Try It, You Will Like It

Social media, web 2.0 tools and technology have changed the way educators receive professional development. These are exciting times in education due to the numerous options available in maintaining that status of a lead learner. We live in the 21st century now and educators need to be connected in order to promote the success of students in a relevant fashion. Below are some examples of ways in which educators can leverage the power of innovative technologies to keep themselves on top of their game. 

1. Join or create an online book talk using Edmodo, EdWeb, or Google Community. I am aware of three examples that have taken place or will take place: Todd Whitaker's Shift the Monkey Daniel Pink's Drive, and Dave Burgess's Teach Like a Pirate. 
2. Create a school or district based hashtag so that staff members can archive educational resources found on Twitter. Daily, weekly, or monthly discussions can be held on Twitter with fellow staff members on best practice teaching techniques and ideas as well. 
3. Start up a Tech Tuesday initiative where staff members come together in small or large groups throughout the school day and learn about the many great tools available that enhance instruction.For example, staff members could learn about the many great educational apps that Google has availlable for classroom application. 
4. Curate a weekly Bundlenut of educational resources which is culled from various online resources such as Twitter and share with staff via email. This is a much appreciated practice that keeps all school stakeholders current and relevant. 
5. Attend Edcamps or other conferences such as Edscape virtually or in person for free or very little cost. These professional development opportunities allow educators to collaborate and learn from one another. 

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