How can preservice teachers benefit from collaborative learning experiences?

I wrote a follow-up post based on Jacqueline Goodburn's original guest post, which was featured on this blog. I infused some strategies to help preservice teachers stay connected and professionals in the field during their college careers. 

Still learning

In this post, Jacqueline's suggestions are in quotes and italics; my follow-up focused on preservice teachers is in the following comments. 

What can we do to stay connected and be educators of excellence? 

• "Share your great ideas/strategies/successes on social media, in the teacher's lounge, anywhere! Shout it from the rooftops!"—Jaqueline Goodburn. Preservice teachers, you have a voice that needs to be amplified. Use social media like Instagram or Twitter to share your ideas, techniques, tools, and strategies. You have fantastic ideas, and the world needs to hear them. You have a fresh perspective on techniques and strategies; we want to know about them. Share them widely! 

• "Take time to talk with your colleagues" - Jaqueline Goodburn. You are in college to learn about content, techniques, methodology, pedagogy, theories, strategies, tools, etc. But remember to connect with your peers in your classes and around you. Make connections with others face-to-face and online. You never know where a conversation or connection may lead. 

• "If you attend an experience with someone from your district, resist the urge to stick together. You are more likely to encounter new points of view by exposing yourself to new perspectives." - Jaqueline Goodburn. I enjoy attending conferences with preservice teachers. We usually attend different sessions and have a shared document where we can put our notes, ideas, and resources from our sessions. This is a great tool because we attended three sessions for the price of 1! We come away with so many ideas, techniques, and tools. Best of all, we learn from one another. My friends, if you attend a professional development workshop or conference with someone from your department or college, resist the urge to stick together. Choose sessions that fit your needs and where you want to grow as an educator. Don't just go to a session because your bestie is going there. 
  

• Select sessions that will help you grow and learn or a session that will challenge you. Workshops are fantastic places to converse with a practicing teacher or administrator. You always need to find out who is sitting beside you. Besides, you can meet up with your friends for coffee or lunch after the sessions and share what you learned about in your sessions. Car rides home are my favorite time to share big takeaways. 

• "Expand your personal learning community using technology. Connect with educators from around the globe using Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. Make connections and open your classroom to the world. " - Jaqueline Goodburn. 

This is SO important. Make connections with classrooms, educators, and administrators from around the world. Get connected now! Start by signing up for Twitter or Instagram and create an account to share what you are learning about or ideas you have in the field of education. Engage with your audience, ask questions, share strategies, collaborate, and problem-solve. You need to be connected - it's the 21st century!