Where I've been today. . .

As you may or may not know, I'm taking a Doane College class called Social Learning.  So far, we've spent lots of class time learning to use Twitter, Diigo, and Blogging.  Normally during class, we actually get TIME to sift through the Twitter feed, blogs, and internet to find information we're interested in and make it our own.

Today, I have had the luxury of going through this same process on my own. I basically started out by going through my Twitter feed which now has some meat to it since I've been adding people each week during class.  I clicked on articles that looked interesting.  Usually, when I get to an article, it mentions a blog, another article, or another link to follow.

I wish I had thought to keep track of where I jumped from and to as I was going through the process, but just for fun and a little curiosity, I'm going to track one of my adventures.  :)

I'm not sure how I found David Coffey, but I know it was today and I think it was from adding the Top 20 List of Influential Education Tweeters to people I follow.  I love David Coffey's bio which states, "Passionate teacher of teachers, TEDTalk enthusiast, Runner. I am trying to model graceful imperfection."  I love teaching teachers (I have had a student teacher, a practicum student, and a mentee this year.) TEDTalks rock, and I am trying so desperately to be a better runner.  It looks like we have a fair amount in common.

From David Coffey's tweet, I went to #education.  There, I chose "Check out this new #education article Challenging False Assumptions : http://tinyurl.com/4sv4a9m & comment on it!"  It led me to a blog called Redeeming the Love of Learning, which in truth had a nice little article about helping kids learn through a customize or individualized approach, but then it turned out to be kind of an ad for a company that works with kids privately.  When I went to check that out more, I realized, "Maybe I'd like to do that," also found a new word, which I also clicked on . . . .  It took me to http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/autodidact  where I learned that today's work/fun on Twitter and browsing around truly makes me an . . .

au·to·di·dact

   

[aw-toh-dahy-dakt, -dahy-dakt]  Show IPA

–noun

a person who has learned a subject without the benefit of a teacher or formal education; a self-taught person.

I encourage you all to get out there and become an autodidact.  I do think it's good to remember all things in moderation as Grandma Baumert would say.  So, if it weren't for my Social Learning class that meets in person with a teacher, I might not know how or where to go to extend my own learning.  :)