Who made you the expert?
This was a game I'd play with my 4th graders when we had just a quick minute in line or between transitions. I'd throw out a topic: the Alamo, mammals, boardgames, Olympic events~and they had 1 minute to tell me all they knew about that topic. I was often amazed at the knowledge different students could share on various topics.
This is what 5317: Resources for Digital Environments felt like for me. I could throw out a question and so many experts quickly came up with so many answers that often lead to more questions and research opportunities for me. Our first big challenge came with deciding on a topic for possible publication. This is where I first tuned in for my experts' knowledge~ Topic: Where do you read work-related articles? My colleagues, teacher friends, and learning group had so many answers, so very quickly, which included everything from Facebook groups to TCEA submission guidelines.
My article needed to be related to my INNOVATION PLAN while being interesting to read and informational. Again, I turned to my experts (learning/accountability group) to narrow down my topic. I plan to submit my piece to several groups, so I won't link it here, but I can share the PUBLICATION OUTLINE that got my writing started. Until this class, I had not thought about sharing my knowledge with the masses, nor did I realize some articles can't be shared on any public platform prior to submission. I'm not trying to be secretive, but I've learned that to self-publish, even on my personal eportfolio, can disqualify my article from some sites, magazines, and journals.
Next, I turned to my experts again when tasked with a media project. The topic: platforms for podcasting or vlogging. I got the usual answers~ YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook Live. I considered Podbean and Flip (formerly Flipgrid). One of my experts and classmates, Shaneigh, was exploring Riverside for podcasting, so we ran with it and learned a new platform. I'm excited to share the first installment of the Empowering Learners Podcast where you'll also get an idea of our publication topics! Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and enjoy!
If your time is tight, here is a time-stamped script & outline, with additional resources and examples, so feel free to jump to the starting point for each topic.
To wrap up our 5317 journey, Dr. Grogan gave us the opportunity for a Q&A session that was more free-flowing than a structured classtime. I took the opportunity to play, "Who made you the expert?" one more time. This time, I needed help with recommendations for a program or product that would help teachers limit website-strolling on Chromebooks in PK-2nd grade classrooms. In just a few minutes, I had 6 suggestions from 3 experts/classmates, and now I have options to explore and share with my colleagues. Through chat, I received contact information from 2 classmates and definitely plan to pick their brains as needed. I'll happily return the knowledge when the opportunity presents itself and I'm grateful for all the learning opportunities and the expanded network this class has provided.
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