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New books are published everyday and just like textbooks, some are outdated the moment it hits the shelves.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?

Always learning new things .. YAY!

I love learning new techie things that I can use in my job as well as share with my teachers!  Today I decided to dive into Smore after reading Lisa Johnson's blog post "What's Your Flavor of PD".

I find myself sending out resources and ideas through email to teachers all the time, but the idea of using a colorful flyer sounded interesting! I also like the fact that I can quickly share it on Twitter and Pinterest.

Click here to see my first attempt at using Smore.  I think this may become one of my favorites!

#edtechchat suggestions for PD books

Tonight's #edtechchat topic was all about books!  I have to admit, my list of "need to read" is much longer than "have read". I was not able to get EVERY book mentioned, but if you are like me then this list will keep you busy for a while!

What is your favorite book in terms of educational philosophy? 

~ Teach Like a Pirate

~ The First Days of School

~ Shifting the Monkey

~ Professional Learning in a Digital Age

What is your favorite book in terms of gaining technical competence?

~ Untangling the Web

~ The Connected Educator

What is your favorite book in terms of learning methods/processes?

~ Curriculum 21

~ Invent to Learn

~ The New Social Learning
~ Teach Like a Champion

What is your favorite book in terms of integrating technology into education?

~ Engaging the Eye Generation

~ Brain-Based Teaching in the Digital Age

What is the best first book to help someone understand #edtech? 

Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age

Must have journals...

~ Tech and Learning

~ Learning and Leading

~ District Administrator

~ THE

And don't forget educational blogs!

"Ain't nobody got time for that!" -- or do they?

In the words of Sweet Brown - "Ain't nobody got time for that!"  Although that YouTube video is hilarious, I hear too many educators using the quote when it comes to professional development.

Professional development is a must in the field of education.  Things change and you have to stay current.  Right now, it is vital for educators to stay current with the introduction of Common Core State Standards and technology integration.

So, if I have to make time .. where can I go?  That is where these resources come in! 

Simple K12 offers professional development on a variety of topics through the use of 30 minute webinars conducted by experts in their field. These webinars can be viewed "live" or on demand.  Teachers can also join the conversation in the forums area.

Teaching Channel offers videos on multiple topics that range in length and depth of knowledge.  If you want to learn more about Common Core, for example, you can watch videos that give you a overview of the Common Core or a video of a teacher teaching a lesson on a specific standard.

Just these two site provide the professional development needed to help stay current in the field of education.  They don't take a lot of time and can be viewed at your own time.  So yes, you do have time for that!

So where do you go for professional development?  Share your professional development resources with me!

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?

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?