Tool #2 - A PLN and Commenting

I think establishing many Personal Learning Networks is a great idea. Most teachers already know that we learn more from each other when we have the chance to talk with each other and share ideas. A PLN can be helpful with so many other "minds" thinking, sharing and analyzing whatever topic is being discussed. I know that I really like having the chance to hear other ideas and viewpoints. I'm sure that my students would really benefit from various PLN communities too.

However, when you are part of a PLN or participating in someone's blog along with commenting comes the responsibility to treat others with respect and realize that everyone has his or her own opinion to which they are entitled. No one has the right to belittle someone else simply because they have a differing viewpoint which is what I believe Cool Cat Teacher is trying to get across (especially with her 'Darth Commenter' section). I also agree with her that you have to "teach commenting". I'm sure the kids will love giving and receiving comments, but they also need to understand that responsibility is a big part of commenting.

Five "11 Tools" blogs that I have decided to follow and comment on are:
Teaching is My Passion
Foster's Findings
The Tech-Teacher Experiment
Thornwood Tigers
SuperThorn3

Tool #1 - Getting Started

Creating a blog is just as easy as I remember it being when I created this one for "23 Things". Adding the Voki was really interesting and I spent a lot of time looking at all the possibilities, listening to all the voices, playing with the features and backgrounds and...well, you get the idea! I finally settled on the 'Alien Plant' look...don't ask me why, I guess it just "grew on me" after a while (I know you at least smiled or grimaced at that). It was a lot of fun and I can just imagine how enjoyable my students would find the process as well.

I've been wanting to try blogging with my students for a while now, but just haven't been confident in how to get started...I see the potential and the benefits, but haven't been able to get going. I think the more direct district support will make it easier to begin this year and help parents understand our need to change our educational approach, but I wonder about possible resistance from parents who are worried about cyberbullying, etc. Hopefully, we can convince them that the benefits outweigh the risks and that we will be there to constantly monitor what is being "said" and to whom.

I already envision students having discussions amongst themselves about our classroom curriculum, sharing ideas with other classrooms and really building confident risk taking attitudes. I look forward to collaborating with other teachers to increase the interaction/sharing between our students to build a larger learning community. I can't wait to get started!

Facing "Darth Commenter"

Well, it has happened...I have faced my first "Darth Commenter"! I was glad that the "23 Things" training had discussed this aspect of blogging with us so that I was prepared to handle the situation.

At first, I was very upset that the DC had treated the blogger so terribly with the disrespectful comments (I was a commenter on the attacked person's blog). When a few of us other commenters offered support for the blog writer by pointing out that none of us were in the same situation so we really couldn't completely understand, the DC attacked us as well!

It is truly amazing that people can be so narrow minded to believe that their point of view is the only one that could possibly be correct :^( However, thanks to my "Things", I was able to respond to the DC and tell her that I would "respectfully agree to disagree" with her.

Of course, taking the respectful tact just made her angry causing another "written assault", but I felt better and knew that I had continued with the spirit with which we were intended to blog. I think it's great when people can discuss opposing views of a topic intelligently and respectfully, but the DC definitely put my patience to the test. :^)

Blogging with Students

I'm really interested in using blogging with my class this upcoming year, but I'm a bit nervous about it too. Have any of you used it with you class and if so, how did you go about it? Did you have to get special permission from parents? Did you just set up the blog and let them respond to your posts or...? Thanks for sharing your ideas! :^)

TeacherLingo and Blogging

TeacherLingo is a site for teachers to get together and talk about anything and everything. We exchange ideas, swap advice, commiserate, and just generally gab. It has several different categories of blogs, such as Elementary Teachers, High School Teachers, ESL Teachers, etc.

The blog I started on TeacherLingo is Ms. P.'s Place. Stop by to chat, check out some other blogs while you're there, and start a blog of your own.

If I don't watch myself, I could easily become addicted to these "Things". Wonder if my district has a treatment program for that, since they are responsible for getting me "hooked"?? :^)

Happy Blogging!

Come on, Comment!

Ok, I'm really seeing what you were trying to get across to us about commenting on people's blog entries. "Lurkers" definitely outnumber those who comment. On the TeacherLingo blog I started, I have had some posts that have had over 300 views, but only averaged 3-8 comments. I'm finding that there seems to be a core group of bloggers that are also good commentors and these are the people with whom I am engaging in really good conversations. So come on people, come on in and comment!

Learning is Del.icio.us!

Ok, even more success with sharing my learning from "23 Things"! Several of my "blog buddies", for lack of a better term, from TeacherLingo have been trying out del.icio.us after reading my post about how it is helping me organize resources for my students. They are truly excited about using it and many of them will begin their first year as a "real" teacher this fall. Just wanted to share how the life long learning message is really getting out there to people outside our district and outside the state.

People are Flickring!

Some of the people outside our training that I have been blogging with are really excited about some of the sites they have found on Library2Play. One of them commented that due to my posting about what I learned with "23 Things" that she woke up this morning thinking about Flickr and how to use it to show pictures when she gets back from a trip she is taking. Yeah, Kickball Captains, your life long learner message is spreading!!

TeacherLingo.com

If you haven't visited TeacherLingo yet, you should. There are a lot of really good discussions going on there. I also liked visiting Mr. Teacher's blog. Check them out because they are really good opportunities to practice your commenting!

Sharing What I've Learned

I've been spending some time "talking" to a few other teachers through another blog and have been sharing all the incredible things I have learned by participating in "23 Things". I included a link also to Learning 2.0. All of the responses have been positive and some of them have even begun to explore some of the items. I hope this helps pass on the knowledge I have gained and encourages others to continue their lifelong learning goals.