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One of our most popular posts is our Connected Educators list. Our followers love connected educators who are willing to share there knowledge and experience, however our list only includes twitter profiles. Many of our followers want to learn more about some of these incredible individuals!
Click here for more interviews with Connected Educators!
What is your current job of position?
I teach eighth grade English Language Arts, and sixth through eighth grade Technology Integration at John Hanson French Immersion School. In addition, I am the school’s Technology Liaison.
What is your educational background?
My B.A. is in Radio-TV-Film, with a minor in French. I also hold a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction. Both are from Howard University. I am currently a doctoral candidate at George Mason University, working on a Ph.D. in Education.
Describe your educational philosophy and educational vision?
I believe in lifelong learning, and want to inspire that love in all my students. My goal is to teach them to learn for themselves.
How do you grow and engage your professional learning network?
My PLN has taught me so much. Ever since I became connected, I have grown more than ever! I think it’s crucial to approach being connected with an open, respectful mindset, realizing that we can all learn so much from each other.
What is the greatest benefit of your professional network?
There’s an old saying that goes, “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” I like to flip that on its head and say, “an educator is only as strong as his/her PLN.” With my PLN, I have access to “experts” at my fingertips practically 24/7 (I added the quote around experts, because we all have expertise in something).
If you blog, what is the focus of it?
I blog at sarahdateechur.com. It doesn’t really have a defined focus, other than education. I just write about whatever inspires me at the moment. Sometimes it’s serious. Sometimes it’s silly. I really use it to organize my thoughts, so that they make sense to me. However, I also love being able to make my thinking public, because my PLN always has such great insights.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing since I knew my ABCs. However, I started focusing more on education around 2013, around the time I got connected.
Who is your audience?
I’m not quite sure who my audience is, haha. I know it’s mostly educators, sometimes friends, sometimes my family. I’m just happy to connect with anyone who takes the time to read it, and am tickled anytime someone approaches it as a conversation.
How do you use social media to connect with other educators?
Social media for professional use has been such a game-changed for me. I started with Twitter, then moved into Google Plus, then Voxer and Periscope. It has totally changed my life for the better. I just want to spread that feeling and benefit to others. This is why I started the EduMatch project in September 2014, to help educators connect globally along similar lines. So far, we have featured over 100 educators from five continents, and are connected to over 5,000 on Twitter and counting.
Always keep an open mind, and make your own decisions. Your PLN will give back whatever you put in, and then some. Social media can be a great tool if used correctly.
What is your advice to teachers on social media and education?
Always keep an open mind, and make your own decisions. Your PLN will give back whatever you put in, and then some. Social media can be a great tool if used correctly.
What advice in general do you have to teachers today?
If you’re not already connected, be like Nike and “just do it.”
Describe a teacher who has had a significant impact on your professional development?
I would definitely recommend my current principal, Dr. Lysianne Essama. We met at a critical time, when I was frustrated with the profession. She is the person that I can credit for my staying in the profession, through her guidance and positivity. Great administrators like her should be celebrated!
What book would you recommend to teachers?
There are so many. “30 Goals” by Shelly Terrell, “The Missing Voices in EdTech” by Rafranz Davis, “The Teaching Text: You’re Welcome” by Doug Robertson, “Drive” by Daniel Pink, and I know I’m missing quite a few.
What are you thoughts on My Town Tutors?
I think you all are doing a fantastic job for educators and students. Thank you for everything that you do!