Blog versus Facebook

I have to admit, I just don't seem to be able to 'get into' this blogging thing.

I add to my Switch On NZ Facebook page almost everyday but as you can see I haven't been here since February. This led me to wonder why.......I use curation sites a lot eg Scoop it (I have 5 different 'Topics') - Scoop it cross posts to my Facebook page and Pinterest. So this multitasking ability is what I like. I need to find something that cross posts from Scoop it (and the like) onto this blog. I discovered the tool IFTTT ("If this then that') several years ago an this might just be what I am looking for. As i always say, "Just put it in the back of your mind and when you have a purpose for it, you'll be able to say - ah I think I know just the thing". Time to practice what I preach.

Tip: Be discerning with what tools you choose to link eg I use to cross post my Tweets to my Facebook (personal one) and as I use Twitter for professional PD and have taken a great deal of time over the years to strengthen my personal learning network, I then barraged my friends and family via facebook with teaching and learning 'stuff' they weren't remotely interested in. Yes, I know there is a 'grey area' as many friends are also colleagues but this is unavoidable in making and strengthening connections through life.

I'm off to explore IFTTT.

What am I reading?

Several teachers have asked me what books do I read for my own professional learning.

Well, surprise surprise I VERY seldom purchase a paper copy book anymore, strange that. I still visit the Amazon bookstore but I purchase Kindle books and use the Kindle free App to view them on my iPad.

Just before school started again this year (better late than never as I had done lots of personal 'chick flick' type reading at the beach!) and after I had attend the International Conference on Thinking, I went online and purchased

What Great Teachers do DIFFERENTLY 

Teaching Outside the BOX

How Children SUCCEED

Empowering Students with TECHNOLOGY


I feel that those of us that live and breathe teaching and learning through and with technology need to challenge ourselves to go deeper, to remember it's NEVER just about the tools, to view and explore others points of views, to challenge, and provoke.

I'm hoping to have all these read by the end of term. I'll post a review of each one when I'm done.

My Thinking

I discovered this quote online tonight

“In too many cases, we bolt new technologies on top of current learning tools in the standard learning environment, which effectively means we give our kids a thousand-dollar pencil.” – Alan November.

which has lead me to find the author's book "Who Owns the Learning?"

I've been struggling the last few weeks, each night I come home, think about the teachers I have worked with and think about where I would place them on the E-Learning Framework. My inner struggle is that I know for a fact a few of them would put themselves in a very different place than I would. Using 'Mathletics' does not mean you are 'Extending' or 'Empowering'!

I think that in order to make a difference to student outcomes and to prepare learners for life beyond school, we need to change our pedagogy first, then integrate the technology whether that's one computer.......or 30 iPads.

I plan to continue to challenge the teachers I am working with in the time I have left in this role and into the future.

It's NOT about the 'cool' apps, it's NOT about the 'wicked websites'.........

It's about

• Collaboration
• Communication
• Creating a Global Audience

I've just bought Alan November's book (I love the Buy Now with 1 click option on the Amazon store - it means I can download the Kindle version immediately to read via the Kindle App on my iPad) so I am interested to see if he thinks the same.