PLN#1-My Educational Toolkit

There are many tools available to educators nowadays.  We have social media and networking, all sorts of videos and interactive learning.  There are even wonderful ways to share everything that a teacher gathers and uses, instead of using snail mail or meeting face to face.  One of these is LiveBinders.  Much like Pinterest is an online bulletin board, Livebinders is an online 3-ring notebook.  One Binder I have is "Education and Technology."  In this binder, there are links to websites that are fun and educational.  They can be used by teachers or students and provide another method of using technology in the classroom.  This binder focuses on secondary English.  One resource, under the "My Favorites" tab is for students.  HighSchool Ace is a website that has many things to helps students succeed, including quizzes and games and resources broken down by subject.  Inklewriter is specifically a fun writing tool that helps the creative process.  A student begins writing and it turns into a choose your own adventure as they write.  Again, it is a great way to mingle education and technology.

I have never used LiveBinders until my Professional Learning Network assignments.  However, I fell in love immediately with the possibilities.  I have several family members who are teachers, what a wonderful to swap resources and ideas.  The ease of use is incredible.  Just like Pinterest, there is even a little button that can be added to the browser so that information and websites are easily filed in a binder.  A particular binder can be added to school sites or classroom blogs.  This is resource that I cannot wait to use and explore.

Blogs in Classrooms

  How can blogs be used to help educators?  There are many creative ways to use blogs both in the classroom and with other educators.  Here are few that I found helpful:

One of the first ways a blog can be used in a classroom is from the teacher.  A teacher can setup a blog that her students and their parents can follow.  Here, the teacher can post resources to help the learning process, assignments that are coming up, and even reminders like tests or field trips.  Parents and students can also comment if they have a question or even a suggestion on how something may be done differently.  A great example is from third grade teacher Mrs. Yollis.  Her blog, Mrs. Yollis' Classroom Blog, was voted one of the best classroom blogs of 2012. 

This blog is easy to navigate for adults and students.  It has information that is interesting and relevant.  The post that was most current when I checked was a creative post on the traditions and background of Groundhog Day.  The blog has links for other educators, how-to’s, and even a meet and greet section.  This is a great example of how teachers can use technology to reach out to students and their families, as well as other educators.

A second use of blogs is from the students.  They can collaborate together, share study ideas, ask questions about homework, or just chat to get to know each other.  While this is guided and monitored by the teacher, the bulk of the writing comes from the students.  Perhaps a paper is assigned, a blog is great way for students to brainstorm ideas with each other.  Or if there is a group assignment, the blog can be a way for each group to share tidbits back and forth.  To see an example of this type of blog, just visit Ms. Burton’s class on their blog Blog, blog blog blog, blog some more.

Finally, there is are teacher to teacher blogs.  These blogs are much like this blog.  They are meant to share ideas and how-to’s between fellow educators.  They post projects they are using in their own classrooms and ask questions on how to incorporate other things to make learning more enjoyable for everyone.  These blogs can help spark ideas that can get teachers motivated or broaden their horizons.  They can also introduce new resources, whether online or otherwise.  Teachers have always collaborated with others in their field, usually in their district and at workshops, but the internet and blogging opens up completely different avenues to help support and enlighten each other.  There are many examples of this kind of blog, but my favorite is The Nerdy Teacher , which was voted one of the best education blogs in 2012, and LauraRandazzo-Solutions for the Secondary Classroom. 

My Professional Learning Project

Welcome to my blog!  The purpose of this blog is to gather ideas and collaborate information for educators.  This is a place to explore different technology and how it may be used in a classroom.  Whether it is a great resource or a creative lesson plan that can be adapted for others to use, this is a blog dedicated to helping teachers explore new ideas and technologies that will not only motivate their students but will excite teachers.

Dead Poet's Society:  1989 IMDB

This first blog is an assignment from my technologies class.  What I hope to gain from this assignment is basically what I hope to gain from having this blog: tools and ideas used to assist in the education of future generations.  Technology is changing at such a rapid rate, without help and support there is no way a single person can keep up with all the benefits to a classroom.  As well, we each think differently and sometimes a different viewpoint is all that is needed to take a good lesson and make it into a great one.  Hopefully, in the process of this assignment and this blog, great ideas can be formed and used in the classroom.