A Teacher Journal #4: Goals for Connecting

After many years of saying "someday," I'm finally enrolled in an Educational Technology Master's Program. My current course requires me to keep a journal to document "connectedness" online. Below is my fourth entry. 

I have been forming connections online for many years now as an educator. However, I am not sure that I ever stopped to actually reflect on what my goals were while online. Usually, online I will have one specific question that I am looking into: How are other teachers using Genius Hour? What are some good ideas for using Spheros with middle schoolers? How can I better organize my classroom materials? Is anyone else out there having trouble with "community supplies"? So, my goals are more immediate, not long-term. There are many great ideas online, and often I find myself going from one query to the next seamlessly. Ultimately though, I should think of what my primary goals are. I believe there are three for this year:

• GOAL 1: To stay culturally literate in education

• This takes constant peeking around especially when technology changes so quickly. This can also benefit my students as I read more about teaching the whole child and organizing projects through blogs such as Cult of Pedagogy and Catlin Tucker.

• GOAL 2: Find more hands-on and "real science" learning experiences to support my NGSS science classroom

• Facebook Groups such as California Middle School Teachers and Kesler Science have vibrant, active members. They offer a place to share ideas with teachers around the state and nation.

•  GOAL 3: Inspiration

• Teaching can be hard and isolating. Sometimes it helps to see others who are doing it well or even others who share the same struggles. Twitter #whatisschool and EduMatch have been excellent places to find teachers who are striving for innovation and excellence. Through these resources, I have "met" teachers working in the International School in Singapore and learned about ways to connect my classroom to others using tools like Flipgrid. 

"Connect Ideas" by Luigi Mengato licensed under CC-BY 2.0

This is not an end-all list. Just where I am at for the moment. So, what about you? What are your goals for connecting online? What are the best places you have seen online for connecting with other educators?