Reflections of an Educator

Perhaps you're new to Twitter; perhaps you're new to trying a Twitter Chat....either way, you probably hear the calls for participation in Twitter chats for education.  They are great ways to connect with colleagues of similar interests, gather resources, share ideas and gain perspective.  Twitter Chats are great, because you can lurk and just read/listen, or you can actively participate.  Twitter Chats allow you to multitask as well - another great feature!  (I've frequently cooked dinner while participating in a Twitter chat.) With that being said....if you need some help walking through how to participate, take a look at this quick screencast, created by yours truly: http://www.screencast.com/t/9Hy2kYnFsKB If you need to locate a schedule of Educational Twitter Chats, take a look at Cybraryman1 's schedule here: http://www.cybraryman.com/chats.html Enjoy, have fun, and learn something new!

On Monday, our nation recognizes Memorial Day.  Whether it be stopping to deliberately teach a lesson about Memorial Day and recognizing our nation's heroes or a simpler moment of silence and a quick poem in recognition of all those who died fighting to defend our nation, students deserve to understand what Memorial Day is and why they have a day off on Monday, May 30, 2011. Below is a sampling of resources worthy of use in classrooms: History of Memorial Day from The History Channel Video History of Memorial Day from The History Channel Teacher Resource Guide from Department of Veterans Affairs History of Veterans Day from Department of Veterans Affairs Memorial Day Internet Treasure Hunt Memorial Day Lessons from the NEH via Thinkfinity

#EdCampBoston is today!  Unbelievable discussions going on... Some questions that have been raised from our #EdCampBOS sessions today: How can schools blur the home/school line? How can schools better be places of collaboration for students? How can schools address "fear factor"hurdles to successfully incorporate technology? What technological models are appropriate for teachers to make with students? How can we encourage intellectual risk-taking using technology? How do we teach students responsible technology use? Can technology encourage appropriate, differentiated professional development from the ground up? How can space be used to facilitate learning and conversation in schools? How can PD be differentiated for teachers? How can schools rely on in-house, peer-to-peer PD models? What if grades reflected conceptual mastery? How do we encourage and ensure followup of new information learned? How do we get to yes?