A Teacher's Journal: Interesting Reads #1

I've had several people email me directly to say that these posts---which I figured would be of interest only to me---were one of their favorite parts of my blog. Turns out that other people struggle to sift through the sea of content online too. "It takes me hours to find one or two pieces that are worth exploring," one respondent wrote. "Your posts save me tons of time because they point me straight to interesting reads!"

That's pushed me to consider posting lists of "interesting reads" here on the Morning Announcements a few times a month. While you may not be jazzed by every link that I share, inevitably something will eventually catch your attention----and I will have saved you the hassle of having to find it on your own!

With that said, here's a few pieces that crossed my radar this week. They've got a decidedly "tech-heavy, social networking" theme:

It's Spooky Out There
An interesting article on how Alabama schools are balancing the need to keep kids safe online and the need to provide exposure to tools for communication and collaboration published in the Working Towards Excellence newsletter.

Social, work lives collide on networking websites
A USA Today piece on the blurring of privacy lines that occurs for users of social networking sites.

The Economist Debate Series on Education
The Economist---a news magazine out of the United Kingdom---has been holding a series of interesting online debates this year about education. This link connects to the archives of all conversations---and provides direct access to the current debate on the role that social networking sites can play in teaching and learning.

Skip and the Troublesome Teddy
A student blog post that illustrates the kinds of reflective thinking that can result when classrooms embrace blogging. Student authors had their thinking challenged by a reader----and then responded to the challenge. That's reflective thought----and that's cool.

Anyway....hope something here catches your eye. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? Chances are I'll hit on a theme you're motivated by at some point in the future!