Nocking the Arrow

In 2016, twice as many Americans obtained their news online instead of print. Approximately 3/4 of adult Americans interact with others through social media. Nine out of ten Americans are online , and a majority of these users are using time online to support personal or professional learning . I'm sure that I'm not the only person who finds it challenging to find a balance between personal and professional learning while online. As time passes, an increasing percentage of the information and interaction that I seek in the name of learning is gathered online. The line between personal and professional learning is becoming blurred. I'm not sure if this is the result of time limitations, or professional ambitions putting the squeeze on personal interests. For example, I would like to start a podcast about pond fishing, but here I am writing about learning and education. Reading Aaron Davis's recent post, " Templated Self ", my perceived chall...

" Most Americans feel they are lifelong learners, whether that means gathering knowledge for “do it yourself” projects, reading up on a personal interest or improving their job skills. For the most part, these learning activities occur in traditional places – at home, work, conferences or community institutions such as government agencies or libraries. The internet is also an important tool for many adults in the process of lifelong learning." - PEW Research Center Shifts in economic and cultural expectations will make lifelong learning more than wishful thinking. For each of us, lifelong learning will become a way of life. Fortunately, research recently published by the PEW Research Group , indicates three-fourths of American adults view themselves as lifelong learners. To what degree do Americans value ongoing learning? How does technology support those who are willing to advance their personal and professional learning? John Horrigan's survey of almost three-...

Congratulations to the 300 - 400 educators who made a choice to sacrifice a Saturday morning for networking and professional learning.   Yesterday's  NICEminicon  ( Northern Illinois Computing Educators - mini-conference ) was a shining example of how impactful a well-executed conference can be. A welcoming breakfast, engaging sessions, and attention to detail, our hosts, the folks at D219, deserve a pat on the back. In addition, the events don't effectively happen without the generosity of sponsors . It was terrific seeing so many of my PLN friends in attendance. Here are my takeaways and reflections from yesterday's outstanding experience. Originally, I planned to sketchnote my thoughts and backchannel my session experiences. Fortunately , the level of activity and engagement prevented this from happening. I used my phone to capture and share a few highlights to Twitter , but credit the session facilitators, our lead learners, with keeping the activity and i...

Connecting with Mr. Bays Inspired by Brad Gustafson's ConnectEd Bingo , here is a challenge I created to help encourage connected, professional learning for our teachers during Connected Educators Month ( #CE15 ). The goal is for teachers to complete enough connected learning activities to score a bingo. A few extrinsic motivators, such as t-shirts and cookies, are thrown in for competitive fun. Our principal has offered to buy lunch for any of our teachers who complete all of the activities on the game board by the end of our first semester. (WHAT) Here are the intentional objectives of this professional learning format: (WHY) Encourage relationship building through virtual, as well as, face-to-face interactions Develop a culture of connected learning and digital innovation Gamified elements allow for personal learning, and fun Digital submissions allow "practice" of workflow processes common in our 1:1 learning environment The header lette...