Implementing a Networked Classroom

This week it was nice to see some examples of networked classrooms in action.  I have to be honest, just the mention of S.E Hinton’s novel “The Outsiders” got my attention. That is one of my favorite novels, and  I have used it over the years to teach a variety of skills.  I was excited to see the ways that other teachers approach teaching with novels and how they not only incorporate technology, but had the students communicating and working with others outside of the classroom. Shannon Miller, one of the teachers that was spotlighted, said that, “...a lot of people find it overwhelming and wonder how to make time for it, but you just have to find your own groove with how you use it and when you do, the connections add so much to your life.” Right now, I am definitely one of those people she is talking about.  This all sounds very positive and beneficial for teachers and students,  but it is very overwhelming to me and a little bit scary. Heck, I’m still struggling to figure out what I should Tweet about multiple times a week.  Change is hard and being pushed out of your comfort zone is harder. I know I’m not by myself with being overwhelmed by the thought of this.  I just need to remind myself that I need to make changes to work toward this...I don’t need to do everything all at once.

The benefits of having a networked classroom were very clear and make total sense, but I also found comfort in the fact that the authors acknowledged that there are challenges to this process.  Sometimes it seems when someone is trying to convince you that an idea or concept is important and worthy of your time, they forget to mention that there are some obstacles along the way. One of my big concerns was about curriculum and assessment.  I’m not one that thinks standardized testing needs to be the end all be all, but ultimately I am responsible for teaching my students certain concepts.  I’m still not exactly sure how that looks in the networked classroom.

Our kids want real life experiences, and they want to learn about things that

will benefit them when they are adults and on their own.  I have had middle school students
ask me why they need to learn figurative language in my class and why they need to know
who won what war in their socials studies class.They said,  “Can’t you teach me how to do
my taxes or balance a checkbook? I’m actually going to need to know how to do that when
I’m older?” I get it. I totally understand where they are coming from. With this networked classroom approach, students are more in control of their learning and they are participating and communicating in real world ways.  I see the benefits, but I’m still overwhelmed by the process...baby steps!

Here are a view resources that I found on implementing networked classrooms.

To Tweet or not to Tweet?

It’s actually not even a question at all for me anymore. The overwhelming response is that as a teacher you should be tweeting and using Twitter often.  Before coming into this class, Twitter was something I decided that I didn’t need.  It seemed pointless to me. I have Facebook, and I am able to keep up with family and friends that way.  I didn’t need another way to tell anyone that I was going to the movies or watching my favorite show. When you throw in the fact that I only get 140 characters to convey my message, I just didn't see the purpose.

I was surprised to learn during the introduction videos that some of my classmates used Twitter for PD.  How do you even get PD from Twitter?   As I have said before Twitter is a foreign land for me.  I knew about it, but I never had much of an interest in attempting to use it.  For someone, like myself, that has no real knowledge about the inner workings of Twitter, I just want to say that I love the setup of the book “Web 2.0 how-to for educators.”  I love that it is divided up into who, what, when, where, why and how sections and everything is very straightforward and not overwhelming.  The section that I really needed to focus on was the “why”.  Once I was able to understand that, all of the other pieces should just naturally fall into place.  The authors explained that essentially Twitter is a place where educators can connect, share information and viewpoints, and get advice.  In my building, we meet in content areas which is our PLC (Professional Learning Community). I love the chance to meet with my PLC and have face to face discussions and bounce ideas off of my colleagues. Certain buildings may not have the time set aside or some teachers may not have a partner that teaches their same subject in their building. I personally think of the art teacher, FACS teacher and industrial technology teacher in my building who have no one to talk to about their subject.  They are pretty much on their own. When you have a PLN and you have access to them non stop via Twitter, you have a constant stream of support, advice and encouragement. Educators don’t need to feel that they are alone.

I loved the section that contained the different ways teachers can use Twitter.  Now that
the “why” makes sense to me...let me hear those ideas! There were ideas for a variety of
subjects, but I wanted some more ideas of how to incorporate Twitter into an English classroom.
I found some good ideas at Red Pen Confessions. The only problem for me is that a lot of the ideas are geared towards high school where students are old enough to sign up for their own for various social media accounts.  I did see an idea about using Today’s Meet for classroom collaboration, ideas and advice which could offer a solution for younger kids to be able to practice and share their ideas in a safe environment.

Now that I understand why Twitter is a powerful tool for educators, I just have to put myself
out there.  I jumped into the Twittersphere yesterday by signing up for my account.  You can
find me on Twitter and follow me at @loweteacher. There is a lot to take in and learn, but I am
encouraged to find great educators to add to my PLN.

Here are a few resources that I found helpful when trying to learn more about Twitter and how to
use it as an educator.

http://www.schrockguide.net/twitter-for-teachers.html
http://www.edudemic.com/guides/guide-to-twitter/

Both of these pages have a ton of information, but I saw them as a one-stop shop for all things
Twitter.

Personal Learning Networks reflection: Introduction, Ch. 1 & Ch. 2

I currently  have one Master’s class under my belt, and a topic of discussion last
semester was Professional Learning Networks.  I figured that the world of Personal
Learning Networks couldn’t  be too far off, and for lack of better terms, there is
definitely a “connection” between the two.

I am pleasantly surprised with the “Personal Learning Network”  book at this point.
Throughout the introduction and the first few chapters I found myself laughing, nodding
and agreeing with what was being said.  The two scenarios with the newspaper and
Blockbuster made total sense, and I love how they started the book off with a scenario
about a non-educator, so readers are able to see that Personal Learning Networks are
not just something that teachers would benefit from.

One of the lines in the book that spoke to me was when the authors said, “Overcoming
the traditional view of education is the hardest part.” That seems so silly, but so very true
at the same time. I’m just thinking of people that I work with that are set in their ways, doing
what they have always done and the comments I have seen online about “this is the way we
were taught and we turned out fine.” Yes, they are fine.  However, the world is very different
now, and it continues to change. It makes total sense to adjust what we are doing.  It does
seem daunting and it would have to be a total transformation for sure.  The author’s mentioned
the seven common traits  of schools using networks:

- Students are better prepared for life and work in the 21st century
- Classrooms are more engaging
- Students are responsible for their own learning
- Instruction is more individualized
- Adults become better at their jobs and build problem-solving capacity
- Students are safer
- Schools save time and money

Everything on this list is exactly what teachers, administrators, parents, students and
community members would want. There doesn’t seem to be a downside to switching our
thinking, but if it was that easy, we would have made the changes years ago.

The idea that students belong to their own Personal Learning Networks and they are
essentially in the driver’s seat of their education is both exciting and scary.  As I was reading,
I thought to myself, “I’m not sure how some of my students would handle this.” We all know
that kids are naturally curious creatures, but I have some serious concerns with students
choosing what they learn so to speak and staying on task. They said that this process
can work in any school with technology and an internet connection, but I would like
some more information on how this works exactly.  In theory, it all sounds great, but
I want to know how it would work in MY classroom.  I think I have to be patient because
the next chapter is about implementing  personal learning networks in the classroom.

In the second chapter about becoming a networked learner it was nice to see some
“familiar faces” in the form of Twitter, Facebook, Diigo, Blogger and Google Reader
(now Feedly.)  Although I’m not super familiar with Twitter and Feedly, I am starting to
dabble in Blogger, I’ve been on Facebook for over a decade ,and I created my own Diigo
account last semester and never looked back.  I have a lot to learn and experiment with,
but it is nice to know that I already utilize great resources that make me a network learner.  
I found it very helpful that the author’s had some instruction and pointers about how to jump
in and get started with each resource. After looking at the course syllabus and upcoming
assignments,  I know that I will gain more familiarity with  Twitter and Feedly, and I will
continue to grow as a learner. At the end of the chapter, I found comfort in this
reminder: “And remember, it’s not a race; no one is grading you, and everyone will travel
a different path.”

After I finished the reading, I did a little looking around the web and found a few resources
that might be helpful to others starting the journey to create a personal learning network.

https://www.edutopia.org/blogs/tag/personal-learning-network

https://teacherchallenge.edublogs.org/pln-challenge-1-what-the-heck-is-a-pln/