Throughout this semester in Educational Technology and Design, we have been working to create a Professional Learning Network. Even as a pre-service educator, creating a network of connections and resources is vitally important. In this highly interconnected world, making and maintaining connections on the web has become a part of everyday life, almost no matter what your field is. As teachers, we are raising up a generation of students who will be entering a workforce that will be, if anything, even more highly interconnected than the one we currently have. As a result, it is paramount that teachers model good social networking skills and a broad understanding of the virtual world that exists all around us. All semester long, our Ed Tech and Design instructors have pushed us to make connections, to reach out, to blog, and to discover new social media platforms and new websites and apps that may be brought into the classroom.
Beginnings
An Initial PLN
At the beginning of the semester, we were challenged to create a concept-map version of our PLN at the time to see how it had changed by the end of the semester. Here is my initial PLN:
The remainder of the semester, we were challenged to take this network and grow it through a variety of websites, apps, social media networks, and more.
1. Twitter
Early on in the semester, we set up professional Twitter accounts. I had never had a Twitter account and had only recently entered the world of Facebook; however, now that I have a Twitter account, I see the incredible value it holds as an educator. Though I currently have not tweeted or spent a large amount of time on my account, I hope to utilize this amazing resource long after my college years are over. Making connections with other pre-service educators or with current educators is very important to me, as I believe that no matter how much education a person has, they can still keep learning from the experience and ideas of others. Follow me at @ZachBeelendorf.
As an educator, I feel that it is important to follow well known educators, and also to keep up on our government's role in education. As a result, I follow Shannon Miller (@shannonmmiller). Shannon is an amazing school librarian from a small Iowa school who really knows how to bring our highly interconnected world to life in education. I also follow the U.S. Dept. of Education (@used). In addition, following your own professors and mentors if they have a professional Twitter account can be a beneficial step to take. If they can teach you in the classroom, their professional social media accounts should be able to continue to grown your learning (@maggda, @zeitz).
Screenshot of the people I follow . . .
In addition, as a Social Studies educator, I believe it is important to keep current with what is going on in the political world. I encourage other educators and pre-service educators of Social Studies to follow the current president on Twitter, Facebook, or another social media platform, whether you agree with their policies or not. Left or Right, it is important to keep up on both sides and what's going on in our government. I am currently following not only our president, Donald Trump, but also former president Barak Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, all important figures in today's political arena.
. . . And more people I follow.
2. Pinterest
In addition to Twitter, we were required to set up a Pinterest account during the first few weeks of Ed Tech and Design. Pinterest provides tons of ideas from a wide range of topics. As a Social Studies educator, Pinterest will be a huge benefit for me, as I will able to display maps, national flags, portraits of famous historical figures, paintings and photographs of major battles throughout history, and much more on Pinterest Boards, which my students can then have access too. I have been working on creating several boards, and I hope to have a board for each region of the world and, eventually, one for each major time period of world history as well. Find my Pinterest page at ZachBeelendorf.
My Pinterest homepage. The boards are so far, largely, unfilled.
My "Africa" board. So far, it is divided into three sections: one for each of the two major regions of Africa, and one for the flags of Africa.
Throughout the Semester
3. My Peers
Sometimes it's easy as a pre-service teacher to miss the most obvious resource we have--our peers! As pre-service educators, we are surrounded by scores of like-minded people every day. One great thing about Ed Tech and Design is the chance to collaborate with other students. I was paired with two amazing partners for the semester, and we worked on two large projects together. During this time, I was constantly impressed by the incredible ideas they brought to the table and by their insights into teaching. I discovered that I had many things in common with both of them when it came to education, but they also, at times, challenged me to think about things in new ways. I plan to maintain contact with both they and other pre-service teachers I meet during my time at UNI. I definitely think that the value of building relationships with other future professional educators while still in college is incalculable. Though I would have seen my peers as part of my PLN before this semester, I believe it wasn't until taking Ed Tech and Design and working with the amazing students in the class that I truly built connections which will grow me as a future teacher.
4. Blogging
Part of our learning in Ed Tech and Design was creating a blog. Blogging, I'm discovering, is a great way to learn new ideas and to find people to connect with. For our class, we used Google Blogger, which is a great free internet resource. I hope to continue my blog, "Yesterday Today: Bringing the Past into the Classroom" long after my education is over.
5. Classroom Bridges
One of the most amazing resources we've been exposed to in Ed Tech and Design is a website called Classroom Bridges. This site provides the opportunity to find and connect with teachers from around the world. Any teacher can sign up and provide their information, such as where in the world they are located and what kind of class they teach. Other teachers can then find them. I have saved the link to this site and am super excited to use it as soon as I get a classroom of my own. As a Social Studies educator, having this opportunity to connect with teachers in other countries is priceless.
Check out Classroom Bridges and connect with a teacher from around the world!
6. Classcraft
Classcraft is a virtual gaming experience created by a high school teacher, Shawn Young. This game helps turn assignments into a fantasy world experience. I am excited to potentially use Classcraft in my future classroom. Making learning fun can be challenging, and making turning in assignments fun is next to impossible, so I can't wait to see what Classcraft can do.
Look into the amazing world of Classcraft at https://www.classcraft.com/
The World of Classcraft. Image used with permission from: blogspot.
7. WeVideo
For our final large project in Ed Tech and Design, we were introduced to WeVideo. This online resource allows for a free trial offer that incorporates many interesting video design elements. As I was preparing my video, I was thinking of all the possibilities for using WeVideo in the classroom. It would work incredibly well for video tutorials, but it would also be possible to create a short series of videos teaching on different topics in history. These videos could be a more enjoyable way of learning the material than listening to a lecture. For my video, I created a project requirements video. Though it was not maybe the best video ever created, I had fun learning the technology and seeing how it would be applicable to my future classroom. To see my video, follow the link below: https://www.wevideo.com/view/1121255141
8. Google Sites
For our second project, we did a WebQuest and used Google Sites to create a website. Surprisingly, I had never used Google Sites before. The experience showed me how valuable having a class website could be. Not only could it be used like a Pinterest board to show off historical images, but it could also provide a way to give students access to information for class and to display student projects.
Wrapping the Semester Up
As I began preparing for this project, I started looking into more sources. Here are some of the things I discovered.
9. TED Talks
Image used with permission from: https://historytech.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/ted_talks.jpg
TED Talks-What's Missing in the Global Debate over Refugees
This video, though admittedly coming from a biased prospective, can provide an incredible discussion tool for your students. It could also spark a chance for a mock classroom debate over the issue. Here is another powerful video on the issue of migration:
TED Talks-The Power of a Single Decision
TED Talks are certainly far from a resource simply for teachers, and they are not just for college students either. I think there was a part of me that felt this way for awhile, but the information in TED Talks is incredibly valuable, even for upper elementary and middle school. We need to teach our children about what is going on in the world, and I believe TED Talks provide a great avenue for discussing these issues in the classroom.
Above: Screenshot of Isabel Wilkerson's TED Talk on Migration
Below: Yasin Kakande's TED Talk on the Refugee Crisis
10. History Tech Blog
Another resource I discovered is a blog called History Tech. It combines educational technology and the teaching of history into a source of valuable information for Social Studies teachers. History Tech is a blog created by Glenn Wiebe, a Kansas curriculum consultant. Visit his blog through this link: History Tech Blog
Screenshot of Glenn's most recent History Tech blog post. Read about the standards at "Crowdsourcing the Standards".
Finally, here are a few more links to additional resources provided by our Ed Tech and Design instructors. Check them out!
Conclusion
And so that's about it. I am incredibly excited to see what lies again and to continue growing and building my PLN. Already, it's looking a lot bigger than it was before!
Concept map created using: LiC Concept Mapping. Download the app by searching Learning in Context: Concept Mapping in the Microsoft App Store.
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