Category: connections

being me, connections, PLN

Are We Really Connecting Anymore?

Pernille Ripp

I cried this morning when I said goodbye to my family.  Not that I am sad to go to North Carolina, but more because the fear of the unknown, going to a conference to present by myself, is something that is hitting me hard.  You see, I am so used to going places where I know people, where I can quickly seek out those few people that I know will introduce me to others, that will hold my hand while I navigate the conference waters.  This time though, I am pretty much flying solo and so I had a decision to make; do I do what I was hired to do; present and then lurk around at sessions without much interaction but still learning, or do I push myself out there, get the most out of this amazing opportunity that has been afforded me, and do exactly what I tell others to do; connect.

As a connected educator, I am so quick to tell others to reach out, ask questions, and connect, yet how often do I do it myself?  How often do I sit down with someone I don’t know?  How often do I attempt a conversation with a stranger?  How often do I open myself up to the chance of learning something new and not just seeking out those people that I know already?  We get so stuck in our circles of educator friends, people that were strangers once, that we forget to expand those same circles.  And we become stagnant, and we perceive our own importance as something larger than it is because everybody already knows who we are and what we stand for.

While the introvert part of me is yelling rather loudly to spend the next few days as quietly as possible, the tiny adventurous part of me is actually winning.  And I am letting it.  So these next few days I am going to connect.  I am going to seek out.  I am going to introduce myself.  I am not going to hide behind a book or a computer, but instead greet every new adventure with a smile, reach out to others who may be sitting alone just like me.  Go to sessions where I don’t know the presenter, where I am not an expert already on the topic,  but just want to learn.  Yes, I may make a fool out of myself, I may reach out to people who don’t want to be met, and yes, I may find myself alone at times.  But I will be having a great time wrapped up in my incredible nervousness.  I will be connecting, going back to how it used to be before people started to read this blog or started to ask for advice, establishing new ways for me to become a better teacher, and maybe even have some great conversations along the way.  Wish me luck, I am pretty sure I am going to need that or at least some courage.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark,  who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade.  Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students’ heads every day.  The second edition of my first book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students” will be published by Routledge in the fall.   Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press.  Join our Passionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

aha moment, being a teacher, connections, PLN, trust

Voxer Takes Connections to the Next Level If You Let It

Pernille Ripp

This summer I, along with many other educators, got on Voxer and started discovering just how powerful of a PLN tool it could be.  Although I wrote a post extolling the virtues of the app then, it is not until now 5 months into using it that I have truly witnessed the incredible power it holds for me.  Voxer is not just for collaborating, it is for connecting, and those connections are changing my life.

As educators, and especially female educators, there seems to be a weird phenomenon surrounding us; the seemingly overabundance of highly connected male educators, whether administrators, teachers, or tech integrators.  (Yes, this is a simplification, but bear with me).  I have often wondered about the apparent “mens/boys” club that seem to exist on Twitter, at conferences, and on blogs that list who people must follow, and have even written about it in the past.  Don’t misunderstand; I don’t feel the need to be a part of a male club, instead this realization made me long more for my own female version that could share the same camaraderie that seemed to exist in these groups, the ease with which they communicated and had each others’ backs.  I wanted my own group of women that would inspire me, support me, and actually become friends.  Enter Voxer.

5 months ago a few acquaintances and I started a Voxer group.  I didn’t think much of it, after all I was in about 8 different groups at the time all discussing various things related to education, and loving it.  The group consisted of 5 women from different parts of education that all had a few things in common but were nowhere near being close friends.  At first the Voxes were funny, little slivers of our lives and thoughts being shared.  Yet with time those Voxes grew, sometimes spanning more than 5 minutes, and as they grew so did our bond.  I never knew how much I needed this group.  I never knew how much I needed a group of women to grow with.

Yet, this group is not the only one I go to every day hoping for my heart to be filled, for my inspiration to be renewed, and my thoughts expanded.  Another Voxer group is between a few female educators I greatly admire and am lucky enough to call friends.  These two women have inspired countless blog posts, helped me make huge life decisions, as well as made me laugh.  Every week we check in, we update, we share our thoughts, making sure that we all feel supported, that we all feel cared for.  How powerful is that.

So if you are in need of a tribe like I was; don’t be afraid to reach out.  Use Voxer a s a way to connect to others in a deeper way and don’t be afraid to ask others to be in a group with you.  If you are a female connected educator but feeling alone sometimes, Voxer is your place.  Start a group, take the plunge, reach out tot those that you maybe only know a little and see what happens.

The groups I get to be a part of, those that really matter to me, weren’t planned. We didn’t set out to create these bonds, but they happened because we tried.  They happened because we realized that by having this tool to bring our voice together, we grew stronger as a group, we grew because we trusted each other.  You don’t have to feel alone even if you are a connected educator.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA,  who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade.  Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students’ heads every day.  First book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students” can be purchased now from Powerful Learning Press.   Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press.  Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

being me, connections

Why You Should be Voxing

Pernille Ripp
image from icanread

I am not one to post much about new tech tools, after all, I don’t use a lot, which I know may be a surprise to many.  I tend to find a few that I really, really like and then use them to death, telling everyone to use it and then helping everyone do it.  I don’t review a lot of tech tools on here because that is not what this blog is about.  In fact, I can’t even remember the last time I wrote a post about anything new.  But it is time to introduce the world to something new, that may just make your whole summer; Voxer.

What is Voxer?  It’s a free walkie-talkie app.  Now, you may think, like I did, why would I want  a walkie talkie app on my phone?  The first time I was told about it by my friend Leah Whitford, I didn’t get it.  Then I forgot about it.  Then the Bammys finalists announcement happened, and another friend urged me to join the conversation happening on Voxer.  So I did, and I have loved it ever since.

First of all, Voxer adds another layer to my connections.  I can now hear someone’s voice on my own time (the audio messages are archived for whenever you want to play them) and that matters to me.  I can tell a lot simply by a tone or a quick comment.  Much easier than texting, much more meaningful than a direct message on Twitter.

Second, Voxer lets you add as many people as you want to a conversation.  I am a part of a few different groups that started out discussing one thing, but have since branched out into other topics.  I have loved seeing where these conversations have headed and also the new people that have joined that I did not know before.  (Don’t worry, you have to invite people to the conversation).

Third, I can reach out so easily now.  I have reached out to several of my friends and fellow connected educators with everything from a quick hello to asking for a favor.  I have also been sent messages from people I have never spoken to or met but that I have connected with through Twitter.  You decide whether people can find you or not, I like that I am findable though so I can expand my connections.

Fourth, it is making my commute awesome.  Because the audio and text messages are archived within the conversations chronologically, I can catch up whenever I want.  All I have to do is hit play and listen.

And finally, for all of the other reasons that I left out and a much better explanation of how to use it, please see Joe Mazza’s post on Voxer and how he uses it.  And a Google Doc where people have shared their Voxer names and info.

I am a passionate (female) 7th grade teacher in Wisconsin, USA, proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students’ heads every day.  First book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students” can be purchased now from Powerful Learning Press.   Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” can be pre-ordered from Corwin Press now.  Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

being a teacher, being me, connections

A Not So Delusional Guide to Twitter

Pernille Ripp

When I moved my blog from Blogger to WordPress last summer I mistakenly assumed that all posts would seamlessly transfer.  I have since found the error in my thinking and have decided to re-post some of my more discussed posts.  This post first appeared in May of 2011 but still rings true to me.

I have read so many posts on how to get on Twitter and get connected, many of them offer fantastic advice and yet some of them keep reiterating how it is all about following.  Follow one person, and then see who they follow, and then follow them, and soon you will be following so many people you will feel like the most popular kid in the school.  Except you don’t.  Instead you feel like the kid who came to prom only to take pictures of all the cool people there.  So I offer up these tips instead for those trying to figure out Twitter.

  1. Follow one person, or even 10 but then stop.  Let yourself process what Twitter is and how these people are using the tool.  Don’t mass follow, you will find enough people to follow, just take your time.
  2. Connect.  Once you have a couple of people you follow, reach out to them.  Tell them you are new, tell them your story, and comment on their blogs.  Open up about yourself, start a conversation, and give them a reason to connect back.
  3. Don’t give up.  Sometimes I felt like the biggest loser when it came to Twitter; no one thought I was witty, no one rt’ed my posts, until I realized that this is not what Twitter is about.  Twitter is about the connections (I know, I sound like a broken record) so it is not about the retweets or single comments but the dialogue you get involved in and the people you meet.
  4. Who cares about Klout?  I didn’t realize I had a klout number until my husband asked me what it was.  Then I had to look it up because that little number meant nothing to me; it still doesn’t.  If you are asking whether Twitter is worth your time you probably haven’t connected with the right people, so keep connecting.
  5. Don’t worry about the popular kids.  One thing for ongoing discussion has been the grades of popularity Twitter educators seem to have.  Sure there are people with massive followings, but guess what?  They are normal people and they probably have that many followers because they say some really great things and they are good at connecting with others.  It is okay to reach out to them as well, no one is off limits.
  6. Make it work for you.  Twitter is what Twitter does.  I constantly use Twitter in new ways that work for me.  For Twitter to truly become a useful tool for you, it has to fit your needs.  There is no wrong or right way to use it (although there may be better or worse ways).

So there you have it, my small piece of advice on how to get something out of Twitter.  Of course, you can follow as many people as you want, but think about what your true goal is: numbers or connections?  I, for one, count my connections just as much as I count my blessings.

Be the change, connections, reflection

It Is Not Enough to Be a Connected Educator Anymore

Pernille Ripp
image from icanread

Today I approved more than 70 comments on my  students’ blogs.  Strangers from Canada, England, The Netherlands, New Zealand, and many states took the time to celebrate the writing my students do, to encourage them to write more, and to praise their voice.  They shared stories of their own fire mishaps, their own resolutions, their own love of books.  All because my students asked them to.  All because I asked them to on Twitter.  Today was not an anomaly.  Today was simply another day in the life of my connected students.

I didn’t get connected myself at first so that I could connect my students.  In fact, it didn’t even cross my mind.  Why in the world would 4th graders need to have anything to do with the world?  Why would I ever want them to open up to strangers or to let strangers have any kind of contact with them?  Being connected was not something I saw as a necessity.  Being connected was something they could figure out when they were much, much older.

But then we got connected.  Once I started blogging, I realized that they should blog too.  Once I started learning from strangers, I realized the power of reaching out to others that knew more than me and how the whole world could be my students’ teacher, not just me.  I knew I was not enough anymore, and I was at peace with that.

Yet, I think we forget the power of connecting our students, even when we are connected ourselves.  We talk about connected educators and all that it brings into our lives, but I think it is time we shift the conversation to that of connected students.  Sure, I am connected, but that does not matter if my students are not.

So rather than just push teachers to get connected, let’s focus on getting their students connected too.  Let’s focus on showing what bringing the world in means and how it can change the way students think about the world.  Let’s focus on making global collaboration easy, even if on a small scale.  It is not enough to be a connected educator anymore, we have to be connected educators that connect our students.  We have to let our students reach out tot he world and see how the world answers.  We have to trust them to do the right thing and teach them how to do it best.  Just like we do for ourselves, we must push a global education, we are no longer enough in ourselves.

 

Be the change, connections, reflection

Do You Have to Be Connected to Be A Great Teacher?

Pernille Ripp
This morning I read the great post Excuses, Excuses…Will a Child’s Future Wait written by Tom Whitford, a man I am lucky enough to call friend.  As I read it and nodded all the way through it, I kept thinking how right Tom was, and yet, when we discuss people not telling us they have time for social media, or time to learn about new technology, we also have to look at how many people don’t see these things as a necessity to being a great teacher.

In fact, the whole notion of being a great teacher, administrator, or whichever role one plays in education seems to be split between two large camps.  There are those that believe that as long as they deliver relevant content every day, cover the standards, get through what they need (even artfully so) that then they are doing their job.  That is what makes them a great educator.  Then there are those that believe that to be a great educator, one must be connected through something (social media, local group whatever), should be researching new ideas, and should definitely be implementing those.  Then one can be a great educator.

Those are two very different camps to be in.  One sees no need for outside connections and the other sees the creative urgency in having them.  One does not find the time necessary to make connections because it is not deemed essential to being a great teacher.  Whereas the other wholeheartedly believes in the necessity of these connections and thus takes the time to do so.  I wonder if the unconnected educator can be just as great as the connected one, I tend to lean toward a resounding yes because of what I see on a daily basis; plenty of “unconnected” educators that are still phenomenal teachers.  And yet, I wish they were connected because so many of them have great things to share.

So when I come across people that do not understand why I tweet, blog, or connect with other that I may never meet, I often wonder how they get inspired.  I know where I draw my inspiration from; my students, my family, and my PLN.  Where do those that do not have a PLN get theirs? I know I cannot convince them of the power of dedicating time to connecting, sharing, reflecting in a an open forum until they deem it important enough to dedicate their time.  And that is an entirely different mindset to cultivate, so how do we do that?