When it comes to “social” Gina Bianchini is at the top of the ladder. I am relationship oriented person in how I work, learn, teach, and connect with the thousands of people that are enriching my life. But am I the only one? Apparently not. Connecting with people is a way of life for many of us. It must be a very important aspect of our lives or social networks such as Ning, Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, and now Pinterest, Mentormob, and the upcoming Mightybell would be as popular as they are. So what is next? How is Mightybell going to cater to our social needs?
Social learning is part of my social needs. I learn through conversations and what better place than on WizIQ. I would like to invite you to join me in learning with and from Gina Bianchini on Conversation WizIQ on May 11, 2011 at 7 PM London time or click on the event announcer to find out the exact time in your area.
Watch, listen, and learn from this outstanding woman.
What is your status update?
Are you on Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter, Linkedin, Ning, Mightybell, Scoopit, Pinterest, Scribd, Diigo, Mentormob, and WizIQ? If you are not, you should get an account right now so you can be sharing, learning, and ultimately, making a difference in people’s lives around the globe. How can a status update make a difference in the world?
Learning from Optimists
According to Gina Bianchini, the co-founder and ex-CEO of Ning and the current founder and CEO of Mightybell, hope, competency, and drive are key ingredients to making a difference in the world. Gina has been featured on Fortune Magazines 40 under 40, Huffington Posts 10 technology Ultimate Game Changers, and 7×7 magazines Hot 20 list. Gina and Ning have been featured in the New York Times, Fortune, Forbes and Fast Company. She has also appeared on CNBC and CNN. Watch and listen to Gina Bianchini speak about connecting optimists.
My Status Updates
I’ve been teaching face-to-face in traditional schools for over 3 decades. I broke out of the traditional classroom when the Internet first became public in the mid 80s. I have been spending most of my waking hours for the past 15 years teaching and learning online. I am no longer limited to time and space in communicating information (teaching) and in learning by teaching others. We all become teachers when we post our status updates. I hope that what I post will help others learn. I use the following social networks for my status update:
What social network do you for your status update and how do you share information online?
Sharing & Learning
We are making a difference in people’s lives by sharing information on social networks. But the process doesn’t come naturally to everyone so social networks are helping people learn how to share. Learning to share is a very important aspect of learning for the person posting and for those who read and respond. Social networks are creating a ripple effect that is connecting and bringing people of all cultures together.
Posting on a private discussion board or a closed learning environment such as Moodle, Blackboard, Edumodo, and other university-based learning management or course management systems is limiting. You can blog about your learning experiences and spread the word on social networks for everyone to see, add their comments, and learn. Connecting with the facilitators or the class members limits your scope and lessons learned.
Learning After Class
For example, if you missed some of the class sessions (online or face-to-face) or the class is now over, you can continue collaborating and learning from people around the globe. You can create a blog using the free programs available, create or join a Ning, or you can share your experiences on Mightybell. By sharing your experiences on social networks, you open up to a larger audience and learn in the process.
Gina is an optimistic individual who is passionate about learning & sharing. She does all she can to share her ideas and inspire people make a difference in their lifetime . You are invited to join Gina Bianchini in conversation on WizIQ, ask questions, and share your ideas so that others will learn.
TESOL international convention for 2012 is on its way in Philadelphia, USA. I’m here in Philadelphia enjoying the TESOL atmosphere at the Marriott Hotel convention center. It’s thrilling to be able to meet so many English teachers from around the globe. I am also excited to be able to meet face-to-face with many of my Webheads in action community friends that I connect with both professionally and personally on a regular basis online. I will be presenting on two panel discussions on streaming a few of my sessions and getting some videos of the event. So stay tuned for more.
Here are the live streaming sessions you can join right now:
I wrote about this a while back on the WizIQ blog, specifically referencing the use of the virtual classroom in charter schools, but there is clearly a lot to talk about for mainstream public schools, private schools, and even homeschooled children.
So I look forward to seeing you at 12:30PM EDT on Wednesday, March 28th. The class is free and public and requires no signup, so just follow the link, enter a screen name, and join us for an interactive discussion of the virtual classroom in K12 environments.
