WOW, what a month. This is
a personal reflection on the journey through my eyes…
A very long time ago, when Connected Educator Month was first
aired as a reality I dreamt of the possibilities. Little did I realise just how MAGICAL it really would be. Little did I realise the power, the MAGIC,
the intensity of a month of connected, self driven professional development
opportunities.
Goals I set myself:
· Blogging everyday during October and
suceeded on a lot of days;
· Connecting online everyday and managed
that easily;
· Taking an opportunity everyday to take
part in the PD offered, which I managed on about 50% of the days;
· Sharing sessions during #cenz14 –
certainly managed this with:
o
GEGNZ
#educampnz SMACKDOWN on air
o
Ulearn
mobile – PLN in your pocket
o
Ulearn14
– Online Communities
o
#eduignite
dunners
o
#educampdunners
· Connecting face to face with as many
educators as possible and spreading the #cenz14 news
· Tweeting
To be totally honest I think I have achieved about 10% of what I
dreamt was possible, but every moment of it has been MAGICAL.
Some of the highlights:
· Everything is rewindable and I can
participate in any of it over the coming days and months
· Ulearn sessions – seeing educators connect
and develop their PLN and really begin to realise the power of connecting
· Face to Face sessions with educators and
learners in schools, realising the power of connecting with their communitis
and authentic national and global audiences
· Supporting educators with ventures
· Hearing my edu-heroes through webinars and
Google Hangouts
· Meeting my edu-heroes at conferences in
and around New Zealand
· Celebrating the growing of the eduignite
and educamp sessions
· Chatting with teachers who are working
their way through the starter kete
· Seeing the ripples flowing out from PLD
that are impacting on learning
· Celebrating the growing, open, caring
online network of educators on twitter in New Zealand
· Ulearn mobile and Ulearn14 feeling a part
of something much greater – the power and force of #cenz14 really magnifying
the Ulearn experience
· Seeing the dream, the passion, the MAGIC
realised through the tireless dedication and commitment of Karen
Melhuish-Spencer and her crew
· CORE Education’s commitment to
pushing the boundaries of educational possibility...
Without a doubt in the world, education in New Zealand is at a
significantly improved, connected state now, due to the 31 days of connecting,
networking and sharing.
The caution now is to see this as a beginning, as a launching
platform, as an opportunity. The seed of
Connected Educator Month is planted, watered and flourishing. We must now continue to plant and water to
see opportunities for all flourishing.
As we head into the month of November tomorrow, what can we take
forward?
Firstly, there are a range of activities continuing for us to
benefit from.
· Building a PLN for literacy webinar –Monday 3 November 3.45pm We would love to help you build your professional learning network to support your literacy classroom. Please take a moment to fill out the survey to help us meet your needs for this webinar.
· #educamppalmy – Saturday 7 November 9am
There are all of the archives for rewindable learning. For us to revisit, connect with and
share. There are a infinite number of
educators, who, connected for the first time with online communities need our
nourishing and support to get over the initial hurdles and speed bumps. We must continue to welcome, involve and grow
networks and connections, both online and face-to-face.
Tomorrow I am heading to TEDxChristchurch. What an incredible opportunity and
privilege. For me the month of November
starts on an uber high of networking, connecting, learning and sharing. I am planning to live blog from the event to
share the MAGIC with my wonderful PLN, many of whom cannot be present
tomorrow.
Next week I have my team hui.
As we reflect on the successes and challenges of 2014, I am sure that we
will appreciate the privilege we have of being a part of the transformation of
educational opportunities for learners today. Increasingly Learning with Digital
Technologies offers a new opportunity, a new way to engage a learner, empower a
learner, support a learner and engender agency to a learner as they determine
device, tool and approach.
What a privilege to be an educator in New Zealand at the current
time.
As many of you know, I operate very much from a ‘glass half full’
perspective, in fact my glass is usually overflowing.
What are your highlights for Connected Educator Month?
What opportunities have you realised?
Where to now for you?
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