Blog – BookCampPD

what prompted you to join twitter?

June 18, 2020June 21, 2021 by mjjohnson1216, posted in Uncategorized

By Meredith Johnson – @mjjohnson1216

June 18, 2020

What prompted you to join Twitter? This was a question I tweeted out on May 23, 2020 and again the next day. I found the question received 81,084 impressions and 2,170 engagements. Quite impressive! I posted this as I hoped to share, with educators all over the world, how many different reasons there are to join Twitter. In the book, Evolving Learner (Rowell, Andre, Steinmann, 2020) they share, “If you are an adult who has … avoided social media for another reason, we encourage you to hear us out and take another look. Social media, when used thoughtfully and well, could be the most powerful source of professional learning that you have ever found.” Keep their quote in mind as you read through the responses that follow. What I adore about all of them is they are so different! 178 unique individuals responded to this question – some of them showing their marvelous creativity!

Depth and accessibility of the professional development opportunities.

EdCamps

You have voice outside this building,

Becoming a connected educator has been a total game changer!

Learning that takes place

Build a broader PLN and learn from educators who I’ve seen at conferences or read books by.

Keynote speaker that recommended using @Twitter to learn.

Principal, @BrianMoore55 was a huge inspiration

A desire to be able to reach my students for this account.

School. I manage my school’s twitter feed. That and going to conferences.

Grow as an educator, get on #Twitter. He was right! My #pln has grown substantially. I also try to advocate, inspire, & empower others. I love connecting w/edus who have the same #positiveenergy & love for our profession positive energy

Twitter shamed by an AP in my former district

Good intentions turned into the best ongoing PD received and a fantastic PLN group!

My goal was to expand my PLC by interacting/engaging with teachers beyond just those in my district. In all honesty, being a part of #TeacherTwitter has taken my career to a whole other level. I love my #TeacherTwitterComm!

I was honestly just being a follower at the time listening to all the Twitter buzz.

Hesitant at first, but joined for the team and never looked back! Found educators who stretch my thinking and inspire me! So glad I found my tribe!

I learned about Twitter when I attended @iste several years ago. #edutwitter and the #educhat platform have served as an invaluable resource to @grow my craft.

Professional and personal development. I can interact with professionals from around the world

More professional, reaching higher profiles, more expertise shared, more opportunities created.

It was required for our school PD. Never thought it would be this #awesome

I fought it as just another SM but joined and saw the PLN of it all and I am so glad I did.

To increase my professional connections and further my learning. I love my Twitter peeps.

About 10 years ago I went to a conference session on blogs, wikis, and Twitter as educator tools. I did all 3 for a while but Twitter is what stuck!

It took me about a year to give in, way back when I started, but it was when I realized I could follow most of what was happening at a conference I couldn’t attend in person that I got it enough to give it a chance

I needed more support for my kinders. Not just DonorsChoose, but the brilliant minds I have connected to here. I have gotten emotional support to try new things and rethink old supplies for new used.

PD by @JillBromen

It was the Thomas Fire out here in SoCal. I wasn’t getting good or timely info on school closings etc. There were a couple people that stepped up and did what the media wasn’t doing. Having that connection thru Twitter was huge. I have met so many educators thru this also

For me, it was b/c Alan November @globalearner told us it was a MUST at my first @NLearning

#BLC conference back in 2010. So obviously I followed his advice & got signed up then & there. Next step was attending @lthumann ‘s session on 25 #edtech leaders to follow to get me going!

A place to follow my students and to contact them teacher twitter has helped me more than I’ve ever thought it could!!

I was doing research for my first book and I was told I could reach a lot of people. I didn’t know how to use it. I did sign up and then it lay dormant forever a long-time

@globalearner visited my school and I was inspired to try again.

Believe it or not that was 5 years ago and only due to this pandemic have I become so involved here. This educational Twitter family is my go-to for all thing’s education, motivation, inspiration & support

VSTE and ISTE there usually is a hashtag to follow and I keep up with those I know. There are sometimes gatherings to eat or whatever that get coordinated and contests. I also like to tweet out what I learn at sessions and tag teachers I know might be interested

I think someone mentioned it in 2007 and I was bored. For this account I discovered edu Twitter in 2013 at a conference.

It was April 2009 and I was looking for innovative ways to connect with students and share lessons.

Post it with my syllabus for my university courses – but not my middle school classes. That said, my student audiences are not on twitter much anyhow. It seems much better teacher-to-teacher and professional-to-professional.

Years ago, a colleague encouraged me to try Twitter and as the saying goes, “I never looked back!”

I joined as part of an assignment in grad school to connect with #edtech professionals and build a professional learning network

I was fairly new to social media still and made an account. Later, I had a grad school assignment and this is the growth since then. I follow a few hobby related threads but its education related for the most part.

An assignment in grad school to connect with #edtech professionals and build a professional learning network

I have been an educator for 30 years and Twitter had helped me learn about new digital tools, curriculums, resources, books, and conferences about education. I have learned about Educational Leadership, new learning platforms, new technology features

Twitter chats

This is kind of sad, but I used to teach at a small #school where I always felt like a nobody. Then I started connecting to people on Twitter, and they liked my ideas and they listened to what I had to say. For the first time in years, I felt as though I mattered

Have gotten great advice and feedback and made amazing connections. I am the only one of my kind at school. I teach a tech maker STEM class, so I dont have that team. Twitter is my team.

I started to collaborate with educators all over the world and use Twitter to improve my teaching.

@JillBromen launched the use of IPAD s for all ELL teachers in my district.

@gcouros gave an aMAZing presentation about the positive impacts of Twitter, it has truly made a difference in my educational career.

I used to avoid it. The name just set me on edge. Until I discovered the networking & building a PLN as an educator. I so value the connections.

I joined when I started at a new district. It was the best thing ever!

Networking. Twitter is great for connecting!

I initially joined after a district initiative to use a Twitter as a platform to share practices and current reality with colleagues and parents.

to Merce @Ms_Sampson23 who convinced me join this platform. I have met an awesome networking team of educators, access to relevant PD sessions and chats that keep me abreast of new tech. trends and changes in education.

When I was in college it was required for some of my education classes. Second time was a push from admin in my school for networking opportunities.

To learn and grow from other educators.

Wanted to connect with educators sharing new and exciting ideas

I attended an Ed Tech Summit and learned about all the possibilities. One of the best decisions I ever made. I have learned so much and gained some great relationships.

I joined because of an online conference called Reform Symposium.

The interactivity for sure!

Learning and connecting to other learners

I started a personal account back when Twitter was new because I wanted to talk to John Mayer. Then I bumped into edu chats & made this profile

I joined in 2011… no idea why. But didn’t start to really use it till 2015 when I discovered Twitter chats for educators. A world opened up for me. I still remember the excitement of that moment!

I was hired as an edtech coach. I had heard that teachers were on Twitter so I thought it may be a good way to learn some things.

Initially, to join a chat about the #Oscars but learned yrs later the power to learn, connect and share.

Primarily to grow my #PLN but also to maybe perhaps make some friends… the former has been a work in progress, the latter – not so much… Oh and… Eid Mubarak

I wanted to get better as an educator…What better way to learn then by being connected to giant edu community…Still learning, growing, and connecting

@gcouros came to our district and trained us on Twitter and did a Twitter-vention as @alicekeeler would say create a handle use a hashtag how to follow people or other educators ”imagine if every teacher at your school tweeted one positive thing per day”

I wanted to get better as an educator…What better way to learn then by being connected to giant edu community…Still learning, growing, and connecting

It’s what all the cool, connected educators were doing. I’m so happy I tried it out!

IDOE book study

When I was superintendent, I told my faculty to join Twitter…revolt! So, I never mentioned again. A few joined…

It was April 2009 and I was looking for innovative ways to connect with students and share lessons.

I just wanted to learn from different perspectives, cultures, subjects….

About 13 years ago my friend in IT said, this thing is gonna be a big deal. I haven’t consistently used it but I’ve had one since then. Most recently my move to edtech prompted my increased engagement

To keep up with what is happening in the world

Curiosity. Twitter had only been around a few years. My daughters and I were looking at it and Second Life.

My friend, @doriedance

Wanted to connect with educators sharing new and exciting ideas

The opportunity to connect with likeminded people and to increase my professional learning network.

Book study at school

To connect with other passionate educators!

Teaching, Learning, connecting with others that stretched way beyond my zip code to start …

I joined after attending an online conference Roscon? That was orchestrated by @ShellTerrell … it was my first experience with online conferences after my master’s degree!

For me… opportunity to collaborate with other professionals on a personalized learning platform; I chose what I want for no cost!

Leadership academy

I wanted to live tweet conference sessions instead of taking notes I’d never look at again

I started using because some friends of mine that I respected in education (2APs etc.) said that I needed to be on it and it was on Pd goals. Glad I did because I have learned a lot and met some great people and made some great friends

I wanted to stay connected to my students

Another teacher used it and showed me its possibilities. I swear it’s been the source of the best free professional development I’ve ever had. I’m constantly inspired by other educators out there! – 85

The same as most other things that draw me in. Curiosity and Wonder. The fundamental question: What’s this? Eleven years later, I’m still learning from following.

I started using it at NCSS 2016. I learned of the power of Twitter and and it has changed me as a teacher.

I joined after a conference where people were using it share their learning. Didn’t really get it until my first Twitter chat a few months later and realizing it was a level playing field where anyone could share out

The reason I joined – I was at a convention in WI where @E_Sheninger was speaking in 2013. He encouraged every single one of us to join by the end of the convention. I did.

Wanted to connect with other educators. Love hearing the ideas, and stories, shared by others so that I can grow in my own leadership and better serve my teachers. Some challenge my thinking and some support. Twitter for me is about growth opportunities.

The reason I “engaged” (which took me a few years after “joining”) – I was reading #KidsDeserveIt & #BeTheOne. Their reflective questions at the end of each chapter pushed me out of the role of Twitter observer to Twitter contributor. I have not looked back ever since!

Celebrating our school story but it has become so much more!!

Rapid, creative sharing of ideas, resources, collaboration of math educators

To build a professional network! To be able to go and seek answers from people who do what I do!

Required by school admin to check in @ PD.

@kresak2j offered me chocolate..true story. @kresak2j gave intro PD to staff & placed chocolates in our mailboxes if we were caught tweeting (thanks, J!). From that day, I’ve been so impressed with the wealth of info at my fingertips & the experts I can connect with in an instant..love it

The college class I was taking encouraged it in order to increase digital communication

I wanted to connect with other educators at #ISTE14 and discovered that Twitter could help me learn and grow exponentially on my own time, in my own way. I’ve been a #ConnectedEducator ever since!

I read the book “The Innovator’s Mindset” by @gcouros GAME-CHANGER

I started in 2008. At first I just wanted to see what it was. Then in 2009 I found a huge running community as I prepared for my first marathon. Somewhere near the end of 2010 I discovered teacher friends and EDU & that has been my purpose here ever since.

I started because of the hype but quickly discovered it as a source to challenge my ideas, learn and connect with others that I would never have had the opportunity to meet otherwise

I wanted to connect with other educators and was encouraged to by friends in real life who have a strong network here.

I wanted to connect and learn and grow from likeminded positive educators in order to expand professionally!

I started this account last April. I became a Fund for Teachers fellow and they asked for my professional social media and I realized I didn’t have any. So, I started trying to figure it out. It’s been the best PD.

Students!

I joined because it seemed to be the thing to do at a conf I attended. I stayed as I realized there was more here than pics of food & running. What an amazing space in which to learn/share! Here you can find your voice. fellow edus, & all kinds of inspiration!

You can blame @burgessdave & @tishrich for introducing me to the professional benefits of being here.

I was inspired by @raehughart, and she led me on an amazing journey that has truly changed my life.

I joined Twitter because I was trying to grow my professional leadership within the education field. In the end I met some great people who helped me grow beyond my job and education and I’m extremely happy to call them friends and family!!

Building my professional learning network when I started my journey to become a teacher!

To connect with other school librarians and tech leaders. School librarianship is an island. Finding others in my content who were interested in honing their craft, sharing ideas, and building community led me to Twitter.

The then-new tech guy @kcalderw made me! LOL True enough story. Then again, you learn from people with different experiences. His #edtech experience and knowledge has transformed learning in our school, starting with something as simple as, “You need to get on Twitter.”

Started after attending a conference several years ago and wanted to stay connected to some of the presenters. I have found Twitter to be some of the best PD.

Increasing my personal learning network and connecting with other educators!

#bookcampPD

Work! Hobby!

Get new ideas and feel inspired

Wanted to be a part of a bigger teacher community

I had reached a point in my career when I was severely doubting my ability to enable positive change. I’ve been overwhelmed with joy in connecting with other educators and leaders who truly care. It has reinvigorated by passion to make a difference.

I joined Twitter to post pictures and share with parents what we are doing in the classroom. I have since found it a great place to connect with other educators.

My college professor @kvdixon showed us what a powerful tool Twitter could be for #PD .

I was beginning a 21st century Classroom and wanted to connect my students to other classrooms around the world! I also wanted to learn from other educators.

I was encouraged to use Twitter to connect with other educators, be inspired, and to seek out answers to questions.

I like others was looking to showcase what I was doing at work and collaborate worldwide.

4+ yrs ago, my colleague @heystryker encouraged me to join Twitter for the learning community it could provide. As an instructional technology coach, I wanted a way to get ideas, to see what others were doing. Eventually I was comfortable sharing my own ideas! Best decision ever!

I use Twitter to broadcast my essence – authentically, boundlessly, consistently, devotedly, expansively, fun-lovingly, gracefully, hopefully, lovingly transparently, vulnerably, wholeheartedly.

A bright young educator who showed me the opportunities to connect with educational thought leaders here! @b_e_sanders

True story: I came because @TheEllenShow wanted to ‘break Twitter ‘ when she was hosting Academy Awards. I wanted to see what that meant. I stayed when I stumbled upon #tlap & #bfc530. I can’t imagine going back. I have built an amazing #PLN and am better for it.

I started in 2012 when @gofrontrow hosted a @NorthBayCUE twitter training. It’s been a fantastic way to keep up to date on EdTech issues.

My job!

For me it was curiosity. Started poking around in 2009. Created the account as a “class newsfeed” but eventually moved toward the personal leaning/collaborating side and created a separate class account (@PS10Tech and now @HeathcoteTech)

I felt like Twitter provided me with positive, inspirational thoughts on education as well as the latest and greatest in the field. This helped me provide top-notch PD then, as a coach, and continues to do so now, as an administrator. I like remaining current!

Wanting to interact w/like-minded Ts having a similar experience to mine. Joined very close to beginning of Twitter when we were all trying to keep up w/everything new in leveraging tech in Ed. It quickly became my source of learning, camaraderie, & collaborative problem solving.

First to push a Donors Choose project but then did nothing for ~5 years. I moved to a new district that uses Twitter so I resurrected my account, but again did very little. Then @mradamwelcome did PD for our district mentioning the benefits. I found chats and the rest is history!

A friend who suggested that it was a great professional development tool for learning and global connections

I was speaking at a BOE meeting about class size and demands on teachers. Our Union asked if anyone was on social media. Suggested tweeting out as we waited for the BOE session to begin. So, I did ….

I wanted to create a group for our high school to promote positivity for our kids. Since then, I have followed so many other educators and more to better serve our students! There is so much out there!

Joined Twitter about a year and a half ago to connect to the #gamemyclass folks especially @MrHebertPE who are a bunch of badass gamifiers lighting up the classroom!

Initially it was used for publicity, to share a current event as it was happening. What am I enjoying? I appreciate witty remarks. I appreciate being able to choose what I want to see/read. As an educator, it’s a quick way to share out what’s happening in our classrooms.

It was introduced at a PD session. At first, I was clueless but once I got the hang of it, it has opened my eyes to so many positive things in my teaching career!

WSTA started to get involved with more educators

To learn!

Connection and building a PLN – learn from others. Share with others.

I wanted to connect with other educators.

The #clearthelists campaign got me started, and it’s been great to connect with teachers worldwide.

A colleague suggested I would find the like minded, similarly motivated educators I was looking to engage with, on #Twitter so I joined and she was right. Thanks @CathyWilson123

Professional development and networking

Started twitter thanks to @PLTWorg during a Lead Teacher training! I think others are hesitant because it’s tough to start a social media platform with zero followers and no idea how to “get more”

I wanted to connect with educators. I’ve discovered a wonderful world of like-minded educators. I never knew about chats. Learned as I bumbled through. I love what I learn from our #PLN. I love to contribute & learn. I’ve made some amazing & supportive friends.

One of my grad school professors said that it was the best spot for PD. And it was!

I had a Twitter account for a few years and was just an observer. It wasn’t until a @gcouros presentation years ago that I saw the power of engaging in the platform. Haven’t looked back.

I joined to share the amazing work being done on our campus and within our district. Little did I know that it would allow me to make connections with people from around the globe. I have learned from so many master educators through chats and through their posts.

I was challenged to use it for developing a wider PLN.

Purely to find like-minded educators that I could learn from. I remember lurking for several years before I dare even say a peep! It continues to be my favorite space to develop myself in education and tech integration!

My AP actually encouraged it

The most expansive PLN ever!

My admin program was trying something “new” back in 2011

I had written my book Blended Vocabulary. The marketing team wanted me on Twitter to promote it. So glad I took the plunge! Have learned so much!

I was learning @Flipgrid and found a lot of tricks here!

Professional network

To become connected with other educators worldwide and locally to share ideas and learn new things which is a continual journey in Teaching.

You are amazing @NAlston9 @JohnnaParaiso suggested it to me many years ago, but it wasn’t until 2016 when I became addicted by discovering #Ellchat_BkClub and @Toppel_ELD

Grant money

I was referred to Twitter by @CBTennyson to use it for educational use in an ELL workshop. And have blossomed ever since.

Networking amongst other educators. It is awesome.

Get connected and learn from a larger community.

My principal

I did so for a grad class back in 2011 #edtech

I was at a conference 2012 and met Kelly Gallagher. He said he uses Twitter for work. My journey began right then and there.

And I started one at a PD workshop as a teacher. I didn’t use it for years until I became a Dept Chair and had to use it.

In all honesty. I made one in college because my professor made it an assignment. I used it a bit back then but only recently in the last year or two got back into it after my department chair told me I should use it for PD.

Started using bc @kfairchild6 told me about this thing called “Twitter” where I could connect and learn with other educators. That was the Fall of 2016. I had just returned from an almost 3-year leave. Best advice! The classroom had changed so much! Glad I’m changing along w/it!

Is your mind swirling with all of the positive thoughts these educators shared? Jennifer Casa-Todd shares in her book Social LEADia, (2017), “Once you experience how powerful, meaningful, and transformation technology and social media connections can be, introducing them into your classroom for students to experience becomes not only desirable, but imperative.

I created WordArt of all these responses for you visual learners! It’s so interesting to see the words that seem to jump out of the heart at you.

So now, my question to all of you reading this is, how will you use the information to encourage others to come and learn with us? Will you share it at your school or district in hopes of helping them understand how many different reasons there are to join Twitter? How can this blog post work toward my dream of encouraging those not using Twitter to jump in, and either try it again, or get their feet wet? You can make a difference in achieving that goal. I believe we are stronger together!

Books Calling to You From the Shelf

September 30, 2019April 29, 2022 by mjjohnson1216, posted in Uncategorized

by Meredith Johnson

Do you ever sense one of your favorite books calling to you from the bookshelf where you placed it? It is like suddenly thinking about an old, cherished friend and quickly dashing off a text message to that person or calling them to be sure they knew you were thinking of them. The same warm, treasured emotions rise to the forefront. Can a book be like an old friend? Many of the professional books I have read seemed to “take my hand” and slowly guide me through new learning experiences that would be rolled out time and again to help children. So, to me, it appeared to be a friendship between myself and the author.

This morning, I read a blog post by Jeff Zoul. https://jeffreyzoul.blogspot.com/2019/09/sometimes-things-happen.html In the posting he referred to a book he had written with Anthony McConnell The Principled Principal: 10 Principles for Leading Exceptional Schools. When I saw the graphic of the book, a smile came across my face – as if I was seeing an old friend who had helped guide me at one point in my life. There is so much wisdom in that book!

book the principled principal

The experience of running across that book shifted the rocks around in my head and I suddenly came up with an idea. The chat #BookCampPD has focused on over fifty amazing professional learning books like the one Jeff and Anthony wrote. Many of the authors, like these two, Pam Moran, Rachelle Dene Poth, and others have continued to support the weekly chat #BookCampPD and the members of our #PLN. The website contains all these books and most of them, resources and a link to purchase. Since nearly all the books we have reviewed were selected by educators like you, they must be like your “old friends.” So, my idea is to have each book spotlighted for one day at our hashtag #BookCampPD. Of course, you could always jump over to the page on our website that contains all of them https://mjj61244.wordpress.com/books-to-read/ along with resources and a link to purchase. Or, as the tweet with a graphic of a book slides across your screen perhaps it will be like hearing it call to you from your bookshelf?

To all the authors and educators who continue to support #BookCampPD, please know how very much you are appreciated! ♥ Follow the hashtag each day and show your support for all of the authors whose books will again be in the spotlight!

Twitter Chats

June 27, 2019April 29, 2022 by mjjohnson1216, posted in Blog

Reflections About Twitter Chats by Meredith Johnson

What is all this noise about Twitter chats for educators? This past week I briefly scrolled through over 200 education hashtags to review the content they were posting. One after another, my cursor flew across all those tweets. It was an interesting task and I wanted to write a blog post to share with you what I learned. Is Twitter transforming before our eyes?

Are there repetitions from one hashtag to another? You bet there are! A great deal of what is shared between chats could be considered advertising. People reach out to others to sell a product, encourage them to go to a conference, participate in their chat, read an article or blog they wrote, and keep them up to date with books that have been written. At times, moderators post tweets between chats sharing who the next guest/topic would be or the name of some amazing educator who agrees to be a guest moderator. There could be a graphic sharing the change in a date/time/occurrence of a chat. All this information shared for about 150 education chats that are on Twitter! Amazing!

What are some of the interesting pieces of chat information I noticed? I have been active on Twitter since March, 2012 – seven years and it has been very interesting to watch Twitter evolve. After searching out a hashtag that I hadn’t seen before from a list of Twitter chats, and scrolling through the most recent tweets, I noticed others seemed to “grab” that hashtag title, glop it with about half a dozen more, and tweet out information they believe is important in hopes of reaching the largest amount of people in one message. This could certainly be an effective way to communicate but there is one huge problem – no one ever goes to that hashtag as the chat stopped occurring years ago. Perhaps, another person notices this tweet, and they also cut and paste the hashtag into a message they want to share – the ineffective sharing of information continues! Now, if they thought about what target audience might be interested, searched out that chat hashtag and used it to share a message, this sure would increase effectiveness!

There are countless reasons why chats drop to the wayside in Twitter Land hallways. Often people begin a hashtag, start a chat, promote whatever mission they’re on and then move to the next project in their lives and forget about it. It will be interesting to see if this process increases during the next year.

How I would love to do a study on the number of teachers using Twitter from each State! I mention this as I have noticed the tweets being shared by specific State hashtags such as #OhioEdChat or #TxEd different greatly from West Virginia or Alabama. What factors play a role in one State in our country having teachers so active in Twitter chat participation and another not? Is it their overall focus on professional learning of educators? Are teachers in only a few states granted professional development credit toward certification renewal for participation in Twitter chats? Are the chat moderators from those States different in some way? I bet you could make a few guesses yourself as to why this happens.

I wonder about several things ….

Where is the higher education voice in Twitter chats?

Why are topics of chats/questions so similar?

Use of conference hashtags has increased tremendously – what direction will this trend take?

How important is it to focus on tweeting high-quality, valuable content or are “feel good” tweets just as important?

How are teachers making decisions about which chats to join? What might cause them to return week after week?

What aspect of Twitter chats do you wonder about?

How will this social media platform adjust over the next year to better meet the needs of those who use it?

I hope you will find the database of education Twitter chats I created helpful and share it out in tweets you create with others.

https://mjj61244.wordpress.com/twitter-hashtag-search/

Reflecting on Helping Others by Meredith Johnson and friends

June 6, 2019June 30, 2019 by mjjohnson1216, posted in Blog

I worked with hundreds of teachers who retired – why did I so rarely wonder what they did with their lives once they were finished teaching? School administration can be all-encompassing, so my thoughts were usually focused on the next challenge rather than retiring co-workers. I remember being so thrilled when a retired teacher would appear in the school’s office area and I could inquire, “Is there really life after working in education?” They would smile and share with me that indeed there was. I would probe deeper and ask, “What do you do with your time?” Many times, they weren’t specific, which would puzzle me, and simply share that they were plenty busy each day. I remember sitting in administration meetings where details about our pending contract negotiations talks would include statistics about possible retirement benefits. I would wave my hands through the air and ask the men present if we couldn’t talk about something related to students as this discussion was boring. They would laugh and ask me if I wasn’t concerned about my own retirement benefits. “Oh, for goodness sakes, no, I am not. That won’t arrive until decades from now. Let’s talk about something interesting!” The years zoomed by at lightning speed and suddenly I was standing at the edge of beginning my own retirement.

When I was fortunate to have two weeks away from being at a school, I would quickly become bored and want to return. I thought this was what being retired would feel like, so I wasn’t looking forward to it at all. This month marks two years of retirement for me and I am content with how I am daily involved in education with a caring group of individuals on Twitter. Yesterday, one of the educators I had met on Twitter sent me soaring into space with a message she tweeted out.

From Cathleen Beachboard @CathleenBeachBd

Just wanted you to know I am dedicating my upcoming book to you. We are now in production to print. If it was not for you and allowing me to guest blog, I would not have had the courage. You didn’t know you made such a difference, but you did. Thank you, Meredith

It’s about student empowerment. I know you don’t know me very well Meredith but within the past 5 years, I’ve completely changed my practice in teaching. At one point in time, I was 285 lb and a student asked me to lose weight because he didn’t want me to die. So, my students help me to lose a ton of weight and through that journey, I discovered ways to empower students through service learning. The book will be coming out with Routledge publishing. It’s entitled 10 keys to student empowerment. However, I would never have had the guts to do it if I did not have the opportunity to do that guest blog post that I did for you. Even though it was a little thing you did for me it inspired me. It gave me the confidence to tell my story. I wanted to acknowledge you and even though it’s a small thing it’s my way of appreciating you. I just submitted the entire manuscript for publication today. Today I start the book publication process. However, as I go through it, I will keep you updated. Thank you for being awesome.

Can you imagine how thrilled I was? Then today, I receive the following tweet from Bridget Gengler @BridgetGengler

The exchange begins with me asking the question, “Who do you think believes in you each day?” Bridget responded, “Oh! So many people .. my husband, first and foremost. My family and close friends push me each day, Just as I believe in my students, they believe in me. They cheer me on every day. We need those people in our lives just like our students do.” Then I continued the conversation by adding Adam Welcome’s graphic. Bridget closes out the exchange by sharing that she considers me one of her “pushers!” What an absolute honor!

These are the discussions that make my day! I may not walk the hallways of school buildings any longer, but I am thankful to have found a way to continue in helping others.

Sharing Your Summertime Thoughts

May 28, 2019June 7, 2020 by mjjohnson1216, posted in Blog

Dreams of Summer by Meredith Johnson and #PLN friends

Can you hear the soft summer breeze just outside your window? The songs of the birds flitting from branch to branch welcoming the change in seasons and often, a shift in your life. I asked several educators to share their dreams of summer so I could add them to this blog post. It is a wonderful time of year when different thoughts run rampant in an educator’s imagination and call out to them to alter the daily habits they have grown so accustomed to following. I hope you enjoy reading the thoughts they have shared. Perhaps, once the cool winds of autumn blow, they will again share and write their memories of a summer past?

By Tosh McGaughy @ToshMcGaughy

Two weeks ago, our family became whole again as my husband fetched our college freshman daughter home from Norman for the summer. Her metal straws, her vegan cheese, and her ethically sourced toiletries are back with a vengeance, and we are all delighted to have her home, even for just a couple months. My husband and I actually are fighting for opportunities to drive her to her job in Dallas (she won’t drive or own a car because of her carbon footprint), just so we can have the drive time to talk with her and catch up on everything we have missed over the last nine months. As proud as we are of her launch into adulthood, we have all missed her terribly. Thankfully, my summer hours at work give me Fridays off so we will have long weekends to visit museums, explore new vegan restaurants, and go to plays and concerts. Catching up on Grey’s Anatomy episodes and a July trip to NYC is also part of our Charlotte-is-home-for-the-summer plans. Having our family under one roof seems like a gift; a gift that I took for granted for eighteen years but that I won’t this summer. Hooray for family time and daughters who return home!

A Couple of Reasons Why I Love Summer

By Rachelle Dene Poth @Rdene915

When people find out that I am a teacher, one of the first things they say is “it must be nice to have your summers off.” Yes, it is, but in all honesty, I would be totally fine if my school switched to year-round schooling. I enjoy being in the classroom and look forward to each day and what it brings, even the challenges that might pop up. More than anything, I love working with students and learning from them. My reason for loving the summer is not because I don’t have to go to work; it’s because it is an opportunity to have more time with family and friends and to take part in professional development and reflection.

Time for Reconnecting

Life gets so busy sometimes that before you know it, weeks and months pass by and you might find that you haven’t had a lot of time to spend with family and friends. Of course, technology helps us to stay connected, whether we use text messaging, different apps, FaceTime or even a hangout to see our family and friends, it’s not the same as time together in person. More days at home means more time for family and friends.

I’m also excited for conference season to be here and to have time to spend with some of my closest friends learning together and relaxing. I will be presenting at Summer Spark and ISTE 2019, fantastic conferences that bring so many educators from around the world together. I’m looking forward to being a part of the EdWriteNow Volume 3 group of authors in July and spending time with my good friend Jennifer Casa Todd and a writing retreat later this summer. Knowing that I will spend time with my core groups, the 53s and the #4OCFPLN, plus meet other members of my PLN for the first time, in real life, is one of my favorite things about the summer.

Time for Recharging

Summer is a time for a lot of things, one of the most important is self-care and recharging. So, doing some normal summer things like sleeping in late, catching up with friends and family, going on vacations, ditching our devices and not worrying about setting the alarm are important for our self-care. Summer is also a valuable time for teachers to do even more on a personal and professional basis like think about their practice and take advantage of the opportunities that are out there for personal and professional development and growth.

Time for Learning

A more flexible schedule for the summer means more time for attending conferences or webinars, joining in book studies or Voxer groups, or connecting within different learning communities. It might be easier to get involved in a Twitter chat, whatever it is during the school year that just doesn’t seem to fit as part of your routine, make it part of your summer routine.

There are lots of opportunities out there and my advice is to decide what is best for you. Do you want to be in one Voxer group or join one book study? Then make that your focus. Or maybe you want to start a blog or create a new website. It’s up to you because it is your time to decide how to spend your summer break. I’m thrilled to be part of the summer BookcampPD book study with my book In Other Words. Looking forward to discussing the six books included in the study and of course, the two weeks in July (July 15-28), when we get to talk about my book and share ideas and takeaways from it.

Enjoy yourself

Each summer gets better and better, and it’s not because I traveled and spent hours on beaches, or to the contrary, kept idle. It is because I have used the time to learn more, to read, to connect, to reflect and to prepare for the next year. My summer goal is to work so I can start stronger and be better than I was the year before. Whatever you do this summer, make time to recharge, connect and learn. And don’t set the alarm 🙂

Kellie Bahri @kbahri5

Awesome! Summer for me is bittersweet. Saying goodbye to the school year is very difficult for me. I’m a work workaholic, so shutting my brain off takes serious commitment, but it’s my gift to myself. My dreams for summer always take me to Michigan’s lakes. Whether I’m paddle boarding in the lily pads, kayaking Lake Superior, or just dangling my feet off a dock into the water, I am home. Being in nature refuels my soul. I am a much better teacher for it.

Hedreich Nichols @Hedreich

As a tech/design teacher in an IB middle school, I spend most of my day connected to some device. Google Classroom, PowerSchool, music, emails, my personal kid’s grades, etc. I also read, shop, tweet and binge watch all online, so I dream of being unplugged with the ocean reflected in my aviators. I want to sit under an azure sky with a latte, or something icy with an umbrella in it, letting a gentle breeze caress me, while salsa music- band, not playlist– soothes my soul.

Lainie Levin @mrslevin11

This summer, I dream of doing more. More “less.”

Let me explain.

Throughout the school year, I pack all of the “more” I can into my days. Between planning, grading, kid logistics, managing a household and trying to maintain some semblance of self-care, I find myself crammed in with little room to breathe.

I used to feel obligated to be productive with my summers so that when people asked me what my plans were, I would have an answer that sounded important and busy: graduate work, professional development, curriculum planning.

Don’t get me wrong, I still continue much of that over the summer. I don’t think it’s ever possible to completely shut off my teacher’s brain. But I’m also realizing that I don’t have to feel guilty for having times where I am unproductive. Simply put, I need to come up for air. And summer is the time to do it.

And if that means I do less? So be it. I’m owning it.

This summer, I dream of doing less of my “more,” and more of my “less.”

More hiking and walking.

Could the News Media Play a Role in Shifting Toward Innovative Practices in Schools? by Meredith Johnson

March 4, 2019June 30, 2019 by mjjohnson1216, posted in Blog

Many thanks to David Culberhouse and David Geurin for this graphic

I just finished reading What School Could Be (2018) by Ted Dintersmith @Dintersmith and almost every page contains examples of schools who are jumping into innovative practices. Ted shares that we roll out, “Yet another round of teaching all students standardized material, in standardized ways, to a new battery of standardized tests.” He shares six variables that stand out which educators can use to capitalize on an innovative change model that empowers teachers and students (pg. 189 – 190). The hundreds of educators I worked with during my forty-year career would certainly agree that I adored innovation. I also stood solidly behind the new standards when they were released. I fully embraced them as a motivational tool to cease educators spending two months on a unit about dinosaurs and a student who endured this only to have a different teacher, two years later, spend three months on the same topic. When I began in education students took standardized tests, but the data went into three-ring binders that collected dust on the shelves. Teachers rarely, if ever, saw the results. As the assessment corporations increased their data reports to include sheets that both teachers and parents could easily understand, the amount of money school districts were spending increased ten-fold. We grabbed hold of those data sheets, pouring over the results, to locate gaps that, once filled, would help our students’ achievement continue to increase. What has happened in the decades that have followed (No Child Left Behind, 2001 and Race to the Top, 2009) with both standards and standardized assessments, haven’t led us down a path to innovate.

All this standardization lead to developing “good little soldiers” who could learn the standardized curriculum and spit out lower level responses to standardized assessments. This leads me to the question, “What if …..” as I don’t believe most of us have the desire to settle for “What is ..” “Standardized-testing regimens cost states some $1.7 billion a year overall, or a quarter of 1 percent of total K-12 spending in the United States, according to a new report on assessment finances. If the money for standardized assessments was instead put toward teacher raises, the report estimates that each teacher in the country would receive, on average, a rise of $550, or 1 percent, based on data about teacher salaries and other factors from the 2012 Digest of Education Statistics” (Education Week, 2012).

I wonder what will be the impetus that will move our country toward innovative practices that will prepare students for the future that lies ahead? Perhaps, carefully studying history will provide answers to this question. What has previously occurred that provided the motivation for systemic shifts in our education system? The initial idea of No Child Left Behind began somewhere. Since a great deal of the power to shift our current system has now been given to the States, policymakers at the State level rarely stay in office the necessary three to five years to positively affect a change, where does this leave us? Does it feel to you as if we have shifted into an automatic “cruise” mode?

What if …. news associations like CNN and Fox News reported daily on innovative practices that are happening in schools across our country? Families adore hearing about how the places they send their children each day are in the spotlight for something terrific. If the news capitalizes on innovation as a stellar approach, on a consistent basis, I imagine many will sit up and take notice. Ted Dintersmith’s book certainly has enough schools mentioned to last for almost a year of daily coverage. Is it true that Americans only tune in and watch the news to hear the latest and greatest tragedy, negative comment, problem, disaster, or politician arguing with each other? As a child, I sat and listened, year after year, to Walter Cronkite sharing the number of youths who were returning home each day in body bags from the Vietnam War. You bet that made an impact then and on the adult I am today. Could news reports, flashed across your screen, about innovative practices impact others in a positive way? What will occur that will shift current practices, in most schools across the United States, in order to prepare children for the future ahead of them?

Against the Wind by Meredith Johnson

January 26, 2019June 30, 2019 by mjjohnson1216, posted in Uncategorized

How fortunate we are as educators to have the opportunity on Saturday mornings to chat with others about our favorite topic and read passionate responses to posed questions. This morning, I was inspired by others during #LeadUpChat and #LeadLAP. I view it as a waterfall of insightful comments that rush over me as I try my best to keep up and yet have a sense the bright sunlight on my face from their caring tweets. As the graphic below shares, my thoughts are swept away into reflective moments that inspire a blog post like this one.

This morning, I posted a graphic by George Couros @GCouros about a culture of compliancy rather than quality learning, creativity and innovation. I began thinking about the changes in education and society, during the last fifty years, away from compliancy toward innovation. A light bulb flashed on in my mind when I realized that when I worked in a school or district setting that embraced my strong need to seek innovative approaches toward increasing student achievement, I flourished as a leader. On the other hand, when I spent time in a culture that required compliance, “do as I say,” be a good solider and “follow what we tell you” my frustrations boiled over.

These thoughts brought on additional reflection – “Did these compliancy settings stop me from being innovative?”

No, they didn’t.

Since student achievement soared, thanks to the amazing, dedicated educators who guided the children in all the settings, I am certain quality learning was taking place. I believe this took place, in part, from my never-ending modeling, leadership, and commitment that all students would be readers. I spoke of the frustration of being an innovator, yet, surrounded by those who sought compliance from me to follow long ago established rules. You have heard of the Bob Seger (1980) song, “Against the Wind”? As the words in the song share,

“Against the wind
I’m still running against the wind
I’m older now but still running against the wind
Well, I’m older now and still running
Against the wind.”

That is what it felt like in schools or districts where those who were supervisors sought compliancy and I quietly moved toward creativity and innovation. This is not to say that I don’t well understand their position of seeking a person who would listen carefully, return to their school and obediently follow their directives. After all, this is the leadership model that they had spent decades learning from and following; it was what they were most comfortable with. In my narrow-minded thinking, I would make it personal and convince myself it was about me. Oh my, I reflect now and see it was never about whether they did or didn’t like me. It certainly was about who I was as a person – independent, creative, innovative, willing to move whatever stone necessary to increase student achievement and prepare them for the, always changing, future that was ahead. Working in four different states, six districts, and eleven schools I found that when teachers were leading committees, setting the goals and in leadership positions, there was the greatest ownership toward doing their very best for children and increasing achievement. It created a sense of community that was unmatched in all of the other experiences.

I share these thoughts as I am certain there are many in supervisory roles who want “good soldiers” who will be compliant, never rock the boat, and follow directives. This would work great if we weren’t in times where the world around us is changing at the speed of light.

During the chats I spoke about, I received this tweet – “You are role model for “storm weathering” of all kinds, and sometimes when I am hanging onto the “light post” while the gust is blowing, you come to mind.” Statements like this one, warm my heart and confirm my commitment to continue to share my stories with others. I appreciate all of you more than words in a blog posting can say. Thank you!

January 12, 2019 Blog Post by Aubrey Yeh

January 12, 2019June 30, 2019 by mjjohnson1216, posted in Uncategorized

Guest Blog Post by Aubrey Yeh @Ms_A_Yeh

When I was teaching in the classroom, I had this sign on my door. It was laminated, and I would fill in whatever book I was currently reading with a white board marker. I wanted my students to see that reading wasn’t just for LA class, it was something that I, as their music teacher, enjoyed too! I loved the conversations it sparked with my students, and they really would ask me about my book. Talk about great accountability – if I had the same book on there for too long, they would ask, “Ms. Yeh, is that a really long book or something?”

I’m not in the classroom anymore, but I still love reading! I was inspired by my friend Mari’s blog and, for the first time, kept track of my reading in 2018. I finished a total of 48 books (and started three more that I am getting close to finishing now in 2019). The nerd in me really wanted to get to a round number (50) or to one per week (52), but alas, I’ll have to settle for 48. Meanwhile, here are a couple of interesting stats about my reading:

I read 35 books for the first time, and 13 as re-reads (although one was by accident – I was a couple of chapters in, thinking it sounded really familiar when I realized I had read it a few years ago)
I read 5 professional books, 4 faith-based books, and the rest (39) were mostly YA novels or biographical novels.
I really enjoy getting into series – this year, my series reads included Harry Potter, Ender’s Game, The Beyonders, The Golden Compass, The Lunar Chronicles, The Breadwinner, and Dragonwatch!
I started getting into audiobooks for the first time. I still struggle to focus when listening to books, but I really enjoyed listening to books that I have previously read on audiobook. It brought a new dimension to my imagination of the story, and if I zoned out for a bit (which is not unusual), I could still track what was happening.

Overall, I really enjoy reading for pleasure, and it’s a great escape from my day-to-day life! Maybe I should read more professionally, but honestly, I do a lot of other professional reading through blogs, articles, etc. As I begin 2019, I don’t have any major goals for reading this year except to keep it up and continue tracking what I read. I do have quite a list of books related to refugees or migrants that I started in 2018, and I will probably continue to work through it in 2019.

One thing I am always on the lookout for is good YA novels, especially series! My favorite stories tend to be an adventure, fantasy, or historical fiction. If you have anything good to recommend – please let me know!

Twitter’s Ripple Effect

November 26, 2018April 29, 2022 by mjjohnson1216, posted in Uncategorized

drops-of-water-water-nature-liquid-40784-medium

by Meredith Johnson, #BookCampPD moderator

Since I joined Twitter in March of 2012, almost six years ago, my understanding of its “ripple effect” is still growing. Years ago, when I would try to encourage my colleagues to join as my enthusiasm was like going outside on a beautiful, spring day, after months of a cold Minnesota winter, I was met with resistance. Some would say, “Oh, Twitter … yeah … that’s where teachers send each other tweets about how wonderful they are.” Or, very often, “I would like to try it, but I just don’t have the time.” These comments didn’t dissuade me but made me feel sorry that they wouldn’t enjoy the tremendous professional learning that was taking place there each day.

Fast forward six years, and I certainly see the daily influence passionate educators have for one another. What is so interesting is that you may not even ever realize your impact on others. During a chat, you quickly post a tweet, sharing your thoughts, and overtime, hundreds might read and connect with it. This happened to me recently when Bridget Gengler @BridgetGengler shared a blog posting she had written. Extraordinary things can happen, as she shared in her blog, from one idea, shared during a chat. What is most important is the impact and change that occurred with her students from this graphic by William Arthur Ward. I was thrilled when she agreed to share her blog post on our https://mjj61244.wordpress.com/blog-posts/ site. What an amazing person she is!

thank you gratitude

After moderating the #BookCampPD chat for almost two years, I also lean back and reflect on observing the shifts that take place, overtime, as educators continue their use of Twitter. A person might start out with the tremendously helpful chat, #NT2T on Saturday mornings at 9:00 EST, and move to be a guest moderator, leading their own chat, diving into writing blog posts, creating a podcast or writing a book. What amazing lead learners they are!

As I have always loved being an innovator, pushing the comfort zone of those in education, I wonder how Twitter will evolve over time. When I began in education, we didn’t have computers, certainly, Twitter didn’t exist, there weren’t any blog posts, podcasts and very few books were being written by those who are daily involved with educating children. What will come next? How can we help each other grow, be supportive of “failing forward,” and jump into new ideas, such as @Flipgrid, that will shift learning? One thing I am sure of …. we are #StrongerTogether. Many thanks to all those who share their passion for helping others each day on Twitter.

stronger together

GRATITUDE – Pass it on!

November 26, 2018June 30, 2019 by mjjohnson1216, posted in Uncategorized

A guest blog post by Bridget Gengler @BridgetGengler

Back in the beginning of October I joined the #BeKindEDU chat. That particular evening the chat’s focus was gratitude. Meredith Johnson from #BookCampPD posted the following quote from William Arthur Ward – “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving , turn routine jobs into joy and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” I decided to begin my gratitude movement in my class with this quote during our morning meetings that week.

On Monday morning as we sat down for our morning meeting, I introduced the whole concept of gratitude. I asked my students what gratitude meant to them. We had to begin the discussion with the meaning of gratitude as many did not know. I shared with them my daily routine of gratitude and how I always send a message to someone different each morning and express my gratitude towards them. I wanted them to understand how important it is to express how thankful you are for what you have and also how giving and expressing gratitude can also create joy in you, the giver.

Then I asked them to share what they thought the quote by Ward meant. This is what one girl said- “Gratitude changes an ordinary day into a great day and then it makes you feel happy because you can make someone’s day.” My hope was that they would start to understand the intrinsic feeling one gets from expressing goodness and thankfulness to others. With those thoughts in mind, I had them share something or someone they were grateful for and why. I had them write it down. I collected all the notes of gratitude and every morning meeting for the rest of the week I read some of the notes. Every morning the students looked forward to hearing what their classmates were thankful for. They looked forward to this new routine of gratitude notes. We continued this practice for the next couple of weeks. Gradually the notes turned into letters. I asked them to write letters to anyone with whom they felt compelled to share their gratitude. I also had them write a letter of gratitude to a Veteran for Veterans Day. All of those letters were handed out to Veterans.

Finally came the week before Thanksgiving. At the beginning of the week I told them that we were going to have a gratitude celebration on Friday with pumpkin pie and a gratitude circle. Each student randomly picked a name of another student in the class. Once they had the name of that person, I told them that their challenge and task was to spread gratitude to this person by making them a gift and card or letter. The next morning I put out a whole bunch of supplies and gave them time to make their gifts and cards. I stressed how much more rewarding it would be to try to keep it a secret until Friday and also really create something from the heart. As I walked around, observed and listened to them talk I could feel the excitement and genuine care that each student was taking in creating something for their classmate. They wanted to make something special and they showed that in their actions and words. The pride I felt on that day was like no other. When I thought about this activity I was not sure how serious that they would take it. But as I watched, they did not let me down. As they finished their creations, they kept them hidden in decorated gift bags that we put away until Friday. The rest of the week was a buzz of enthusiasm in anticipation for our Gratitude Circle on Friday.

When Friday afternoon came the students sat in the same circle that we sit in for morning meeting but this time it was our Gratitude Circle. I started the circle by placing a an empty wreath in the middle. I told them we were going to fill this wreath with leaves of gratitude. We went around the circle and I had everyone share one thing with which they were grateful. We wrote it down and they each got a chance to add their leaf to the wreath. They loved listening to all the things that everyone was grateful for.

After that, I passed out the bags that they were going to give out. Excitement filled the room! I told them that they would share who they picked and as they give the gift to that person share one reason why they are grateful for him/her. Everyone was instructed to hold off on opening their bags until the end so we could give hear and see everyone share their gratitude. I started with a volunteer and he stood up, shared who he picked, walked over to that person and as he gave the bag to her, he told her why he was grateful for her. This routine was followed until all children had a bag. You could have heard a pin drop as each child shared. They all listened intently to each other and enjoyed what everyone had to share. There was genuine gratitude and joy shown to each other. Each student loved being appreciated and each student enjoyed expressing gratitude.

My heart was exploding with joy as I observed with a huge smile on my face and tears in my eyes. They got it! All the time and talk about gratitude was worth it! They understood! They understood the joy and the blessing that gratitude brings.

They saw my happiness and even questioned why I was happy.

I told them ” because now you all see what I have been talking about. All the times I share how I am so thankful and how important it is to verbalize it. Once we do that, not only does it brings joy to others, but it ignites the fire inside of us – it leads to smiles, joy and positivity.

It did not end there- after they were done, I told them that I had something for them. I gave them each a card with a short personalized letter. I realized that some of them had never received a card before- they did not even know how to open it. With the help of each other, they found their letter inside the card and they all began to read their letters.

I could hear some of the conversations- ” I am going to hang this in my room.”

“What does your letter say?” “Mine says this.”

One little girl who tends to be difficult to reach sometimes and doesn’t always express herself, said to her friend, ” I love mine!” Then she looked at me and said ” Thank you, Mrs. G. Thanks for being a great teacher.”

I do not need affirmation but it is great to feel the gratitude. Exactly what I had been teaching them and trying to get them to understand came back to me. Oh, how my heart was full that day!

This day was by far one of the best days in my 23 years of teaching. There was so many times in previous years when I wanted to do this but didn’t know if I should take the time. YES! Take the time!

The year has started out difficult for me with a grade change and all the demands for academics and testing .

But as educators we can not forget that we are teaching children. They need to feel the love. They need to feel the gratitude. They need to know that others care. They also need to learn how to give the gratitude, care and love. We have to take the time to allow these moments to happen. These are the moments that they will remember and carry with them.

On this day each child was honored. Each child felt important. Each child knew that he or she mattered. That is what is important!!!

Sharing is caring!

Sharing is caring!

A guest blog post by Bridget Gengler @BridgetGengler