Kentucky Connected Educator Kip Hottman

Kip Hottman Spanish Teacher Oldham County

In what ways are you a connected educator?

During the 2013-2014 school year I became aware of the importance of being a connected educator in as many ways as possible.  Throughout the first ten years of teaching my only connections were in my department, my school, and networking at an occasional Kentucky World Language Association (KWLA) conference.  Stepping outside of the classroom has truly transformed my philosophy of what it means to be a teacher.  Initially, I became connected by taking a chance and applying for a fellowship with the Hope Street Group (HSG) here in Kentucky.

After becoming a Hope Street Group fellow, I immediately recognized the importance of Twitter.  It was absolutely life changing!  I was introduced to a new and exciting world of which I previously knew nothing about.  I saw the same names connecting daily and I quickly engaged these professionals through daily collaboration.

Through the HSG and Twitter, I learned of important organizations throughout KY that advocate for education.  I was able to connect with the Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ) and become trained as a Virtual Community Organizer (VCO).  This extended my virtual network to two different platforms (HSG Virtual Engagement Platform and CTQ Collaboratory) where I currently meet to discuss deeper issues surrounding policy and other educational issues outside of Twitter.

I joined a committee through The Fund for Transforming Education in KY and helped write a grant in order to host a regional Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teachers and Teaching (ECET2) conference in Louisville.  It was an amazing experience because I was finally able to reach out to all of my connections from Twitter, CTQ, and the HSG and help plan an extremely productive Professional Development.  I reached out to the connections that I had made throughout the school year and invited some fantastic speakers to the ECET2.  Before the 2013-2014 school year I would not have been able to do this which, in my eyes, reinforces the importance of taking a chance and stepping outside of the classroom.

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

The main way that being connected impacts my classroom is through the never-ending collaboration in which I am now involved.  After participating in one #kyedchat, I realized that @mrpiercEy (Donnie Piercy) had opened a new world that allowed KY teachers instant Professional Learning from any location.  The old PD of the past was gone, replaced with a new and innovative manner of collaboration.  

How this connection directly impacts my classroom is best explained through one of my lessons this past year.  I was trying a new app with my first block class in March and my lesson “crashed and burned”!  I needed some advice, and immediately reached out to Twitter (#kyedchat) with a question about best practice.  I received three responses within 15 minutes and was able to tweak my lesson for my third block class, so powerful!

I also need to include that as a World Language Teacher, connecting globally is of utmost importance, and our WL department works directly with an impoverished school in San Juan Alotenango in Guatemala.  We have led a fundraiser every year since 2010 helping to fund rent, food, electricity, teacher pay, and various supplies that the students need.  This connection impacts my students by developing their cultural sensitivity and awareness which is often difficult to authentically create in the classroom.

How does being connected impact you as a professional?  

Being connected as a professional allows me to advocate for the teaching profession and search for solutions-focused ways to help elevate teacher voice.  For example, I made my first connection to legislation because of the HSG this past January.  I traveled to the capitol during one of our many snow days with the director of education and mobilization for the HSG and another fellow for a legislative lesson.  Upon arrival, I witnessed Senate Bill 16 (Computer Programming as a World Language) being introduced and saw the lack of teacher voice as the bill passed within 7 minutes.  Because of the HSG, I had been working on forming a Professional Learning Network (PLN) throughout the state, and one of my PLNs was a group of about one hundred World Language Teachers.  I was able to connect within two hours after learning about SB16 and start some conversation around the topic with teacher voice.

Because of becoming a connected educator, I was invited to serve as a member of the Teaching Advisory Council for the Gates Foundation.  The invitation was an honor and it provided me the opportunity of stepping outside of KY to work with a group of Teacher Leaders from around the country face to face twice a year.  Because these teachers are Teacher Leaders, we continue the conversation and connect virtually focusing on educational issues through blogging, edchats, conference calls and webinars.

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

I would recommend first finding your passion.  What is it about education that moves you?  Is it policy, technology, teacher voice, professional learning, etc…?  Once you find your passion, look for as many ways to become connected.  I recommend starting with Twitter and other Virtual Engagement Platforms (i.e., Hope Street Group VEP or CTQ Collaboratory) because you will quickly connect with others who share your same passion.

Learn what organizations exist in your state (and nationally) in which you can become involved to learn more about your passion.  There are fabulous educators at all corners of the state advocating for education and educators.  These groups want to hear your voice and they want you to become involved.

Move up the ladder of engagement and don’t settle for forming a couple of connections.  Reach out and continue the conversation in a deeper more meaningful manner.  Share what you learn and motivate others to believe in their voice.  Persuade them to become involved by sharing your story and your passion.

Finally, believe that becoming connected and using your voice can create positive change directly impacting what you love.  I read the following quote last year and it immediately reinforced why I need to be involved and continue to connect locally, nationally, and globally.  Let me know what you think….

“I always wondered why someone didn’t do something about that.  Then I realized that I am someone.”


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

Kentucky Connected Educator Dr. Terry Holliday

 Commissioner of Education

1.  In what ways are you a connected educator?

In addition to the many resources I use that are provided by KDE, I also have a Twitter account, Facebook account, Linkedin account, I blog once a week, subscribe to 4 online newspapers, I get summary digests of national and international stories from 3 sources, utilize Skype and Lync regularly.

2. How does being a connected educator improve practice?

Educators are always looking for great ideas from other educators. Through the use of many social media tools like our PD360 and other online professional development, educators have access to some of the best professional development in the nation and access to fellow educators who are using innovative techniques to improve teaching and learning.

3. How does being a connected educator impact you as a professional?

It is important as commissioner that I am up-to-date on national and state issues that impact education. It is also important for me to conect with my peers to learn best practices and discuss issues in education.

4. What advice or resources do you recommend for teachers becoming connected?

TED talks are a great resource. All of the KDE tools that are provided through CIITS and the many connections provided on the launch page of CIITS take you to great education resources. Khan Academy is a terrific tool for providing a flipped classroom. LearnZillion is a tool for many KY teachers to utilize. The list could grow to 10,000 or more. The best advice is to become part of a connected community of educators so you can learn and share with others the best resources.

Want to participate in Connected Educator Month? Consider:

• Participating in Twitter chats #Kyedchat Thursday evenings at 8pm EST  
• Participating in Twitter chats #kyadmin Monday evenings at 9 pm EST

Partners Reflect on Connected Educator Month

Post collaboratively written by staff members from The Fund for Transforming Education in Kentucky, Kentucky Department of Education and Hope Street Group

We had an engaging month of learning in Kentucky.  The Fund for Transforming Education in Kentucky, collaborating with the Kentucky Department of Education and Hope Street Group, participated in Connected Educator Month and achieved the goals established together to--

· help districts promote and integrate virtual learning into their formal professional learning approaches

· stimulate and support collaboration and innovation in professional learning

· get more educators “connected” (to each other)

· deepen and sustain the learning of those already connected

The 31-31-31 approach of highlighting a different educator’s story each day of the month was only the tip of the iceberg for what’s been happening in our state.  People read the daily blog posts, retweeted our CEM daily posts, started following us on Twitter, and liked our Facebook page. This extensive response enabled us to showcase 31 connected Kentucky educators who each replied to four questions about what being connected means and what it has done for them.  Educators shared a plethora of ways they are connected personally and professionally through platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, Edmodo, Class DOJO, Remind 101, Dropbox, FriendFeed, Google communities, Wiggio and so many more. Some teachers have even set up classroom twitter accounts and allowed themselves and their students to become part of our global world.

For connections here in Kentucky and through a partnership between the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), the Kentucky Leadership Academy (KLA) and Battelle for Kids, educators in Kentucky are connecting through Wiggio. KLA participants are finding that they are creating a virtual connection with peers across the Commonwealth as well as using it as a curation site for support materials. Principals from across the Commonwealth serve as moderators and help encourage the strengthening of the virtual network.

Other Kentucky specific connections are happening within PD 360 Kentucky public school districts, schools, and individual users have the ability to set up and participate in learning spaces through PD 360 in the Continuous Instructional Improvement Technology System (CIITS).  These virtual Professional Learning Networks (PLN) provide educators with opportunities to grow and learn on topics or problems of practice in which they have particular interest.  One example of a PLN in PD 360 is the book study on Heidi Hayes Jacobs’ Mapping to the Core.  Anyone can sign up to join the PLN and can participate in webinars with Jacobs as well as participate in reading and discussing the book together.  Educators can use the information learned to inform their local curriculum mapping efforts and standards implementation in units.

Educators shared how being connected has impacted their practice because they exchange information and ideas to try in their classroom with their students.  Many of the ideas shared happen during the weekly #KyEdChat conversations on Thursday evenings.   On October 24th, educators were excited to have Kentucky Education Commissioner, Dr. Terry Holliday, participate in #KyEdChat so they could share with him how they are connected and learning from one another.  Adding to the excitement of meeting and learning from colleagues virtually was the University of Kentucky Innovation Summit in Lexington this week where many of the #KyEdChat ers met face-to-face for the first time, and they were driven to do so because they had already connected online.

Even though Connected Educator Month has ended, educators in Kentucky will continue to learn and be connected to one another across school, district, state, and country lines as evidenced in many of the posts we read during October. 

Kentucky Connected Educator Day 28

Mike Paul

Pre-Service Teacher

Bardstown, KY

IN WHAT WAYS ARE YOU A CONNECTED EDUCATOR?

In my case, being connected is a way of life. I'm a confessed tech-obsessed 36-year old male, so I have this natural inclination to try out every new shiny object that comes along in the land of technology. I created my first website back in 1997, started blogging and podcasting in early 2006, was an early adopter of services like Twitter, Facebook, Dropbox, FriendFeed, Pandora, Google Reader, Gmail… the list goes on and on. I've signed up for so many things that I don't remember them all, often just to get my username before someone else picks it up.

My day consists of starting every morning with a quick perusal of my feeds through Feedly (RIP Google Reader) to see what's happening in my favorite topics. I tweet some items and save a few to read later with Pocket. I also get a lot of my inspiration for blog posts (check out the awesomeness at http://PikeMallTech.com) by tracking different feeds. It's sort of like a fire hose of information coming my way, but I've always got a multitude of topics I can read and share. It's how I navigate the “digital flood” we all face every day.

HOW DOES BEING CONNECTED IMPACT YOUR PRACTICE?

Although I'm nearly finished with my degree, I've only been in an education program for a little over a year. Being connected helped me realize what was possible as I head for my own classroom. I really didn't know the resources available to today's educator and just how much technology and the Internet has changed, and continues to change, the education landscape.

The tipping point for me was when I attended the 2013 KySTE conference back in March. I suddenly found myself surrounded with a flock of connected educators and I suddenly felt at home. There were several times over the course of those three days that I found myself sitting in a session with tears in my eyes (OK, maybe I was openly bawling) as I saw what teachers were doing NOW with their students and what was possible. My entire outlook on the profession has changed since then and I truly believe that every teacher that wants to step up and dedicate themselves can truly change the world.

HOW DOES BEING CONNECTED IMPACT YOU AS A PROFESSIONAL?

In my experience, I don't know how being connected couldn't impact you as a professional. The resources that you can find if you just spend about 30 minutes scrolling through the #edchat or #edtech hashtags alone will give you enough new ideas for an entire school year.

Plus, with social media, you have full control over the people that you choose to learn from and work with. Even as a pre-service teacher, I understand that in your school there will be people that don't share your vision or work ethic and that you have a difficult time working with in a group. With your connected PLN, you gravitate towards the educators that share the same interests as you and you all grow together. It's very difficult to recreate that in a school setting, simply because you're limited by numbers. With about 628,276,152.4 teachers on Twitter alone (yes, I made that number up, but I know there's a bunch of us), the chances of you finding a large group of educators to collaborate with increase exponentially.

WHAT ADVICE OR RESOURCES WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO COLLEAGUES INTERESTED IN BECOMING CONNECTED?

Here's my recommended process:

• Get a Twitter account (find me at http://twitter.com/mikepaul ).
• Start following any of the numerous Twitter chats on an education topic or a state-centered chat (#KyEdChat is a great place to start, here's a video showing you how to join us).
• Dive in. You have thoughts and opinions; we'd all like to hear them.
  
  

We may not agree, but that's cool. That's how we all grow. It will definitely be uncomfortable for you at first, especially if you're a technophobe. And you may find that Twitter isn't your bag; it's not for everyone. But, you can get a taste of the connected life. Maybe Pinterest is more your speed. Or maybe you just want to read about all the great things that are going on in education before you jump full speed ahead into making your own thoughts known. That's cool, too. There's a way for everyone to connect and make the connection meaningful to them.

My biggest piece of advice is to keep an open mind. Yes, there are concerns behind this great, big, digital world of ours. Yes, we all need to be good digital citizens and we should model that for our students. But the benefits of connection far outweigh any of the dangers and we can deal with the dangers as they come. Just jump in, get involved, and be open to experience new things.

Who knows? Maybe next year we'll be reading your article during Connected Educator month!

Bio:

I teach, I geek, I dad, I write, I math, I husband. Not always in that order. Ravenclaw. Font snob. Husband to Amanda, Dad to BooBoo. Currently a pre-service teacher with the WKU SKyTeach program.  Coming to a middle school math classroom near you, fall of 2015.

Kentucky Connected Educator Day 13

Dr. Jim Flynn

Superintendent

Simpson County Schools

 In what ways are you a connected educator?

A wise person advised me long ago that in education, it’s the people, not the programs that make a school…  That advice is deeply ingrained into my leadership vision and work to get our staff, students, parents, and community engaged in advancing the vision and mission of the school system.  Our vision in Simpson County schools is to be a world-class educational system empowering all students to graduate LIFE-READY - academically and socially prepared for college and/or careers! Our mission is to develop each child to their fullest potential and prepare them for the next level of life!  Our mission is driven by five fundamental guiding questions:

• How do we develop positive, professional relationships with our students, their families, and one another?
• How do we ensure all students are taught the standards and skills needed to be college and/or career ready in the 21^st Century?
• How do we measure the progress of our students to these standards and skills?
• How do we provide interventions for students who are struggling to achieve our learning goals?
• How do we enrich and stretch the learning of our students who are meeting or exceeding our learning goals?

In our school system, I have worked hard with our team to create systems, structures, and logistics to bring folks together to learn, collaborate, and work on the guiding questions of our mission.  In addition to our 4 professional development days, we have 4.5 learning community days spread throughout our school year which provides time for professional learning community (PLC) work; follow-up training; vertical teaming and collaboration; and time for other school or district initiatives.  Additionally, our schools are creative with their use of time to create other opportunities for staff collaboration and development.  For example, while the staff works in PLCs from 7:30 AM – 8:30 AM, the Central Office team will come to a school to help with supervision and a school-wide assembly.  Time is a precious asset and we harness it for collaboration and connectedness among our students and staff!

Technology has become an important tool that allows our folks to connect and grow!  All of our unit plans and pacing guides are posted on our website.  Our teachers are leveraging CIITS for classroom and common assessments, units and lesson resources, along with many other resources including PD360.  The PD360 has been instrumental in our LDC/MDC work for example.  We’ve been able to set up PD Groups to learn and share through this amazing resource.  Also, we use GoogleDoc walkthrough forms that are tailored to specific initiatives and help us provide immediate feedback to our staff as progress checks.  For example, we have “chunked” the learning on the PGES framework with our teachers and then use GoogleDoc walkthroughs aligned to the part of the framework being studied to give our teachers specific feedback.  It’s been a powerful model for rolling out the PGES framework!

I have worked with our principals and teachers to expand on-line learning resources as well.  We have leveraged on-line learning courseware and programming to help students at all levels in our school system to support both struggling students, as well as those who are meeting or exceeding our learning goals.  Programs like Odysseyware, Achieve 3000, Read 180/System 44, Carnegie Learning/Cognitive Tutor, Math Whizz are some examples of resources that have helped our students learn and allow for 24/7 anytime learning!  Other on-line programs like Edmodo, Wikispaces, and Facebook are being used with students and staff to facilitate engagement in learning and collaboration.  Remind 101 is an app staff are using to send text reminders to students, parents and staff to keep them up to date on important activities, dues dates, and assignments.

I have used both Edmodo and Wikispaces to facilitate staff development and to model the use of technology.  Twitter, Zite, and LinkIn are some tremendous resources for keeping abreast of educational news, innovations, and advancements.  Additionally, both KASA and KASS support online professional communities that I can use to learn from and share with other Kentucky superintendents.  Also, I utilize Lync for meetings and collaboration, especially with external partners across the state.  Finally, I have utilized Vimeo for online videos used for training and communication.

Finally, I use tools like Twitter, facebook, our website, OneCall Now and School Reach to communicate with a wide array of stakeholders.  These tools are effective in sharing best practices, student and staff successes, along with events in our schools and districts.  It also helps set the bar for excellence as I am constantly sharing examples of best practice in pictures, videos and words.  People love the pictures and videos!

How does being connected impact your practice? 

Achieving our vision and mission requires the efforts of many people.  All of the tools, structures, and systems in place allow me to be more intentional in leading, serving, and supporting our stakeholders in advancing our vision.  The tools and strategies I shared above help keep me in tune with what’s working, what’s not working, and possible solutions to help us continuously improve.  Again, it’s the people, not the programs that make the school and school system.  My ability to be in tune and engaged with what’s going on is critical to our success.  Using some of these tools allows me to expand my ability to understand and influence what’s going on.  It also lets people know that I am out and about being close and curious with what’s going on in our schools!  This enhances credibility and a level of accessibility that is beneficial.

How does being connected impact you as a professional?

The old adage that it is lonely at the top can be very true.  However, using the resources I have described allows me to connect with other superintendents across the state and nation.  Additionally, I can connect with educators all over the world!  I find it invigorating and empowering to have these connections.  It breaks down isolation and opens a realm of support, collaboration, resources, and learning that was once not possible.  The results we are attaining in Kentucky are not accidental.  Regardless of geographic location, all of us have access to the knowledge, skills, resources, and supports needed to help every child achieve college and/or career readiness by graduation.  We simply need to get connected, roll-up our sleeves and take it!

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

My best advice is just simply start doing something!  Dive in and learn!  For example, I didn’t understand how Twitter could help me as a superintendent.  Now that I started using it, I realize the power this tool has for communication, collaboration, and professional development!  Amazing!

Be intentional in leading and supporting school system stakeholders in becoming connected themselves.  Besides being a role model – remember that actions speak louder than words – plan and implement the systems, resources, structures, and logistics that bring people together…

Finally, have fun with it!  Learning is stimulating and often fun!  Take the challenge and learn something new that will allow you to be a more connected educator!  It will benefit you and the folks you serve!

Dr. Jim Flynn is in his 11th year as superintendent. During his tenure, Simpson County Schools has successfully implemented a common vision that focuses on empowering all students to graduate life ready – prepared socially and academically for college and/or careers. 

Dr. Flynn is the President of the Kentucky Association of School Superintendents. The Kentucky General Assembly appointed him to serve on the Local Superintendents Advisory Committee. He also serves on the Superintendents Advisory Committee to the Commissioner of Education. 

Twitter handle, links to blog, website, etc: Twitter - @jflynnfswildcat; website – www.simpson.kyschools.us; facebook page – Simpson County Schools; LinkedIn – Jim Flynn, Ed.D.; Vimeo – James Flynn

Kentucky Connected Educator Day 10

 Ken Mattingly

 Rockcastle County Middle School
Rockcastle County Schools

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

I have used internet resources for many years in my classroom.  Sometimes it may involve lessons I’ve found online, or learning simulations, or data I use with my students.  When I started teaching I had a room and a textbook, and I was pretty much constrained by that.  Now I have access to a wealth of information and am able to do a much better job engaging my students in the learning.

More recently, I’ve started to participate in chats on Twitter that focus on standards-based grading (which is something I’m very passionate about).  These chats, which involve following a Twitter conversation that includes a hashtag like #sbgchat, let me interact with people all over the country and the world.  I’m able to share my expertise and learn from others.  We share resources, blog posts, and methods for promoting standards-based grading.  There’s a Twitter chat for just about anything, and there are lots concerning education.  You can find a list of chats with times here.

Twitter chats and blogging allow me to expand my personal learning network or PLN.  There are lots of good ideas in my building, but if I can have access to people outside my building who are trying different things or have different experiences than I do, it can really leverage my practice.  

How does being connected impact your practice?  

Being connected gives me access to other experiences and ideas.  For example I’m currently working on using Edmodo with my classes.  There is always a learning curve with anything new, but instead of blindly trying Edmodo out I was able to get some guidance from my PLN.  People offered ideas on how they incorporated it into their classes, ways to use it for assessment, and others I wouldn’t have thought of, at least not initially.  This help puts me in a position to successfully use Edmodo, whereas otherwise I might find it so frustrating that I wouldn’t use it at all.

Now I also have an Edmodo group for my science department that we use for sharing information about and working on the NGSS standards.  This gets back at the heart of being a connected educator.  We don’t have to physically be present to have meaningful conversations and share our work.  This frees us up to communicate when and where it works best for us.

Likewise, sharing my work on standards-based grading on Twitter causes me to reflect on my practice.  Why do I do what I do?  How does it impact my students?  Is there a better way or room for improvement?  These questions cause me to be very intentional in my planning and evaluation.

How does being connected impact you as a professional?

Being a connected education helps me feel more like a professional.  Teachers are often called professionals, but are either not looked at as such or don’t think of themselves that way.  I view a true professional as someone who is serious and focused on their career.  A true professional strives to improve their practice and stay abreast of the current research.  A true professional knows that they can always get better at their career and that each day is another opportunity to do so.  Being connected helps me with all of these.  I’m able to keep my finger on the pulse of education through chats, blogs, and email updates.  It allows me to continually refine my craft and improve.

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

My first piece of advice would be to find one aspect of teaching that you are passionate about and search for a couple of good blogs on that subject.  There are many great teachers out there who blog about their experiences, and reading their blogs can really push your own thinking.  Secondly I’d recommend joining a Twitter chat.  They are very fast paced and can be overwhelming at first, but they are a wealth of information.  You may want to begin by just lurking and following the conversation.  After you feel more comfortable begin to offer your own thoughts on the questions being asked, and respond to others posts.  It’s a great way to find people to follow on Twitter and grow your PLN.  These two things will help you get your feet wet, and will in turn expose you to other resources and ways to be connected.

Ken Mattingly has 19 years of experience in sixth and seventh grades and holds National Board Certification in early adolescent science. He has worked on implementing classroom assessment for student learning practices in his classroom for the past eight years and helped with the implementation of standards-based grading in his school. During the past four years he has worked with multiple school districts across Kentucky to help develop a vision of balanced assessment, promote transparency in grading practices, and shift the teacher and student focus to the learning instead of the grade. 

Twitter:  @kenmattingly
Website:  kenmattingly.weebly.com
Blog:  kenmattingly.weebly.com/kens-blog.html

Kentucky Connected Educators Day 8

Shannon Treece

Eminence Independent Middle/High School 

Principal

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

Networking and collaborating are key to learning and growing as an educator.  There are many ways to become a connected educator from serving on local committees, to engaging in the principal group at my local cooperative (OVEC), but without a doubt Twitter has allowed me to grow my PLN and become a connected educator way beyond the boundaries of local networking.  Twitter has allowed me to connect and brainstorm with people all over the world, in the comfort of my home.  The obstacle of trying to research and find schools doing what you want to visually see no longer exists.  Contacts are literally 140 characters and 1 minute away from reality.  

How does being connected impact your practice? 

We are growing our mastery learning work and implementing Standards Based Grading at Eminence.  In our endeavors to achieve this we have had some questions arise and wanted to see how other schools have addressed the scenarios we were experiencing.  I reached out to Twitter and found the #SBG (Standards Based Grading) chat, participated and began making connections immediately to other schools experiencing the same scenarios.  The conversation was thought provoking and gave us other options to consider as a staff.  It also allowed me to connect with Deron Durflinger the principal of a very well known school in Iowa who just happened to be using Infinite Campus and was also implementing Standards Based Grading.  We used Google Hangout to have a conversation and both schools were able to learn from each other despite having never met formally or traveling for a site visit. That is the power of Twitter.

Another example includes a connection to a high school principal in Massachusetts by the name Patrick Larkin.  He has since moved to central office, but was implementing a 1:1 program in a high school when others were dreaming about going 1:1.  He had much experience and I was able to connect with him and determine what they found to be best practice and what was most effective in their implementation as Eminence was going 1:1.  What I learned via Twitter, would have taken a year or more to potentially learn.  

TeachMeet Events are another great way to learn about technology tools and how to use them.  It is totally an “unconference” style of event, 20 minute sessions, freedom to move in and out, relaxed atmosphere where anyone can sign up to present on the spot.  It is a great place to get ideas to share with team.  This is where I specifically learned about Flubaroo, a grading tool and how to screencast among many other tools.

How does being connected impact you as a professional?  

It makes me accountable…no reason to not know or be learning on any topic.  There is a twitter chat available for any topic imaginable in education everyday.  There is no excuse for not engaging in new 21st century learning, I want to be responsible steward of learning for those that I serve, both staff and students.  Being connected can be overwhelming too at times, I have to work hard to keep the balance.

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

Pick a topic and time that works for you; find a twitter chat and just following along until you are comfortable joining into the conversation.  Attending a twitter chat is a unique experience that truly has the potential to revolutionize PD for educators.  It has for me and it will for you as well, given the time to experience results.   Being connected will open doors beyond what you ever imagined.   It will make you a more informed professional in a field that is rapidly changing to serve those we love the most.

Shannon Treece is a principal at Eminence Independent Schools.  

Follow her on twitter @PrincipalTreece

Kentucky Connected Educator Month Day 7

Patrick Goff

Beaumont Middle School

Fayette County

 

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

I am using Twitter to reach out to multiple educators and science experts around the globe to help me grow as a professional. I also use Edmodo as a blended learning environment in my classroom. My students use Edmodo as the backbone of the class and are able to access the material anywhere as long as they have wi-fi. Also on Edmodo, I am part of the science community giving me access to thousands of science educators that are also on Edmodo around the world. I also use Facebook as another social media platform to connect with professionals in education and science. Lastly, I use the Remind101 service to help “remind” students/parents of upcoming dates/times/interesting opportunities.

How does being connected impact your practice?

I have worked with teachers to help develop lab activities that I use in my room, bounced ideas off each other to help upgrade lessons, searched out new ideas and to try and help each other. Specifically, I was able to talk with a teacher in NY about an alternative energy activity for dealing with solar energy that helped a great deal. Through discussions with online teachers (twitter/Edmodo/facebook) I have changed how I have students complete their lab reports and have started encouraging my students to use their smart devices to capture images/video of their lab experiments. With that, they are embedding that in their Word documents or using Coaches Eye (app) to narrate what is happening in the lab.

How does being connected impact you as a professional?

It goes back to why reinvent the wheel? If we put our heads together we can make so much more than if we do it alone. Being connected buoys me on bad days and lets me celebrate when good things happen. I love being able to share ideas and ask questions of such a wide array of members (teachers, instructional coaches, principals and science experts). You can have those professional conversations and get so much more input from many more professionals. It is so nice to get help from many experts and just raises the bar everywhere.

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

Jump in!! Go for it!! No point to dip a toe, just cannonball into the pool. It will be an awesome experience. In the same breath, don't let it consume you. Pick and choose, but it is so worth it.

Patrick Goff is an 8th grade science teacher and department chair at Beaumont Middle School in Lexington, Kentucky.  He is National Board Certified.  Follow him on twitter

@BMSscienceteach.

Kentucky Connected Educator Month Day 6

Chris Crouch

Regional Instructional Specialist/Northern Kentucky

Kentucky Department of Education   

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

 

I think of myself as a relative newcomer to the connected educator universe and I can’t believe that it took me this long to get here.  I consider myself a connected educator due to the fact that I’m able to utilize resources, experiences, and individuals from sources all over the world.  Sharing ideas, receiving input, refining thinking and then actually adapting my how I do my job everyday are essential to being a connected educator.  I’ve really concentrated on two areas of connecting.  I regularly participate in education Twitter chats and blog daily. 

How does being connected impact your practice?

Being involved in a larger platform for developing my practice allows me to take the best ideas from other connected educators all over the world.  One of the important skills I have learned from being connected is developing and sharing a message.  Twitter forces a concentrated effort of brevity, more is less.  Blogging has helped me refine my ideas and thoughts into coherent action steps and turn theory into practice.  My blog, has allowed me to share what has worked for me and serve as a virtual portfolio for my work. 

How does being connected impact you as a professional?

As a professional I feel that I have a duty to be abreast of the heartbeat of the profession.  Twitter and the blogosphere allow me to attend hundreds of hours of professional learning in my own way.  Accessing these types of learning opportunities, either Google hangouts or Twitter chats through a virtual conference have allowed me to focus on my weaknesses, to grow my areas of iinterest, and to participate in thelarger community of educators.

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

The world that exists outside of our classrooms and schools is quite large and intimidating.  My advice would be to gradually acclimate yourself to the torrent of information and thought available.  Twitter is amazing tool for educators and for creating a Professional Learning Network (PLN), but the key to building a powerful PLN is to be a good follower.  Find educators that push your thinking, have insight into complex issues, or share a common  issue or concern. Once you find these educators, follow them, retweet them, and read.  Understanding what makes one an effective contributor is important before one attempts becoming a contributor.  This process allows for a great infrastructure for a PLN. 

Also, don’t be afraid to connect with people outside of the field of education itself.  I have found that the healthcare and design industries have great implications to our work as educators and always search out ways to incorporate what works for them into my work.  

 Chris Crouch has been an educator for 14 years, all in the Northern Kentucky area.  He has taught grades 7-12 and was awarded the 2009 KCTE High School Teacher of the Year.  Chris has also worked as a consultant for Advance Kentucky, a program funded by the National Math and Science Institute, helping students across Kentucky prepare for Advanced Placement exams.  Discovering all that the connected educator universe has to offer has inspired Chris to start a blog: www.workontheworkchris365.blogspot.com and follow him on Twitter @the_explicator.