Tonight I had the chance to connect with 3 co-workers to try a Google Hangout on Air live session. Our topic of choice was digital citizenship. Check out our introductory conversation.
While we planned some questions to keep us focused, the discussion was free flow and from the heart. I hope this is the first of many recorded discussions on this important topic. Special thanks to Heidi Hobson, Susan Watt and Jeff Brown.
~Mark
This past week I had the privilege of taking an EQi training course with Marcia Hughes of Collaborative Growth. Part way through our first morning of training, we were working our way through a case study when one participant raised an interesting point about whether or not the notion of social media connections played a role in the EQi coaching process. A silence fell over the room as people started to ponder. What a GREAT question.
We really do live in an amazing and unique time. Never before have we been able to connect with people through so many different communication and collaboration tools, and many of them free! . Think of the choices: Skype, Google Hangouts, Facetime, Twitter, Facebook, G+, wikis, Google Docs, MSO365, texting etc. etc. Social media tools provide people with a means to have an online voice through blogging and other writing tools. This is a REALLY incredible time.
These tools have ‘reach’ and provide a gateway to connect and collaborate across the globe. I think it is important to play in this big sandbox to leverage the connections and opportunities – especially for students since this is the world they will work, live and function in. For those of us who knew the old ‘telephone only’ world and transitioned through email etc. en route to this technology rich world, we may have a better sense of when to connect face to face (F2F) or pick up the phone. While texting and social media offer so much potential, they may not be the best tools for every situation in our complex world.
I think this speaks directly to the need for digital citizenship and opportunities for students to learn these tools and become skilled them. In turn, having opportunities and situations to evaluate and select appropriate tools is an important step in building a confident skill set. I see all of this connected to building and managing working relationships, so I would cast my vote to YES, social media, online communication and collaboration tools do intersect with relationships and EQi by extension.
What are your thoughts? How would you vote? Feel free to add a comment or get in touch via Twitter.
~Mark
The countdown is on — only 15 days to the official kickoff of Connected Educator Month. What’s in it for you? EVERYTHING! FREE PD!!! Learn more about online connecting tools such as Twitter, starting a blog, collaborating online with wikis and Google Docs and much more. There is an activity per day throughout the month of October. Get a jump start and preview the resources.
Visit the Connected Educator website.
or follow the twitter sharing stream #CE13
~Mark
This blog post has been in draft mode since I attended the CASA13 conference in July. Every time I sit down to work on it, I think of another angle, write a bit more, and things stay in draft mode. Today, I read Choose to Write by Angela Maiers via Facebook. I would call that synchronicity given the topic. So, finally, here we go.
I had the pleasure of seeing presentations at the CASA13 conference by George Couros and Dean Shareski as well as having personal conversations with them – always interesting and enjoyable. Dean raised a great point in his closing keynote. “Is the best PD process as simple as choosing something to learn and blogging about your experience?” WOW – great question, great insight.
Relating to his Huffington Post article “Want to create better teachers?” Dean states that ” The reflective writing has been valuable but definitely the nearly 4,000 comments have been even more of a learning experience. This is the single best professional development experience I’ve had. Dan Meyer, a Mathematics teacher in California writes: … blogging was the cheapest, most risk-free investment I could have made of my personal time into my job.” I suggest you read the full article here.
Next, I decided that I would gather material related to this topic by watching what my online professional learning network (PLN) was writing about it. I have selected a variety of blog posts related to the value of online writing that I became aware of over the 2013 summer. Please take a moment to check out the insightful comments they shared about blogging and the learning that resulted from the process.
1. What’s the big deal about blogs by @ColleenKR.
2. The Reach of Education Blogging by @SheilaSpeaking
3. What are you Thinking by @fryed (Donna Miller Fry)
4. The Benefits of Blogging by @PeterMDeWitt
5. Challenge: Five things I’ve Learned by @fryed (Donna Miller Fry)
6. Why My Six Year Olds Blog and Yours Should Too by @KathyCassidy
7. How Blogging Can Help Reluctant Writers/ by @DRPconsultants (Patricia Fioriello)
Now, coming full circle, the conversations around the value of blogging come to life again with the beginning of another school year. But, what does it take? There is a journey for each of us to travel:
As we settle in for the 13/14 school I challenge you to be observant, look for that opportunity to reflect and share, dig in, find your online voice and BLOG!
and a special thanks to my PLN for their willingness to share through blogging.
~Mark
~ Mark's Musings ~ blog.markwcarbone.ca 
