Thoughts on Transforming Education in Kentucky: Kentucky Connected Educator James Allen

James was featured last year as well, and his post was one of the most popular of 2013. Read this update to find out how his connectedness has continued and deepened his practice in the past year.

In the last year I’ve continued to grow my personal learning network. I attended my first ISTE conference and was able to meet a ton of educators who I connect with virtually, but regularly through #TLChat, #KyEdChat, and #KyLChat. I also use Google+ and Google Hangouts to stay connected with a variety of groups like GEG KY, Global TL (librarians without borders), and TL News Night. A group of us are also excited to be working on the first ever edcamp Kentucky, coming up this Saturday, October 25. Hopefully this will be the first of many and a great way to learn together in person with the great folks we meet on #KyEdChat and other digital hangouts.

I’ve also started to get really involved in our professional organization, the Kentucky Association of School Librarians. In the past year I’ve been a district president of this group. It’s been great getting teacher librarians in our area together, talking, and learning from eachother. Before it was so easy to share and learn online, these organizations and conferences were some of the only ways we could connect. One of my goals is to help merge these two worlds of professional connections together.

Being a connected educator provides a constant incentive and support program to help keep me growing professionally. As a school librarian I’m lucky to work in a school where there are two of us. It is great having someone to work with every day, but it is still not the same as having a larger department or grade level team to collaborate with. My online connections give me a place to ask questions, discuss ideas, and get nearly-instant help any time I need it.

My Twitter and Google+ PLN really has no borders. I’ve made some great connections in Texas and and a few other states that have very active teacher librarian chats on Twitter. My local professional support system is great, but it is really exciting once you start sharing beyond your comfort zone and realizing that we all have so much great stuff to share and learn.

The real benefit of my connectedness is that my students get more than just my own ideas and experience. Our school library, the training we can offer teachers, and the information we make available to students is continually improving because of our connections on Twitter, list serves, Google+, Facebook, our local public library, and professional organizations like KASL, KYSTE, edcampKY, and ISTE. We also model productive, constructive, and appropriate use of social media through our school and library accounts. I really believe our modeling helps students see how the connections they so easily make online can be used to help others and guide their own learning experiences. We are getting there, but I would love to see our students get more involved in their own learning, and part of that is being able to connect to others who are seeking the same information and share the same goals.

James’ lifelong interest in technology led him to become a library media specialist more than 10 years ago. He loves keeping technology updated in his school and discovering new tools and services that both students and teachers can leverage to improve learning experiences. He is currently a librarian and the school technology coordinator at Oldham County High School, a Google Educator, and enjoys assisting with #KyLChat and #KyEdChat. James is also looking forward to his role as president of the Kentucky Association of School Librarians in the 2015/2016 school year.