Continuing Digital Citizenship Week & Promoting Kentucky's STLP Program...
Jeff Sebulsky
Statewide Program Coordinator
Student Technology Leadership Program
Does anyone remember life before Twitter? When I first heard about Twitter, it sounded like the most frivolous invention of the century because, “why would I be interested in what people do all day?” Now, to be honest, Twitter is my main source for finding and following trends in education that interest me, participating in learning networks, and staying involved with state/national organizations. Also, it’s a great way to connect with the innovators in our field in an active and responsive way.
It’s all about the feeds! RSS aggregators make it easy for me to browse multiple education blogs and websites that otherwise would overwhelm and take over my entire day. Throughout the day, my Feedly account (R.I.P Google Reader) pulls in news and information relevant to my interest and gives me “bit-sized” intros that I can access on the go via my smartphone, my tablet or in a web browser. I can then choose to dig deeper into those articles, or move on.
Email is still a big player for me. I know students aren’t as interested in email, but it helps me stay connected in conversations that I’m having with hundreds of people around Kentucky and the US. The various listserv’s available to Kentucky educators have provided a means to be connected with a network for years.
More and more, I’m relying on Microsoft Lync to connect face-to-face digitally with teachers on either end of the state – sometimes in the same afternoon. Whereas in the past I would have driven site to site, now I can connect with people through the web and still have a natural conversation.
Finally, being connected, to me, also means that I establish/maintain relationships with folks one-on-one and in person. Visiting with my colleagues makes my online interactions with them even more meaningful.
How does being connected impact your practice?
Being in a statewide role as the Kentucky Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP) coordinator, I find myself in a unique situation where it’s necessary to stay connected and fluidly communicate with teachers, administrators, CIOs, students and parents across the state on a daily basis. Coordinating with hundreds of STLP groups, thousands of students and hundreds of volunteers is certainly much easier than it would have been even 2 or 3 years ago, thanks to tools like Twitter, Facebook, & email. But, the true challenging is growing and developing these groups into communities that feed on the open exchange of ideas and news between each other directly – like everyday is a STLP conference.
Relying on digital connections within the STLP “family” means that our STLP students have opportunities to demonstrate their digital citizenship skills. As a network, we all interact via the “STLPKentucky” Facebook page, Twitter feed, Pinterest site, Google+, etc. In those interactive environments, our students and teachers do a great job of modeling digital citizenship.
How does being connected impact you as a professional?
Connecting with other educators and seeing what they share via various media helps me understand where I’m at as an educator and inspires me to stay involved and informed about trends and emerging learning strategies. It helps me by forming a framework to see what’s happening in innovative classrooms.
As a district-level administrator and, now, as a state-level coordinator, my access to classrooms sometimes feels limited. I worry a lot about losing my connection to students and other educators. So utilizing connective tools helps me feel as though I’m in touch with today’s learning; which, in turn, helps me guide the STLP Kentucky program in directions to keep it relevant, interesting to students, and worthwhile for teachers.
On a personal level, I thrive in situations where I’m surrounded by people who are leaders in their field and at the top of their game. That motivates me to “up my game” to match the level of innovation they are bringing to the table. Participating in online networks filled with innovative thinkers, interacting with educators on Twitter, etc. helps me stay sharp, inspired, and “in the know.”
How does being connected impact you as a professional?
Let’s be honest: there are so many great blogs, awesome Twitter feeds, and online communities that someone just getting started could easily become overwhelmed. And, for many teachers, the idea of adding stuff to your day seems crazy, right?
So where do you start and not get buried? I think the answer is somewhere in the art of being a wallflower. Here’s what I mean…
There’s a lot to be said for just following conversations, blogs, and feeds online without jumping in to comment or participate right away. If you’re not sure where to begin, by all means, follow the conversation on the weekly #kyedchat via Twitter (Thursday evenings each week). The folks participating there are some of Kentucky’s most connected educators – so check out their Twitter feeds to begin expanding your circle.
From there, you’ll gain access to tons of links to great blogs, other Twitter standouts, and resources you’ll want to check out. Before you know it, you’ll find it impossible to just sit on the sidelines.
I think there’s something inside many of us as educators that compels us to ask questions and contribute to conversations. Go for it and you’ll find that your input is welcome and appreciated. Before you know it, you will have gained an entire new network of professional colleagues and resources…all just a click away.
Jeff Sebulsky currently serves as the KY Department of Education’s Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP) coordinator. Over the last 12 years, Jeff has also been an educator as a high school social studies teacher, a district Technology Resource Teacher, and a district Chief Information Officer. Now, as the STLP leader, he looks to build on the solid foundation of the program’s previous 20 years of success while reaching into the future to ensure STLP remains relevant, exciting for students and educationally worthwhile for teachers. New areas of exploration for STLP include a focus on coding/programming, tech entrepreneurship, and developing maker/DIY experiences for students.
