Anytime, Anywhere Learning #CE13

Picture it.

Your feet up.

Computer/table/whatever Internet-connected device you have in front of you.

Snacks handy.

You are ready.

The world (and learning) at your fingertips.

October marks Connected Educator Month. The idea is to help more educators look beyond the walls of the classroom and look to the brilliance of others to learn from and learn with. (Want to learn more? Read this.)

 In the spirit of CEM I wanted to highlight just a few of the free, learning opportunities happening...

Connected Educator Month Events-This month is full of activities put on by many different organizations. The CEM Events calendar is the place to visit if you want to join a virtual book club, find a Twitter chat or see what sorts of other virtual learning events are happening. There is so much to do. In fact there are events every single day. Some lasting only small amounts of time so you really can learn anywhere, any time.

2013 Reform Symposium (RSCON)- You couldn't ask for a better put on event. Starting Oct 11 and running almost 24 hrs a day for 3 days, this online conference features folks like Sugata Mitra, John Spencer, Chris Lehmann and many, many more. There are individual sessions and lots of smart panels too. (Including one that I am on talking about Transforming Education with Technology.Although I don't know how smart I am.) So many learning opportunities, you really do have to check it out to see just how awesome it is.

Library 2.0 Virtual Conference-While this one may not seem like its for everyone, secretly, it really is. The heart of any school is the library or media center. There is lots all of us in education could learn from our media folks. Check out the great collection of free sessions here too. Runs online Oct 18-19.

Global Education Conference-This free, week-long online event is going into it's fourth year and it's huge. Many, many hours a day for a week, sessions from around the globe on just about any topic you can think of, this event is one that you can definitely drop in on when you can. And when you do, you will learn so much your brain will hurt. Check them out Nov 18-22.

These events are great because any one can take part from anywhere as long as you have a connection.

But face-to-face learning is important too.

 I love Edcamps and the types of PD that take place there. The Edcamp Wiki Calendar has a listing of all the upcoming camps. Just in the next few weeks there are Edcamps in Chicago, Hawaii (Can I go?), Brooklyn NY, Green Bay, Mumbai India and more. Many of these camps have hashtags you can follow so while you may not be able to get to one of these in person, you can follow along. Be sure to check out the calendar for an Edcamp coming soon to you. Don't see one? Start your own!

Can't get to an Edcamp F2F? Check out Edcamp Online, an all-day virtual Edcamp. I can't wait to see and be a part of this one!

Bottom line, there is loads of learning out there in the next few weeks, ripe for the taking. So seek out something, learn something and share something!

Have an event I missed? Leave it in the comments below!

photo credit: slworking2 via photopin cc

Connected Educator Month...What You Need To Know #CE13

"Alone we are smart but together we are brilliant."

October has been declared by the U.S. Department of Education to be Connected Educator Month. Started in 2012, an entire month of webinars, blog posts, ideas, discussions and more are dedicated to increasing awareness of the importance of educators to get connected.

I have been honored to be a part of the planning process and give input and ideas to the entire team that is working tirelessly to promote various events, tools and resources for educators to use throughout October.

What do you need to know about Connected Educator Month?

The main website is http://connectededucators.org/

The hashtag is #ce13

While the calendar on my laptop says September, events have already begun. One of the first things you will want to check out is the Connected Educators Calendar. There you can see all the events planned for everyday of the month. Running an Edcamp in your area? Doing some free, open PD for others? Hosting a Twitter Chat? You can add your events to the calendar too.

One thing that can be tough to do is explain what exactly a connected educator is and why it matters. Back in June, myself and several colleagues sat down to do just that. What came about was a short video you can use to help kick off events in your school or district.

Another set of resources you want to be sure to take some time to check out are the Starter-Kits. And there are 2 specifically you don't want to miss.

The CEM Starter-Kit, created by Powerful Learning Practice is full of introductions to what it means to be a connected educator, terms, places to go and is filled to the brim with sites, stories and more.

The other not-to-miss resource is the District Starter-Kit. Developed with school districts in mind, this resource has everything you need to run CEM events in your schools and districts. Presentations, links, ideas and suggestions, it has it all.

Lastly, you will want to create a free profile and spend some time on edConnectr. This is a social network for the new and not so new connected educator. There you can ask questions, find virtual events or connect with others who, just like you are starting out, or looking for others to learn from.

While every month should be Connected Educators Month, I am excited (and proud) of all the events, objects and resources included in this year's event. Be sure to check out the entire CEM website and remember, words are important actions mean so much more. If you are already connected, pledge to help 10 other educators get connected. And if you aren't connected pledge to take a look and see the wonderful possibilities for learning that can happen when you do.