Kentucky Connected Educator Laura Sharbaugh

In what ways are you a connected educator?

I struggle with many of the same things that all teachers struggle with, namely TIME! I have not been able to incorporate some of the main ways of being connected (twitter, twitter chats, blogging) into my professional life because of the limitations of time. However, I have found some ways that work for me. I use the blog reader “feedly” to organize my connection to other educators across the world by bringing all their blog entries into one place. I created a separate Pinterest account for my educator life where I can follow educators I respect and share my favorite resources for educators in and out of my district. Although my twitter interaction is usually “one way,” I do keep a twitter account that allows me to search educational hashtags when I am looking for current suggestions from other educators. (Check out this huge list of hashtags!) When I am at conferences, like KySTE, I try to follow the twitter conversations and notice who is doing the talking so that I can continue to follow those people when the excitement of the conference is over. Even though I don’t read their twitter updates frequently, they are a great resource to go to when needed.

How does being connected impact your practice in schools/classroom?

I work with a great group of educators who love collaborating with each other, but haven’t adopted many of the current social media methods of being connected outside of our school walls. Maintaining my own connectedness allows me to offer fresh, current ideas to enhance their classrooms. That being said, I did notice last year that one way many teachers are connected, at least in their personal life, is through Pinterest. When I was looking for ways to share resources, it didn’t make any sense to create “one more place” for teachers to go, so I chose to use Pinterest to connect with my teachers where they are already going for ideas. It has been effective and accessible to many teachers who would never have followed me on Twitter or read my blog.

How does being connected impact you as a professional?

I am wired in such a way that I thrive on bouncing ideas off of other people and learning from others. However, I am the only person in my district who does my exact role. Being connected allows me to have a “go to” place to look when I have a question or need a resource. Just googling for an answer is not nearly as effective as going to my feedly reader or pinterest account and searching for a topic. Here, I am getting resources from colleagues that I have chosen to follow and who are writing and posting about what really works in the classroom, not just promoting their products.

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

Think about the ways you enjoy being connected in your personal life and start there. Do you like getting hobby tips or staying connected with friends and family through facebook, email, twitter, instagram, pinterest, or blogs? There are educator circles on all of those platforms, so start with where you are already comfortable. Join a facebook group for educators, follow educator boards on Pinterest, join an email list group, etc. It is fine to start in these groups as an observer, but try to contribute to the conversation when you can. You have a valuable voice to add to the mix; others will appreciate hearing from you!

What practical tips and resources to use with students can you share with us?

I believe one of the greatest benefits of technology in the classroom is its ability to break down walls between the classroom and the world. It can bring the world into your classroom, but it can also take your classroom out into the world, strengthening the home and classroom connection. Here are three ideas for strengthening this connection:

One app I love to use for this is 30Hands. 30Hands is an iPad app that allows users to record their voice with multiple pictures. The app turns all the pictures and audio recordings into a video that they host on their website. We used this in 1st grade to digitally publish the students reading books they had written and illustrated. We were able to include a QR code in the hardback books, linking the published video to their physical book. Here is an example. I’ve included a picture below of a father and son experiencing that connection as the Dad gets to listen on his phone to his son read his own book.

Laura's bio: I taught high school science in both Illinois and Florida before moving to Kentucky. I am now the technology integrator for Christian Academy School System in Louisville, a private school system serving approximately 3000 K-12 students on 4 campuses. I serve teachers who want to use technology to improve the quality of their instruction. I aim to have teachers start by asking the question “what do I want my students to learn” rather than “what new technology do I want to use.” I am passionate about using all of our resources, including both our talents and our technology, to educate children.

Want to participate in Connected Educator Month? Consider: 

• Following our blog daily where we will highlight a different educator each day in October
• Adding tips and resources to a shared Google folder