The first topic is your own professional development. One of the buzzwords or terms that’s been popping up frequently in the world of on-line education is PLN or Personal Learning Network.
So what’s that?
It’s teachers networking with each other, face-to-face and on-line. We interact with each other in order to share lessons, ideas and discuss education issues.We can also form mentor-student relationships with other teachers.
As you know, it’s very difficult for many teachers at our school to attend any kind of PD event. Some teach in multiple schools, others have kids at home and some do their husband’s bookkeeping in their “spare” time (ok, that’s me).The internet is always open and you can communicate with others in your own time, leaving messages and picking up replies when you are available.
There is an unbelievably generous, world-wide sharing of resources between educators out there on the web.
Ning Networks
Let’s take a quick look at the Ning network. Ning is a community website that connects teachers with similar interests. I’ve joined various Nings, such as Art Education, Torah Tech, Classroom 2.0 and a number of others. Did you catch that reference to Torah Tech? Yes, there are Nings for Jewish educators, too.
You can write to others and share ideas and information. I’ve communicated with Reuven, who teaches Judaic Studies and educational technology at Neveh Channah, a religious modern orthodox girls’ high school in Kfar Etzion. You can post a topic that you and others can discuss, such as classroom management, using tech in the classroom, and more.
Recently a teacher and tech coordinator at a Jewish Day School near Chicago, posted on Torah Tech that she copied the text of Jonah from Machon Mamre, a site that has the תנ"ך and more in Hebrew and English and put it into Wordle.net, in order to make a visual representation of the most important words in the chosen text. She even explains how to do it – which all show you in a bit.I wrote back that I was going to make one for Megillat Esther and use it for my niece’s Purim Bat Mitzvah. And we exchanged a few more ideas about how to use the program, which I'll describe in more detail in the Student Tools section.
Alert - April 2010: Ning management is in the process of restructuring the site and the buzz is that it will no longer be free. Some of the education ning owners are considering options such as asking members for a small fee or moving to another, no-cost site.
Facebook Surprise! It's not quite the pariah that it's made out to be. Facebook can be used to connect with people with similar interests through groups and pages. Many adults have been using Facebook for networking -- they post links to interesting materials. You can also learn about local current events by joining groups related to your subjects or interest. There are even groups for Ontario High School Teachers and Ontario Teachers and the idea sharing is wonderful!
LinkedIn LinkedIn is a site that lets you build a professional profile. It's a way to create a positive image on the internet and is often the first site that comes up in Google ranking. It also has lots of interest groups including one for the Ontario Teachers College and various subjects including educational technology.
Twitter Twitter is a "micro-blogging" site. Micro blogs are You enter a message into a text box that appears to a list of people that have chosen to follow your messages. The only catch is that the message is restricted to 140 characters, which can sometimes be a challenge. Very often, those using Twitter will pass on a link to a website that is interesting. I have followed links to articles about education, websites with lesson plans and yes, sometimes funny or silly sites. Most of the people that I follow are teachers, tech folks, designers and of course friends and family who also use Twitter.
Blogs Many educators are blogging about how they incorporate technology into their classroom. There are an amazing number of teachers who not only give advice on using the tools but share lesson plan ideas in many different teaching subjects. Check out Teacher Reboot Camp as an example of an excellent site (and while you are there, check out Shelly's Challenge).
TBYresources.pbworks.com TBYresources.pbworks.com is actually a resource wiki that I've been building. In addition to all sorts of teacher and student resources, I am compiling links for the various subjects that we teach at TBY. Please take a look at the Sidebar, which is located along the right-hand side of the page. I welcome suggestions for more links, or please click on Edit at the top of any page, then click on Request Access to my wiki so that you can add your own information.
Inspire Yourself If you've never heard a TED talk, take some time to listen. Check out Dave Eggers in Once Upon a School or Sir Ken Robinson on Do Schools Kill Creativity? It will be worth your time.
What is your favourite site? Please let me know so that I can add it to the list!
Shayne Train, Education, Educational Technology, Computer Literacy, Web Tools