#edtechex

I have spent a considerable time on Twitter since I started using iPads at school. After all, I had no idea what I was doing, and I realized that Twitter was a great place to start learning.  As I've learned from the best, interacted with other educators, and taken part in quite a few Twitter chats, I've found myself getting frustrated at times.  People were still giving out good information, but it was getting harder and harder to find practical tips.

Think of it this way.  I'm a Philadelphia Eagles fan.  Let's say I spent a lot of time hanging out with other Eagles fans (which I don't, because I live in the middle of Bengals' Country, much to the annoyance of my Steeler-loving wife).  We would talk about how much we love the Eagles, hate the Cowboys, and post pics and videos of our favorite Eagle moments.  That's all well and good, but what if I want to learn -- and this is where my analogy breaks down for a 42-year-old -- how to be a better football player so I can BE an Eagle?  This talk does me no good.  I need to seek out people who will help me get faster, stronger, and better with my tackling skills before I can hope for a contract to wear midnight green. 

I've found a similar vein running through Twitter for educators.  We all love to teach. The majority of us integrate technology, tend to be constructivist, and aren't too fond of standardized testing.  We think there should be more projects and student involvement in their own learning.  After a while, hearing this talk doesn't make me a better teacher; it just helps me feel like I'm part of a cool team.  If I want to actually BE a better teacher I need to seek those teachers out who will give me practical teaching tips.

That leads me to #edtechex. It's my little humble hashtag way of gathering together teachers who are willing to share EDucational TECHnology EXamples that they have found useful.  In order to join us, just use the hashtag next time you post a blog entry that you feels fits this criteria.  

Last spring, we succeeded in having a few live chats and we can attempt that again in the upcoming school year.  We'll chat every Thursday from 12-12:30 on #edtechex. Join us!

In the meantime, here is my original blog post introducing #edtechex.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me using my Twitter account or at cncdky@gmail.com.  Thanks!

Archives:
5/6/13 -- Our very first chat.
8/29/13
9/5/13
9/19/13 -- SAMR
9/26/13 -- LMS
10/3/13 -- Random Stuff
11/7/13 -- Mobile Apps
11/14/13 -- Presentation Software
11/21/13 -- Coding
12/5/13 -- Using EdTech to Teach Holidays
12/12/13 -- Commiserating and Bonding
1/9/14 -- iBooks, Accelerated Math, Social Media, IWB, and stuff
1/29/14 -- Blizzard Bags
3/13/14 -- eBooks, Gatsby, Pinterest, and Dating Advice
4/10/14 -- Talking about coding, presentation software, digital footprints, and ugly footwear
4/24/14 - Andrew asked us how what tech helps us breathe.
5/8/14 - Chatting away about The Cloud
11/20/14 - Getting back in action. What project are you working on? 
12/4/14 - A short discussion on the upcoming Hour of Code.