The #michED chat is a grassroots effort dedicated to giving teachers, students, and parents across Michigan a bigger voice in the conversation about education in our state. We welcome all voices through a variety of projects, media, and social networking. We’re trying to address educational issues through apolitical conversation, spreading ideas and stories of success from Michigan classrooms across the state, and helping teachers and students regain the courage to connect and demonstrate that schools in Michigan are creating amazing opportunities for learning. We want the face and voice of education in Michigan to be a mural of shared experiences and positive examples of connected learning.
Welcome to tonight's #MichEd chat! This week, we reflect on our own experiences being a part of the #MichEd network and, more broadly, what it means for each of us to develop our own PLN. Please say a quick hello. Q1 coming up in about 5 min! Students from #EDU807 are joining in!
Q1: What motivates you, personally, to create and maintain a PLN? Along with #MichEd what other networks encourage and sustain you? #EDU807 Please use "A1:" in response!
A1 Collective curiosity motivates me most. I grow best the company of others through conversations inspired by our shared curiosities about kids and teaching. #Miched
A1: An interest in rich conversations about literacy fueled my desire to seek out a PLN. Friendships have formed and the way we push thinking about literacy keep me coming back. Maintaining those connections means being present, celebrating, sharing, and tagging. #miched
A1 I am able to partner in deep thinking and try ideas on with others across the country. I am able to find like minded educators on their journeys. #Miched
Q1: What motivates you, personally, to create and maintain a PLN? Along with #MichEd what other networks encourage and sustain you? #EDU807 Please use "A1:" in response!
A1: I have a lot of # that i follow but my PLN is the Curiosity Crew most of the time. They are my go to but I love getting ideas from everywhere. #miched
Q1: What motivates you, personally, to create and maintain a PLN? Along with #MichEd what other networks encourage and sustain you? #EDU807 Please use "A1:" in response!
A1: As a newbie, I have found many helpful resources from my PLNs on Twitter and Facebook particularly that have helped me learn from vets and others in geographic locations different than myself #MichEd
A1 I am motivated to maintain a #PLN because it helps me grow as an educator and ultimately helps my Ss. Local organizations such as @southernmainewp and chats such as #edtechchat and #dtk12chat inspire me. #miched
A1: I was an early adopter (thanks to a nudge from a student) and connecting here became central to my practice. Connections blended & extended online/offline and has been a tremendous support network. #miched
Years ago we were limited to those in the surrounding schools - rarely did we even get to connect with those across the State. Oh my! How times have changed! #Miched
Q1: What motivates you, personally, to create and maintain a PLN? Along with #MichEd what other networks encourage and sustain you? #EDU807 Please use "A1:" in response!
Exactly! I frequently connect with someone I met in grad course work, reconnected with through #miched and #macul and we are across the country continuing to push each other. Exciting times!
This has been a big part of how I construct my PLN; following and connecting with critical thinkers and challengers of the practice has pushed my growth so far. #miched
A1. Change and innovation have become the norm. Staying relevant with students requires life-long learning - a #PLN is a terrific way to do this! #Miched
There are plenty of smart folks in the world. Folks who share common ideas (or not) but have vastly different expertise and experiences. Find them and learn from them. #MichEd
A2: my own participation has changed quite a bit over time - I find more conversations with existing network moved to threaded DMs and RT/like/read more than I generate original tweets (certainly a topic for more reflection!) #MichEd
A1: @smurchies introduced me to my most valuable PLN, a secondary ELA facebook group that she was previously invited into. The ideas, resources, and conversations are amazing to be involved in. #miched
Q2: How do PLNs change with time, for you personally and across the network? Think about #MichEd and who was there at the start, who has joined, who has left (or is less active). Why is that? How does it happen? #EDU807
A2 For me social media including Twitter, FB and Voxer has been a total game changer. If you’d told me I’d be such a vocal advocate three years ago, I would have said no way! #miched
A2: PLNs change based on current interests. They change when new voices are encouraged share. They change depending on topic. Most stay because their voices are recognized. Most leave because their voices are not. #miched
A2: Pretty new to twitter and PLN so I don't have an answer for change. As far as why I know for myself as life gets busy there are things that I know I can take a step back from and Twitter (minus #g2great and the crew) are things I can take a break from without guilt #miched
Q2: How do PLNs change with time, for you personally and across the network? Think about #MichEd and who was there at the start, who has joined, who has left (or is less active). Why is that? How does it happen? #EDU807
One way PLUs change depends on the stability of the institution--some have high turnover, low institutional memory. Some are the opposite #miched#edu807
A2. I moderate a chat on Saturday mornings and the #PLN has changed from summer to winter and now into spring. So many educators have other factors that pull on their time so some ebb and flow in and out of Twitterland. #Miched
A2: For me, the PLN grows daily. Some people are added, some people move on. It's hard to know -- with any precise detail -- who, exactly, is in my PLN at any given moment, because there are so many people who contribute in different ways. #miched
A2: PLNs change with time as we all change and develop as teachers, new ideas, innovations, and most importantly different students and relationships we encounter #MichEd
A2 I worry that so many educators feel professionally lonely and do not get the support that helps us all thrive in their schools. I want them to know the antidote for loneliness is theirs for the taking. There is support at every turn if we just reach out! #MichEd
Q1: What motivates you, personally, to create and maintain a PLN? Along with #MichEd what other networks encourage and sustain you? #EDU807 Please use "A1:" in response!
A2: PLNs ebb and flow as time allows for use of social media among peers. Strongest relationships move to DMs and F2F and make life-long friends! #miched
A2: My millennial might show in this answer, but my PLN started online, and I am now slowly trying to extend it to people I interact with day to day. It has evolved in the kinds of ideas as well; I now actively seek out engaged and critical individuals to add to my PLN #miched
A2 My #PLN grows as I am exposed to new ideas. I stumbled into design thinking after speaking with @WickedDecent & @adamburk which opened new connections for me. @brholland with #edtech. The sphere of collective knowledge grows. #miched
Social media has been key as I finish my first year and as my building dives into a new ELA curriculum, we have used many others’ insights to help us be successful - Twitter, Instagram, Facebook Groups, FlipGrid #MichEd
The interesting thing for me has been seeing my PLN integrate with my personal social networks. More often than not now I am engaged with my PLN when I brows my personal feeds, such as Facebook #miched
A2: I think that something like #miched ebbs and flows with the times. Feels a lot slower in my feed this year. Other projects? Family life? Local twitter chats? Sometimes disconnecting is a good thing too!
that’s beautiful Bud. Yes we get out of it what we are willing to put into it. I am so grateful for the many connections that continue to grow! #Miched
A2. This is how I feel about those of you who will begin your journey in education with a Twitter #PLN - awe struck!! How fortunate you are to have this resource, caring people, and ongoing learning 24/7. #Miched
A2: @JulieAZiemelis and I tried to keep a local chat going. I think we made it weekly for 2 or 3 years. But a 2 person crew was tough to maintain the question schedule. #miched
Social media has been key as I finish my first year and as my building dives into a new ELA curriculum, we have used many others’ insights to help us be successful - Twitter, Instagram, Facebook Groups, FlipGrid #MichEd
A2. This is how I feel about those of you who will begin your journey in education with a Twitter #PLN - awe struck!! How fortunate you are to have this resource, caring people, and ongoing learning 24/7. #Miched
Teaching is extremely lonely and I still have an MT in the room! Combating loneliness/isolation with a PLN is a strategy i intend to implement as a first year teacher. #miched
This is absolutely essential. I try to join in the conversation in a substantive manner, respond to others in meaningful ways. Also, welcome those - especially pre-service teachers - to the network. #miched
A3 Attending varied Twitter chats is certainly one way. I also think it’s essential to maintain respectful dialogue that will open the door to consider new ways of thinking. I believe we can do that without abandoning what we hold dear. #Miched
A3: Be willing to question, probe, and converse with a growth mindset. Lift up the ideas that resonate with you. For those that don't ask them to tell you more. #miched
As a former edu adjunct I would ask my PSTs to participate in chats. Learning from others, sharing ideas, and building a #PLN is an essential for today's teachers. #miched
A2. I have used Twitter since 2012 and spent 40 years in education - every single day I am learning more and more. My passion now is to help others connect and learn with each other about the books that come on the market about education. #Miched
A3: We have to challenge ourselves to discuss the ethical and critical issues related to use of social media. Helping users (and ourselves, our students) understand all aspects of engaging in this space. ( @audreywatters is a great digital mentor for this) #miched
And relationships! I learn exponentially more from my coworkers that I love being around and can have frank conversations with than any mandated PD. #MichEd
A3. Maybe if we can find a social networking service that can be organized by subject categories or tags then we can see what others have already said on the subject a little better???? #EDU807#MICHED
A3: We have to challenge ourselves to discuss the ethical and critical issues related to use of social media. Helping users (and ourselves, our students) understand all aspects of engaging in this space. ( @audreywatters is a great digital mentor for this) #miched
A3: I think part of keeping it diverse in thought is accepting and listening to ALL ideas! It should be a safe space for sharing and for discussion. I want to feel recharged and motivated after discussions with my PLN #ConstructiveCriticism#MichEd
(Oh, and if you find yourself thinking, “I know this already,” then it’s time to seek new voices.
You haven’t a monopoly on what’s right and good and true.)
#MichEd
Q3: How do we keep our networks diverse in thought? We don’t want them to be echo chambers for our ideas, but to be constructive spaces for dialogue. How can we achieve that goal? #EDU807
Katy I see that all the time but never have to be lonely. I have made friends on social media I’ll have for a lifetime. If you’re on FB I hope you follow me at Mary C Howard #miched
Teaching is extremely lonely and I still have an MT in the room! Combating loneliness/isolation with a PLN is a strategy i intend to implement as a first year teacher. #miched
A3: What's been nice about #miched is that we all see to start with a similar outcome in mind--the success of our students. It makes it easier to "argue" with you when we are all working towards the same goal.
Q3: How do we keep our networks diverse in thought? We don’t want them to be echo chambers for our ideas, but to be constructive spaces for dialogue. How can we achieve that goal? #EDU807
Agree that different chats can open our minds to many unique ideas/topics yet ... I also have found it rewarding to have others who share some of the same thoughts or frustrations I have. #Miched
(Oh, and if you find yourself thinking, “I know this already,” then it’s time to seek new voices.
You haven’t a monopoly on what’s right and good and true.)
#MichEd
A3: Follow some but if you are anti independent reading time...I would rather an echo chamber. Otherwise many voices makes for better learning. #miched#curiositycrew
Q3: How do we keep our networks diverse in thought? We don’t want them to be echo chambers for our ideas, but to be constructive spaces for dialogue. How can we achieve that goal? #EDU807
A3 - I reach out to others teaching other course levels. I may be in higher ed, but I need to connect with teachers in K-12 to meet the needs of students when they reach higher ed #MichEd
And also different professions! As an English teacher, I've found it very valuable to follow authors, journalists, secondary English teacher educators, experts in the field. #miched
Q4: Besides sharing great resources, what can a PLN teach us about how to be an educator? How does participating in a PLN become part of your professional persona? #MichEd#EDU807
A4: I learn how to push the thinking of others when my thinking is pushed. I learn how to confer by responding to others. My PLN builds my professional confidence as I bounce ideas off of respected colleagues beyond my district. #miched
Absolutely! I try and connect especially to ones right around me, what have my students already learned and where have they been successful and what should I prepare them for moving forward! #MichEd
A4: it was really eye opening for me to see @smurchies actively engaging in her PLN when I started my internship. I proved to me that great teachers never stop learning or being students themselves. If we have an active PLN, this is an easily accessible practice. #miched
A4 Our PLN can be a constant reminder that respectful relationships are the foundation of all we do for kids. A PLN isn’t just for learning ideas but about learning what it means to be truly dedication to this profession in the good times and the challenging times #Miched
You might want to check out all of the resources on https://t.co/9CFlAaeEpo there is also a chat on Saturday morning's at 9:00 AM EST - would LOVE to see more higher ed folks there. #MichEd
It’s important to remember that we all take on different roles from time to time. Listener. Speaker. Leader. Follower. Reader. Writer. Make sure to attend to multiple roles.
It ain’t always your party. You aren’t always the guest OR the host. #Miched
A4: Teachers are always the experts, right? I try to learn, in my PLNs, to sometimes just listen. Just like I should sometimes just listen to my own kids (as a mom) and my students, as their teacher. #miched
#miched A4 As Hattie found out, the best classrooms are where students are teachers and teachers are students. A good PLN keeps us in the mindset of a learner.
Q4: Besides sharing great resources, what can a PLN teach us about how to be an educator? How does participating in a PLN become part of your professional persona? #MichEd#EDU807
Q3: How do we keep our networks diverse in thought? We don’t want them to be echo chambers for our ideas, but to be constructive spaces for dialogue. How can we achieve that goal? #EDU807
#miched A4: A PLN can allow us to be proactive in our learning, not depending on admin, budgets, etc. to provide PD. Let us write the agenda for innovation.
Following both #kidsdeserveit#JoyfulLeaders has helped me come to know what I didn't know. Being in those chats helps me become a better person. #MichEd
A4 I believe that one of the biggest gifts we get from a PLN is the gift of learning how to be reflective- we watch and learn the processes from each other and we all know reflective learners/teachers are the most effective. #Miched
Q4: Besides sharing great resources, what can a PLN teach us about how to be an educator? How does participating in a PLN become part of your professional persona? #MichEd#EDU807
A4: having #miched as a PLN keeps me honest as an educator. You all challenge me to innovate, and push forward. To be kinder. To want more for my students. To see things in new ways.
A4: My PLN motivates me to be a better person than I was today, they push me to grow and go out of my comfort zone, they are a sounding board for problems, and they remind me daily that at the end of the day human connections made out of ❤️ and understanding matter most #miched
A4: I am constantly seeking new ideas - what works for one student doesn’t work for all and in a room of 30 that quickly becomes A LOT of ideas that are necessary for the curriculum and also management #MichEd
A4: My PLN shows me the possibilities, models great teaching for me, and hopefully will keep me energized as a progress in the field and grow into my teacher-persona. #miched
Q4: Besides sharing great resources, what can a PLN teach us about how to be an educator? How does participating in a PLN become part of your professional persona? #MichEd#EDU807
I believe deeply in the University of Kids. It’s where I have learned more about teaching than any other place. If we are willing to be present in those learning moments, they have so much to teach us #Miched
#miched A4 As Hattie found out, the best classrooms are where students are teachers and teachers are students. A good PLN keeps us in the mindset of a learner.
A4. Reading a book, joining a book study group, discussing in a #PLN all can work well together in assimilating a new skill, behavior or idea - learning takes time and having a #PLN to return to aids in deep understanding. #Miched
Q5: OK, let’s get specific. What, exactly, can we learn from PLNs? Along with soft skills of collaboration and sharing resources, what other digital or pedagogical skills can we learn?
#MichEd#EDU807
A5: I learn to network. I learn to celebrate the success of others. I learn who I would like to share, write, present with beyond social media. I learn how to be present and participate even when I cannot enter a chat. @TweetDeck helps. It did with this tweet! #miched
A4: Having a PLN let’s you see others and how they do things with Ss & Tchs. It gives you resources when you are stuck or struggling! Keeps you accountable too! #miched
A5: I learn to network. I learn to celebrate the success of others. I learn who I would like to share, write, present with beyond social media. I learn how to be present and participate even when I cannot enter a chat. @TweetDeck helps. It did with this tweet! #miched
A5: I get so many cross-curricular ideas from #miched as well as solid math lessons for specific topics. As a math teacher, I listen to what excites learners in other areas so I can reach people with non-math passions (they exist?) in my classroom.
A5. Hashtags like #growPLN are excellent to check out - find a post of individuals in an area you are interested in then go crazy clicking "Follow" - place them into list and you even have an organized group to learn from :-) #Miched
A5 Three years ago I turned my nose up at all things social media using my age as an excuse. I’m now the queen of twitter voxer and a professional FB page. I never could have imagined how it would enrich my life. #Miched
#miched A5 My preservice teachers have learned about specific lessons that they can use in their classrooms. A recent grad reached out to Ed Twitter for lesson ideas for an interview and heard from teachers from around the world. [And got the job!]
A5: I have learned a lot about having tough conversations in respectful ways. Often when I engage in PLN convos, the other person has more experience in the field than me &I have gained skills to navigate that space respectfully while trying to push the practice forward. #miched
A5 Three years ago I turned my nose up at all things social media using my age as an excuse. I’m now the queen of twitter voxer and a professional FB page. I never could have imagined how it would enrich my life. #Miched
A5: I've gained many concrete things from my PLN: tech how-tos, lesson plan ideas, new practices, and oh so many book recommendations. Plus, participating in professional convos helps us practice rules of discourse - great for modeling to Ss. #miched
A6 After learning that Storify was closing it’s doors, I dug in and did the research. I was so lucky to discover @wakelet which is even better than storify and growing all the time. SO grateful for new learning (and storify nervous breakdown averted) #miched
A1: Consistency, structure, and new topics motivate me to create PLNs! It frustrates me when PLNs become venting sessions. #edu5720#MichEd@JMcCarthyEdS
Q1: What motivates you, personally, to create and maintain a PLN? Along with #MichEd what other networks encourage and sustain you? #EDU807 Please use "A1:" in response!
On a "content" night I think I leave a #miched chat with 10 tabs open and several pages of curated liked tweets that I pour over in spare moments on planning the next week. It's like drinking from a firehose!
A5: being part of @Voxer groups, I learn about work life balance, culture building, writing strategies, book recommendations, and so many more things #miched
A5: My PLNs have completely developed my practice - new ideas, new outlooks! I’m able to develop deeper thinking and better engage my students because of the people I’ve met and discussion I’ve had #MichEd
A5: My PLNs have completely developed my practice - new ideas, new outlooks! I’m able to develop deeper thinking and better engage my students because of the people I’ve met and discussion I’ve had #MichEd
#Michigan is 3rd worst in US for the ratio of students to counselors (729 to 1). Every student deserves the chance to succeed, & that's why Dems are committed to properly funding our schools so they can afford the teachers/counselors our kids need! #MichEdhttps://t.co/2HJ2o7nXS5
A5 It’s worth saying that we can only get from a PLN what we are willing to GIVE to it. It’s a shared passion for knowledge and understanding and it’s a two-way street #miched
Q6: Finally, what’s next for PLNs? How can we nurture and sustain them? How can we invite new voices? What should a group of doctoral students studying educational technology be thinking about? #MichEd#EDU807
A6: The next step for PLNs is to move beyond social media connections and physically meet to continue the conversations. They are nurtured by celebrating successes, encouraging collaboration, creating book talks on @voxer, and encouraging each other to explore literacy. #miched
A5: Unpacking the ideas from any tweet coming out of our PLN is as important (or more) than framing our own. In fact, we should probably work to appreciate the images coming out of the box before we start putting the frames on the wall. #miched
A4: PLNs teach us about each other as educators! We work together but we really don't know one another and the best resources out there are educators that we know even at our own schools. Why look far for answers? #edu5720#MichEd@JMcCarthyEdS
Q4: Besides sharing great resources, what can a PLN teach us about how to be an educator? How does participating in a PLN become part of your professional persona? #MichEd#EDU807
A6 Let’s think about inclusivity and equity? How do we as educators bring others into our world? What of Student voice? Business? Legislators? Parents? #miched
A6: In regards to inviting new voices, I think engaging undergrads is mutually beneficial for all. @GOgreenGOwrite is a class account for an MSU English Ed senior class that is quite successful imo. I make sure to engage with them as much as I can #miched
#miched A6 What is the impact of Twitter PLN on teachers’ practice and students’ learning? We’ve been trying to change teaching for years to little avail. Has digital technologies made any difference?
A6: It's probably the same as any institution and the idea of continuance and growth. It's the PLN + One. And that "one" is the person--that voice--that we see come up in the thread that we haven't really drawn in. Invited in. #miched
A6: If PLNs are loosely connected networks of mixed experiences and goals, do they have to sustain? Can they grow, ebb, flow, and then pass on when no longer needed? #michED
A6: Love this question...the virtual PLN connections are where it’s at and I think through tools like @Voxer, zoom, Google hangout, etc virtual collaborations and connections will continue to become more the norm in schools across the globe #classroomswithoutwalls#miched
A6. I think about how to keep Twitter evolving - using technology to connect educators so they collaborate on similar concepts/ideas/issues. I am trying with a chat connected to a website where conversations can continue/resources are shared - https://t.co/S5pzTtgW6A#miched
Good PLNs need to change things up from time to time. Don’t be predictable. Take risks. Show others not in PLN something you learned from PLN to hook them. Better yet, get them an answer from your PLN about something they are struggling with. #miched
Good point, Ben. There is the danger of being caught in our echo chamber. As @budtheteacher mentioned, we need to see and hear different voices. #miched
In reply to
@benroll1221, @DrMaryHoward, @budtheteacher
A6: It needs to be easily accessible and not behind a wall (thinking AP chats that moved from e-mail to a log in to the CollegeBoard system--made it cumbersome to chat). It needs to be simple to hook--just come and read. #miched
A6: The teaching profession is constantly changing, PLNs are the only way to keep up. Use each other, lean on each other - we are each other’s greatest resource #MichEd
How we can continue to encourage people to become teachers, how we can keep teachers from burnout - how awesome and supportive social media and networking can be in the field. That little boost and reminder that I’m doing alright is something all I need. #MichEd
Thanks to everyone for a great #MichEd chat and for welcoming my #EDU807 students into the conversation about PLNs! Hope you made some new connections and are able to stay in touch!
Sorry for coming into the chat at the very end tonight. Thank you to @aschoenborn for tagging me in this afternoon. I have a playwright who needed to be in Louisville to see her play come to life at Actors Theater. We're all pretty excited for her. #miched
We need to start small. Wow I learned this great thing from #miched you should check it out. We need to nudge people in to the growth mindset and then PLNs make total sense.
Please join us! This is a “throw back” to the past, when neighbors often gathered together on front porches shared stories, laughed and built friendships. Join us Saturday at 9:00 AM EST to chat about implementing ideas from books you're reading #BookCampPD#MichEd
