Tool #2: Rapid Fire of the PLN

1. I think the concept of a PLN is very powerful. Several years ago, I got to hook into the National Teacher Forum, which was an online blog of the State Teachers of the Year and was moderated by the National Teacher of the Year. The graphics weren't cool and we didn't get to make avatars, but the concept was similiar. In this case, the moderator posed questions or brought up issues that we would each get to reflect, comment, and then take in what the others said. This was really cool for me because the other people on the blog were clearly more experienced and more talented so I got to learn from every post. It was like having an interactive researcher in your back pocket. I was a brand new asst. principal, so I could pose my own issues I was having with my school, get the feedback and insight from tenured teachers and ensure I was at least well informed of the teacher perspective to compensate for my lack of experience. It was awesome. It continued for a few years after President Clinton left office, but it eventually stopped.

Now that I see what others are doing on this 11 Tools, I am just stunned at how amazing these blogs can be and how many applications and evidence (pictures) of what people are doing in their work there could be. I read that part on the first few minutes of this project about how President Obama and his election crew really tapped into social media to connect with people and while I thought I understood it, seeing these blogs really sent home what that meant and how much can be taught, transferred via technology.



2. What point stood out to you from the commenting advice? I agree with Maria Palermo (a SWE Kinder teacher), the controversial nudge is interesting. I am sure they mean to say to be bold and not refrain from pushing thinking in the spirit of being too polite. This surely can't mean that we are too be unkind, etc. I think suggesting things in the forms of questions to cast a wider net of thinking is what they mean- because if you are posting, you are likely wanting reflections or to be pushed- being too agreeable won't push you. You want constructive criticism that makes you think.

3. What five blogs did you select for your comments? I read lots of blogs simply because I was excited and hopeful about skills I was about to learn (Great job, SBISD!), but commented on:
Dennis the Menace, Glovers Science Emporium, Los Amigos de Kinder, Number Antics, and RileysTigersN1st.

Tool #1: I have much to learn!

In the 90's, I thought I was a really cool 5th grade teacher because:
a). I knew how to do email
b). My students and I did an online pen pal program through something called Global Village. We interacted with 12 different schools, mailed a finger puppet, a disposable camera and our school "book" to the first of the 12 schools and then Charlie (the finger puppet) traveled the world.

Little did I know that fast forward some (ahem) years later, I would feel most intimidated by creating a blog and the like. That being said, if we want to capture our learners' imaginations and push them to think creatively, deeply, and humanely, we need to stay one step ahead of them. Now that I feel 12 steps behind, there is some catching up to do.....