The Social Web and you....

How is your network ?
Geography teachers are among the many colleagues who are starting to engage with the 'social web' not just as a means of socialising but also to develop their professional skills by professional networking.

Here's a quick drag and drop, which is here for another purpose.
If you're reading this from the RGS APG team, you will be able to do very well on the quiz that I have for you next Wednesday !

Modern teachers engage with the social web in a deeper way than was previously the case. It's not a case of digital natives / digital immigrants really, because everyone is using web tools which have only emerged in the last 3 or 4 years.
The diagram below by Alec Couros shows some of the connections that teachers could make, and even this diagram doesn't include all the possibilities, such as the micro-blogging tool TWITTER.Image: Alec Couros (Creative Commons)

The GA is working hard to move into these networks, and I am keen to develop these as a way of reaching those people who, for whatever reason are unable, or reluctant to attend face-to-face meetings or twilight sessions.
In mid 2007, I came across NINGS and used them to support my 6th form students, and then extended this to teacher colleagues developing resources for the NEW EDEXCEL GEOGRAPHY specification.
Following a recent presentation on the benefits of NINGS at the Royal Geographical Society, David Rayner took the advice on board , and created the KEY STAGE 3 GEOGRAPHY NING the same evening. It now has well over 300 members.
The Geographical Association then launched a network for EARLY CAREER TEACHERS (for GA members only) and a more general network for GEOGRAPHY TEACHERS.

I am keen to contact people who have made use of these networks. E-mail me at the GA: aparkinson {AT} geography.org.uk or add a COMMENT to this post (or indeed any of the posts on the blog)

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