As I have admitted in an earlier post, I have been intimidated of technology and resented having to incorporate it. I haven't resented it personally, but professionally, I have felt inept, slow, and old as this new wave has crashed upon the quiet, sandy shores of my comfort zone. Then, to keep pushing me, I've had to create a Twitter List. I barely knew how to read Tweets before this week and now, I'm clicking away in amazement at all the smart resources and people that abound. I find myself proud of the links I know how to post and look forward to finding more!
I learned how insular I've been just using Google search and email. I learned that learning in education is happening all around me and without me if I don't jump on the train. It's amazing the classroom resources, insights, ideas, and funniness that awaits anyone who is willing to set up a profile and start clicking. Here is the result of my clicking bonanza...drum roll please...
My Twitter List- Teachers Helping Teachers
While this blog is for first year teachers who don't know what hit them, I really have a heartbeat for theatre teachers and language arts teachers. I looked for people tweeting practical ways to use technology in the classroom, specifically the language arts classroom. I searched for educators, teachers, language arts teachers and then I would choose from those selections based on what their profile said. My favorite was a writing teacher in Colorado, Bud Hunt. His profile read- "I'm learning." Love love love this!!!! LOVE IT. Then, when you read his tweets, sometimes there are links to click on, but other times there are exhortations and comments that just resonate or bring a smile. Another educator and artist that I'm looking forward to following is Mary Ann Reilly whose profile reads, "I like making things, especially mistakes." Of course, reading a provocative profile would lead me to click and either my search would end because they were not relevant or they would have giant things to say and resources to offer that energized my search to continue. I chose certain folks for my list that didn't just comment on other people but had something to say that a newcomer could understand and work with. I also looked for content feeds like Shmoop, Shakespeare Girl Eds, and Student Handouts. These Twitter accounts were specific to language arts. In order to be fair, I also found some theatre in education feeds as well.
During this Educational Scavenger Hunt, I found the following resources that you can just click on and enjoy because I started the work for you:
1. http://budtheteacher.com/blog/- Writing Teacher Bud Hunt's Blog
2. http://www.freetech4teachers.com/- Richard Byrne's blog
3. http://technorati.com/- a search engine to help you find blogs that discuss certain themes
4. http://www.youtube.com- for obvious reasons
5. http://www.nextvista.org/collection/light-bulbs/literature-and-writing/- an awesome website where videos are posted and can be used as a resource for content or to spark creativity about a similar classroom project.
6. http://www.shmoop.com/- I love this website for literature and writing! I actually suggested it as on option for some of my writing students this semester. It was their first shot at writing a literary analysis essay and they came to class after using the Shmoop writing lab and were excited to tell me what they learned. And I noticed an improvement in their writing. I was pumped and they were too! Win-Win!
I hope teachers will find my blog as well as my Twitter List as a beginning for searches that lead to productivity in their classrooms. I hope that while they may have set out for a search for one thing that after reading my posts and clicking on the contributors in my Twitter List perhaps what they find will force them happily into a different, scarier, riskier direction that encourages more 21st Century interaction in their classrooms.
Amy, have you entered into a chat yet with a group of people tweeting at the same time on a given topic? I haven't yet, but am wondering how that all works.
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