How to be on the Cutting Edge of Education in 4 Easy Steps

I'm passionate about teaching children.  So much so that I love to talk about exciting things happening in education ALL THE TIME.   Of course, my family and friends don't get it... and why should they? But for those of us who do "get it" and want to know what's happening in our specific area of interest right now ALL OVER THE WORLD... because, guess what, there are kindergarteners all over the world!  And there are teachers doing amazing things to help them learn.  I want to know what those things are, don't you? If your answer was "yes!" and you're ready to get started, here's your To Do List:

Step 1:  Watch this interview with Connected Educator Will Kimbley.  He has been connecting with other educators for almost 10 years and is passionate about the power in growing your PLN.

Step 2:  Twitter! If you're not sure why, watch this video on Twitter for Educators.

Step 3:  Grow your Personal and Professional Learning Network.

Step 4:  If you're ready to go deeper,  read What Connected Educators Do Differently.

Journey to Becoming a Connected Educator

Please read what my techy friend, partner and instructional coach +Connie Patton  wrote:

I am honored that you asked me to be a guest blogger on your site. I decided to write a post using the first two words of your theme, "Connecting educators with a world of resources for developing the whole child."

This summer we have spent quite a bit of time exploring what it means to be a connected educator in our graduate course. This connection is referred to as P²LN (Personal and Professional Learning Network) in the book What Connected Educators Do Differently.

You can find this book at Amazon, just click  the link.
Ultimately, as we expand our personal and professional learning network we become better at what we do, and better meet the needs of the students and colleagues we serve. As educators we strive to create environments so students will feel connected to school because we know that those who feel connected are more likely to succeed and realize that the same holds true for us as professionals. We need peer-to-peer interactions and reciprocal relationships in order to grow.  I realize that creating a network is a collective effort that takes time, but I have found that it has been encouraging, and it has professionally challenged me to strive for greatness. If we are asking our students to engage in self-directed meaningful learning, then we as educators should model the way. A great place to start is to build your P²LN with tools such as Twitter, a blog, and a website.

Connected educators create connected learning for students!
Connie Patton: @conniepatton010 www.conniepatton.com

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