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The Fund for Transforming Education in Kentucky (The Fund) inspires and scales innovation and excellence in Kentucky’s public schools, resulting in a better future for all of our children. Here on our blog, we share about our work in a more in depth manner. Blog posts are written by staff members, teachers we work with, board members and others.

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CEO

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Kentucky Connected Educator Day 20

James Allen
Library Media Specialist
Oldham County



In what way (s) are you a connected educator?

Although we teach in the same building, services like Twitter, Edmodo, and SharePoint help me stay connected to my own OCHS teachers. Facebook, and Instagram help us reach out to our students and parents. I also stay connected at a district level with our other Oldham County librarians and school technology coordinators through daily Lync conversations and monthly face to face meetings. Additionally we have a larger district-level cadre of like-minded educators interested in harnessing the power of educational technology (OCTI). Participating in listservs is another method I use to connect to librarians and teachers, not only in Kentucky, but across the country. Finally, and most powerfully, Twitter has helped me to connect not only to my local PLN, but to educators all over the world.

How does being connected impact your practice? 

Staying connected creates opportunities for learning about new and innovative tools, methods, and lessons, which can ultimately support our students. Smore, a digital flyer creation site, is a recent example where following well-connected and informed educators allowed me to learn about an awesome resource that I was able to immediately use to help our students and teachers. Learning about the creative and innovative uses of Google Drive is another example where connectivity really keeps my educational practice as a school librarian fluid and flexible.

How does being connected impact you as a professional?

My relatively new and growing PLN has offered me new perspectives, renewed my enthusiasm for education in general, and has increased my desire to expand upon my connections. I suspect this increased excitement comes directly from the act of connecting on a new level with colleagues, often strangers, but still colleagues that are tirelessly willing to share their ideas and help. I believe these new connections have also given me added confidence to reach out to others in our field and to take more professional risks. School librarianship can be a truly lonely boat ride at times, but usually right when I need it, my network reminds me I am far from alone in my efforts.

What advice or resources would you recommend to colleagues interested in becoming connected?

I got my start in being “connected” when I opened my Flickr account nearly ten years ago. The feeling of community, shared interest, and a place for free support was awesome to discover. I’ve applied my experiences with Flickr to my more recent social media interactions. First… do not be afraid. Everyone on Twitter was a new user at some point. Start small and follow just a few users that you find interesting and observe their interactions. Become comfortable with the tools and environment by participating in chat sessions. A few of my favorites are #TLChat, #KyLChat, and #KYEdChat. When you are ready for more use Flipboard, Scoop.it!, or another service to organize content that matters to you and your students. Lastly, share your knowledge, your experience, your expertise, and your unique perspective.



James Allen is a Librarian and School Technology Coordinator at Oldham County High School in his eleventh year of teaching. He enjoys computers and technology, but is especially interested in tools that can genuinely support student learning. James also loves promoting reading and believes that the school library should be a haven of student inquiry and discovery. The moments he is not playing, fiddling, reading, or learning on some type of computer-like device… he enjoys time with his family, practicing photography, and making music.
Twitter: @TLJamesA


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