My DEN Crib by Lee Kolbert

I blogged recently about my PLN (Personal Learning Network) which I, in my humble attempt to change the world, tried to change to CLN (Collaborative Learning Network) but due to the Power of the Masses, I was over-ruled because everyone still kept calling it their PLN. What’s up guys, didn’t you hear me? Ok, so I didn’t win this one. There were some great comments though that got me thinking. Mostly that although my LN (Learning Network) is flexible, fluid and collaborative, ultimately it is up to me to take control in order for it to have meaning for me.

As you know, I’m really enjoying my Twitter experience. Some days are tweeter than others, but mostly I’m online and sharing some good information and making friends and contacts. I’m also a big fan of the DEN (Discovery Educator Network) and together, Twitter and the DEN have helped me expand my PLN enormously. As I gather my Twitter friends (I like to call them my TweetPeeps and that’s not exactly catching on either) I’m constantly trying to figure out who is a member of the DEN. After exchanging tweets with @cnansen, he told me about how for his network of Apple Distinguished Educators, he created a list of ADEs who also Twitter. They compiled a list so they can be sure to follow each other. Note to self: Steal this!

So, today I created a form using Jotform. If you haven’t tried Jotform yet, you don’t know what you’re missing! I use it for everything! Best of all, it’s FREE! You fill out the fields (all drag and drop), send out the URL and people start submitting the form. Results can be mailed to you if you want, and they are stored on the Jotform server. You can choose to publish a dynamically updated spreadsheet (different URL to share). So, here’s where it becomes very cool. As the network grows, people can check the online results. All the people in the network now have access to the same results and can follow the same TweetPeeps!

Here’s the tweet I sent out!

Within moments, the form results started flooding my inbox (as of right now, we have 43 DEN Stars listed) and if you look at the form, you’ll see that a note at the bottom asking to re-tweet the message. Sure enough, the word is spreading.

If you are a DEN member who also Twitters, here’s the link to the form. To view the results, just click here. Information about becoming a DEN Star is also on the form.

Now, CLN though quite catchy, didn’t catch on. TweetPeeps is widely used…by me. Do you think DENTwit will be the one to make me a Rockstar?

Twitter_EdTech

I know I’ve been blogging a lot about Twitter lately. But, the network that has been embracing me has been amazing. What an accepting and generous group of people. I’ve been learning so much about Web 2.0 tools, giving presentations, teaching in different parts of the country under varying circumstances, and lots more. I’m finding that there are lots of people out there with very similar interests who are willing to help out total strangers. Frequently, a tweet will come through with a request for some tweets at a particular time. The request typically comes from someone who is giving a presentation and wants to show how the real time shot-in-the-dark kind of conversations that Twitter offers can be very productive.

Well, in an effort to share our resources even further, I put out a Tweet to request that anyone in our “network” who has a del.icio.us account and is willing to share their del.icio.us “name,” to please send it my way and I will compile the list. This way, we can add each other to our del.icio.us networks. One of the drawbacks of all these social networking sites, is the separate interfaces, usernames and such. We are all hoping for the ultimate Mashup of social networking one day.

I’m very excited to get this ball rolling and even more excited to explore all the great bookmarks that our friends, with similar interests in education are sharing. If you would like to be included, just post a comment here with your del.icio.us “name” and I will add you to our network. Then, just follow these easy steps:

1. Go to del.icio.us (sign up for an account if you don’t have one already)
   
2. Click on Your Network (top left)
3. On the right-hand side, in the text box, type in Twitter_EdTech
4. Click ADD
5. Now Twitter_EdTech will appear in your network beneath in blue
6. Click on Twitter_EdTech
7. You are now in Twitter_EdTech’s bookmarks, but there are none… BUT WAIT
8. In the gray box at the top, it reads:
   

   All Twitter_EdTech’s items (0)
   Twitter_EdTech is in your network, view Twitter_EdTech’s network

9. Click on VIEW Twitter_EdTech’s Network

That’s where the magic happens. There you see all the bookmarks shared by everyone in the network, which can be a little messy OR you can look over at the right. There you can click on each member’s name and look at his/her individual bookmarks. You can even add each member to your own del.icio.us network. As more members join this Twitter_EdTech del.icio.us network, you’ll see them added.

For now, you will see these people have put themselves out there and offered to share their great finds that they have already posted to their del.icio.us accounts:

• TeachaKidd (that’s me)
• zemote
• lisashusband
• brightideasguru
• pelgin
• cnansen
• mpsteachers
• mino_public_schools
• idahomitchell

Leave a comment here with your del.icio.us name and you’ll be good to go, too…