Monday, October 13, 2014

Journal 2

This week for class we discussed online communities and affinity groups. As I was looking over the list of educational affinity groups, I found myself overwhelmed (due to being quite indecisive when I have numerous options presented to me). There are so many groups and communities to choose from! After clicking on majority of the links, I found myself drawn to Promethean Planet. This site describes itself as “the world’s largest interactive whiteboard community” and it definitely delivers. Promethean Planet provides blog posts, discussion forums, and resources for all grades and subjects—lesson plans, games, worksheets, etc. There is so much to explore on this site and I have barely scratched the surface! From what I have seen so far, this is going to be a great asset.

As for my Digg Reader, I added a few teaching blogs to my stream. At the moment I do not have my own classroom, so I added blogs written by substitute teachers who document their experiences and tips of the trade. I’m really enjoying Digg Reader! It’s so nice to have everything in one spot instead of having clicking through bookmark tabs.

Q: How can being part of an affinity group help an educator develop professionally?
A: Affinity groups are great resources for professional development. The online community within Promethean Planet has a great section dedicated to discussions on curriculum; including informal topics such as tips on how to stay organized at the beginning of the school year to lesson plan ideas. Additionally there’s a section solely for professional development, linking to videos and webinars.

Q: How can Digg Reader help professional development?

A: By having a Digg Reader, educators can add various blogs and websites to their stream in order to stay up to date on the latest articles about education, technology, or a sale on TeacherPayTeachers.

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