Summer Learning - Growing as a Teacher and a Learner


You work hard all year. You do great things for your students. You deserve to escape your schedule and make the choice of how, when, and where you grow and learn this summer. You also have permission to completely unplug and take a break from learning. I would just recommend not waiting until August to turn it back on. 

How will you recharge this summer, but still find the time to grow as a teacher and leader? This post has some tips and resources to support educators as lifelong learners this summer.

Catch Up on Your Educational Reading

 I literally have a pocket full of articles and posts that I need to review this summer.  I save articles throughout the school year that catch my interest using the Save to Pocket Chrome Extension. One of the first things I do to plan my summer learning is to make the commitment to explore these saved articles and posts. I try to check off at least two saved posts every day. I would also recommend taking some time each day to explore the archives of one of these great educational sites.
There are also quite a few incredible blogs worth exploring on the Teach100 site. I also plan on blogging weekly throughout the summer. 

If you are traveling or relaxing having a good book is a must. I try to vary to catch up on a bit of fiction and a bit of nonfiction every summer. I also commit to exploring a handful of new educational books every year. I highly recommend finding a book written by educators for educators that you can explore this summer. Explore on your own or join a summer book study.
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Attend an Educational Conference or Follow a Conference Hashtag

 Find at least one conference this summer to attend, learn, and make new connections. Maybe even challenge yourself to present somewhere? If you can't attend, mark your calendar and jump into the Hashtag during the conference. Here are a few conferences I am excited about this summer. 

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Catch up on Some Great Educational Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to learn while you are traveling, mowing the lawn, waiting in line, or just about anywhere when you are doing something else. Here are some educational Podcasts that I will be exploring this summer.
Kasey Bell has a great post about getting credit for listening to podcasts that might be worth exploring.

While not podcasts, TED Talks and YouTube are also great places to learn something new.

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Enroll in a Face to Face or Online Class

Sometimes it is important to become a student again and engage in a curriculum lead by another educator. The type of class doesn't necessarily matter as long as you are learning something new. One of my favorite experiences as an adult learner has been the EdTechTeams Teacher Leader Cohorts. Here are some great online courses you might want to explore. 

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Engage in Some EdTech Certifications

Many EdTech Companies offer free certifications. These certifications are great opportunities to learn about new tools. The best of them also engage educators in best practices connected to teaching and learning. Pedagogy before tech is best, right? Here are some certification programs that I would recommend. 
Looking for more? Check out this great page of EdTech Certifications. How many of these do you think you could finish this summer?
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Make Connections & Share Ideas - Build Your PLN

 If you are already engaged in Twitter, Facebook, Voxer, Flipgrid, Instagram, Google + or someplace else as a social learner, set aside an hour or two each week to explore and share. If you have not taken a dive into social learning, why not get started this summer? Here are some resources that might help. 
Believe it or not, I've barely scratched the surface of the learning opportunities that are available this summer. What would you add to this post that I missed?

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