Invitation to Come Follow Me On The Innovative Educator!

The web is changing again and in a big way. Social networking is taking every part of the internet by storm and it’s not just social networking sites that are doing this. Newspapers, blogs, businesses, radio stations, TV shows and more are developing communities formed around those that are involved with them. It is an incredible and transformative innovation. In ways never before possible, these outlets can communicate with those following them and those following them can connect with each other.

I’ve added the same feature right here on my blog with the Blogger Following feature. This is a fantastic widget that for the first time provides authors with a new way to connect with readers and readers with each other. It’s a real conversation and not only does the author get to know their followers, but the followers get to know each other. This is a shift from social networking sites where in general people follow each other. Instead, this type of networking allows people to network and come together because of common interests. How powerful is that?

There are a number of ways this widget can be used by innovative educators*. Here are a few I've come up with.

1. If you have a blog you are working on with your students, this provides them with more of an ownership and identity as members of this blog.
2. Many innovative educators are working on global connection projects where they are working collaboratively with students from another school, often in the form of a blog. This gadget provides students with a deeper connection to those students.
3. In schools where students have blogs, this gadget allows them to know more about their audience and who is following them. Innovative educators can use this tool to provide students with a deeper understanding of audience in writing and ways to build a following.
   

If you haven't already, please take a moment to follow this blog by selecting "Follow Me" in the right hand navigation. Invite others who may be interested to do the same. I look forward to getting to know each of you better.

*Educators working with young students should employ online safety guidelines such as not including student's last name, location, or actual picture in their profile.