OTAN News
Getting Connected and Staying Connected
In addition to providing face-to-face and online training, OTAN attends a number of conferences throughout the year. OTAN is pleased to attend and present at the CATESOL Annual Conference in Anaheim on December 7 and 8. You can view the OTAN sponsored sessions by clicking on this link: https://catesol2018.sched.com/exhibitor/support77
Going to conferences, large and small, is a great way to strengthen your professional development and connect with colleagues who are interested in similar topics. In the age of social media, it is now possible to extend the conversations and learning long after the end of a conference. Many people use social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to stay connected to people they first meet at a conference or similar event as a way to continue their professional learning.
A recent article, though, asks the question – what is a connected educator? The author Mike Messner suggests that, just because a teacher has a computer with Internet, linked to the outside world, doesn’t automatically make one a connected educator. Even having social media accounts doesn’t guarantee true connectedness. Messner says that it’s how a teacher uses social media that determines how connected the teacher is. Is the teacher participating in social media conversations about new teaching practices? Is the teacher integrating social media in their classroom in formal and informal ways with fellow teachers and their students? Is the teacher solving classroom problems with students and staff by leaning on the wisdom of their social media connections?
In other words, are you strengthening human connections via social media?
If you are attending CATESOL or other conferences in the near future, make sure to network with your colleagues and make connections. Use social media to stay connected to your new friends and dive into new conversations for your own professional development and personal enrichment.