Starting Your Own Personal Learning Network

Establishing your own personal learning network (PLN) via technology can both facilitate and focus your access to knowledge from many sources outside your local school community.  Lisa Nielsen’s blog “The Innovative Educator” addresses this topic in a October 12, 2008 post.  She suggests five ways to launch your own PLN:  1.  Join a professional social network.  2.  Identify 5 blogs interesting to you and begin reading them.  3.  Set up a Google Reader account and subscribe to the blogs you selected.  4.  Initiate conversation and begin commenting on the blogs you read. 5.  Start using Twitter and follow some well-know EduBloggers.

Nielsen’s complete post can be accessed at the following link:  http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2008/04/5-things-you-can-do-to-begin-developing.html

More resources for setting up your PLN are posted on the Jasper City Schools’ web site under “Counselors’ Resources” from the “Faculty Information” page.  You can also see a few screen shots of part of my own PLN journey there.   (This is material I introduced in a district counselors’ meeting recently.) Click on the following link:  http://jasper.k12.al.us.schools.bz/content_page2.aspx?cid=198http://jasper.k12.al.us.schools.bz/content_page2.aspx?cid=198

If you’d like to know more, email me at mlacroix@jasper.k12.al.us

Balancing Technology Use Through Equitable Access

Web 2.0 tools have revolutionized classroom instruction.  While many systems can readily make ever-emerging technology available to all students, the economic downturn has impacted the ability of many school districts to keep up with the "latest and greatest" tech gadgets for learning.  By launching BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) initiatives, which allow students to utilize their own electronic devices for classroom learning, school districts can focus their monetary resources on providing technology to be utilized by students who do not have access to their own electronic devices.  Jasper City Schools, in northwest Alabama, approximately 35 miles from Birmingham, recently installed wireless internet in several schools and launched their BYOD initiative. 

A Balanced Education is More than Tests

Since the arrival of No Child Left Behind, schools and school districts all across America have been "under the gun" to tightly align instruction with assessment, in order to make certain students meet annual AYP goals and the respective school or school district stays out of "school improvement" for another year.  Sadly, however, high stakes tests don't cover everything students should know and be able to do.  In all the testing mania, things like art, music, and drama have slid to the "back burner" of instructional emphasis.  


If these thoughts resonate with you, take a look at the following blog entry about "Things that AREN'T on the Bubble Tests":  http://dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2011/11/things-that-arent-on-the-bubble-tests.html

Happy reading and happy blogging!

Beginning with Balance

The life of a beginning teacher is one of endurance.  Armed with core content knowledge and an arsenal of instructional strategies that will engage students and speak to every need for differentiated instruction, the rookie educator soon finds that this profession can be all-consuming.  Hence, before long, education has become one's life, coming before family, friends, and fun.  The following link has great tips for the stressed educator: http://www.kellybear.com/TeacherArticles/TeacherTip16.html