Thanks to information and communication technology, there is a heaping amount of resources at my finger tips. I can access any of these without leaving my chair. I want continue to develop my skills, pedagogy and professional development for my practice and classroom through my own personal learning network which include:
Microsoft Teams, Blogs, Tweeter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Teachers-Pay-Teachers.
I will use the resources from our very talented District Teacher Librarian. Currently there are several files with information that is shared among all Teacher Librarians (TLs) in the district. I am fortunate to work for a district that has many experienced teacher librarians working together. This virtual resource is dedicated to communicating ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. In the application we have folders which contain relevant instructions, procedures and information regarding the Library Learning Commons. We can also ask questions and connect with other TLs in the district.
I will strategically monitor my social media accounts (e.g. Instagram, Twitter, and Blogs) to keep current and be alerted to the ideas from other educators. I will network with other district TLs and follow them on social media. There is also a district wide conference that I will be attending in September as well as a training session. Both events will give me a chance to add contacts to my social media. I have also added the district TL to my Instagram feed along with other district TLs so that I can see their developments and progress as it happens in their classroom.
Being a teacher I realize that teaching and learning go hand in hand. Not only do I have to teach the curriculum to my students but I also have to learn ways to create and optimize their learning. Going into this LIBE course I knew several acronyms like: TL, ELL, and LLC. Now I know about ICT and PLN. I have been so resistant to learning about information and communication technologies. However, it has surprised me how easily I have taken to it and learned to navigate various applications. I have been using other teacher’s resources for learning for some time but what I didn’t think was possible was to have people find what I have to say interesting or relevant. I read a quote by Chris Lehman which I will keep in mind when making my posts: “It’s no longer enough to do powerful work when no one sees it”. Domeier de Suarez, Lisa. (19 October 2012).
I enjoy using Pinterest because there is an abundance of options. The visual aspect is very appealing to me. I am a visual learner who does better by looking at how to do something rather then reading about it. I like to browse through resources that I can see and are visually easy to figure out.
I am an avid user of Teachers-Pay-Teachers. I love the idea of teachers supporting each other and taking part in each other’s professional development. There is an enormous amount of beautiful and useful resources.
I realize that these digital platforms are not only important for my own personal learning networks but students’ as well. Therefore, it is important for us to know how to use these sources so that we can help our students safely navigate the applications. (Richardson, Will. December 7th, 2007).
What is most interesting about these technologies is that you learn aspects you didn't even know you needed to know. In an interview with Tom Whitby (by Jerry Pettigrew) he mentions: “not only can you direct what you need to know, you also find out that, which you don’t know”. We are fortunate to be able to choose the platform that best suits our needs for a particular task.
References
Pettigrew, Jerry. (unknown) How Teachers Create Personal Learning Networks on Social Media. Retrieved from: www.crisisprevention.com/en-CA/Blog/June-2016/How-Teachers-Create-Personal-Learning-Networks-on
Video: Richardson, Will. Personal Learning Networks. (7 December 2007). [Video file] Retrived from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mghGV37TeK8.
Wagner, Juergen. Moodle and Web 2.0. Retrived from. https://www.scoop.it/topic/moodle-and-web-2-0/p/4041206445/2015/04/12/22-simple-examples-of-social-media-in-the-classroom
Domeier de Suarez, Lisa. (19 October 2012). Twitter: Best Professional Development in 140 Characters. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/lmdsuarez/twitter-best-professional-development-in-140-characters
I do really love having online sources like Teachers Pay Teachers and Pinterest to get ideas! Sometimes, though, it feels a bit overwhelming like there is SO much out there. Often after I've located a resource too, either I have to pay for it or I have to go through a lot of trouble creating the necessary resources to go with the ideas. I guess I wish it was a little bit simpler, at times. I wonder if there would be a way to make it easier, or is it really just spending the time and selecting a few main websites and providers that you visit?
ReplyDelete- Laura B. (Not Jake)
Hi Laura,
DeleteSometimes it is fast and sometimes it takes a lot longer to find. I usually work off of my unit plan. I make a calendar and every month I look ahead at the themes and curricular competencies. Then I fill in the gaps with online resources. This is simple for me as I have been teaching the same grade for a number of years and I know what I need them to learn. However, this fall will be very different since it will be my first year as a TL.
My plan is to set annual goals and add little bits here and there.
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ReplyDeleteHi Julieta,
ReplyDeleteI am going to follow Tom Whitby to expand my personal learning network. Thank you for sharing the interview.
I also found a lot of useful information in Lisa's presentation.
Alex D.
Hello Alex,
DeleteI'm glad that you found it useful. There is so much available and great information. I really enjoyed the interview with Tom Whitby!
Hi Julieta,
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you commented on Microsoft Teams as a valuable resource. I hadn't even considered it during this course, but used it ALLLLL the time this past year. I was part of a grade 2/3 teaching team and the teachers shared soooo much on there. It is a tremendous resource and is so important to mention! Thanks for the reminder!
MT was introduced late this year for us. I feel like I could use more train since there appears to be so many options.
DeleteA thoughtful post that shares some strong strategies and resources for continuing to develop your ICT skills. I appreciate the quote you shared by Chris Lehman. I know it can be daunting to put your ideas out there; however, when you see that you can support others and make a meaningful impact it is so rewarding. Congratulations on taking this leap!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I have been learning so much about ICT resources. I have really appreciate your support and constructive feedback. I feel like I am heading into the right direction without feeling overwhelmed about how much I have to learn. You have organized the assignments so that they take us from where we are and inches us further in our learning.
DeleteI also love Pinterest, and instagram. i don’t know why exactly but I have never been a fan of twitter. I also feel like kids these days are less inclined on insta or twitter and tend to lean towards Tik Tok. Thank you for reminding me about Teachers Pay Teachers I have not been on there forever!
ReplyDeleteI noticed the same. I don't know a lot about Tik Tok but I do notice Tik Tok videos on many social media plaforms. It's like you can cross post which seems to be a great way to get more viewers. Is this true?
Delete