Transform Your Classroom (and Yourself) by Being a Connected Educator

It's Connected Educator Month (CEM) and there are a ton of ways for teachers to participate. It's a national (actually international) initiative that was originally developed in 2012 by the U.S. Department of Education.

Highlights of CEM 2014 included:

• hosted 800 events during the month,
• mentioned on 6 million web pages,
• reached educators in 139 countries and
• every two days counted 15 million tweets.

So, who would benefit from participating in CEM? EVERYONE!  No matter where you are on the "connected" spectrum (true beginner, adept, expert) there are activities and tools that may benefit you! Even if you are not an educator, learning the basics of becoming connected to others in your industry will greatly benefit you personally and professionally.

For beginners, I would suggest downloading the Connected Educator Starter Kit. It is chock full of introductory activities that will get you started. By no means are you expected to do all activities (31 Days worth)!  Instead, pick out the items that interest you. I highly recommend Days 1-4 for beginners. You'll create a professional Twitter account and start to find content related to your interests. Days 15 and 16 help you start a blog where you can reflect on learning and teaching. 

For those who have already dabbled in using tools such as Twitter, Youtube, a blog or other Web 2.0 tools, I also recommend the starter kit as you may pick up some new tips. On Days 7, 8 and 9, you'll explore using Digital Storytelling to connect with others. I encourage you to also check out the hundreds of events taking place throughout the month. 

The Connected Educator Month official website has an updated blog and Radio (podcast) station where you can hear educators talking about how being a Connected Educator has impacted them professionally.

Participate now and connect with thousands of other educators in this huge initiative. Connected Educator Month (October) is only the beginning. You can direct your own learning whenever and wherever you want.

If you are an educator at Bethlehem Area School District, you have the opportunity to earn BFLEX hours for participating in CEM. Contact Evon Zundel for more information.

To follow on Twitter, follow the hashtag #ce15 or @edconnectr.