I was asked a number of months ago why I chose to title my blog Learning Connections. The name actually comes from a Wiki that I created a couple of years ago that was intended to be a collection of web-based resources I could access anywhere. There have been too many times I have placed files on USB sticks and then misplaced the stick. Papers too numerous to count that I had scribbled an interesting website on, and then left in my trousers where they were doomed to end up scattered pieces of paper in my washing machine. So, out of this was born the idea of a Wiki where I could centralize all my resources.
Wanting to go beyond collecting the resources within my reach, I wanted to open it up to colleagues as I recognized that fellow teachers from around the world brought their own toolkit of learning sites. Whether from Australia, New Zealand, the UK or the US, I had the opportunity to network with my colleagues and discovered cutting edge educators, new approaches to pedagogy and a wealth of interesting learning resources for students and teachers alike.
The LearningConnections Wiki has been excellent for me as I returned to Canada and rather than hauling files of resources home, I have them a few clicks away.
In approaching my blog, I wanted to follow a similar philosophy. As we know, with networking, social media or otherwise, connecting to new ideas and people is the lifeblood of moving forward with our own thoughts. I have been fortunate to connect with a number of outstanding educators who have influenced my thinking and enhanced my teaching through the sharing of their resources. What I hope to do therefore, is share my ideas and connect people who read this blog to the ideas of others.
Collections of web resources LearningConnections – Wiki and Web Wonderland
International educators to check out Leanne Windsor (@librareanne), Paul Langtree (@LANGTREEP), Patrick Newell (@PatrickNewell), Kath Murdoch, Kathy Short, Giselle Martin-Kniep
Educational organizations worth looking over Edutopia (@edutopia), Thoughtful Learning (@inquirebook), Calgary Science School
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Hi Craig,
I love your blog!
Thank you so much for mentioning me. Wow, I feel very honored that you would do that.
Have a wonderful 2012.
Hi Leanne, thanks for the comment. You showed me many great resources in our short time at TIS together, and your Twitter feed has also been an excellent source for web-learning tools so thought I’d share you with my world! Happy 2012 to you as well.