Day 3 Website I Can’t Live Without

On the Free Technology for Teachers Facebook, the twenty day blogging challenge created by Kelly Hines was mentioned and I decided to give it a shot. So here is the challenge for today:

“What is a website that you can’t live without? Tell about your favorite features and how you use it in your teaching and learning.”

For a long time I used Google Reader to consolidate my blogs and articles but when that ceased to exist, I now use Feedly. I like having my blogs and articles that I read regularly all in one place otherwise I will forget to go look at some of them. I like knowing when someone has posted something new and there is a feature where I can bookmark it to save it for later.

I learn so much from reading other people’s blogs. I have them organized into different folders such as Education, Knitting, Gardening etc.

Many of the posts listed are inspiration for blog posts that I want to do. I see it as one-stop-shopping and it saves time.

What website do you use that you can’t live without? Please share.

Image: 'Sucking Eviair' 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34120957@N04/5918811569
Found on flickrcc.net

Best Blog for Special Ed Teachers

The 50 Best Blogs for Special Ed Teachers (Updated) by Online Universities has been updated and I’ve been included. It actually has a great list of blogs to check out and even some that I didn’t know about. I like finding new blogs that I might want to subscribe to so if you might too.

Blogs for STEM Educators

Recently I was notified that my blog was included in the 50 Best Blogs for STEM Educators. I was thrilled to see my blog included with many of those that I read and admire. If you have time, please check out this site for other blogs that you might find interesting.

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Image: 'Rosie the Blogger'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9106303@N05/2493066577

Blogging and Me

Bill Gaskins (author of Creating a Path for Learning in the 21^st Century) asked me to talk to his Digital Writing class about my Personal Learning Network and Blogging. I jotted some notes down in case I ran out of things to say (You can stop laughing now!)

I first got on Twitter in January 2008 and found Bill on there. I was so excited to find someone from SC. I started accumulating educator friends and then adding their educator friends. From Twitter I started finding educational blogs to read and adding them to my Google Reader. Right now I subscribe to 317 blogs.

Reading other people’s blogs made me itch to try my own hand at it. At first I thought “I know nothing about blogging! What am I thinking?” I started this blog 3 years ago in 2007 when I retired. I told myself that I would give it a try because I had nothing to lose. I decided to use blogger which is free and I already had a laptop with an internet connection so why not? As of today, I’ve had over 212, 000 page views! I’m still truly amazed that anyone would want to read something I write!

When I retired, I decided that I had all these wonderful experiences and knowledge about teaching that I wanted to share with others. Of course, my hubby says I would talk to the wall about teaching if no one else listened! I thought that others could learn from things that I learned the hard way. Maybe I could help others in ways that I wish someone had helped me. So, I started my blog. I did a lot of reading other blogs to decide how I wanted to develop my blog. I noticed the ones that I liked and why so that I could mimic the same style. I also noticed the ones I didn’t like so that I didn’t write the same way. I’m not saying those are wrong, but they just aren’t the ones that I like to read but others might like them.

I have learned so much through blogging. I learned more about myself and what I believe in. This made me climb off the fence and state my opinion. Sometimes I’ve had to defend it which is good too. I also learned by reading others and writing how it affected me.

One of the people in class asked me what I was afraid of. I was afraid that I would say something wrong or have people disagree with me. One way that really helps me that instead of telling people what they should do, I tell people what I do in my own classroom and what works for me. They might disagree with me but I can say that I know it works for me in my own situation and it might not work for them. This actually made me feel more comfortable with my writing.

If I had to give them suggestions, here are some suggestions I would give:

Know why you are blogging. What is your purpose? This may help you narrow down your writing.

Know your audience. Who are you writing for? How will you get your message to them?

Make it interesting. If you are bored writing it, more than likely, someone will be bored reading it.

Quote other blogs and write about them. Share your feelings. This opens up conversations about different topics and through the conversations, we all can learn from each other. (I also feel so honored and thrilled when someone refers to me in their blog so I bet others feel the same way.)

Let others know that you posted a new post. Self promotion is good! At first I felt uncomfortable doing this but then I realized how much I wanted to know when others posted. I needed to do the same. Now I post on Plurk, Twitter, and Facebook when I have a new post.

Have I left anything out? What other advice would you give to new bloggers? Please share.

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Original image: 'Oh no, here come the Bloggers'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51035767928@N01/68953352 by: Brett L.

Blogs Worth Taking a Look At…

Thanks so much to Sabrina for listing me as one of the “Blogs Worth Taking a Look At” on her blog – Sabrina’s Blog.

“This is a new initiative in the ELT blogosphere at the moment. If someone tags you in their list of 10 recommended teaching blogs, you then prepare your own list of 10 other blogs you would be willing to recommend, paste the logo above into your post and link back to the person/blog that initially tagged you.”

Here is a list of Blogs that I would recommend. These are about education and sometimes just humorous but sometimes they are both. There are twelve here because I couldn’t bear to leave one of them off and they are listed in alphabetical order.

Angela Maiers Educational Services

Bellringers

Blogush

Education on the Plate

Epic Adventures are Often Uncomfortable

E4Africa

If Only I Had Super Powers

Learn Me Good

Online Sapiens

Principals Page – The Blog

The Chronicles of a Veteran Kindergarten Teacher

TJ on a Journey

Hope you enjoy these!

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Leading Others Down the Right Path

In Ready For A Walk? from Tech Thoughts By Jen by JenW , she writes,

“A few days ago, while chatting with my friend, Ryan Bretag (http://www.ryanbretag.com/blog/), I was questioning him on how he was able to persuade his teachers, his staff, his co-workers to follow him. I wanted to know….I needed to know…..how he was leading.

His response stopped me in my tracks.

they aren’t walking with me. I’m walking with them & they were walking before me. I just bring a diff perspective 4 that journey
9:12 PM Feb 26th via web in reply to jenwagner
(http://twitter.com/ryanbretag/status/9715834339)”

This was an “aha” moment for me too!

I don’t always have to lead in order to learn.

The thought of leading scares me. What if I lead and people actually follow? What if I take the wrong path and lead people down a road to nowhere? What if the path I’m taking is actually the wrong path?

I think that is why I read so many blogs and interact on social networks. I think these connections and interactions actually help me find my way. Maybe all of us are trying to find our way together?

By discussing topics and sharing opinions, the surroundings get less fuzzy and get more in focus. The more I interact with others (not necessarily agreeing but bouncing thoughts around), the clearer things get for me. As I learn to leave comments, it gets easier for me (and maybe some of the authors would rather I go away). Yet it feels almost liberating to be part of the conversation. It starts to actually feel good and not so scary.

Then I realize that maybe we can go down the path together. And if it is the wrong path, it is alright to turn around. It is alright to talk together some more to arrive at a different conclusion.

This is why it is so important to comment on blogs I read. This is why I try to interact with people on Plurk, Twitter, and Facebook. I used to lurk but when I lurked, I wasn’t moving. It was like standing in the path and watching the people pass me by. The more I interact, the more I’m moving. Moving is much better than standing still. I can’t learn anything by standing still.

This is also an important skill for students to learn in my classroom.

How many students have looked down when I call on someone to answer? Which student is the one that always declines to answer? Who doesn’t want to offer any input in the discussion? These are the students who are standing still. They aren’t moving forwards or backwards. If they don’t move, they can't achieve any success. Movement, whether forward or back, will be a learning experience. This is the only way anyone can be successful in school and out.

Now I ask you, do you leave comments? Do you interact with other educators? Or are you just standing still? Now is the time to make an effort to move. Even if you don’t leave a comment on this post, I challenge you to read other blogs out there and find one that you can comment on. Don’t be stagnant. Take a chance and make a move!

Posted on the Successful Teaching Blog by loonyhiker (successfulteaching at gmail dot com).

Original image: 'Magic Path'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/57038667@N00/1021782142 by: Cindy Seigle

Best Blogs for Special Education Teachers

I was recently told that I was on the list of 50 Best Blogs for Special Education Teachers. I was truly honored to be included in this list because it makes me feel like what I’m doing is worthwhile. There are some great blogs listed here (besides mine!) and I hope you take time to check some of them out.

Original image: 'Rosie the Blogger'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9106303@N05/2493066577 by: Mike Licht

Making the List!

I was reading blog posts in my Google Reader when I came to Mister Teacher’s Learn Me Good blog. He was excited because he was featured on a top 100 Best Blogs list.

So, I ventured to the list and I was surprised, excited, honored (you get the picture!) that my blog was on the list too! I’m on the 100 Best Blogs for Teachers of the Future on Clear View Education! There are so many great blogs that I read regularly that I’m in awe that my blog is listed on the same page as theirs. You might want to cruise on over there and see if your name is on the list. Or you might want to check out some of them.

In addition to Learn Me Good, these are some that I read every day and also are on the list:

Teachers Teaching Teachers
classroom as microcosm
The Fischbowl.
Dangerously Irrelevant
Cool Cat Teacher Blog.
2¢ Worth.
Free Technology for Teachers.
Teacher in a Strange Land.
The Tempered Radical.
On Special Education.
So You Want To Teach?
Teach42
Angela Maiers.

I will be checking out the others though! Thanks to Clear View Education for including me on the list!

Original image: 'January first' http://www.flickr.com/photos/10953991@N00/2162700587 by: Crystal

20 Blogs to Read When You Start Teaching (or Beyond)

Recently Joel added me to his list of “20 Blogs I Wish Were Around When I Started Teaching” on So You Want To Teach? Please stop by there and check out this post! I loved seeing some new blogs that I haven’t read yet and I was glad to see some of the ones that I do read already on his list. He also has lots of good stuff to read and it is easy and fun to read to so check out his blog! Hope you enjoy it!