EduCrowd at CrowdStatus
New Crowd: ESL EFL Teacher at CrowdStatus

Ok, I just started EduCrowd, which must mean that I am the first edublogger to stumble upon CrowdStatus, a mashup site that lets you create your own crowds to follow their most current twitter tweets. Each crowd creator decides who is in the crowd, so it is sort of a personal thing. But you can share your crowds by tweeting the publicc URL. The public URL for EduCrowd is http://crowdstatus.com/EduCrowdcrowd.aspx … DM me on twitter if you would like to be included in the EduCrowd or the ESL EFL Teacher Crowd (@metaweb20).

Also check out http://grouptweet.com which lets you set up and communicate within user-established groups.

Ok, so what is the beauty of CrowdStatus then? I believe it is the ability to break the binds of our PLNs (Personal Learning Networks) and have a little more fun with twitter. For example, I can create a “crowd” on the topic of dog lovers, gourmet cooking, camping, or fishing, etc. I no longer have to stay inside of (isolated in) my primary twitterverse. I can now participate as an onlooker of sorts into many different communities that I self-create. Then, if I choose, I could reply to a specific person even if I am not following them. I can even invite them to enjoy the “crowd” by sharing the public URL; so that they can now participate in a new community that they are interested in but not previously connected with. Crowds are created by people you choose, they don’t have to be following you or you following them. So how do you find people that match your varied interests? You used the twitter search tool or tweetscan to build your crowds. With CrowdStatus, I can now be 100% of all my interests, not just the edublogosphere. I am a whole person again! My twitterverse(s) just multiplied!

Related twitterings:
TwitLinks – Tweets for Busy Peeps (links from the most popular tech twits)
GroupTweet – Send private Twitter messages to specific groups of friends!
5 Ways to Find More Friends on Twitter -Resources from our friends at RWW

Exploratree Beta brings a wide range of interesting Web 2.0 graphic organizers to you and your students’ fingertips. Graphic organizers are essential tools for helping students process and understand learning activities in a more bite-sized and comprehensible way, making content accessible and meaningful. Graphic Organizers can also help students develop higher level thinking skills and promote creativity.

Exploratree – Exploratree by FutureLab

Additional resources: Check out META’s great collection of graphic organizers and guidance.

It’s been a great week. Over the past few years, I have been working on getting connected with technology and the Web, building professional development networks, and doing lots of personal reflection about the art and mastery of teaching and learning. But, at the same time that I have been growing in these ways; I have also seen the technology gap growing between me and my colleagues. A gap which was widening even beyond the difference that I was already keenly aware of; that I am a predominant right-brainer. I was teaching about multiple intelligences and learning styles; yet my own differences seemed to be isolating me into a void space or vacuum of sorts. I guess some people will always be on the fringes exploring new things; it can be both lonely and exciting. But things are now changing. And, this past week is hard proof. One by one I have been helping colleagues get connected. And, the local feelings of isolation are starting to disappear.

This past week in Mexico City, I gave a presentation on connectivism and the networked teacher to teacher trainers, teachers, and administrators in the field of education, principally English as a Foreign Language. The group was made op of my university colleagues. One participant was the ex-president of the Mexico City MEXTESOL chapter (Mexico Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages), the largest professional society for English teacher in Mexico and sister organization to the USA TESOL organization.

The session was titled “Connectivism – Personal Learning Networks for 21st Century Teachers” and we covered basic Web 2.0 tools for getting connected, including:

1. microblogging (twitter)
2. social networks (META Web 2.0, Classroom 2.0, eflclassroom, etc.)
3. RSS (Google Reader)
4. blogging & wikis (edublogs.org, wikispaces, etc.)
5. social bookmarking (del.icio.us)
6. digital photo sharing (Flickr)

Alec Couros’ graphic, “The Networked Teacher” was indispensable in charting the differences between the typical teacher’s networks and those of a connected teacher using technology.

The icing on the cake came later in the week, when I sat down and helped a local colleague, and coincidentally also a past president of the Morelia MEXTESOL to increase her connectivity. So let’s keep an eye on Ellenblog as she starts on her blogging voyage. Lots of goodies to come from Ellen, of that I am sure. Now she is also set up on Google Reader and del.icio.us. She is on her way to being connected, and all of us will benefit, as will she and those that she teaches. Ellen has asked me to sit down and guide her bit by bit to demystify Web 2.0 and getting connected in the most productive way. Perhaps you already know Ellen from her social networking at Mexico English Teachers’ Alliance :: Web 2.0 where she has been an active member since this past summer. Wow, my head is still spinning!

After reflecting a bit on my workshop and individual coaching session, I realized just how many “Ellens” there must be out there. Those educators that have a wealth of experience and offerings that aren’t yet widely connected (perhaps a forum here or forum there and some emailing). I now see just how important it is for those of us that are connected to help others get connected one by one. Like Vicki Davis has said, “The first step is getting connected yourself.”

With my Mexico City and local colleagues getting more connected, I don’t feel so isolated here in my region. And, it feels really good. So look for some new faces on twitter … cause here they come. There is no turning back!”

This is a test of Cover It Live blogging tool and Edublogs new allowance for iframes.

Been looking for that perfect moment to dive into digital storytelling? Here it is!

http://www.ausculti.org/

Great opportunity to start a digital storytelling project with your students.

The Center for Digital Storytelling is based in Berkeley, California. CDS is a non-profit training, project development, and research organization dedicated to assisting people in using digital media to tell meaningful stories from their lives. Our focus is on developing large-scale projects for community, educational, and business institutions, using the methods and principles of the Digital Storytelling Workshop. We also offer workshops for organizations and individuals and serve as an international clearinghouse of information and resources about storytelling and new media.

Other digital storytelling resources:

Digital Storytelling Links
Sample Lessons: Digital Storytelling
Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling
50 Web 2.0 Ways to Tell a Story
NAIS – Digital Storytelling Adventures
Terraminds Twitter Search: Digital Storytelling
del.icio.us Digital Storytelling tags
Google Blog Search: Digital Storytelling
The Connected Classroom Links
Digital Stories
Discovery Education Network streaming resource for Digital Storytelling
Engaging Digital Natives with Digital Storytelling
Digital Storytelling Carnival #3
Lisa Huff’s Wiki – Digital Storytelling (& more)

Please add more Digital Storytelling resource links in the comments area. Thanks!

There are many Web spaces to list or register your blogs, from wikis to other blogs and networks. So, if you aren’t yet listed, you may want to check out these helpful blogger directories and lists.

International Edubloggers Directory (yes that is me start of 5th row)

Support Blogging

The ELT Bloggers Directory

Bloggers to Learn From: socialnetworking4teachers

Faces of Web 2.0 ★ 21st Century Teachers

Edublogs.org Blog Directory

Twitter Brain Storm (a backup directory of educational twitterers should twitter fail)

And then there are those “A” lists that are closed. You can’t add your name. You are selected based on your popularity, ratings and/or readership … such as the lists that follow:

LiveMocha Education Blog List

Alltop: Education – We’ve got you covered

D’Arcy Norman’s recommendations for the best feeds and blogs about: Edublogs

Got any more edublogger directories or listings to share?