Life-Changing
This year has been life-changing for me. I have entered the technology world and there is no turning back. On September 8th I sat in the Reed Theater at Fredericksburg Academy and started a journey that would change how I look at the world, how I teach and how I learn.
I became part of an International PLP in which I get to interact with other educators all over the world. We participate on a ning site with educators from the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. I remember sitting in that first f2f meeting and thinking, “Huh?” It was overwhelming, especially because I was only two weeks into school and hadn’t gotten my “school legs” yet. But I quickly found that the International PLP was going to give me just what I needed, a learning network to make myself a better learner and teacher.
The best part of the network for me was that they gave me permission to NOT use the tools I am learning in the classroom yet. My assignment was to simply use the tools in my own learning as an educator and go from there. That was refreshing for me and proved to be just the advice I needed.
Since September I have found a way to have an awesome learning network of people all over the world. I have tweeted twittered posted 367 tweets on twitter, posted numerous responses on our PLP ning, joined a Foreign Language Ning, called into a radio show on the CBC about edtech, tagged away on delicious, joined a K-12 online conference Elluminate session, watched numerous conferences online that happened in Canada and elsewhere, took a photo a day for a month on flickr and found a network of people who would help me learn as an educator.
I can’t recall a time when I have learned so much in such a short period of time, and yet it just opened up a world of things yet to learn. Of course, I have changed not only how I learn, but also have changed many things I do in the classroom with my students. I hope to share in this blog, my thoughts, ideas, trials and tribulations, successes and ”learning experiences”.
Welcome Carey! Have been enjoying your presence on Twitter and am looking forward to reading your expanded thoughts on this blog. Educators such as yourself that excited about learning will inspire the kids to be great learners too!
All the best
Penny
Carey, I am so glad this has been a positive experience for you. It’s all pretty amazing, isn’t it? And the best part is how this helps to give substance to what we do as teachers and learners. You need to read Disrupting Class and Here Comes Everybody to help put this all in perspective. Those two books really turned my thinking around (not that you need any turning!) Let’s go get ‘em!
By the way, will you link this to the PLP ning, please:)
Carey,
I really enjoyed reading this encapsulation of your fall. You have done such amazing things — kudos to you for pushing and exploring.
That is impressive, and I think the fact that you are using the tools for your own purposes right now to connect and imagine the possibilities will make your use of them in a classroom that much better. Whoever gave you that advice was right on, I think they ultimately prove more advantageous in the classroom when the teacher themselves is a practitioner. I look forward to your posts, and I must say you have made some great strides in a very short period of time. Brava!
Welcome to the blogosphere. Glad to hear that PLP has played a role in helping you find your online voice and enable you to start building your PLN.
http://plpnetwork.com
The whole notion of doing this for your own education first is spectacular. It’s certainly what I’ve done when I’ve taken classes in Linear Algebra and Calculus. So why not when I’m learning new technologies — or new but potentially relative math concepts. For example, I’ve always wanted to learn more about fractals, but wasn’t sure when and where to incorporate them. And I definitely want to learn how to use Geometer Sketchpad. So I can learn it now, become proficient, and then incorporate it into my classes. How do I get involved in International PLP?
Alright girl- you’ve inspired me to get my tail back into it again. See you on the Ning and in RL on campus.
In the good old days, technology in the classroom meant using overhead projectors instead of chalkboards. It was quite an advancement, since the teacher could actually face and talk to the students while teaching. Interaction was basically limited to questions posed by the teacher with nervous students trying to provide the correct response. And, us students never thought about our teachers having a home life let alone a first name. Teachers shared ideas in the smoke-filled faculty lounge, if at all.
Now with the remarkable tools that are available, teachers can learn and share ideas globally with other educators and students are not only allowed, but also encouraged to demonstrate their creativity.
I have seen first-hand the amazing work YOUR students have created — both expressing their ever-expanding wealth of knowledge and their enthusiastic response to new tasks. The teacher-student relationship has never been stronger. They know you and also know that you are not there to simply critique.
My hope is that you and other educators like you will take these new tools and turn education on its head — establishing a true learning and sharing environment. God bless the good old days that show us how far we have come and, God bless teachers like you who play such an important role in the lives of our young people.
For someone who is just sampling the Koolaid you are already contributing to the network. One thing the Dean Shareski espouses is that you have to share. Leaving comments and replying to tweets is one of the most important things a networked learner can do. The other important step is to keep on blogging. Personal reflection is an important time to figure out what you are learning.
Thanks for blogging and your presence in twitter is amazing. I am privileged to have you in my network.