Connected Educators Month

Connected Educators Month & Back to School

Posted by Andrew Gardner on

Have you heard about Connected Educators Month? This August, the US department of Education is launching a coordinated effort with many education organizations (including BrainPOP) to provide events and activities in dozens of online locations to develop skills and enhance one’s personal learning network.

So whats happening?  In addition to a jam packed 3 day kickoff event featuring a virtual who’s who of contemporary education voices, there will be ongoing ways to get involved, including

  • Forums on key topics, such as personalizing learning and the future of the teaching profession,  and preparing for the first 6 weeks of school which will be moderated by noted education leaders and consist of online discussions, interviews, webinars, chats, and more.
  • Guided tours and real-time community open houses, which will connect educators with communities, answering questions such as: Who can help me solve challenges I’m facing in my classroom and how do I best connect with them? How can I help change my profession for the better?
  • Contests for addressing community challenges, developing innovative ideas, and creating compelling video demonstrations.
  • Inauguration of a new series of open badges for connected educators as well as online communities.

BrainPOP is super excited to support the event  and we will be doing so in many ways!  First up, on August 3rd at 3:00, senior manager of BrainPOP Educators, Andrew Gardner,  will collaborate with seasoned online facilitator Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, founder of the 21st Century Collaborative consulting group, to moderate the “First 6 Weeks” kickoff event .  Most educators know that the first 6 weeks of school can make or break a school year for students and teachers.  Whether you’re a new teacher getting bearings and building strategies for classroom management, or a seasoned teacher looking to expand your reach and exposure to other educators, this panel discussion featuring Suzie Boss, Lyn Hilt, Jane Krauss and David Rosas, will help you consider goal setting strategies and practical steps for establishing a strong foundation for the new school year.

So, we certainly hope you’ll join the kickoff event, but in the meantime,  lets get the discussion going now!  What do you do to establish a strong community of learners at the beginning of the schoolyear?  Are there any clever ways that you’re using BrainPOP to help your first 6 weeks of school?