George Couros states that "as educational leaders, we must promote and capitalize on open, connected learning." This got me thinking. Am I connected? What does this look like for my students and for me? I am just stepping onto the path of being connected. Up until I started #IMMOOC, I would have been what George calls a "lurker" on Twitter. I just got on to explore, read, and maybe throw out something we had been doing in the classroom, but connected is not how I would describe myself. If I connect myself to others, I can better my practice.
Derek Sivers' video "Obvious to You. Amazing to Others." says it all. This is me. This has been my struggle all along. In this video, he talks about how we think our ideas are so obvious, but our ideas might just be amazing to other people. We should just put it out there and let the world decide. Sometimes this is easier said than done. I don't intentionally keep my ideas to myself to hoard them, but find myself wondering if my ideas are really that great. I listen to other educators and wonder how they came up with such innovative ideas. Cue the "Let it Go" music. I just need to let it go and put it all out there because all the ideas I have used from other people might just have been "obvious."
So, being a connected educator, gives us the ability to see what others are doing and can empower us to make changes in our own classrooms. I can walk away with new ideas and tweak them to fit my own classroom. I do this all the time when talking with my other friends across the district, so why not do this on a more global scale? Why not share my ideas and gain more from others that are also just trying to do what is best for their students?
Indeed, Lorie! Good question and glad to see that the world will benefit from your wisdom, your reflections, and your ideas. :)
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