miss a great resource?  Please share!

eva

Anytime, Anywhere Learning .. with an iOS app

Podcast app by Apple

This one app can be a powerful anytime, anywhere learning tool for educators!

I began listening to Podcasts years ago. I started off with the Tech Chicks Tips podcast. I would always learn something new with every podcast. As I started to add other methods of personalized PD, podcasts fell off of my list, until recently!

I had heard about the BAM Radio Network on Twitter and participated (and lurked) in various Twitter chats, but never put the two together until I had to drive to Atlanta, GA .. by myself!

 

I sat in the Starbucks parking lot somewhere in Alabama and downloaded as many #edchat and #edtechchat podcasts as I could. For the rest of the drive I listened, I learned, and I talked to myself.

The #edtechchat and #edchat podcasts are not longer than 15 minutes and continue the conversation from the previous Twitter Chat.  During my drive, I listened to podcasts about parent involvement, Future Ready, and using Twitter as PD (or PL).

Podcasts have become a part of my personalized learning again.  I have recently added the #satchat podcast to my list. I can never seem to get up in time for that weekly chat!

So, where can you go to find these 15 minute jewels??  You can go to the BAM Radio Network's website or do a search on the Podcast app on your idevice.

Do you have a favorite podcast? Share with us!

Eva Harvell

personalized learning - #edtechchat thoughts

#edtechchat happens every Monday night from 7-8CST on Twitter.  I thoroughly enjoy this hour! Sometimes I just lurk and sometimes I participate.  This last week I was an active participant.  The guest moderator was @bhwilkoff (Ben Wilkoff) and the topic was on personalized learning (PL) and how school districts can support PL.
Because of my job, I have had to rely on personalized learning to stay current and informed. I can't just go to what you would consider "normal" CEU course and get what I need. Joining #edtechchat, for example, is just one way I learn and grow in my profession.

So, the questions we discussed made all of us ponder personalized learning for ourselves and our teachers within the district.

So, lets go back to the questions:

Q1: What does personalized PD mean to you?
Q2: Is it up to the individual to personalize their own PD or should districts play a role? Why?
Q3: How are districts/schools currently helping to personalize pd?
Q4: What should districts/schools do to improve the way they personalize pd and how can teachers better advocate for change?
Q5: What types of tools work well (or could work well) to personalize pd?
Q6: What role should technology play to help districts (or individuals) personalize pd? When should we put the tech away? 



For me, personalized learning should be just that - personalized.  What I need in terms of educational growth will not be the same as the person next to me. This is one big reason why experts say one-size-fits-all PD just doesn't work. If all you offer is workshops on math, how will this help your music, PE, and ELA teachers? 

Some districts play a big role when is comes to offering PD or PL opportunities, but this shouldn't be the only way educators grow and learn.  There is so much out there!  Unfortunately, the first question asked is "Will I get CEUs for this??". This question makes me, personally, say UGH! CEUs should not be the reason why you want to attend something, the reason should be what new information you will get from the session. CEUs are my soapbox topic, but I won't jump on it today! I think this is one reason why teachers shy away from things not offered by a district or educational group. Twitter is a great example!  I learn more during a one hour Twitter Chat than I do in a one hour conference session sometimes. I don't earn CEUs for Twitter though! I don't earn them for reading edtech books, either but that doesn't stop me! I use Twitter and edtech books to grow in my profession!

Creating a PL session takes time to put together, I know, I am working on two right now! (one on digital tools and one on Twitter use - YAY!!) There are other ways to offer and provide PL for teachers.  A book study is a great idea!  Teachers are able to read a book of interest, on their own time, and talk with others about it through the reading process.  How great is this!  Schools do book studies often, but why not do district-wide book studies or better yet, find (or start) a book study via social media. Google Hangouts and Skype also provide great avenues for PL. Bring experts to you for an hour. There are several edtech minds I would love to question from Twitter, and GHO/Skype give me the opportunity to do just that! You can't get more personalized than that!

Is technology always the answer -- NOPE! Technology is there to enhance the PL. Think about edcamps -- These are a PERFECT way to talk and share ideas with other educators.

Last week's Twitter chat topic goes perfectly with the book I am currently reading - Leading Professional Learning: Tools to Connect and Empower Teachers by Thomas C. Murray and Jeff J. Zoul. You can also read the archive from last week's chat here.

So what do you do for PL?

The Awesomeness of Twitter

Twitter is awesome! Twitter gives you the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and share ideas. You get to connect, create, and collaborate with people miles and hours away from you.  If you are lucky, you get to meet those people you connect with virtually. I was lucky this week at FETC. I was able to connect with one of my Twitter friends, Melissa Edwards. Melissa and I connect with each other on Twitter as well as present for Simple K12.



This conversation allowed us to connect!  We talked, shared ideas, and even have some collaboration projects in mind. Had to not been for Twitter, I would have never met my new tech integration friend from North Carolina.

Melissa wasn't my only Twitter meet this week. I had the opportunity to meet the awesome leaders of #edtechchat and so many more at the #edtechchat Tweet Up. I got to put a real faces to the Twitter handles I talk to every week. I look up to these people as ed tech leaders and when I would say "Hi, I'm Eva" they would say hey I know you and comment about what I say on Twitter. That's just awesome to me!!

Because of Twitter, I caught to have a conversation with two authors about writing a book. I got to have a conversation with Kathy Schrock and Meg Ormiston. That made my night!

Because of Twitter, I get to learn from these ed tech leaders. Because of Twitter and FETC, I got to meet these ed tech leaders. All because I joined Twitter.

So what is your excuse? Why aren't you on Twitter?? What is stopping you from connecting with experts in education?

#edtechchat with Arne Duncan - my thoughts

On October 28th, 1401 people from around the world got together to talk about being a connected educator.

On October 28th, 1401 people from around the world got together to to share ideas and resources on being a connected educators.

On October 28th, 1401 people from around the world got together and gave educators a voice!


I am a big fan of weekly Twitter chats. I participate in three chats a week - #edtechchat on Monday, #patue, on Tuesday, and #MSedchat on Thursday. I am able to connect with other educators from all over the US and collaborate on ideas and resources that will benefit the educators and students in my school district. I am able to connect with people who are smarter than me and grow professionally!

Last night's #edtechchat Twitter chat was amazing. My Twitter feed was moving so far that I could hardly keep up. What was even more amazing was the chat itself. For one hour, 1401 people came together to talk about being a connected educator. They came together to share their ideas and learn from each other. Yes, there were some negative tweets, but we did not let those tweets take away from the purpose of the Twitter chat.

Last night's Twitter chat reminded me of a really good PLC meeting. A group of educators coming together and talking about what is best for students. The negative comments don't take over the meeting, because all of the participates are there for one purpose - do what is best for students.

I encourage you to check out last night's #edtechchat Twitter chat archive. Be warned though, its over 100 pages long!  It should be though with over 8500 tweets!

I also encourage you to reflect on the questions that were asked and discussed last night.  Reflect on these questions personally and use these questions at your next meeting.

What does it mean to be a connected educator?
Why do you think it's important for educators to become connected?
What barriers exist that prevent you or your colleagues from becoming connected?
How has being connected helped you become a more effective educator?
Fill in the blank: Being a connected educator means _________.

Do you Web 2.0?

I found the best way to grow professionally - every night! I take part in educational Twitter chats throughout the week.  So far, I am really enjoying and learning a lot from #edtechchat which occurs every Monday from 7-8 CST and #PATUE which occurs every Tuesday from 7-8 CST.  Recently, #MSedchat started - actually it started last week. This chat is every Thursday from 8-9 CST.

This week's #edtechchat was on the topic of Web 2.0 tools. What I loved about this chat, and other chats actually, is the participants didn't start naming ALL the Web 2.0 tools that exist. Rather, we had a discussion about why teachers should use Web 2.0 tools and some obstacles they may need to overcome. The last two questions dealt with what tools we use and what tools we plan to explore this school year.

So, what did I learn?

Web 2.0 tools ...
~ provide students with a way to create, connect, and collaborate.
Tools like ScreenChomp and Educreations on the iPad allow students to create an original work based on a topic. Students can showcase what they have learned through their own thoughts and expressions. Allow students to create something to "show what they know" rather than completing a worksheet provides the teacher with more insight into what the student actually knows and understands. A worksheet just shows the lowest levels of Blooms.

~ should enhance the lesson rather than try to teach the lesson.
Technology can not replace the teacher. Technology can enhance a lesson and provide further learning opportunities. VoiceThread can not teach students about the water cycle, but through the use of VoiceThread, students can learn more about the topic through the eyes and minds of students.

~ need to be cross-platform and easy to understand for both teachers and students.
PC, Mac, iPad, Nook, Kindle - Oh whoa the list can go on and on.  Web 2.0 tools need to work on most if not all platforms. This provides all students and all devices the opportunity. This is crucial in BYOD schools. Teachers have to use tools that all students can gain access to and not just a select few.

~ be worth the screen time provided to students.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says children under 2 should not have screen time and children over 2 should have limited screen time, one or two hours a day. Two hours a day may seem like a lot, but that can quickly add up between school and home. If a student spends 30 minutes in a computer lab and another 30 minutes in front of a screen in the classroom that only leaves 60 minutes of screen time at home. Sixty minutes is two Disney cartoons. That doesn't even take into account mobile devices, game consoles, etc. Teacher MUST select the Web 2.0 tools they select for students wisely. Don't let the students play on a mindless math game for 30 minutes. Put their minds to work by creating a graphic organizer on Popplet or creating a story on StoryBird or Little Bird Tales.

~ should be shown to teachers through classroom integration, rather than in a sit and get session.
I am guilty of this statement. I have shown teachers about a Web 2.0 tool in a sit and get session. Teachers need time to play with the tool and decide if its something they will / can integrate into their curriculum.  I saw the best PD idea at ISTE this past June. The presenter take us a list of four tools.  We picked the one we wanted to learn and explored with in a small group. We then got into a different group and shared what we just learned.  THEN she started to talk to us about the tools.

~ need to keep student identity private.
This one is big!  We have to keep the identify of students private and the students themselves safe while online. This leads to the teaching of digital citizenship to our students and our teachers! Things like, putting your full name online and going into chat rooms need to be topic of conversation before diving into certain Web 2.0 tools or on the Internet in general.

These are just three of the tweets that really stuck in my mind tonight included:

So, what are some good Web 2.0 Tools you can use with your students?

~ Popplet
~ Google
~ Schoology
~ Edmodo
~ Voice Thread
~ StoryBirds
~ Little Bird Tales
~ Animoto
~ Sock Puppets
~ ScreenChomp

I'm am not going to tell you about these tools though. I want you to go out and learn about them!  Don't forget to share what you learn.

the power of Google Drive

I was able to witness something awesome all because of my PLC on Twitter!

Around 1:00pm on March 20th, I saw this tweet come across my screen.

I had to click on the link and help show this class how Google Docs (now Google Drive) works! What I saw amazed me!

power_of_Google_Drive (click to see the video)

That one minute video is powerful! It shows how people from around the world can easily collaborate together on a single document. So many people were trying to access the document at one time, that some had to wait to comment because of the collaboration limits.

The class watching all of this unfold was a class of third graders .. YES THIRD GRADERS! These students got to see not only how multiple people can collaborate on a single document, but how awesome a PLC can be!

So, how can this collaboration benefit my classroom? The word "collaboration" is mentioned in the Common Core State Standards for Language Arts 14 times. The word "collaborate" is mentioned nine times.

Allowing your students to work on presentations and documents on Google Drive provides them the means to work collaboratively with other students - other students in the classroom, school, district, state, country, world! That is powerful!

This experience also benefited the teachers and professional who participated in this project. We were able to grow our PLC! Now I have more experts that I can learn from on a daily basis.

Do you use Google Drive? Talk about it! Share your experiences!

Do you have these digital skills?

I came across a great article that I have bookmarked and plan to use as a starting point for upcoming tech training. What is the article you ask? It is The 22 Digital Skills Every 21st Century Teacher Must Have. What I love about this article is the fact the author provides examples for each digital skill.  I have to admit, I am not proficient in some of the areas - but that is ok!

I won't talk about all 22 digital skills here, but I will focus on just two today. If you want to see all 22, read the article - which I highly suggest!

(1) Create and Edit Audio
~ Audacity

Ok, I love Audacity!  This is a free download for PC or iMac. Although the program looks like a lot, you will only use three buttons in the beginning - record, stop, and play. So how does Audacity fit into my day? Audacity is perfect Common Core - Speaking and Listening! Students can record themselves practicing reading fluency passages, reciting math facts, practicing an upcoming speech/presentation, and much more. Once recorded, the students to listen to themselves and analyze what worked and what needs improvement. Teachers can use Audacity as well. The next time you have to be out of the classroom, record your directions using Audacity for the the sub to playback.


(2) Use Social Networking Sites to Connect with Colleagues and Grow Professionally
~ Twitter and Pinterest

Again.. love!! Yes, you can pin your favorite recipes or follow the tweets of Tim Tebow but when Twitter and Pinterest are used in a professional format you can so much knowledge! I am a big fan of Twitter and try to bring teachers to the Twitter side whenever I can. My PLC is not very big, but it is growing. If you do not have a Twitter account and want to see what the conversation looks like before creating an account, just do the following:

-- go to www.twitter.com/search
-- do a search for one of the following hashtags - 1stchat, 2ndchat, 3rdchat, 4thchat, 5thchat, kinderchat, edapp, scichat

Pinterest is the same way. When used professionally you will gather so much for your classroom and your professional development.

So who do I follow..
Twitter - edutopia, NMHS_principal, thenerdyteacher, rmbyrne, jaymelinton
Pinterest - Matt Gomez, Lisa Johnson

This is just a tiny sampling of the awesomeness you will find on Twitter and Pinterest!