My Digital Footprint and PLN10 Be's

© Gretel Patch 2012Masters of Educational Technology StudentBoise State Universitywww.edtechdidi.com gretelpatch.wordpress.com@edtechdidiwww.facebook.com/edtechdidi

In today's worldWe're expected to

everything

be Know Do

Used under Flickr Creative Commons langwitches

The Networked Teacher

Where to even begin?

What picture do we want to paint?

What story do we want to tell?

What trace do we want to leave?

Personal Learning NetworksWhat?

Connect

read

follow

tweet

Archive/Bookmark

comment

writeGrow

Source: http://bit.ly/rJ2E1i

http://youtu.be/MqSH5TMYlz4

Personal Learning NetworksWhy?

Connect

goals

professional development

learn

share

contribute

21st century skills

ideas

Personal Learning NetworksHow?

online communities

social bookmarking

following blogs

A favorite leader once gave youth six B's for better living.

Here's my own strategy of 10 B's for growing my PLN and leaving a positive digital footprint.

BeSource: http://bit.ly/NY7P5s

Be ORGANIZED

© 2012 R. Patch. Used with permission.

Be ORGANIZEDSocial bookmarking

• DiigoI love Diigo because I can keep track of sites using tags and also annotate, make comments, follow, and share. Here's an in-progress K-5 math resource list I created and shared with colleagues.

• SymbalooWebmixes are a visual collection of hyperlinks and a great way to categorize bookmarks. Here is a webmix I created for a professional development discussion on PLNs.

• LiveBindersStore resources, websites, images, PDFs, and videos in a digital 3-ring binder. Here is one I like called An Educator's Guide to Twitter.

1.

Be SMART

Be SMARTWebinars & Twitter chats

"With the advent of social media, learning occurs anytime, anywhere, and students [and teachers] regularly pursue knowledge in networked and collaborative ways..."

2.

(Nussbaum-Beach & Hall, 2011, p. 1)

Be SMARTWebinars & Twitter chats

• SimpleK12This learning community of teachers hosts interactive webinars on specific Web 2.0 tools, skills, and strategies. I attended (and helped present) a recent smackdown of free Web 2.0 tools.

• EdTechTeacherThis 21st Century learning site offers free webinars throughout the year, mostly focused on iPads, 1:1, and technology integration.

• #edchatThis Twitter chat takes place every Tuesday and gives educators a forum to discuss education issues and share resources. Transcripts and RSS feeds are available.

2.

Backchannela real-time online conversation alongside live spoken remarks

Even though it takes superb multitasking, I try to contribute to the backchannel using the Twitter hashtag and/or chat room to:

Source: http://bit.ly/fUpxvC

• benefit the learning of the entire learning community • build my PLN• connect

Be CONNECTED

Be CONNECTEDOnline learning communities

"There is a path for every person into this networked learning space, and all that is required to make good use of it is a willingness to participate."

3.

(Richardson & Mancabelli, 2011, p. 34)

Be CONNECTEDOnline learning communities

• Classroom 2.0This vast social networking site brings together people interested in Web 2.0 tools, social media, and integrated technology in the classroom. Classroom 2.0 LIVE hosts live webinars through iTunesU. I love this site (and even had founder Steve Hargadon over for dinner in Nepal–fun!)

• Edmodo10 million users might be on to something. In addition to being a great classroom management tool (as shown by Everything Edmodo and this resource page), many educators use Edmodo to create or grow their PLN

• Educators PLNThis ning site is a personal learning network for educators. I like its video and podcast collection, discussion forum, list of blogs.

3.

Be HELPFUL

Be HELPFULTwitter

"Educators really can't afford to NOT be on Twitter. Our educational landscape is changing very rapidly. Our students are using this technology every day, and as educators we must continually be growing and finding new ways to learn and to reach our students. Is Twitter perfect? By no means. But used correctly, Twitter can really become a catalyst in transforming your classroom, your school, and your teaching."

4.

(Nesloney, 2012)

Be HELPFULTwitter• Twitter Power

I'm just discovering the power of Twitter and its PLN possibilities. It can save me time by offering useful resources, ideas, and connections. Experts say 90% of what is tweeted should be helpful (Lepi, 2012).

• An Educator's Guide to TwitterThis digital repository links to the basics ("Twitter in Plain English" and "Twitter in 60 seconds") and on up ("Twitter as a Tool for PD" and "Teaching and Learning with Twitter.") This is a great resource for newbies and experts alike.

• 2012 A-Z Educational HashtagsI choose to follow these hashtags: #edchat, #edtech, #futureofed, #edutopia, #mlearning, #edapp, and #slide2learn and have found oodles of helpful resources. I also like Edchats.

4.

Be OPEN

Be OPENBranding

"If the world is listening to us when we are [on] the web, then let's make sure what we say is interesting, engaging, positive and representative of our better selves. "

5.

(Digital Citizen Adventures)

Be OPENBranding

• FacebookI maintain a public Facebook page that is completely separate from my personal account. I am very deliberate in what I post: resources and links that represent my professional interests.

• Learning LogI keep an academic blog, partly to fulfill my M.ET. requirement and partly to record my e-journey. I post artifacts and reflections that represent my best academic achievements.

• ConsistencyI show my work online, post my teaching philosophy, tweet resources, and engage in "open" learning and teaching environments (Rogers, 2011).

5.

Be SAFE

need a good photo here

Be SAFEAuthentic digital footprint

"It's a consequence of the new Web 2.0 world that these digital footprints–the online portfolios of who we are, what we do, and by association, what we know–are becoming increasingly woven into the fabric of almost every aspect of our lives."

6.

(Richardson, 2008)

Be SAFEAuthentic digital footprint

• Google YourselfI took this challenge, making sure I was logged out and looked through several pages. So far, I have not found anything alarming and was glad to see several of my edtech posts listed. This infographic is worth viewing. I also liked this how-to guide on Online Reputation Management.

• Common Sense MediaThis site offers digital literacy and citizenship PD training and resources. I like how this video gives a poignant depiction of privacy and responsibility online. It's a good reminder (and great for students!).

• NetsmartzThis site for youth and educators contains many helpful resources to keep everyone safe online. It has full lesson plans, presentations, and videos.

6.

This is a raw word cloud made from my learning log. What's my story?

Be IN THE KNOW

Be IN THE KNOWBlogging

"There are so many real educators out there who want to get better at what they do so that they can always do what is best for kids."

7.

(Shareski, 2010)

Be IN THE KNOWBlogging

• Write BlogsNot everything fits in 140 characters. I blog to share, connect, reflect, and give back in some small way to the universe of knowledge I benefit from. It also keeps me transparent and accountable (Couros, 2012).

• Read BlogsI've never been one who likes to reinvent the wheel. I read blogs to keep up on what educators, administrators, and edtech professionals are doing, trying, and sharing. I follow best practices and establish my own.

• Google ReaderI created simple instructions for adding any RSS feed to Google Reader. It's my way of getting information to come to me so I don't have to go wandering for it.

7.

Be ACTIVE

Be ACTIVEComment and contribute

"It's not enough to just follow and read, you need to connect. Leave comments, reply to questions, and start your own conversations."

8.

(Venable, 2012)

Be ACTIVEComment and contribute

• Reach outMy chemistry teacher always told me I would never understand chemistry until I taught it to someone else. Similarly, the more I contribute to my PLN, the more I gain. When I help others, answer questions, and share resources and links, I learn something and become a go-to person in my field (Lepi, 2012).

• ShareI want to share lesson plans, presentations, and documents so that others can benefit from them (Venable, 2012). Sites like Facebook, Edublogs, Tumblr, Google Docs, and Slideshare are great for sharing.

8.

Be PICKY

Be PICKYPick areas of interest

• PinterestI don't have time for everything, so I choose what will be most beneficial. Pinterest can be a great tool to create pinboards organized by topic. This one shows PLN resources for educators and this playlist compiles resources for using Pinterest as an educator.

• QuoraHere is a tool that "connects you to everything you want to know about." Ask questions, post answers, and see what is out there on many subjects. Quora also helps organize the findings.

9.

Be FOCUSED

Be FOCUSEDEyes on the goal

"So, how can we be sure to only plug in at the right time and the right place? ... There are times when engaging with students and colleagues requires disengaging from [devices]."

10.

(Ginsburg, 2012)

Be FOCUSEDEyes on the goal

• Make me a priorityI deliberately make time to establish and grow my PLN. I take time each week to review the various Web 2.0 tools that connect me to the world. If I don't set this time aside, it won't happen.

• Know when to unplugTechnology is meant to enhance my life and my profession. I will not become so lured in that I don't know when to say when. One educator calls it the new digital divide. I have one day a week set aside that I turn everything off and I teach my students and children to do the same.

10.

ReferencesCouros, G. (2012). 21st-Century PLNs for school leaders. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog

/21st-century-PLNs-school-leaders-george-couros

Lepi, K. (2012). 25 ways to use Twitter to improve your professional development. Edudemic. Retrieved from

http://edudemic.com/2012/09/25-ways-to-use-twitter-to-improve-your-professional-development/

Nesloney, T. (2012). Twitter - A Necessity for Educators in 2012. Texas Principal. Retrieved from

http://www.texasprincipal.org/index.php/texas-principals-education-help-support-team/entry/twitter-a-necessity-for

-educators-in-2012

Nussbaum-Beach, S., & Hall, L. R. (2011). The connected educator: Learning and leading in a digital age. Solution Tree.

Retrieved from http://www.solution-tree.com/the-connected-educator.html

Richardson, W. (2008). Footprints in the digital age. Educational Leadership, 66(3), 16–19.

Richardson, W., & Mancabelli, R. (2011). Personal learning networks: Using the power of connections to transform

education. Solution Tree. Retrieved from http://www.solution-tree.com/products/personal-learning-networks.html

Rogers, S. (2011). Personal branding for the 21st century educator. The Educator’s PLN. Retrieved from

http://edupln.ning.com/profiles/blogs/personal-branding-for-the-21st-century-educator

Shareski, D. (2010). How to make better teachers. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dean-shareski/how-to-make-better-teache_b_783392.html

Venable, M. (2012). The social media guide to growing your personal learning network. Online College Search. Retrieved

from http://www.onlinecollege.org/2012/09/24/the-social-media-guide-growing-your-personal-learning-network/