A large part of a coaches job is that of a learner. I take this role very seriously because I am a part of a high performing learning community where teachers are life-long learners and leaders themselves. I constantly have to seek knowledge and tools to keep steps ahead of those that have chosen to follow me.
To learn, I work on being connected to a larger community. I remain connected through Twitter and reading blogs of educators across our globe. This allows me to have dialogue with others about educational issues from an assortment of different perspectives. This on-going two way communication leads me to instant learning in real time without delays in getting ideas penned and published.
To demonstrate my point: I am in the middle of cleaning my house this morning. I take a one minute break (which now has become 9 minutes) from vacuuming and sit at the computer to see who in my network is twittering this morning. A teacher by the user name, langwitches has left the following message:
New blog post:The Power of Playing.Time to explore.That is how I learn too. http://tinyurl.com/ysk3ej 23 minutes ago from web
So, 23 minutes has passed since an educator has written and e-published. These are her ideas not months or years from now that I am reading, but less than a 1/2 hour after she's penned them. I follow the link and discover this a post http://www.langwitches.org/blog/2007/12/08/the-power-of-playing/ that takes me less than 4 minutes to read. The analogy is applicable to not only students but teachers who follow coaches. I'll use this analogy in someway in my coaching. I also jump on e-mail and leave the link so the Leadership Team I am part of can read the post. How easy...and in under 10 minutes! Happy Learning
To learn, I work on being connected to a larger community. I remain connected through Twitter and reading blogs of educators across our globe. This allows me to have dialogue with others about educational issues from an assortment of different perspectives. This on-going two way communication leads me to instant learning in real time without delays in getting ideas penned and published.
To demonstrate my point: I am in the middle of cleaning my house this morning. I take a one minute break (which now has become 9 minutes) from vacuuming and sit at the computer to see who in my network is twittering this morning. A teacher by the user name, langwitches has left the following message:
New blog post:The Power of Playing.Time to explore.That is how I learn too. http://tinyurl.com/ysk3ej 23 minutes ago from web
So, 23 minutes has passed since an educator has written and e-published. These are her ideas not months or years from now that I am reading, but less than a 1/2 hour after she's penned them. I follow the link and discover this a post http://www.langwitches.org/blog/2007/12/08/the-power-of-playing/ that takes me less than 4 minutes to read. The analogy is applicable to not only students but teachers who follow coaches. I'll use this analogy in someway in my coaching. I also jump on e-mail and leave the link so the Leadership Team I am part of can read the post. How easy...and in under 10 minutes! Happy Learning
Suzanne,
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I Just left langwitches. Thank you for sharing it. I've spent over an hour there already.
Deb Stevens
Learning at the speed of twitter. Did you ever get the vacuuming done? For a lot of the teachers that I come in contact with, learning this fast scares them. They are still steadfast on the idea that learning should take place in a classroom and at a slower place. I am lucky that I learn more from tools like twitter because that is the way my brain works. It is so important that we are disciplined with ourselves, though, and make time to be reflective. I know that for me, if I don't reflect and try to put all the little pieces of learning I do together, it will not be learning it will just be pieces of random knowledge. Just another chalk mark in the pro column for blogging huh?
ReplyDeleteThis is an important lesson to give the students. Probably more important than the tools we are using.
Brad
bradmdav.wordpress.com
I get the connected part, I don't get the value of vacuuming when we could be learning! Seriously, twitter, blogging and online learning has changed my life professionally and personally. For the first time since I graduated from college...I'm looking at a future that is open to endless possibilities and it is exciting!
ReplyDelete