A couple days ago, I was scrolling through my Twitter feed when I came upon a tweet from Katie Siemer.
If you're an #edtech coach who blogs, join us! #ETCoaches! https://t.co/pENAb2nVvz— Katie Siemer (@Katie_M_Ritter) April 21, 2017
The idea for grouping edtech (ET) coaches gave me an adrenaline rush.
I was quickly drawn to it for a few reasons.
1) I really enjoy reflecting, obtaining others' feedback, and staying focused on growth (personal & professional).
2) I'm extremely interested in edtech and its purpose within education as well as society.
3) This kind of group could be another way for people such as edtech coaches or teachers who assist other teachers in tech integration to connect, band together, and push our thinking forward.
Therefore, I clicked on the link and read about the roots of #ETCoaches, its mission, and the detailed steps necessary to participate. Almost all of the requirements were things I was doing already. Without too much time or too many tasks added to my plate, I decided to join seeing that it wouldn't be a burden or possible source of burnout. But I wasn't done there, and hopefully, others aren't either.
This sense of urgency led me back to the original tweet where I Quoted it and added several hashtags of chats or groups that take part around the world.
The groups of #ETCoaches shouldn't come off as feeling limited in the representatives to one certain country/region. My hope is that through Blogging Buddies each ET Coach can learn more details within the big picture of edtech. That includes us all being open to learning about cultures, differences, and the collaboration necessary for us all to move forward with the resources/ideas we have available together.
Hi Daniel! I'm Alli, one of your blogging buddies! Reflection and connection are the keys to learning. That's my "why" for blogging buddies and it sounds like you are a similar thinker! I am excited to be on this journey with you and our group members!
ReplyDeleteHi Alli! It's great to connect with you. I also look forward to taking this journey with you, reflecting on how we can grow, and moving education on a global scale forward together.
DeleteDaniel, I absolutely love this post and your summary of the minimal time commitment and importance of reflection with other coaches. Looking forward to learning with you on the Blogging Buddies journey!
ReplyDeleteKatie: Thank you for the kind words, collaborative environment, and opportunity to share reflections. I can already sense the openness and forward-looking atmosphere among my group and others I've followed.
DeleteHi Daniel, It has been a crazy couple of weeks at my house with my oldest son graduating with his Master's. I am excited to be one of your Blogging Buddies. I am the lone Educational Technologist at my school and I was drawn to this group because I need someone to hold me accountable to reflect through blog posts and I also need others in my field to share and learn from. I look forward to reading your posts and learning from you!
ReplyDeleteHi Debra: Indeed, it sounds like an exciting crazy time for you. Hope it's going well.
DeleteI'm in the same boat as you as far as being the sole edtech person at school and seeking out more to join my PLN to go along with it. We're in this together!
Daniel, thanks for your rationale on Blogging Buddies! I think we're in the same boat :-) I just read your most recent post as well. Do you still work with students learning English? If so, what age? Or are you a coach of some variety? And is it an international school or a school mainly for Chinese students? Your story of how you came to teach in China and the broad strokes of your experience are fascinating, and I'm excited to hear more about it!
ReplyDeleteHi Dierdre: Yes, I'm still teaching EFL to 6th graders at a private Chinese school with over 90% of the students being Chinese. Thank you for sharing your excitement and this journey with me. Anything in specific that you'd like to hear more about and bring forth for discussion?
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