By The Institute for Personalized Learning / September 14, 2015

A collaborative blog series by the Institute for Personalized Learning and Personalize Learning LLC

Defining Learner Agency Learner agency often gets missed in conversations on transforming the educational system. We have a sense of ‘agency’ when we feel in control of things that happen around us; when we feel that we can influence events. This is an important sense for learners to develop. Learners must understand:

• when they need new learning and how to learn what they need
• when they need to unlearn what will no longer serve them
• when they need to relearn what they need to be successful

They must develop the capacity to engage strategically in their learning without waiting to be directed. They must take ownership of and responsibility for their learning. And, they must possess the skills to learn independently, without heavy dependence on external structures and direction.

Why Learner Agency is Needed There is a significant and growing demand for learners to be able to do more than receive instruction, follow a learning path designed by educators and complete problems and assignments presented to them by an adult. Learners need to develop the capacity to shape and manage their learning without over-reliance on the direction and control of others. Too often adults treat children as though they are incapable of making decisions or holding valid opinions. As children advance through the system, they develop a form of “learned helplessness” that keeps them from advocating for themselves. The process for learning and the role learners play must be different than most adults experienced.

Harvard professor Roland Barth has observed that in the 1950’s when young people left high school they typically knew about 75% of what they would need to know to be successful in life. Today, he predicts that young people know about 2% of what they will need to know. (Barth, R.S. (1997, March 5). The leader as learner. Education Week, 16(23). 56.) This shift is not because young people are learning less than previous generations. In fact, there is good evidence that they know much more. The force behind this change is the rapid and ever-increasing pace of change, the complexity of the world in which we live and the unpredictability of what people will need to know in the coming decades – the future for which we are preparing today’s learners.

Implications of Greater Learner Agency The current educational system was designed for teachers to control and manage the learning. This continues today because teachers are the ones held accountable and responsible for the learning instead of the learners. As educators, we must nurture, coach and build in learners more capacity to initiate, manage, and maintain their own learning. Learning will be a constant and high-priority activity throughout their lives and they will need the skills and tools to manage this process.

Adults need to shift their thinking — away from youth as student to youth as learner and partner and resource for their own learning and others. We must make the crucial shift from preparing proficient students to developing skilled learners. The result will be learners who are capable of playing an active role in personalizing their learning and building their capacity to be successful productive citizens regardless of what their futures hold.

In a series of upcoming blogs we will examine a number of key shifts and strategies necessary to transform the educational experiences we have presented to learners in the past and align the focus, strategies and approaches we employ to build the capacity of learners to be continuous, life-long, successful leaders of their learning. We will present shifts and strategies on:

• understanding the connection between good strategy, effort and use of resources to develop learner efficacy
• helping learners understand how they learn best and how they can support their learning
• the role and importance of learner voice and choice
• building learner ownership of their learning

See this blog post on the CESA1 Institute page at:https://cesa1transformation.wordpress.com/2015/09/14/learner-agency-the-missing-link/ ;

IS IT.............

Tech Tools - reminding myself today

Today during my Law, Media and Marketing I am reminded of the great tool - Symbaloo.
If you haven't used Symbaloo EDU, you may want to review it!  It is a quick way for students to get to connect students with new websites, new content, etc.  I see teachers use this tool for differentiating and/or personalizing learning.  Check it out - SYMBALOOEDU.com

Interesting Article - no clear answers on educators 1st Amendment rights

CLICK HERE to read more about 

Change in the workplace is very hard

During my leadership course today, we reviewed the grief process during major changes in schools. It was fascinating to think thru different changes over the past 29 years of working in schools.   It matters how I responded, how others responded and what really mattered.

Click here for the link. 

This really caught my attention and truly reframed my thinking

When you say "Genius Hour Isn't Enough", You Are Missing The Point...
Read the full article on Ajjuliani.com

It seems there has been a lively debate going on for the past few years about whether or not 20% time is “dead” at Google. Some in the education space have picked up on this and used this as fuel to talk about the relevancy of Genius Hour or 20% time in the classroom.

An article by Ewan McIntosh a few years ago stirred up the Genius Hour community, and I’m sure a recent article by Audrey Watters in Educating Modern Learners will do the same thing. There have also been conversations about this type of learning on social media where many teachers and educational leaders go back-and-forth on whether or not it is “enough” and why Genius Hour and 20% Time may not be worth it.

Let me say that both Ewan McIntosh and Audrey Watters are educators and writers who I insanely respect. Their work is phenomenal and I believe that we need leaders in the education community (like Audrey and Ewan) to talk about these things and go deeper into the conversation.

As I mentioned in my article, “The Research Behind 20% Time“, there is a lot of support for this type of inquiry-based learning in schools. However, I want to point out a few important pieces of information in this post on why many of the folks talking about the demise of Google’s 20% time and whether or not Genius Hour is enough…are simply missing the point.

1. Google’s 20% Time is Not Dead

On August 16, 2013 Quartz published a post on “The Death of Google’s 20% Time” that went viral. The comments on Hacker News turned into an awesome debate on whether or not this was true and what it meant for Google and other tech companies.

Then on August 20, 2013 Quartz published an official response from Google that “20% Time is Officially Alive and Well” taking back some of the earlier claims they had made.

Want to know what happened in the four days between the two posts? Almost every major publication ran with a story about the demise of 20% time. Finally, on August 21st WIRED’s Ryan Tate (who wrote the book on 20% time and has done more research than anyone else on this topic) put out an article that summed up the whole debate, “Google Couldn’t Kill 20% Time Even If It Wanted To“:

Google didn’t invent the idea of giving employees time to experiment with their own ideas, nor will it have the final word on how best to bestow such time. Plenty of other large tech companies have implemented their own takes on 20 percent time, including widely admired, innovative companies like Facebook, LinkedIn, and, reportedly, Apple.
The core idea behind 20 percent time — that knowledge workers are most valuable when granted protected space in which to tinker — is more alive in Silicon Valley today than it ever has been before.

So whether or not 20% time is being slowed down at Google is kind of a moot point. The company says it is still alive. We see projects like Google Now that have recently come out of 20% time. But, more importantly this idea has permeated start-up life and company culture around the world…and is not going anywhere.

2. Inquiry-Based Learning Has Been Successful for a Long Time

Genius Hour. 20% Time. These are nice names for inquiry-based learning opportunities. But that is all they are. I don’t care what you call it… It is always going to be based on inquiry.

The reasons I used “20% time” for my project, and others have used “Genius Hour” for their projects stem from where the idea originated to “market” this type of learning and project to our students, schools, and each other. It is easier to get administrative buy-in when you can say “this is what Google does” or “this is what Dan Pink was referring to”…and no there is not much of a difference between the two.

Beyond the “name” is a type of learning that has been going on for centuries: Inquiry-Based Learning. This can also be “Venn Diagrammed” with user-generated learning, passion-based learning, compassion-based learning, and many other educational terms that hit around the same point: Allowing students to learn skills through content they care about. As I mentioned before you can look at a round-up of some research I posted last year.

Again, you’ll sometimes see educators talking about John Hattie’s book, Visible Learning, in which he lists a rank order of those factors that have the greatest effect size in student achievement (based on analyzing a ton of research and studies that have been done over the years). Here is the “Top 20” list, asGrant Wiggins broke it down to take out a few factors that were not relevant to most teachers. I’ve bolded the items that take place during Genius Hour, 20% Time, and any inquiry-based project:

• Student self-assessment/self-grading
• Response to intervention
• Teacher credibility
• Providing formative assessments
• Classroom discussion
• Teacher clarity
• Feedback
• Reciprocal teaching
• Teacher-student relationships fostered
• Spaced vs. mass practice
• Meta-cognitive strategies taught and used
• Acceleration
• Classroom behavioral techniques
• Vocabulary programs
• Repeated reading programs
• Creativity programs
• Student prior achievement
• Self-questioning by students
• Study skills
• Problem-solving teaching

Not too bad, eh? We can’t account for teacher clarity and teacher credibility, but they could also be added to the list of “factors” that impact student achievement taking place during Genius Hour and 20% Time. I could go into more details and specifics of how each of these factors is incorporated into an inquiry-based learning experience…but I’ll save that for the bonus listed at the end of this post.

3. It’s About the Students and Their Learning Opportunities

Quite frankly the most frustrating piece of the argument that Genius Hour “isn’t enough” is that I don’t disagree with that statement. I’d love to see schools with a strong focus on inquiry and experiential learning across the board. When critics say that we need to change our entire outlook on how we assess and what types of activities we do with students…I also think this is relevant.

The issue is that we all have constraints. Are we supposed to as teachers and leaders NOT do Genius Hour or 20% Time because it is not enough…or can it be a start?

This isn’t a case of all or nothing.

It’s like saying that “Edcamp” is not enough and even though it is an awesome way to do professional development and professional learning….”let’s not do it unless we can do professional development like that every time.”

I think Joy Kirr put it perfectly in this comment:

I cannot redesign my entire school like I know you dream of. I am one teacher. I can, however, with the blessings of my administration, give 60 minutes of my week over to the students. It is TOO LITTLE time, I know. And I can’t make sure each project will change the world. But it is a start. And the lessons we all learn during this time seep into the other four hours I have with these students throughout the week, thank goodness. I don’t have numbers to show student progress. But I’m trying to create life-long learners. How do you measure that?

Genius Hour, 20% Time, and Inquiry-Based learning experiences give students opportunities that they would never have in school otherwise. To ME that is enough. It is enough to try this type of learning with your students. It is enough to take a risk and go beyond the curriculum.

I’d ask anyone who is criticizing Genius Hour or 20% Time in the classroom to talk to the teachers and students who have had this opportunity. I’d ask them to look at what students are creating, making, and building during this time. I’d ask them to talk to the parents about their students’ attitude towards learning.

I’ve heard from so many colleagues and teachers around the country (and world) who have said this time has changed their teaching and the way they view learning.

When you say Genius Hour “isn’t enough” you miss the point of inquiry-based learning experiences: They give students rich opportunities for learning…but also for creating something they are proud to share with the world.

And there is no substitute for that type of experience…even if we can only offer it some of the time.Thanks as always,

AJ

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Click here to Reply or Forward

This really caught my attention and thus my refraimed my thinking

When you say "Genius Hour Isn't Enough", You Are Missing The Point...
Read the full article on Ajjuliani.com

It seems there has been a lively debate going on for the past few years about whether or not 20% time is “dead” at Google. Some in the education space have picked up on this and used this as fuel to talk about the relevancy of Genius Hour or 20% time in the classroom.

An article by Ewan McIntosh a few years ago stirred up the Genius Hour community, and I’m sure a recent article by Audrey Watters in Educating Modern Learners will do the same thing. There have also been conversations about this type of learning on social media where many teachers and educational leaders go back-and-forth on whether or not it is “enough” and why Genius Hour and 20% Time may not be worth it.

Let me say that both Ewan McIntosh and Audrey Watters are educators and writers who I insanely respect. Their work is phenomenal and I believe that we need leaders in the education community (like Audrey and Ewan) to talk about these things and go deeper into the conversation.

As I mentioned in my article, “The Research Behind 20% Time“, there is a lot of support for this type of inquiry-based learning in schools. However, I want to point out a few important pieces of information in this post on why many of the folks talking about the demise of Google’s 20% time and whether or not Genius Hour is enough…are simply missing the point.

1. Google’s 20% Time is Not Dead

On August 16, 2013 Quartz published a post on “The Death of Google’s 20% Time” that went viral. The comments on Hacker News turned into an awesome debate on whether or not this was true and what it meant for Google and other tech companies.

Then on August 20, 2013 Quartz published an official response from Google that “20% Time is Officially Alive and Well” taking back some of the earlier claims they had made.

Want to know what happened in the four days between the two posts? Almost every major publication ran with a story about the demise of 20% time. Finally, on August 21st WIRED’s Ryan Tate (who wrote the book on 20% time and has done more research than anyone else on this topic) put out an article that summed up the whole debate, “Google Couldn’t Kill 20% Time Even If It Wanted To“:

Google didn’t invent the idea of giving employees time to experiment with their own ideas, nor will it have the final word on how best to bestow such time. Plenty of other large tech companies have implemented their own takes on 20 percent time, including widely admired, innovative companies like Facebook, LinkedIn, and, reportedly, Apple.
The core idea behind 20 percent time — that knowledge workers are most valuable when granted protected space in which to tinker — is more alive in Silicon Valley today than it ever has been before.

So whether or not 20% time is being slowed down at Google is kind of a moot point. The company says it is still alive. We see projects like Google Now that have recently come out of 20% time. But, more importantly this idea has permeated start-up life and company culture around the world…and is not going anywhere.

2. Inquiry-Based Learning Has Been Successful for a Long Time

Genius Hour. 20% Time. These are nice names for inquiry-based learning opportunities. But that is all they are. I don’t care what you call it… It is always going to be based on inquiry.

The reasons I used “20% time” for my project, and others have used “Genius Hour” for their projects stem from where the idea originated to “market” this type of learning and project to our students, schools, and each other. It is easier to get administrative buy-in when you can say “this is what Google does” or “this is what Dan Pink was referring to”…and no there is not much of a difference between the two.

Beyond the “name” is a type of learning that has been going on for centuries: Inquiry-Based Learning. This can also be “Venn Diagrammed” with user-generated learning, passion-based learning, compassion-based learning, and many other educational terms that hit around the same point: Allowing students to learn skills through content they care about. As I mentioned before you can look at a round-up of some research I posted last year.

Again, you’ll sometimes see educators talking about John Hattie’s book, Visible Learning, in which he lists a rank order of those factors that have the greatest effect size in student achievement (based on analyzing a ton of research and studies that have been done over the years). Here is the “Top 20” list, asGrant Wiggins broke it down to take out a few factors that were not relevant to most teachers. I’ve bolded the items that take place during Genius Hour, 20% Time, and any inquiry-based project:

• Student self-assessment/self-grading
• Response to intervention
• Teacher credibility
• Providing formative assessments
• Classroom discussion
• Teacher clarity
• Feedback
• Reciprocal teaching
• Teacher-student relationships fostered
• Spaced vs. mass practice
• Meta-cognitive strategies taught and used
• Acceleration
• Classroom behavioral techniques
• Vocabulary programs
• Repeated reading programs
• Creativity programs
• Student prior achievement
• Self-questioning by students
• Study skills
• Problem-solving teaching

Not too bad, eh? We can’t account for teacher clarity and teacher credibility, but they could also be added to the list of “factors” that impact student achievement taking place during Genius Hour and 20% Time. I could go into more details and specifics of how each of these factors is incorporated into an inquiry-based learning experience…but I’ll save that for the bonus listed at the end of this post.

3. It’s About the Students and Their Learning Opportunities

Quite frankly the most frustrating piece of the argument that Genius Hour “isn’t enough” is that I don’t disagree with that statement. I’d love to see schools with a strong focus on inquiry and experiential learning across the board. When critics say that we need to change our entire outlook on how we assess and what types of activities we do with students…I also think this is relevant.

The issue is that we all have constraints. Are we supposed to as teachers and leaders NOT do Genius Hour or 20% Time because it is not enough…or can it be a start?

This isn’t a case of all or nothing.

It’s like saying that “Edcamp” is not enough and even though it is an awesome way to do professional development and professional learning….”let’s not do it unless we can do professional development like that every time.”

I think Joy Kirr put it perfectly in this comment:

I cannot redesign my entire school like I know you dream of. I am one teacher. I can, however, with the blessings of my administration, give 60 minutes of my week over to the students. It is TOO LITTLE time, I know. And I can’t make sure each project will change the world. But it is a start. And the lessons we all learn during this time seep into the other four hours I have with these students throughout the week, thank goodness. I don’t have numbers to show student progress. But I’m trying to create life-long learners. How do you measure that?

Genius Hour, 20% Time, and Inquiry-Based learning experiences give students opportunities that they would never have in school otherwise. To ME that is enough. It is enough to try this type of learning with your students. It is enough to take a risk and go beyond the curriculum.

I’d ask anyone who is criticizing Genius Hour or 20% Time in the classroom to talk to the teachers and students who have had this opportunity. I’d ask them to look at what students are creating, making, and building during this time. I’d ask them to talk to the parents about their students’ attitude towards learning.

I’ve heard from so many colleagues and teachers around the country (and world) who have said this time has changed their teaching and the way they view learning.

When you say Genius Hour “isn’t enough” you miss the point of inquiry-based learning experiences: They give students rich opportunities for learning…but also for creating something they are proud to share with the world.

And there is no substitute for that type of experience…even if we can only offer it some of the time.Thanks as always,

AJ

Share/Discuss on Facebook

Unsubscribe | 1106 Blackhaw Ln, Ambler, PA 19002 

Click here to Reply or Forward

THE GROWTH MINDSET COACH

I just started an amazing book for educators but especially teachers and principals - The Growth Mindset Coach - A Teacher's Month-by-Month Handbook for Empowering Students to Achieve

The books is by Annie Brock and Heather Hundley and begins with August:

 Teaching is a practice, not a perfection.

I just love this quote.  Learning is a lifetime of adventure.  Kathy

SMART Goals.....Made EZ

It is that time of the year again. Here is my "SMART Goals....Made EZ" - okay, well perhaps easier at least.    Your feedback would be grand.

Basic Pattern for SLO's and PPG's.

Student Learning Objective Template

I, _____________, will increase/improve student achievement in (1) _____ so that (2) _____ of my students will show gains by (3)_____ on (4) _______ by (5)_______ through (6) ______ (begin to identify your action plan overview.

1. improvement you will measure (reading, math, art vocabulary, skill, etc)

2.  who (all students some gains, an identified population more gains - tiered goals recommended by the state)

3. how much (based on your baseline data, what is the improvement you would like to see, realistic for the given time

4. what tool will you use to measure your progress (MAP, PALS, teacher-created)

5. by when will your measurement be met (end of May to finalize your goal for the year)

6. what is your major action that will increase this growth (specific strategy, emphasizing Accuracy and Fluency in every guided reading lesson for under grade level learners, focusing on two vocabulary terms using visual pictures for each music lesson, etc)

I, Kathy Hoppe, will increase my student achievement in reading so that 80% of my  students make their targeted growth and 80% of my below level students on make 1.5 x their targeted growth by the 1.5 on the MAP Spring to Spring data by focusing on CAFE with an emphasis on C and E for all students and typically A & E in addition for all below RIT students unless formative assessment alter my approach.

 

Professional Practices Goal Template

I, ______, will increase my knowledge and/or skill in the area of (1) _________ so that (2)___________________________ by/starting (3) ______________ by (4) _____________ through (6) _____________. 

I, Kathy Hoppe, will increase my knowledge and skill in the area of reading instructional practices so that I am able to skillfully set 4-6 week goals off of their running records formative data with all my guided reading group throughout the school year beginning in October and utilize the CAFE strategies to write actions for my individual guided groups successful for their achievement by re-reading CAFE, meeting with Diane, and creating a lesson plan format.

1. area of growth work (reading, math, adaptive technology, etc)

2. what will I be able to do

3. when will I start

4. a key action that you will see me doing to make it happen

5. some strategies (both collaborative and on my own) to increase my professional practice in this area

Get ideas coming to you

I love receiving SymbalooEDU's weekly lesson plan.  Many times I can pass them on to wonderful teachers I know.  Here is a good one for sure.  Digital Citizenship   Click here to subscribe.

Do you have lesson plans coming into your e-mail that you find are typically helpful to you or others you know?  Please let our learning community know as every educator I know needs to gain more time in their hectic lives.  Kathy

CATERING vs COOKING

So many educators say that students are so lazy these days.  They want to know what is in it for them. They don't want to work hard to learn.  Have we been a part of a society that has been catering too long?

Have be been delivering content as if the students cannot find the answers themselves?  Have we enjoyed being the bearers of the content?  Have we truly taught them that learning is seeking knowledge and then pondering what it means and how to use it?

Perhaps we should get them cooking, stewing, slow cooking, and only once in awhile microwaving their learning?  10 years from now, will they know more about life, learning and being a successful citizen if we require them to question, seek resources to answer questions (not just in the textbook) and then respond?  Perhaps less responding but more thought-provoking responses would be in order then.

Inquiry - getting kids to question, make a claim or statement and then gather evidence that clarifies or confirms whether they are accurate or not.  It is not if they are accurate that truly matters -- is it?  To me, it is whether they can determine if they are accurate.

With all the information coming at all of us, those who cannot ponder, wonder, and research are the ones who will be most left behind.  The ones who cannot tell what is accurate versus what is a scam or bogus.

I am definitely pondering this today.  Will you ponder with me?  Will you share a comment?

What can your Principal do to assist in your learning Are you in charge of your own learning?  Have you created a PLN - Personal Learning Network? 

You know I love to read WHITEPAPERS

Here is an interesting White Paper - informative research piece - on Feedback to Improve Instruction. I am continually fed by all the people who challenge my thinking by asking strong questions, sending me things to read and engaging in conversations around so many topics.  To me, that is what a true professional learning community does and there are so many ways to engage yourself in a strong one -- face-to-face with people with colleagues and virtually with people all over the world.  There are many tools such as Flipboard that make learning easy by bringing the information you are interested in you in a magazine format.  (Flipboard would be a great tool perhaps for personalizing your student's learning - I would have to ponder and check further into that thought.)

IF schools were run like businesses

Businessman Jamie Vollmer tells the story of one of the lessons he learned about his false assumptions concerning public schools. 
                                     Click to listen for 7 minutes.  The Blueberry Story

Yes, we do take them all. We love our careers.  We just want everyone to understand each child is a unique human being - the learning, background, talents, and gifts are different for each child.  We look at the individual and do the best we can to maximize each child's success.  

Every day..........Every year...........Kathy

Do We View Teachers as Architects or Masons?

Architects design, master their craft while planning, and collaborate at a high level.
Masons work in the moment, communicate and problem solve on the fly, and master their craft as they build.

Architects are macro in planning seeing the big picture first, and then getting into the details.
Masons are micro in their attention to detail, seeing how each small piece fits into a bigger plan.

Architects revise, taking time to go over their plans and review their work.
Masons edit, fixing fast and furious.

Architects are inspired by other architects and designers.
Masons are inspired by others who work hard and help the team.

Architects search for inspiration.
Masons search for energy.

Architects create the blueprint.
Masons bring the design to life.

As teachers, we must embrace both roles.

Architects design, master their craft while planning, and collaborate at a high level.
Masons work in the moment, communicate and problem solve on the fly, and master their craft as they build.

Architects are macro in planning seeing the big picture first, and then getting into the details.
Masons are micro in their attention to detail, seeing how each small piece fits into a bigger plan.

Architects revise, taking time to go over their plans and review their work.
Masons edit, fixing fast and furious.

Architects are inspired by other architects and designers.
Masons are inspired by others who work hard and help the team.

Architects search for inspiration.
Masons search for energy.

Architects create the blueprint.
Masons bring the design to life.

As teachers, we must embrace both roles.

Thanks AJ -  click here for more.

 ajjuliani@gmail.com

The Ever Increasing Burden on America’s Public Schools

BY JAMIE ROBERT VOLLMER 

America’s public schools can be traced back to the year 1640. The Massachusetts Puritans established schools to: 1) Teach basic reading, some writing and arithmetic skills, and 2) Cultivate values that serve a democratic society (some history and civics implied). The founders of these schools assumed that families and churches bore the major responsibility for raising a child. Gradually, science and geography were added, but the curriculum was limited and remained focused for 260 years. At the beginning of the twentieth century, however, politicians, academics, members of the clergy, and business leaders saw public schools as a logical site for the assimilation of immigrants and the social engineering of the citizens—and workers—of the new industrial age. They began to expand the curriculum and assign additional duties.

Click here to see the link of additions.

And we have not added a single minute to the school calendar in six decades!

This was shared in my grad class today.  I found it fascinating and I thought I would share.  I want to know which schools have elevator and escalator safety training - maybe schools with elevators and escalators !!!  K

PLN - just how is yours working for you?

So what is this thing called a PLN (Personal Learning Network)? Well, if you are like most educators, you are committed to learning how you can help your students achieve success. Perhaps your biggest struggle, however, is finding the TIME to learn it all. We know that it is one of our biggest obstacles, but we have joined millions of educators worldwide who are connecting with social media and other technology to communicate, collaborate and create anywhere and at any time. (Watch this brief video to learn more about PLNs.) I have to say, I just love this part of being a global learner - it makes learning so much more fun.

The best part of a PLN is it’s personal! You choose with whom you want to connect, how you want to learn, when you want to learn and what tools you will use. You can inspire others by sharing out your thinking or be inspired by the ideas of other educators.

A simple Google search for Personal Learning Network yields 479,000 results, so you may be wondering where to start. We have outlined some ideas below to get you started:

• Twitter: a social network used by millions of people every day to send short messages to a global audience

• Check out this beginner’s guide for helpful tips!
• You can also participate in live Twitter chats - learn how here

• Webinar: A webinar is a live meeting that takes place over the web. The meeting can be a presentation, discussion, demonstration, or instructional session. Participants can view documents and applications via their computers, while shared audio allows for presentation and discussion.

• “Where do I begin?” Click here to learn more!
• Ideas for where to find and register for webinars:

Edweb webinar calendar

ASCD: Learn, Teach, Lead webinars

Education Week webinars

• Teacher's Blogs: a blog is a frequently updated online personal journal or diary. It is a place to express yourself to the world. A place to share your thoughts and your passions

• Teacher’s Blo.
• A Google search (ex: 2nd-grade teacher blogs) can yield great results!
• Check out this Pinterest Board: Great Teacher Blogs

• Don’t forget about Facebook! “Liking” certain pages can expand your PLN and provide even more valuable connections. See literacy & technology ideas below:

• Units of Study in Teaching Writing Facebook group
• Two Writing Teachers Facebook page
• Educational Technology and Mobile Learning Facebook group
• Simple K12 Facebook group

Educators around the world are only one click away! By becoming a part of a PLN, you can learn something new every day and interact with educational leaders like Lucy Calkins - my favorite writing guru. Build your kingdom of learners today.