As we continue to read "What Connected Educators Do Differently", I am finding myself gaining a better understanding on how to be an effective 21st Century educator. In order to do so, Whitaker, Casas, and Zoul tell us to, "embrace the three C's". This includes communication, collaboration, and community.
As I sit back and reflect on my own experience with embracing the three C's, I came upon some realizations:
1. I find "communicating with purpose" to be something I do well with day in and day out. I believe it is important to share what is going on in the classrooms and schools. This is where my Twitter account comes into play. More often than not, I tweet out what students are learning in the classroom. Some of the hashtags I utilize are #tt4t, #ipadacademy, #CECougars, and #bpsne. In addition, I helped our school principal set up a school Twitter account. This is both an easy and great way to connect home and school. Many of our families are now following us on Twitter, and are receiving instant updates on Central's happenings.
2. I am lacking adequacy in the "professional blogger" department. When I first started my journey in the iPad Academy, I set a goal for myself to create one educational blog post each week. I started off strong...in the first month. From there, blogging was placed on the back burner, and I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't posted anything in over a year. Life happens, people get busy, and as a mother of three kids under the age of four, priorities and goals have changed. This is an area that I would like to better myself in--not only as a way to share my ideas, but to also reflect upon the effectiveness of my technological pedagogy.
3. Pinterest, iPad Academy Collab Days, and Twitter PLNs are life changing!! Collaborating with colleagues has always been something I've enjoyed. It's always great to find an authentic audience or a group of peers in which I can share and swap ideas. Being connected--whether through internet connection (Pinterest and Twitter) or face-to-face (iPad Collabs)--has given me endless opportunities to interact with so many smart and talented educators.
As I finish this post, I realize that I've come so far, yet I have a lot to learn. Although the school year will be winding down, I am looking forward to setting new goals--or even visiting old ones!
I find it interesting how I enjoy reading blogs, but finding the confidence to share my thoughts seems very scary! You wear many hats with being a teacher, coach, mommy, etc. I think it is a great accomplishment tweeting out regularly to communicate with a purpose. I enjoy following what your class and volleyball team are accomplishing! P.S. I love working with your sister during her student teaching experience! :)
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