Expert Lurker Seeking Other Online Educators

I love my online networks.  Without them I would not be the educator I am today (and may not even be in education without them).  What's the draw?  Over the past ten years, I have thought long and hard about why I'm drawn to reading what others do or don't like to do in their classrooms.  I began learning through an online network when I was a student at Bread Loaf School of English in the summer of 1999.  Thank you Bread Loaf Teacher Network for teaching me how to interact with a group of professionals online.  Thank you for encouraging me to get my students involved with other students online. Because of BLTN I stayed in the profession.  I had the guts to get my doctorate.  So thank you, thank you very much.

Within the past three to four years, I've become involved in other social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.  I read educator's blog posts and have many I follow, even if I don't agree with them philosophically.  I have tried to post on Twitter and my own blog regularly, but am only sporadically successful in posting.  Life has gotten in the way!  And I have been too easily defeated by people I categorize as gatekeepers of the technology within my professional life.  The only people who encourage me to use online networks to grow as an educator are online educators.  Unfortunately I haven't found many of these educators within my school building. 

Am I turning over a new leaf?  I always do after I've had a week or so off to regroup and refresh my mind.  This time, though, I want to find others like me out there.  I know you are there.   Here's another teacher who feels similarly--let's explore together.

If Hee-Haw Were Here Today...

Larry the Cable Guy would be holding the sign that said BR549.

Don't Forget Your "hiney" shot!

My eight-year-old daughter Rebecca said the darndest thing today. 

As she and my mother were riding through town after school, she asked my mom what a "hiney" shot was.  Not realizing my daughter had a flu shot at school earlier today, Mom was caught off guard by the comment.  When Mom asked her to repeat the question, Rebecca somberly asked her what a "hiney" shot was.  Then she pointed out a billboard and said, "You know, that 'hiney' flu shot that's up there on the sign."

Mom had to pull over to keep from having an accident.  The number one printed on the sign was in a sans serif font.  The sign actually read "Get Your H1N1 flu shot."  Smart kid.