So many educators are wearing themselves out, thinking they have to come up with every idea and every resource on their own. It's a sign of the change in the times that teachers are beginning to realize that if it "takes a village to raise a child", we need to work together as a village! We need to collaborate. Why shouldn't we?! We are not limited to the resources of the teacher next door, at our school, or even in our District. Our students can access extended and long-distance family members for help. We should not be afraid to do the same. The problem is not finding available resources, it is vetting the resources to determine which ones are valuable.
How do we accomplish that? This is what I am doing. I look for the educators that are leading the way on this path. Some of the reliable resources that I have found are in the form of "blogs" and "Tweets" +Alice Keeler, whose Blog can be found at Teacher Tech, and whose Twitter handle is @alicekeeler, has already done a great deal of the footwork, presented it and written about it. She shares a lot of links and ideas on Twitter, so "follow" her. Another great resource is +Holly Clark, whose Blog can be found at Ed Tech Diva and goes by the Twitter handle @HollyEdTechDiva. I highly recommend taking a look at her post "New Year's Resolutions for the 2014 Classroom".
Computer Using Educators (CUE), CUE-LosAngeles, +Edmodo and Google Apps for Education (often referred to as "GAFE") have irrevocably changed my view of what is possible to do as an educator. I find that my appetite for learning is insatiable. And, like my students, as I learn new things, I need to summarize my learning and commit it to writing. I have learned so much from the connections I have made on Edmodo, Google+, and Twitter. These resources provide me the Professional Learning Network (PLN) that I need to support my efforts in bringing the best educational experience possible to my students.
The circle is complete when we are able to take what we are learning and give back to the "village". The same tools I have used to develop my skills, to this point, can be used to give back. My "village" is no longer limited by how far I can travel at any particular point in time - it is a "village" without borders. Thank you, neighbors!
