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Preparing for Connected Learning in 7 Steps

Several poignant questions were asked during our Connected Learning workshop for 3rd - 4th year teachers.  One of the most direct and relevant was...

"What should we be doing now to prepare for 1:1?"
  
After providing a summary of what I felt was a solid response, I said that I would follow up with our current 1:1 teachers to gain their perspective on this.  I then posed the question to the students taking my in-district course, "Digital Tools for Connected Learning".  These seven items were consistently given as suggestions for preparation for creating a connected learning (1:1) environment for students:


1
Establish an LMS (learning management system) NETS-T 2, 4, 5
2
Digitize content, establish cloud storage w/ sharing NETS-T 1, 3, 5
3
Establish collection of web resources NETS-T 1, 2, 5
4
Familiarize yourself with 1:1 hardware NETS-T 1, 2, 3
5
Keep learning goals, objectives, & skills at the forefront NETS-T 3, 4, 5
6
Continually ask “WHY?” when considering new tools NETS-T 1, 2, 3
7
Build out PLN (personal learning network) NETS-T 2, 4, 5


There are likely others that we missed, but this would certainly be a good, working list for teachers to begin with.  In general, our current pilot teachers suggested; keep it simple, keep it focused, don't be afraid to take risks, and become a model "learner".

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