Digital Blog Post #F- Chapter 8

The first topic that interested me was social networking for educators. Also known as educational networking, social networking for educators involves teachers using social networking technologies for educational and professional development rather than social or entertainment purposes. Teachers can use this for discussions about curriculum and instruction with other teachers, book groups and literature circles, linking with educational policy and reform organizations, exchanging educational research information, group editing of projects and writing, and so much more. I think that social networking is an extremely valuable resource for educators everywhere. I know that there are tons of pages on Facebook and other social media platforms exclusively for teachers to post articles having to do with the teaching profession and host open discussions between teachers from all across the globe. As a teacher, I would be very excited to exchange instructional ideas, good books for my students to read, and tips on how to be the best educator I can be. There are also several ways to use electronic communications and social media inside and outside the classroom. Social media can be used in the classroom to engage students, share valuable class information with student's families, build strong learning communities, publish student work, and even energize student writing. The world we live in is ever changing, and teachers especially need to be open and flexible lifelong learners. It's important now more than ever for educators to embrace technology. The second topic I found to be of interest is using email and texting for disseminating information and connecting with students. Teachers can use email for official communication with students, parents, colleagues, and superiors. It also features a built-in record keeping system so that you can always look back on what you said or what was said to you and stay organized. Another neat strategy for using email in the classroom is establishing email connections to libraries, museums, and universities. Students can ask questions and get responses from experts using sites like Ask a Historian or Ask an Earth Scientist. This offers an extremely interactive opportunity for students that is also interesting and fun for them. English teachers have also been using text messaging to help students learn spelling. An example of an assignment that would help students to learn spelling and grammar and also have fun would be for students to pair up in class and have a texting conversation with their partner, each using a different sentence pattern for each text. The students could then take screenshots of the messages and send them via text or email to the teacher for grading. Teachers can also utilize texting with their students so that students may ask urgent questions and receive a faster response. The last topic I chose to speak on was creating your own teaching blog. Blogging is an extremely popular online activity. It's almost like opening someone's journal where routine facts of everyday life are paired with fascinating details, preferences, dreams, and soliloquies. There are many reasons why teachers should have a blog but the most important of them is likely student learning. English teachers have been using blogs to promote literacy learning through writing and the analysis of language. Social studies and science teachers are asking students to access news-related blogs as part of class and homework assignments. Blogs usually have a definite point of view, and students can analyze perspectives on important issues going on in the world. In high school, I had an English teacher who ran a Facebook group for all of his students. On the page he posted homework assignments, upcoming due dates, suggested reading, tips on how to do better in class, and thought-provoking discussion questions for students to answer and debate online. I believe that this strategy helped me and other students to be more engaged and continue learning outside of the classroom. Another reason is student/family communications. We all know how important parent/teacher relations are, and technology just makes it that must easier. When I become a teacher, I would like to run a blog or webpage that would be accessible by both students and parents. The blog would include notes, discussion questions, due dates, grading rubrics, homework and in class assignments, and perhaps a short weekly entry describing what is being taught and how parents can help their children learn. Ideally, teachers like to give students every tool they need to succeed. I believe that a teaching blog would be a very valuable resource for everyone. Resources: Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.