Sunday, July 20, 2014
Final Week
Think back to your investigations of Twitter or other PLNs. In this weeks post, report on your experiences and give us your final thoughts...what are you taking away from this summers study? What were your "keeper" moments? (we are pretty flexible...if you want to talk about something, else feel free to do so...as long it pertains to our topic:)
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I've been thinking about this for a couple of days. First I would just like to thank Angy for doing this. I have enjoyed the last few years. I feel like each year the books get better and better. I liked reflecting on my career as a teacher, the mistakes I made and the all the wonderful memories. I have thought about who my mentors are and how I need to turn to them more often. Many times I think I don't want to bother them, but in reality they welcome it; just like I welcome when others ask me for advise or help.
ReplyDeleteAs for PLN's...well I checked in on the chats through Flipboard (I usually forgot about them as they took placed later at night), and as much as I like Twitter I much prefer blogs for PLN's. What I did utilized was Flipboard more and read the tweets from there. If they had a link then I have gone to the links to read up on what interested me. I really get more out of the books we read and the posts our group members make. Want to thank all of you for your contributions to our group, students and our wonderful profession.
"The Final Week"...where did summer go? Ha! I'm sitting in 302 getting ready to try & finish up my prep by Saturday to take next Monday and Tuesday "off".
ReplyDeleteSo, let's see...final thoughts & keeper moments.
1. I realize I'm not really a "twitter girl". I tried. I'm not good with meeting the assigned discussion times, but I did check back at the discussion. The conversation was interesting, but I wasn't entranced enough to start tweeting. ☺
2. I did start looking and reading my group feed from Linked. The group actually mails out updates, so I started browsing through the discussion topics. Several items had interesting insight while others I didn't take the time to peruse because the topic itself didn't interest me.
3. I realize how much Mary Wilson had been a mentor to me, even though she wasn't my "assigned" mentor. Even this week, she's going to come in on Wednesday and train me on some techy items she "willed" to me upon her retirement. I realized how much I want to be a "Mrs. Wilson" to someone else.
4.Flipboard! I think my friend MaryRose should come by 302 and train me...I'm feeling a little blonde. I want it to help me rather than being "one more thing" for me to train myself to use...(as in Planbook).
5. One of the methods students who taught in my room has been hired to teach 3rd grade in Florence. We've already decided for our classes to be Pen Pals. After this book discussion, I'm thinking I'll create a "Google Folder" for us to share, so I can mentor her from afar.
6. Ladies, especially Angie, I've enjoyed this book discussion. I think I enjoyed this one more than "Pencil Me In" (not sure if the title is correct) because it was more applicable to my journey as a teacher.
7. See you on the 30th at breakfast!
i will stop by and as for Planbook I loved it.
DeleteI ventured out of my comfort zone and gave twitter another try. I think the format of twitter is just not my style. I prefer sites where I can read more such as a blog.
ReplyDeleteWhile reflecting this summer I realize I am more hesitant than others when it comes to changes. I want to make changes that will benefit the students. I like to process and question to find the pros and cons before jumping in. Sometimes I think my hesitation and questions are misinterpreted by others. Maybe I can find a way to be understood without losing my voice.
While not every idea will work for everyone, many can be adapted to work. Networking with colleagues will help find new ideas and approaches that I can try in my classroom.
I can't believe summer is almost over! This has been the fastest yet. I found this summer's book interesting and it made me think about many things. I always enjoy reading everyone's posts. It is nice to get ideas and perspectives from teachers in other grade levels and subject areas.
ReplyDeleteOne of the lessons I learned this summer is the importance of having a PLN that supports, encourages, challenges, and inspires you. My goal is to build my PLN. I have found teaching to be isolating at times. I want to build my PLN with other educators who are positive, enjoy teaching, and who are willing to share and discuss ideas. I did give Twitter another try. I found several chats that looked interesting, but no one has participated this summer. I am hoping once school starts these chats will become active again. The best resource I found for my PLN so far has been the AP Calculus community I joined. It will be a great place for me to ask questions, share ideas, and just chat with other teachers.
I hope everyone enjoys their last few days of vacation, and I wish you a great start to the new school year.
It is truly the end of summer and it has been a good one. I have enjoyed the summer reading group and also would like to thank Angie for organizing the group. Reading each chapter brought to mind different aspects of teaching as well as interpersonal relationships we we forge throughout our careers. It is important to "spark" ourselves at the start of each new year and also realize how much we actually do. Our new groups will bring to us new challenges and a whole new set of personalities. I tried some of the Twitter groups but had trouble getting to the times discussions were going on. I have met some other teachers of special ed through the ed net sessions and found them to be helpful with ideas and strategies. Attending conferences this summer has also opened new contacts.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to a great year!