Think Like a Teacher

Installment 3 of Thankful Fridays is for my own learning. Most of all, I am grateful to have a job that allows me to learn something new every day, both face to face and in digital venues. Here are five digital places I am glad to “visit” and participate as a learner:

1. Flipboard. At first glance a visual way to “flip” through news articles and pretty pictures,  Flipboard customized  is nothing short of WOW! This iPad (or iPhone) app can teach me via tweets, RSS feeds, magazine articles, and  multiple Flipboard offerings. Yes, I could go to all those places separately, but the abilities to FLIP through them in one place, send things to others, Fav,  and otherwise pull in a customized educational technology collection (and other, non-professional interests) make Flipboard a namesake nominee to steal my employer’s epithet: The Source for Learning! My interests do not easily fit into a box under one label, so no prepackaged collection of Things to Know appeals to all my needs. Flipboard does- easily. My only complaint is that I get sucked into endless learning and lose all track of time. If you try it, be sure to click the magnifying glass to select things you want Flipboard to pull in for you, including your own accounts from various services (Google Reader, Twitter, etc). Sprinkle in a few news services, Flipboard finds, and Twitter hashtags searches “to taste.”

2. Tweetdeck. Are you noticing a Twitter theme here? Although Flipboard displays Twitter searches, people I follow, etc, there are things I love about learning via Tweetdeck. While Flipboard lets me browse through a visual, magazine-esque tweet viewer, Tweetdeck lets me see a load of tweets at the same time in a small space. The visual footprint is tiny, but I can scroll quickly or shoot out questions for instant help. I also like being able to see my new followers, instantly set up a temporary search column and click to learn details about a Twitter user. A couple of weeks ago when Diigo went down, Twitter was the perfect place to find out if the problem was mine or a widespread concern. Unlike mobile-only Flipboard, Tweetdeck  carries my Twitter search settings on all my devices, including my laptop. Handy.

3. Google News. I am a current events junky, and I also have specific topics where I want to stay informed. Google News gives me its own news categories but customizes to grab news on topics I care about. I don’t like the fact that Google may know too much about me, but Google News is worth the compromise. I learn about politics, latest Apple-dropping predictions, public policy debates, and consumer stuff. I change it on the fly. The only drawback: getting sucked in.

4. OK2Ask®. TeachersFirst offers OK2Ask, free online teacher professional development, as a service so teachers can come together  in informal “snack sessions” to learn. What teachers may not know is how much I learn from them as I present, moderate, and talk together. Not a session goes by that I do not hear about a clever teaching strategy, a web resource, a tool, a project idea, or an innovative school policy that I never knew before. At another level, I learn what teachers are most upset about, are seeing in schools  in various locations, and are wishing for. As someone who runs a web site as a service to teachers, this is some of my best professional learning.

5. Edsurge.  As they describe themselves:

EdSurge is an independent information resource and community for everyone involved in education technology. We aim to help educators discover the best products and how to use them and to inspire developers to build what educators and learners need.

For me, Edsurge is like holding an eavesdropping glass up to the door of Edtech Cutting Edge. I hear the inside scoops on new tools, developers trying to find a niche, and educators finding success with technology. I subscribe to the emails even though I an very cautious about inbox overflow. This one is worth more than the space and time it takes. What I appreciate most is the fact that it always leaves me thinking about issues and philosophical underpinnings at the same time as I ponder practicalities of teaching.

As you dig into the turkey this coming week, think about where you can dig into  some new learning for yourself, too. You will be thankful you did.