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
