Since beginning EDM310, I have been introduced to an enormous amount of information. Some of the technology we have used in this class I’ve had experience with, such as Skype, Twitter and YouTube, but much of it is new, like blogging, making YouTube videos and using a Mac. I have also been introduced via the internet to a multitude of educators and educational websites and have been offered a plethora of help, advice and tips enthusiastically. Luckily, I have also been given the means to organize all of this information. The best way for me to tell you the sources I use the most is just to show you my home page, which is my Symbaloo webmix (see below). It's basically my toolbox - I have to have it to work. The top four rows of websites I use nearly every day, at least more than three times a week.
Last, but certainly of greater importance than the tools themselves, are the people that have created and shared these tools, their stories, their students, ideas and innovative technology with other educators. Although I've only been in this class for two months, I already have an online community of technologically literate instructors who are out there making a real difference in teaching, trying to change the methods of teaching for the better. They are ready and willing to help, to share and to learn, and now I am part of this community too, eager to help, to share and to learn in return. Here are some of the people who have helped me, who have offered to help me, who I contact for help and whose Twitter, Facebook and blogs I read for advice or ideas:
From the EDM310 USA Student Aggregator, all my classmates, Dr. Strange and all the lab assistants are extremely helpful. I visit this site daily just to see my classmates' questions and the answers they receive. I have learned a lot from this page and always see quick responses. Also, the links the assistants created and put on the page make life so much easier (especially the coding - thanks for that Bailey)!
Two special classmates I have to mention are Sara Stewart and Vicki Nelson. We, Chartres Cathedral, were grouped together by Dr. Strange. I learned a lot while working with them on our podcast.
There are too many educators and technologists to name from Twitter and C4T blogs that I follow, but one teacher in particular made me feel very welcome to this online community and put me at ease when it comes to commenting on teachers' blogs. His name is William Chamberlain. After I was assigned to comment on his blog posts, he kindly responded to mine and told me to contact him any time he could assist me. Check out his blogs: Mr. C's Class Blog and At the Teacher's Desk. They really are impressive and interesting.
I know my resources will change and expand, but I think I have a really good start. Not only do I have several ways of discovering answers on my own, but I have plenty of people willing to share with me. Hopefully I've shared something helpful with you by showing you.
You PLN is great! I too feel like I have learned a lot about technology and ways to use it from EDM 310! I never knew there were so many things you could do with it!
ReplyDeleteThe resources we have been given are definitely going to be useful not only now but in the future too. I love it that one of your C4T assigned teachers commented you back! I also had a teacher who commented me back and you are right! It does make you feel welcome! It gives you a since of belonging in the teaching world and it shows you that you can have a network of people all over the world that you can pull teaching ideas/strategies from in the future!