Prof.+Development

=Staying Connected to Technology= Teachers have many excellent tools available to stay connected to a personal learning network through the web. A personal learning network becomes a quick reference for questions, support for new ideas, and a way to stay updated on latest trends and ideas.

It is also important to consider that personal learning networks keep us familiar with the learning literacies that our own students can use. As Will Richardson points out on his blog, "Because at the end of the day, community building has to become an integral part of what we do in our classrooms with our students, as well. We have to be able to model those connections for them and understand them in ways that are meaningful to our own learning practice."

Consider this blog post from Will Richardson that further outlines the importance of learning networks for both teachers and students titled [|Transparency = Leadership].

Here are some networks that I find especially useful:

ListServs and Newsletters

 * The Teachers List: []
 * Teachers First: []
 * The Classroom Flyer: []
 * Education World Newsletters: []

Nings and Social Networking Sites

 * [|Classroom 2.0]
 * [|Ning in Education]

Educational Bloggers

 * Always Learning: []
 * The Innovative Educator: []
 * Teachers Love SmartBoard: []
 * Web-logged: []
 * Open Thinking: []
 * Ideas and Thoughts: []
 * Larry Ferlazzo's Blog: []
 * iLearn Technology: []
 * Education Technology Blog: []
 * 
 * Look for others on blog lists of favorite bloggers or supportblog.com.
 * Look for others on blog lists of favorite bloggers or supportblog.com.

Twitter
Register at this site to find "tweets" and follow people that have similar interests. This applies to all areas of life but many educators are "tweeting" and sharing little gems online. It is also a great way to connect with others.
 * [|Reasons to Twitter in School]
 * Tweet Threads: Type these in the "search" for twitter and subscribe to the RSS feed.
 * #gr8t
 * #comments4kids
 * #smartboard

Readers and RSS Feeds

 * [|Netvibes]
 * Google Reader
 * Add multiple content feeds including video, images, blogs, rss feeds, etc.