It’s Sunday morning and I’m loaded up on coffee and trying to come up with a thoughtful blog post about edtech, K-12 schooling, or some other form of inspiration to pass along to others. That’s when I realized there are already so many resources already out there on the web with lots of rich content and great ideas. In fact, I came across this article from Edtech Magazine titled The 2018 Honor Roll: EdTech’s Must-Read K-12 IT Blogs. Edtech Magazine updates their list yearly, starting with their inaugural list back in 2012. Look for the 2019 list to be published soon – the last 4 updates have been published in either March or April.
Of the most recent 50 Must-Read K—12 IT Blogs, I was directly familiar with eleven of the individuals on the list, either because I follow them on Twitter and/or have met them personally at some point in the past. For example, I find the content associated with Jennifer Gonzalez’s (@cultofpedagogy) blogs to be exceptional. In fact, we read her article titled What Is the Point of a Makerspace? as part of a recent meeting with our Instructional Technology Coaches and Library Media Specialists. We were brainstorming ideas for how expand our coding and makerspace initiatives at the elementary level and found this article helpful in framing our work and identifying some of the underlying goals behind our efforts.
This is a diverse list, representing a wide range of focus areas including leadership, specific edtech tips, STEM, augmented/virtual reality, and everything in between. If you are getting started with Twitter and trying to build up your personal learning network, this list represents an excellent starting point.
Speaking of personal learning networks, I am a big proponent of using Twitter, not only for my own professional growth but also for the staff in my district. That being said, it’s very easy to go down the ‘Twitter rabbit hole’, only to surface after having spent far too much time scanning my Twitter feed and not enough time focusing on the here-and-now. I recommend the deliberate use of Twitter, with a careful consideration for how much time you use the platform and when you use it. When I come across an interesting article, I tag and save the post to to Google Keep, with the intention of reading it later when I have more time. I’ve also come to realize that some of the best resources reside in my own district. It’s critically important to engage with staff and tap into their collective knowledge, rather than just rely on outside sources. Balance is key.
Steve Ouellette
