Six ways to engage in Connected Educator Month

1. Daily eMail: In my district I have started a daily eMail under the subject line “Connected Educator Month,” in which I share one interesting resource that I have learned of from my learning network. Sharing some of the concrete resources that a PLN can provide is a great way to show firsthand how being a connected learner is an advantage.
2. Introduce other Connected Educators: During the course of Connected Educator Month, I am introducing a Connected Educator each day on my blog. Each participant from across the globe introduces themself and briefly describes the benefits of being connected.
3. Video chats: Invite a Connected Educator into your school for a video chat to share their insights about building their PLN. Have them describe how their connectedness has benefited them and their students.
4. Host a staff tweet-up: Taking part in a Twitter chat is a great opportunity to learn with and from educators across the globe. However, for beginners, the learning curve can sometimes take a bit of time. Hosting a group tweet-up where folks take part in a Twitter chat with a larger group is both fun and also allows beginners to learn the ropes a bit faster.
5. Host a Google Hangout: Offer some times in the evening or on a Saturday morning when staff can join a Google Hangout to learn about how to use some of the online resources that will allow them to enjoy the endless possibilities inherent in anytime-anywhere learning. Not to mention the fact that Google Hangouts are a great tool in their own right. Talk about double-dipping!
6. Play a game of “Stump the PLN”: One thing that I have learned is that when you are a Connected Educator who is fortunate to have a PLN, there are no questions without answers. No matter what the initiative or problem is that you are working on, there is someone out there who has already dealt with it. Save yourself the time of struggling to get started by appealing to your PLN for help! Just to prove it, ask your staff to pose questions or problems that they would like help solving. Collect the questions and then appeal to your PLN for some support. Then stand back and prepare to be amazed at what happens!

Best of luck getting more educators connected this month! Remember, the more folks we bring into the conversation, the better off we all are!