Learning Together Beats Doing It Alone

We have come a long way. I remember teaching teachers how to use email back in the mid-90s when it was just taking off. I can hear the dial up modem now. At that time, we were using AOL, independently, not as a district requirement. There weren't a lot of options at that time. It would be years before this was the case.

It amazes me how far we have come and how many virtual opportunities we now have to share and grow with each other. One of the first curator's that I remember at the time is Kathy Schrock. I was so excited to participate in a workshop of hers a couple years ago on Virtual Reality at the Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference. Yes, she is a trailblazer, but really think about how far we have come. We can communicate with anyone, anywhere, anytime using tools like Google Hangouts, Twitter, Thinglink, and so many more. In fact, in the summer of 2018, Lee Araoz, Colleen Terrill and I ran a conference workshop to show educators how to run a Mystery Hangouts with Google Hangouts. Colleen leads a Googlepalooza event each August which I have presented for. In the summer of 2018 I had an EPIC adventure planned so I could not attend, in person.

Colleen, Lee, and I were excited to run this activity and share our love of learning to collaborate with our peers while breaking down barriers and connecting classrooms. Colleen lead the helm here in Massachusetts while Lee and I dialed in with Google Hangouts. I was able to connect from Warsaw, Poland, to participate. Good thing Lee is a history buff as he was able to answer some questions about Warsaw for me. The participants had to find out where in the world Lee and I were by asking yes or no questions while Colleen helped moderate in Massachusetts. We had a blast thanks to video conferencing and some curious teachers.

Today we have more tools than ever to identify primary sources, share ideas, and communicate in real time with people around the world, even in our PJs. Computer technology puts the world at our fingertips. As an educator, the learning is endless. Check out my Wakelet Collection to see some of my favorite resources. Together we can achieve great things.