As we continue to grow as educators in the rapidly growing technology focused 21st century, keeping up with innovative technology can certainly pose a challenge. Not only must educators stay up to date on the current technology they are using, but any emerging tools as well as all of the pedagogical approaches for each of the tools are also of critical importance. How do you keep up with so much information on top of doing your day to day job? Well, honestly you probably don’t! However, joining social networking groups, which the majority are free, can at the very least provide you with an organized approach to keeping up with such a vast amount of continually flowing information. Social networking groups are just what the name suggests, a network of individuals that socially connect with each other via an organized group.
When considering a social networking group to join, one must first consider what exactly it is that is of personal interest or relevant to them as an educator. There are a number of social networking websites that organize a vast amount of groups depending on the overarching focus of such websites. For example the Flipped Learning Global Initiative (FLGI), a social networking site that is of personal interest and I feel does a great job with its content, has a vast amount of information and resources surrounding the flipped classroom. Through the Flipped Learning Network I am able to connect with individuals that share my interest of the flipped classroom, allowing me to collaborate with others in an organized fashion surrounding many different aspects of such a pedagogical approach. Flipped Learning Network provides me with many different interest groups, such as ELL, Schoology, Flipped Learning within Google Classroom…etc., that I am able to join for an even more focused approach. Although I am not sure how useful, one can become a certified flipped learning educator by utilizing the networks training center. That being said, the aspects of the network that I find most useful at this time are the blog and the radio. The blog section allows me to have an organized location of blog posts focusing on all different aspects of the flipped classroom. Being a member of FLGI allows me to add my own blog posts as well as comment on any posts as well. The Flipped Learning Radio (FLR) is such a great resource that FLGI offers, allowing me to have access to a vast database of recordings surrounding different aspects of flipped learning. It can’t get much easier than playing a recording found on FLR while driving to and from work or simply “kicking it” around the house!
It is obvious that, as educators, we are very busy on a daily basis. Do yourself a favor and join a social networking site. Flipped Learning Global Initiative is just one of many sites that offer a vast amount of tools and resources that can easily be accessed and utilized. Networking with other like-minded individuals allows you to have the opportunity to stay up to date, become informed on innovative ideas/technology, and ultimately make your day to day job easier. Professional development is essential to truly be successful in the education of our youth. Becoming part of a free and easily accessible network of other professionals seems like a very rational approach to continue developing professional skills and knowledge as a life long learner.
The Flipped Learning Radio sounds like a really cool thing to use as PD in your own time. I listen to lectures on a wide variety of historical topics and learn so much on my way to work. What a great use of the limited amount of time we have!
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