About me « From Mr. “A” to Mr. “Z”

About me

I am a middle school gifted and talented teacher living in the big sky country. I am a lifelong learner and lover of emerging technologies. I have a beautiful wife and two wonderful sons. I think the applications found in environments like Blogs, Wikispaces, MUVEs, Social Networks and read/write web tools have changed the way we need to teach our students. Teachers are no longer transferers of information. We need to begin teaching children how to learn in a world where anytime, anywhere learning is quickly becoming the norm. I started this blog because I want to be a better teacher; I continue to blog because it has made and is making me a better learner. I love to LEARN…It is like very good chocolate to me. And finally, I am very close friends with a man named Bill W. and when I forget about that friendship, I am screwed.

About this Blog:

I began this blog to share what I was doing in my classroom with persons who I call my Personal Learning Network. They are a group of educators who I have become associated with through a variety of web 2.0 type tools including blogs, microblogs, Second Life and a variety of other social networking applications. I have begun relying on that network of teachers and educators to make informed decisions on how to be the best possible teacher I can in this, the twenty-first century. My PLN has helped me, as I hope I have helped them, in a variety of ways through my blog. They share with me similar experiences they have had as I share with them current experiences that I am having. My blog is a tool that I use to become a more reflective father, husband, teacher, coach, and person. The people in my PLN have shared with me a wealth of knowledge while asking for nothing in return. I hope that in some small way my blog will help me help someone else in the same way I have been helped.