And--I have to say I'm kind of intrigued. I think it would take some digging to find a class I'd be happy with--I also notice that the classes are from ISDs all over the country? The sign up looks a little convoluted; a couple classes asked me to sign up with LEarnport AND the sponsoring organization. But I would gladly do a class or two each year--our Kent ISD has given me the online bug and I think it is SO the way to do PD.
2.) I know a number of teachers who have Facebook pages for their classrooms. Some actually signed up for an account under their classroom identity and have to sign in back and forth between their personal Walls and their classroom Wall. I have created a couple pages (newer FB feature) and groups for other purposes: a church page, a neighborhood association page, a page for my colleagues. So I like the "navigatability" of creating a page. I know teachers like the Facebook idea because kids are always on FB and if you post a link or reminder then kids will get it right away. A great idea--but I know that for the page to be valuable, one has to make it relevant and keep it up-to-date. I have a yearbook page and I got a lot of views at first, but then I think it gets hidden or ignored. I will do a Facebook page when I know I'm committed to it--and right now I'm juggling a Moodle course, a parent blog, and a Weebly for two different classes.
3.) It took me a ton of browsing the Macul site before I found the spaces--I saw the interest group listings, but it wasn't at all clear that this was where one would find the forums. But all is well--I signed up for SIGOL and added the feed to my Diigo library and also set up daily email notifications. This is so out of my comfort zone--but last year, with the advent of Common Core Curriculum, I found myself desperate to know what other schools and ELA departments were doing. I contacted about four area high schools to get the email address of their ELA department chairs, wrote them expressing a desire to know where they were in the CCS process, asked questions about their curriculum,etc. ... and I heard back from only one chairperson! (And he was quite cynical and dismissive of the changes so wasn't much help.) This and my Twitter feed just might provide me with the networking I need. Of course, it will only be as valuable as I make it and getting myself accustomed to checking the site will be my biggest hurdle.
4.) I signed up for Classsroom 2.0 at last Tuesday's Teaching Wired Learners workshop--I love the idea of the idea exchange and networking (see my comments above) and hope to touch base with the site a couple times a week. I'm not sure that this counts for the assignment, but I think it's a valuable site.
In terms of professional organizations, I am most interested in MACUL. I've heard the organization's name tossed around by a teacher friend and a former principal but never really knew the extent of it. Then, after two applications, a team from our school (which include ME!) was awarded a MI Champions grant--and now I am actually going to the MACUL conference and reaping a ton of benefits from the organization. Now I downloaded the membership brochure, looked all OVER the site and can't find any amount for the membership?! I've always assumed it to be quite expensive, so this may be the case since it seems so hidden.
As to what I can contribute? I guess I really never thought of myself as contributing in the area of technology--I'm not sure I know enough and I'm just trying to keep my head above water to incorporate technology into my classroom.
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