The hottest posts everyone's reading

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog. Below you’ll see the top posts along with the number of page views. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired use one of those icons below the post to share it with others and/or leave a comment.

Entry	Pageviews
Stop saying "balance is key" when discussing tech... Jun 1, 2014,	3341
Using Cell Phones to Support Student Engagement & ... May 6, 2012,	2585
Social Media Guidelines for Students and Teachers ... Jun 4, 2014,	2284
Why Smartboards are a Dumb Initiative May 12, 2010,	2159
Learn to teach web literacy with free classes from... May 18, 2014,	1738

5 Reasons to Consider an Accelerated Degree Program

While the idea of spending four fabulous years of freedom to be on your own immersed in study, is certainly appealing, there are a number of reasons why the traditional college experience might not work for students. Today's students are less naive about student loans understanding that the reality, is most of us can’t afford to wrack up tens of thousands of dollars in loans before entering the workforce.

As a result, more and more, people are looking at alternatives like starting college in high school with programs like College Now, testing out of classes, or taking accelerated degree programs. Such programs are a potential solution for individuals who don’t have the luxury of spending several years out of the workforce.  I’ve shared several posts on the first two options.  Accelerated degree programs deserve a closer look.  

Here are five reasons why accelerated degree programs might be the right option for your students.

10 Tips to help educators break into paid gigs

Cross posted at Smartblogs for Education

Have you ever been inspired by a great conference keynote speech?  A workshop presenter that your school or district hired?  Do you want to share your ideas, be useful to others, and make some extra money?. Have you ever wondered how that could be you some day?

Well, it can, but it takes time to position yourself to take your show on the road. Below are some suggestions taken from what I’ve seen work for successful speakers and professional development providers.

1 - Know what you want to be known for

Pick your focus. There should be just be one or two things you are known for as the go-to person.  This should guide your identity in all your profiles/bios and there should be keywords that you use that become tied to who you are and what you stand for. 

2 - Engage on Twitter

Find other people doing your work and who are the audience that would invite you to speak.  Know popular hashtags and chats. There is a big community of education thinkers and doers out there who might help you brainstorm. Put the topics you are passionate about in your bio using the hashtags you care about most.  This way when someone searches a hashtag, they’ll find you. For example, if #BYOD (bring your own device) ) is your thing, use that in your bio.  People can find you when they search for those knowledgeable in your area. You can see what that looks like here.

The hottest posts everyone's reading

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog. Below you’ll see the top posts along with the number of page views. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired use one of those icons below the post to share it with others and/or leave a comment.

Entry	Pageviews
Stop saying "balance is key" when discussing techn... Jun 1, 2014,	3315
Using Cell Phones to Support Student Engagement & ... May 6, 2012,	2561
Social Media Guidelines for Students and Teachers ... Jun 4, 2014,	2256
Why Smartboards are a Dumb Initiative May 12, 2010,	2242
Erase Unnecessary Costs by Getting Smart about Int... May 14, 2010,	1759
Learn to teach web literacy with free classes from... May 18, 2014,	1741
Digital media to meet the uncommon core during vis... Jun 2, 2014,	1460
Does Twitter have a minimum age requirement? Jun 13, 2013,	1322

16 Conference picks for innovative educators in the upcoming school year

The Innovative Educator in the Social Media Booth at NYSCATE 13

As the 13/14 school year comes to a close, it's time to think about what events and conferences to attend for the next year.  While I certainly won't be attending all these conferences below are my top picks listed in chronological order. They include a link to the conference, brief description, approximate dates (if they are not yet scheduled) based on previous years and non-member, full costs (some are estimates based on previous years) which include pre-conference fees. 

Take a look.  See what you think and share which conferences you are attending and why you made that choice.

The hottest posts everyone's reading

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog. Below you’ll see the top posts along with the number of page views. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired use one of those icons below the post to share it with others and/or leave a comment.

Entry	Pageviews
Stop saying "balance is key" when discussing techn... Jun 1, 2014,	3049
Learn to teach web literacy with free classes from... May 18, 2014,	1771
Social media advice for career-minded students. 10... May 4, 2014,	1644
Using Cell Phones to Support Student Engagement & ... May 6, 2012,	1457
Does Twitter have a minimum age requirement? Jun 13, 2013,	1368
How to host a Q-and-A Twitter chat May 11, 2014,	1327