This blog post comes at a bittersweet time. In the past week, my subscribers have surpassed the 150 mark. Thanks to all who have subscribed. I'm honored that so many people take the time to read my thoughts and ideas. On the other hand, this is only the second blog post of the summer. I am normally more frequent in my blog posts, but a few weeks ago, my dad, Lou Juarez, passed away suddenly at the age of 80. Edtech blogging has been on the back burner since then, but I am getting back in the "blogging saddle" as it is very therapeutic. Click here to read about my dad's amazing life.
A popular hashtag amongst educators is #bettertogether. This hashtag spreads the message of sharing resources and ideas amongst educators. It reinforces the spirit of collaboration. Since the COVID-19 crisis has juxtaposed the way we do school, the spirit of this hashtag has spread like wildfire. Traditionally, teachers have taught in silos. They were given the keys to their room, handed a textbook and taught the best they knew how. This isn't an environment conducive to collaboration. With the crisis, many teachers who were still stuck in this mindset have shed those shackles and reached out like never before. Teachers who dreaded me, the tech coach, entering their room or striking up a conversation, immediately felt the need to reach out and learn to adapt to the changing landscape. Many of these teachers are beginning to branch beyond their instructional coaches into social media to continue to learn.
If you're reading this blog, you're a connected educator that knows the value of a PLN (Personal Learning Network). You're an educator who's active on Twitter and member of EDU Facebook and Voxer groups. If you're looking to continue to grow your network or would like to help get a colleague starting growing theirs, take a look below at some of my favorite Facebook Groups to join. Becoming a connected educator was a watershed moment in my career. Hopefully you can connect with more people to support you through the turbulent changes currently going through education.
Facebook, recently, has put a huge emphasis on Facebook Groups. Some of the Facebook Groups TV commercials have been pretty clever. Educator Groups have been flourishing. It used to be common for educators to be on Twitter for professional networking and Facebook for personal stuff. That is no longer the case. The beauty of Facebook Groups is that you can connect with other educators without having to "friend" them. Check out some of my recommended Facebook Groups.
#EduMatch: Founded by Sarah Thomas, #EDUMatch is like the match.com for educators connecting educators with other educators that match subject, grade level etc.
#ToTheEdgeEDU: This group is centered around the stories and philosophy of Nevada educator Kyle Anderson and his book of the same name. It's a great resource to connect with educators who share stories of risk taking and resilience.
Teachers Using Google Suite for Education: This group is a worldwide group for people to find support for anything dealing with Google Suite for Education.
#CVTechTalk: Founded by my wife Katherine Goyette and I, this group is an offshoot of our weekly Twitter edchat where we discuss edtech and pedagogy. The CV stands for the Central Valley of California, but all educators worldwide are invited to join the conversation.
Site Leaders Connect: This group is the official Facebook Group for my wife, Katherine Goyette's Google Innovator project. Its purpose is to connect educational leaders with each other and spread a culture of innovation amongst administrators, coaches and leaders. If you know an educational leader looking to find inspiration, this group and website has a treasure trove of 15 minute insight interviews.
Facebook for Education Group: This is a worldwide group for educators to ask questions and get support for anything in education. Responses come quickly so if you're looking for a good "first group" to join, this is the one.
The Suite Talk: Founded by fellow Google Certified Trainer Kim Mattina, this group is another great community for getting cutting edge ideas and support using GSuite tools.
If you have any questions and would like a follow up, contact me via Gmail or Hangouts at ajuarez@techcoachjuarez.com. If you would like to unsubscribe from this blog, go to bit.ly/tcjinbox.
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