Personal Learning Networks

(Today’s post is for the letter P in the A-Z challenge.)

Over the past few years I have developed several personal learning networks (PLN). At first I used to call them professional and personal networks but then I realized they were all personal to me.

My resources have been blogs, twitter, plurk and facebook. I also have connected with people on Linked In, Digg, nings, and wikis. Making new friends leads to making more new friends. When I do to online seminars, I start seeing my friends there too which reinforces the connections.

My PLNS include educators, knitters, spinners, and ham radio people. Depending on the mood and the need, I have instant access to new information or help when I need it. I am able to bounce new ideas or get inspiration from my connections.

I also have a PLN in my real life. I go to conferences for educators where I meet some of my online friends in real life. I also have a knitting group that meets weekly. Monthly, our ham radio club meets as well as a monthly meet and greet. I like to use others’ knowledge and expertise when I need help.

I also mentor preservice teachers who are studying to be special ed teachers. In a way, I’m part of their PLN but their new ideas and enthusiasm help me also. I also encourage those interested in electronics or radios to get their ham radio license. Of course everyone who knows me knows that my knitting goes where I go. If I’m sitting, then I’m knitting! I’m willing to talk knitting or spinning with anyone who is interested in that topic.

I think like gardening, I need to develop and nurture these relationships. If I don’t nurture them, they will die an early death. It is not good enough to just make the connections but I need to make them into networks where information can flow both ways.

Thanks to many of you who read this who are part of my PLN. And if you aren’t part of it yet, please contact me so we can connect and help each other!

Image: 'My network'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51035766041@N01/3172558

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 4/27/12

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

A Better Calculator - graphing calculator (L:H; SA:M)

Slatebox - Mindmapping tool (L:G; SA:A)

3DTin - create your own 3D models (L: M, H; SA: A)

Socrative - “Socrative is a smart student response system that empowers teachers to engage their classrooms through a series of educational exercises and games via smartphones, laptops, and tablets.” (L:G; SA: A)

LearnClick - “Take any text, mark the words you want to learn and learnclick.com transforms your text into a cloze deletion test”. (L:G; SA: A)

Original Image: Tools by Pat Hensley

Being Open and Honest

(Today’s post is for the letter O in the A-Z challenge.)

I have always believed that it was important to be open and honest with my students. At the beginning of the year, I would tell them this and try to be true to my word. Yet, I always had a disclaimer. I told them that I would not discuss any sex, drugs, or illegal activities of any sort. I didn’t feel that I was willing to risk my job in a discussion of these topics in any way.

My students were very curious about my life. Sometimes they would test me and ask me questions that many teachers have lied to them about. Let’s face it, unless you are a pathological liar, students can tell when you are lying or if you are insincere. They ask me if I drink alcohol and I’m honest with them. I drink but I drink in moderation and I won’t drive at all if I had anything to drink. I don’t feel that I am wrong in being honest with them about this because drinking alcohol is not illegal. Some of my colleagues are horrified that I was honest with my students about this. What if they had seen me at a grocery store buying beer or wine? Wouldn’t I be modeling hypocrisy to them?

I think being open and honest with my students is very important. If I don’t want to answer the question, then I just tell them that I feel it is too personal and I will not answer it. I feel that it is important to show them that it is okay not to answer certain questions if I feel uncomfortable answering them. It is much better than lying about my answer!

I feel my students respect me more when they know that I will be open and honest with them.

We have had a lot of important discussions where my students have really shared with me their feelings about having a disability. Many have said that they didn’t feel comfortable sharing this with other teachers because many of their teachers tell the students that they are wrong for feeling this way. Or they are told that things will get better or all they have to do is work harder, study harder, try harder and their disability will disappear. I basically tell them that they have a disability and they need to learn to figure out a way to succeed in life with this disability. I don’t try to ignore the disability or make the students feel like it is their fault they have a disability. I think some of the reasons some teachers lie about dealing with a disability is because they are uncomfortable with disabilities and they don’t understand them.

I think it is so important for teachers to be open and honest with students. If you can’t answer them honestly than be honest enough to say that you don’t feel like you can answer the question. Don’t avoid it or lie. That is the worst thing that you can do.

How do you feel about this in the classroom? Please share.

mage: 'مرگ چون پرواز است'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44124425616@N01/609777936

Nature

(Today’s post is for the letter M in the A-Z challenge.)

According to The Conservation Fund website,

“You can learn more about the relationship between American youth and nature in America's Great Outdoors: A Promise to Future Generations.” Released in early 2011, the report is part of President Obama's America's Great Outdoors Initiative, which aims to reconnect Americans to nature. A separate Youth Report was produced based on responses gathered during 21 "youth listening sessions." In these sessions young people voiced a strong desire to spend more time outdoors and talked about challenges that made outdoor recreation difficult or inaccessible to them”

Recently I led groups of second and fifth graders on a hike around the lake at our local state park. I was so surprised to see that most of them had never been to this state park and it is right in our own county. Many of our state parks are such a great resource for families and schools!

There are also heritage preserves around out county that I didn’t even know about. I am amazed at the protected areas around me that have wonderful flowers and wildlife to observe.

I remember as a small child having my mother teach me to garden in our back yard. The elderly neighbors even took me to hunt mushrooms. I never learned that skill well enough to pick mushrooms for my own meal but I admire those who are willing to do that.
 
I love to sit in my own back yard and watch the birds. On my back deck, I have one of those faux clay flower pots (made of Styrofoam) that I have filled with water and include a water lily plus a gold fish. The birds in the area use this for their own private bird bath and it is fascinating to watch them.

Around my yard are several bird feeders that entice the birds to visit. I even found a bird’s nest in my rose bush the other day.

Nature is all around us and we need to open our eyes and ears to experience it!

Original picture by Pat Hensley

Magic

(Today’s post is for the letter M in the A-Z challenge.)

I have always wanted to be a teacher, ever since I was a little girl. I remember playing school with my dolls and then with my cousins, and then anyone who was willing to play with me. I loved learning of any kind.

I remember thinking that learning was like magic. If you wanted to do something, anything, all you had to do was learn how to do it. There was nothing in the world that you couldn’t do if you were willing to learn it.

Learning to read was like opening the door to the secrets of magic. Reading taught me all of the tricks needed to do to learn anything. I couldn’t believe there were so many books about so many different topics. Now that the internet is available, the topics are endless.

Once I learned to read, I wanted to share this magic with others. I not only wanted to share the magic but I wanted to share the secrets.

I had such a horrible fourth grade teacher that abused her students and from then on, I wanted everyone to know all the secrets of the magic so that they would never have to face failure.

Once I became a teacher, I realized the power I had to share the magic. As I taught each lesson and watched each child understand the concept or skill I was teaching, it was as thrilling as pulling off a magic trick.

But the important thing to share with my students is that they are not just the audience in a magic show. I want each one of them to know that they too could hold the secrets and be the magicians.

Now that I have become a teacher, I realize that teaching is even better than magic. Teaching is so much better than being a magician. Teaching children and changing their lives is even better than pulling a rabbit out of a hat or sawing a person in half!

If you are a teacher, how do you feel about the career path you chose? Please share.

Image: 'Day 167 - The Magician'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35258026@N03/4321365261