I heard of #FollowFriday when I first started to tweet about a year ago, but I never really got involved in it until later on this year. It was @dougpete that got me regularly tweeting each Thursday or Friday about amazing people in my PLN that are “must follows.” Usually I send out numerous #FollowFriday tweets, as I know how much I enjoy getting this little recognition, so I can appreciate how much others do too.
This Friday though, I thought that I would try something different. Back in June, @flourishingkids, an educator that I admire and respect a lot, did a blog post where she listed her #FollowFriday ABC’s. I thought that this was such a wonderful idea, that I would do it too. Thanks Joan for inspiring me to try something new!
A is for @amandacdykes: a great educator that never ceases to make me laugh. Thank you for sharing so much of yourself through Twitter.
B is for @BarbaraDay: I learned a lot from her throughout the year, especially when it came to blogging. It was great to communicate with someone else that was trying something new too.
C is for @cybraryman1: his educational resources are amazing, and he’s always willing to share and assist. Thank you!
D is for @doriedance: always engages in a ton of professional dialogue and has awesome ideas to share.
E is for an excellent educator, @dougpete, that is the person that got me involved in posting to this Twitter hashtag each week. Thank you for that, and for all of your encouragement and support along the way.
F is for @flourishingkids: an incredible educator and person that continually inspires me to try something new. Thank you for being the push behind this blog post.
G is for @gcouros: a fantastic leader, principal, and educator. I can thank you for many things, but this week, thank you for your incredible blog posts that encouraged me to share a little bit more about the “real me” with all of you.
H is for @TheHomeworkDog: a wealth of knowledge and always so eager to learn more too! The links you share are marvelous, and your tweets always make me think — thank you!
I is for incredible, and @courosa is definitely that! I heard about you through @zbpipe before I ever started conversing with you on Twitter. Thank you, Zoe, for this! Pre-service teachers are in great hands with you leading the way.
J is for @jgriffith2: an amazing teacher that I had the privledge of collaborating with through her Community Project. I think of you every time that I use Glogster: you are the Glogster Queen!
K is for @kellypower: she always asks great questions, shares terrific resources, and contributes so much to my PLN … thank you!
L is for learning, and I definitely love to learn alongside @gret: she may be on Winter Break while we’re on Summer Vacation, but distance does not stop us from learning together. Thank you for all that you continue to teach me!
M is for @MrMacnology: so glad that I learned about you through @gcouros. You always have great ideas to share, and I’ve really enjoyed all of your recent blog posts too!
N is for @NancyTeaches, who I’ve had the privledge to converse with through the recent #ElemChat(s). I love the questions you ask and what you share too … thank you!
O is for outstanding, and @cyndiejacobs is one outstanding educator! She always has a lot to share and is so very supportive of everyone in her PLN too … thank you!
P is for positive, and @Mollybmom is such a positive person in my PLN. Thanks for always being so upbeat and sharing your love of teaching and learning in your tweets.
Q is for question, and @tcash and @thompseg post and answer many of them through the weekly #ElemChat(s). I have learned so much from both of these great teachers … thank you!
R is for @rmcdonald17: a wonderful educator and a great friend! I’ve really enjoyed connecting with you through Twitter and allowing our classes to collaborate too. I hope that we can continue to share in the years to come!
S is for @Sharon_Drummond: I learned about Edmodo and Twiducate thanks to her and @Doremigirl. I love using these wonderful tools in my classroom, and I can’t thank both of you enough for telling me about them.
T is for teacher, and @Saskateach is a great one! I have engaged in many great conversations with you on Twitter, and I really appreciate you helping me think in new and interesting ways.
U is for unbelievable, and @ShellTerrell is unbelievably amazing in all that she says and does. Good luck tomorrow at #rscon10! I’m sure it will be a fantastic conference, and I can’t wait to hear some of the awesome speakers too!
V is for @vickyloras: a teacher that helps me realize that Twitter makes the world a little smaller, but the educational possibilities that much bigger. You may be in Switzerland and I may be in Ontario, but I’m glad that I can collaborate with you online. Thanks for all that you share!
W is for wonderful, and @VanessaSCassie is a wonderful resource of all things SMART Board related. I really enjoy all that you share … thank you!
X is for eXtraordinary (okay, I’m stretching it a bit here), and an extraordinary Grade 1 teacher that I’ve learned a lot from is @kathycassidy. Thank you for showing me the power of blogging with Grade 1’s: blogging was by far the best thing that I did with my class last year, and I look forward to many more exciting blogging moments this year!
Y is for you, and it’s you, @KMP444, that I just had to make sure I included in this blog post. I really enjoyed our conversations over the last week or so, especially with regards to Socially Learning. Thanks for encouraging me to take a risk and try something new!
Z is for @zbpipe, and I find it ironic that I include you last, and yet without you, I would never have been on Twitter in the first place. Thanks for helping me see the value in Web 2.0 tools and encouraging me to change. I owe so much of what I’ve done to you … thank you!
Without a doubt, I know that I’ve missed many other amazing educators here, so please, feel free to check out whom I’m following at @grade1. All of these teachers, administrators, and other educational professionals are fantastic and worthy of a #FollowFriday.
Thank you so much, Aviva!
You are a kind, caring, and encouraging teacher. I am honored to be on this list & feel very fortunate that I follow you on Twitter!
Yoon
Wow! Thank you! I’m so glad that I follow you too, and thanks for all that you’ve taught me throughout the year.
Happy #FollowFriday!
Aviva
I feel so honored to be mentioned in this beautiful post, Aviva. I have learned so much from conversations with you and you inspire me more than you know. You are always positive, upbeat and willing to share. Thank you so much for everything you do. You are truly a great teacher, not only to those lucky little ones in your classroom, but to those of us fortunate enough to know you on Twitter. Thanks for being you!!!
Wow Jennifer! Thanks for such a lovely comment. I love learning from you too, and I feel very fortunate to get to learn from you on Twitter. You’re an awesome teacher and a wonderful person too!
Happy #FollowFriday!
Aviva
Aviva,
Thank you so much for the especially creative mention, I feel honoured. What a nice blogpost to wake up to. I look forward to continuing my learning through you as well – you are an excellent contributor to my PLN. Thank you,
Kelly
Thanks Kelly! Glad you liked the post. You’re a really important part of my PLN, and I feel lucky to get a chance to learn from you!
Aviva
Hey there Aviva!
Like others have already stated, I too am honoured to be on your alpha list of educators to follow. This is a great way to include all of your #FFs and a way to encourage others (like me – it really does look easy) to try blogging!
Enjoy your summer now that ‘camp’ is done!
Cyndie
Thanks Cyndie! Glad you liked this new way of doing a #FollowFriday list! I really do enjoy blogging, and I haven’t been this summer. This was a great way to do a summer blog and mention some awesome educators that I love to follow and learn from!
Aviva
Aviva,
Thank you so much for all of your kind words. I am so glad that we connected on Twitter! You give so much to everyone through your stories from the classroom, sharing of resources and your positive, upbeat outlook. I think that you are such a gem for the students and families who are fortunate enough to walk through your classroom door.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Thank you so much,
Joan
Wow Joan! Thank you! I’m speechless after reading your kind words. I’m so glad that we connected on Twitter too, and I can’t thank @gcouros enough for “introducing” me to you: an amazing educator and so much more! Thank you for continuing to inspire me to try new things.
Aviva
Thank you so much Aviva. You have to be one of the most thoughtful, positive, kind people that I know–on or offline. Your positive feedback and comments encourages me, and countless others, to be better people and to keep doing what we’re doing. I’m glad I can say “A” is for Aviva, because you’re definitely at the top of many of our lists.
Wow! Thank you! That’s so nice of you to say. All of these positive comments today are making me quite speechless. I do love learning from you, Jeremy, and I’m glad to have you as a part of my PLN.
Happy #FollowFriday, and thanks again!
Aviva
Aviva, I do not know how to thank you.
The first thing I said when I saw myself included in the list with all these great educators that I too admire and you are there among them as well, was “Woooow!!!”
I truly thank you for mentioning me, for your kind words – I also feel great connecting with you, learning from you, Skyping with you (even though 90% of what I said that night was “Oh! Wow!”)….thank you so very much for everything.
I hope we get to meet some day in person! And with all these great educators on your Follow Friday List!
Many thanks and kind regards,
Vicky
Wow Vicky! You’re so kind. Without a doubt, you definitely deserve a place here among all of these other amazing educators: you are just as incredible, and I feel so fortunate to have you as a part of my PLN. I hope that we do get to meet in person one day, and I look forward to continuing to communicate and collaborate with you in the meantime.
Happy #FollowFriday!
Aviva
Let me start by saying thank you for including me in your #followfriday blog post. I agree that this format is a very creative way of expressing your gratitude for a fabulous PLN. I can’t say enough about the educators like you that are listed in your post. I feel that I have grown so much by listening and participating in these forums. There is no other place like it for teachers to share and grow professionally. It’s funny how you can feel close to so many people that you have never met face to face. Thanks again for brightening my day and so many others!
Glad that you liked the blog post! I feel exactly like you: I’ve grown so much because of interacting with all of these wonderful educators. I’m thrilled to have all of you as part of my PLN!
Aviva
It’s been an honor to collaborate with you, to learn from you, and to be encouraged to continue growing as an educator by not only the words you say, but the way you live it out in your classroom! I’m glad that the community project brought our worlds together. I am definitely passionate about the benefits of GlogsterEDU! Thinking I may have to borrow one of my daughter’s little tiaras. 🙂
Thanks for your comment! I’m so glad that we got a chance to collaborate and learn from each other last year thanks to your Community Project, and I hope that we’ll continue to collaborate this year too. You’re an amazing educator with so much to offer!
Thank you too for introducing me to GlogsterEDU! I love this website, and I’m amazed by what my students can do on it. I can’t wait to use it more this year.
Aviva
I was catching up on blogs through my Google reader and there it was… I’m on your #FF ABC list. I’m a big believer in paying it forward and #FF are meaningful and important to me. I’m honored to be included in your list and the feeling is more than mutual:) I don’t know how I missed this during the summer (it’s now Thanksgiving weekend!), but you made my Sunday night, especially after a wonderful weekend when I was feeling a bit down in the dumps. (Kids just left.) Thanks again… You never know when your kind words will resonate. Nancy
Thanks for such a nice comment! I’m so glad that I could help make your Sunday night. You’re such an important part of my PLN, and you definitely deserve to be on this list. Thanks for everything that you’ve taught me! Without a doubt, I’m a better teacher because of you!
Aviva