Sunday, February 10, 2013

Telling Our Stories with Social Media

Just recently I attended MECA, our state educational technology conference. I always enjoy attending, but more so presenting. This year I presented: Getting Organized with Diigo. I find this social bookmarking tool to be helpful in organizing my life, so I figured it would be fitting to share its many features with fellow educators. To access my list of bookmarks for Diigo resources, click here.
Eric, my husband (@peoplegogy), and me at MECA 2013. 
This year's keynote for the conference was led by my social media hero, Eric Sheninger. Eric not only delivered on his message, but also in his passion. His love for his school, community, and students was evident in his work. He is the example of how school leaders can utilize social media to tell our stories and implement effective change within schools. Instead of preaching about integrating technology, Eric is leaps ahead by embracing it and living it. As I sat and listened to his message, I reflected on ways we use social media in my own school and classroom. My goal as an educator of the gifted is to not only showcase and capture those moments of learning and achievement for my students, but also to show what we do in gifted education. On a school level, social media is our window for parents and the community to see what our children are learning and capable of. I have always been a advocate of showcasing and telling our stories, which many times can be the greatest stories ever told. Thank you, Eric for sharing your story.

4 comments:

  1. Elvira,
    My name is Melissa Canterbury, and I'am a student in EDM310 at the University of South Alabama. I really enjoyed reading your list of bookmarks for Diigo. I have never used Diigo much less heard of it. I think organization is key to success in any field and you have helped make it easier with these resources. I loved what you said at the end of your post. When it comes to technology in the classroom, I have always only considered helping students improve and allowing them to explore their options. I have never really thought of it as a showcase for their achievements. It makes sense, just never thought of that point of view. I can not wait to become a teacher!

    Thank you for this very useful blog!
    Melissa Canterbury

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    1. Thank you for the comment, Melissa. I cannot live without my Diigo, especially since it is where I virtually store my bookmarks. I recommend you sign up for an account!

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  2. Hi Mrs. Deyamport! I am also a student in EDM 310 at South Alabama. I was assigned your blog to follow for the nest few weeks. I will be doing a summary of two of your blog posts, as well as my comments, for a blog post of my own. It will be posted no later than 3/8/13. You can find my blog here.

    First, I wanted to thank you for mentioning Diigo! The resources link you provided was so helpful. I was using Diigo in no time at all. My favorite thing about it is that you can highlight certain parts of webpages and attach personal notes. I can't wait to share this with my classmates (and others who view my blog).

    I think it's a great idea that you showcase your student's work and share their stories. I think taking an approach such as this one will provide a strong sense of pride and accomplishment. Kudos!

    If you have any other sites such as Diigo, or anything you think would be beneficial, I'd love to hear your suggestions.

    Thank you so much for a wonderful read!

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    1. Hi Jeanette,

      Thanks for stopping my blog! I am glad you found Diigo useful. I love to showcase my students' accomplishments because I believe it is important to own and share what our children are capable of. In addition to this blog, we have a class blog and Google site for our school. These are wonderful tools to share what is happening with parents, families, and the community.

      As for other tools to use in education or schools, I recommend you check out Skype and Edmodo. I mention them both on this blog and make special mention of Skype in the Classroom. It is a wonderful site to connect or find other projects around the world.

      I wish you a successful semester,

      Elle

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