10 Social Media Competencies for Teachers

Article: Is Your School Leadership Style… Outdated?

If you are in to educational technology and currently using twitter it is highly likely you are following Eric Sheninger (@NMHS_Principal) from the US.  He is at the forefront of school leaders who promote the use of technology in their schools.

Eric Sheninger has a new book Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times being released this month that promises to push the envelop as well.  In the mean time to you can get yourself ready for the book by reading this article on the topic.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/finding_common_ground/2014/01/is_your_school_leadership_style_outdated.html

Teaching in Australia, US and France

Ever wonder about education and teaching in other countries.  I was lucky enough to have spent a few summers teaching in China which I would recommend to anyone if they get the chance.  Many similarities in terms of teachers but definitely way more differences.  Things like posting student names and scores which would never happen in Canada are commonplace in China where high ranking student’s futures are dependent on how well they do compared to all other students.

I came across this blog with a description of 3 teacher’s work experiences in Australia, US, and France.  A very interesting article worth reading <click here for article>.

Please post any of your experiences of teaching in other settings or countries.  I am very interested to hear from you.

What is a MOOC?

MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Courses.  In some ways this is the best example of being a Lifelong Learner.  Check out this video to create greater understanding about what MOOC is.

School Visit: Independent Learning Time with Interactive White Board

Friday I was out visiting schools in our district seeing how deeply embedded our Educational Technology Initiative was embedded in the classroom practice.  While I saw varying degrees of implementation at the three schools I visited which I think can be attributed to some of the challenges of wifi connectivity the schools have been experiencing.  At my last school I visited I was blown away by the Early Kindergarten Class.  Many activity centres but by far the most popular was the Interactive White Board Centre.  At that centre I found two girls practicing writing letters on the board.  The gizmo they were using randomly generating a letter on the board which the two girls were able to practice tracing and drawing.  They were totally engaged in the activity much like the two boys in this youtube video I found with a similar Independent Learning Centre.

Many thanks to the Principals and Staff at Branlyn, Centennial Grand Woodlands, and Central Public School in Brantford Ontario for letting me visit their school and classrooms on Friday.

Video of Week: Engaging Parents Using Social Media – Joe Mazza Video

Joe Mazza shares his experiences with social media and how principal’s can use the media to increase parent engagement.

What the Heck is Web 2.0 Anyway?

You might be hearing a lot about Web 2.0.  For my father who is closing on 80 years of age he uses his computer for email and googling information but now in 2014 we know that the power of social media and technology has driven us into this weird beast called Web 2.0.  Want a simple way to think about it check out this short video.

Using QR Codes in The Classroom

A few weeks ago I introduced my blog followers to the QR code. I am not sure if anyone has tried it since then but I found this great article on edutopia sharing a number of ways they can be used.

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/using-qr-codes-in-classroom-monica-burns

Video: Using Social Media in the Classroom

Found this great video that gives the perceptions and practice of a teacher in Saskatchewan Canada.  Shows us how important it is to faster Empathy and a Worldview by using social media and connect in authentic ways.

Anybody out there using social media to bring the world into their classroom?

Wondering if there is an optimum age for using this teaching strategy?

Edutopia Article: Kids Speak Out on Student Engagement

This past weekend I read this article on Edutopia and I found it reaffirming what students say increases engagement in school for them. Number two on the list is technology but I think that goes hand in hand with student choice and some of the other listed top ten. Here is the article:

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/student-engagement-stories-heather-wolpert-gawron

Interested in your thoughts on this list.

Are there any other ways you think should be added to the list?