My Town Tutors had a great year in 2012, expanding our network of local teachers who tutor and communicating with more teachers and parents than ever. in 2012 we had over 35,000 people visit our site from all 50 states.
One of our most popular posts is our Connected Educators list. Our followers love connected educators who are willing to share there knowledge and experience, however out list only includes twitter profiles. Many of our followers want to learn more about some incredible individuals! That is why we will highlight one connected educator during each week of 2013. So here it is!
Michael Biasini is one of our tutors. We also featured his incredible story in a blog: Michael Biasini: A Truly Inspirational Teacher.
Connected Educator of the Week
Michael Biasini
What is your current job of position?
Fundamentals Teacher (Special Education Teacher)
What is your educational background?
I have been a Special Education teachers for 13 years.
Describe your educational philosophy and educational vision?
I believe that all students should be given the tools they need to learn the basic skills to become productive members in society. It is my goal as a teacher to make their dreams come true.
My motto is NEVER GIVE UP!
How do you grow and engage your professional learning network?
A teacher’s best resource is another teacher. If I ever get stuck with an issue in my classroom, then I turn to social media for many different suggestions. Most likely an educator from a different part of the world can assist me with great ideas that worked for them. This is why I highly recommend connecting with other educators from all around the world with Twitter, Facebook, Linked In or other social media sources.
I firmly believe in networking with teachers from around the world. This is why I established the TEACHERS LOUNGE on Linked In over four years ago.
Over 32,000 educators turn to this resource to get information to improve their abilities. This resource can make a good teacher a great teacher.
What is the greatest benefit of your professional network?
The greatest benefit of professional networking is learning from each other. I may know something that may benefit an educator in another state or country. Learning new ideas and concepts from an individual overseas is exciting. Learning different perspectives opens up other possibilities for the students in my room.
If you blog, what is the focus of it?
I do not blog at this time. I keep a busy schedule coaching four Special Olympics sports and volunteering over 500 hours a year to other community events.
How do you use social media to connect with other educators?
I use Linked In at this time. I opened the Teachers Lounge back in 2008. It is a resource for K-12 teachers who need to network with other teachers from all around the world. This group has experts in general education, administration, and special education that are knowledgeable in math, reading, science, or Administration. These ideas really work on your school/campus. Feel free to join it today. http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Teachers-Lounge-147237?home=&gid=147237&trk=anet_ug_hm
What is your advice to teachers on social media and education?
My advice is to network and collaborate with others using social media. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Linked In are possible places to start. You are not alone in the wonderful world of education. You have thousands of ways to improve your campus. It is all at your fingertips. Start using social media today!
What advice in general do you have to teachers today?
Do not be afraid to use social media and other new technological items that your children are using on your campus. This world is spinning with new ideas daily. A good teacher should not be afraid to learn from their students. Heck, look at all of the apps on their iPad. It is a great way to build a bond between teacher and student. Teachers can learn from their students too!
What book would you recommend to teachers?
I would recommend The Connected Educator, authors Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach and Lani Ritter Hall integrate professional development that is currently working in schools with a new model — connected learning communities. Connected learning communities are a three-pronged approach to effective professional development using the local (professional learning community), contextual (personal learning network), and global (community of practice) environments. Connected learners take responsibility for their own professional development. They figure out what they need to learn and then collaborate with others to construct the knowledge they need. Instead of waiting for professional learning to be organized and delivered to them, connected learners contribute, interact, share ideas, and reflect.
My Town Tutors is a website that connects parents with teachers who tutor. If you are a teacher who tutors, for a limited time, you can register for using promo code: usteachers. Teachers set the hourly and keep 100% of the fees! One of our teachers made $5,000 last year tutoring.
It is FREE for parents to search for a teacher in their area. Please help us find ONE MORE teacher who tutors!