Connected Educator

Read my recent posts about Technology on my Metawriting blog.

I use the term Tech Pedagogy Ninja in my brief bio because I believe in the power of technology to help us connect, learn, and teach which makes technology a powerful tool to support good pedagogy. Although I embrace tech pedagogy as a teacher and leader, it is not my job. Therefore, I share my skills covertly rather than overtly. My institution does not recognize me as an expert or resource even though I do not know many instructors doing as much with tech pedagogy in their classrooms or for their own personal learning. Plus,it simply sounds cooler than Connected Educator.

I am an user, producer, learner, and educator who uses technology to connect, create, learn, and teach as well as the occasional Words With Friends match and sometimes I just can’t resist a good meme.

So what are my skills? I have developed three online classes and taught both online and hybrid classes almost continuously since 2004. I am continuously researching and experimenting and innovating new practices, strategies, and tools to improve my classes and student engagement.

I am able to do this because I am a connected educator. I have a vast network of connections through social media and organizations such as the National Writing Project which serve in turn as sounding board, inspiration, and traffic cop. It is a rare day when I am not engaged with other educators via social media. I am a true believer in the power of technology to connect over time and space to support learning and practice. My Klout score is 59 which is pretty good for an average person who doesn’t do this for a living. (See: What’s Your Klout Score?)

As I have experienced that power as a learner, I strive to offer my students that same experience. I work very hard to create a learning community in my online classes and to create connections with and among my students through specific assignments and activities. I also use social media to stay connected with the far-flung Morehead Writing Project teachers as well as the National Writing Project network. You can find me on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook.

I maintain my own web site and have since 1999. In fact, for a number of years I owned more than 100 domain names and maintained a number of web sites and blogs as part of an internet publishing business. I maintain a blog to record my reflections as a practitioner and researcher and contribute to the National Writing Project Digital Is Knowledge Base as well. Some of my recent blog posts include:

I maintain a web site for the Morehead Writing Project and recently accepted the position of web master for the Kentucky Council of Teachers of English.

Teaching with technology is one of my research areas. Publications include: