Listen to the interview with Lisa Schmucki, Founder and CEO, edWeb.net and Dr. Peggy George, co-host of Classroom 2.0 Live, about the use of the internet and how social media creates good learning experiences for educators.

Lisa and Peggy met on edWeb as Peggy became a regular at our edWeb webinars. They talked back and forth through the live chats and exchanged emails and tweets before finally meeting up at ISTE. The idea of the connected educator is not just about collaborating online, but being able to forge real professional relationships between educators and between educators and companies – plus, it’s not only great for improvement, but it’s fun.

Larry Jacobs, host of Education Talk Radio, asked how connectivity in today’s world affects current teachers and how it impacts teacher preparation of student educators.

Peggy explained that through this connectedness, teachers were not only learning to teach students in a classroom, but learning how to teach and learn with other teachers in committees and workshops. As a result, student educators were leaving programs feeling more prepared not just for the classroom, but really understanding their role and responsibility in becoming part of the entire education environment.

Now, there are so many more ways to connect and be connected, and students and teachers should really embrace going beyond the walls of the classroom to learn, share, and collaborate.

Peggy adds, her favorite quote about PD (professional development) on demand, “Move beyond the idea that education is something that is provided for us, and toward the idea that an education is something we create for ourselves.”

Original Airdate: 7/12/13

Hosted by Larry Jacobs, the founder of Education Talk Radio.

Listen to the interview below to hear more about being a connected educator to improve teaching skills among educators, and also how it is important for educational companies to become involved in connecting with educators to see how things work and how to move forward faster in creating new products and tools.