Personal+Growth+(PLE)


 * Personal Growth (PLE)**

My enrollment in the Learning 2.0 class has definitely developed my PLE and encouraged my to move forward in continuing this growth!


 * 1) **Wikis--** The biggest tool I learned about and plan to continue developing is the wiki. I am developing an Instructional Coach wiki to become the centerpiece of the Instructional Coach program at Powell. This wiki will include links to many of the common items that teachers ask for our assistance in accessing and using. I already have created a PLC wiki and have to this point received positive feedback from the teachers regarding the information that is located on that wiki.
 * 2) **Blogs--**At the risk of looking like a teacher who is behind the times, I would identify the blog as another Web 2.0 tool that will become central to my continued development of my PLE. The blog provides such a great way to conduct a conversation without physically having to have everyone in the same room at the same time. My IC colleague and I are planning to develop a blog to accompany the book that our new principal will be encouraging our staff to read this summer in preparation for the PLC work that will occur next year. I also see the blog as becoming a great tool for developing the community within our induction groups for new teachers.
 * 3) **Voicethread**--I was surprised at how exciting this tool is...I had been exposed to it before and had not been bowled over by it. That changed as a result of the work that I completed for the Learning 2.0 class. Suddenly, I started to envision how Voicethread could be used to encourage vertical articulation between our PLC groups without requiring them to have to schedule one more meeting. I also really like the idea of using Voicethread to share big events in my own kids' lives with family members. Again, this is a tool that I am looking forward to using more and more in the future!
 * 4) **Google Docs**--This was probably the sleeper tool that I learned during the Learning 2.0 class. I have great ideas about how to use this tool to create surveys and gather data from groups of people. What makes it a real bonus is that it compiles the responses for you too! I also like that you can create spreadsheets that all can see and work with through Google Docs. This is the kind of tool that I anticipate will aid in the communication that needs to occur between the four AVID buildings that I coordinate in the district. I will never complain about a tool that can make my job easier to manage:)

I must admit that I had my moments of wondering what in the world I had done in choosing to enroll in this class, but now I am really pleased that I did it! This was a huge amount of work and I learned so much! I am excited about what my professional and personal life will look like as I further develop my PLE and continue to grow in this area!