I was talking with friends about the value/need of being a connected educator and it lead me to this tweet.
Big picture question: What does it mean to be a connected educator? Do you just have to read some tweets and snag an idea for your classroom? Do you need to be part of the amazing Global Read Aloud? I wonder what level of engagement would be required to be considered a connected educator.Should all teachers be connected educators? Are students missing out if their teacher is not connected? #MichEd #ConnectedEd— CTN (@MI_CTN) January 3, 2017
Slightly smaller picture question: Are students really missing out if a teacher is not a connected educator? Students are very connected as is, so are the missing anything when the teacher is not connected to other classes? There are plenty of amazing educators out there that are not connected educators and their students are doing great. Are those teachers "failing" their students by not being connected?
What do you think? Do schools need to encourage more of their teachers to become connected educators? Are students at a disadvantage if their teachers are not connected? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
I think that "YES" students can be at a disadvantage when their teacher is not a connected educator. We need to model for students what it means to be 'connected'. Students can potentially gain a global audience, learn first-hand accounts, and diversify their four-walled learning through a connected educator. I remember being connected to an educator in Punxsutawney, PA when I taught just outside of Philadelphia and my students being able to ask questions with them about Groundhog Day, what a better learning experience for them to hear about it from someone who is "there"
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ReplyDeleteYes! Teachers need to get connected to discover new perspectives, see what is be done in other classrooms, reflect on their own practice, and get support and ideas for changing their practice and growing in the face of challenge. Check out my research (with Dan Krutka & Jeff Carpenter) about professional learning networks: https://professionallearningnetworks.com/research/
ReplyDeleteHm.. great question and the post! it is something to think about. I`m working on the article on this topic pr the http://supremedissertations.com/. Thank for the post!
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