Edublog Awards were started in 2004. It was a way to promote and demonstrate the educational values of learners and teachers in social media. Basically, it a way of shouting out to the world that blogging for educational purposes has incredible value as a resource and as a way to share and teach each other. This is our way to recognize each other’s time, dedication, ideas, creativity and passion for education and student learning.
Here are my nominations for the 2013 EduBlog Awards {drum roll}
Best individual blog: Matt Gomez I have found in the last four years that you can not discount the value of information and lessons just because it isn’t coming from someone, community or an educator that is just like you. Matt is a kindergarten teacher, I am a middle school teacher. He teaches general education, I teach special education…just because we teach two totally different age groups and types of students does not mean that there is not tons of great information I can (and have) learned from him! Matt shares all of the great tools and lessons he uses with his kindergarteners. He includes insight, reflections and great resources (videos) that allow other educators to take his ideas and try them in their own. Through Matt’s blog I have learned it is not where the ideas come from, it is how we share them and what others who learn from them decide to do with them. There really are no limits on ideas.
Best group blog: EdReach I don’t even know where to begin when it comes to Edreach…Edreach is a ridiculously, phenomenal place full of fantastic and ridiculously (yes, I know I used ridiculously twice…what can I say they are that awesome) talented educators sharing the most fantastic and innovative resources. From art teachers to drama to technology to special education there is a group for every educator. Even more important than the wealth of talent, innovativeness and knowledge are the connections that visitors to the site and participants in their live broadcasts can make with other educators. My teaching has been enriched by the ideas they have shared and I have been motivated, cheered on and left feeling incredibly filled up by their support and value of what I do.
Best New Blog: Jen Smith Jen started blogging at the end of last school year. She is a middle school Creative Innovative Specialist who believes that “teachers need to change to meet the learning styles, communication and collaboration needs of our kids. Packets and shoe box dioramas need to be left with the overhead projectors in the closets of our classrooms. I believe kids are powerful. They can make change if we give them the chance to ask the questions instead of giving the answers.” She is an inspirational educator who always makes you feel like you can do anything. Her blog shares the reflections of her experiences as a Creative Innovative Specialist. She is passionate, energetic and a fierce advocate of technology in classrooms and innovative thinking.
Best ed tech / resource sharing blog: A.T. TipsCast I often joke that some of the best connections I have made with other educators hasn’t come from connection with educators on social media it has come from connecting with other bloggers (non-educator blogger). I first met Chris Bugaj through his wife Melissa. Melissa and I connected on twitter and through blogging. Too many tweets and posts to count later, add in a post I wrote on Portable Lessons that Melissa showed Chris and my world of edcuational strategies, tools and ideas was suddenly on steroids. Chris an an assistive technology specialist and speech-language pathologist in West Virginia. He is also the host of The A.T.TIPScast: Assistive Technology Tools In PublicSchools, a podcast about using technology to help students meet their educational goals. Chris’s AMAZING podcasts episodes feature “A.T.TIP” that can be used to differentiate and individualize the learning process. They are full of ideas, resources and tools that all educators can use to meet the needs of all types of learners in their classroom. Even more then that Chris is a passionate educator whose amazing supportive nature makes him a tremendous educator to have in your network and someone who recognizes your successes and the great things you do!
Best twitter hashtag: #21stedchat 21st century chat is to a weekly Twitter chat (Sundays from 8:00-9:00pm EST) to create a positive 21st century learning environment for our students by sharing resources and ideas that has worked in our classrooms. While I don’t participate in as many Twitter chats as I want to, this one is always my favorite with its innovative idea sharing, forward thinking educators and rich discussions.
Best free web tool: Infuse Learning I have used A LOT of web tools. This one is just consistently my favorite. Infused Learning is a free student response system. Its flexibility allows it to work on any Internet-connected device. I can ask questions, give prompts, write exit slips, give math problems (with drawings), share pictures and get responses and share links. While there are plenty of student response systems, this one is the most reliable and constantly has my student excited to engage with the information and learning.
Best mobile app: Goodnotes Goodnotes has quickly become the iPad app that is having the most significant impact on how my students access materials (worksheets, templates, notes) and how they are able to produce work… (more to come about it later. I have a whole post about it coming next week).
