On the new Smartblog on Education, Tom Whitby, contributing editor and a former high school English teacher, highlights a potential glitch with the Connected Educator Month idea: Almost by definition, most of the teachers who are aware of the celebration are already, well, connected educators. And drumming up interest from their less networked peers, he suggests, might prove challenging (especially for new-media devotees):
Of course, avenues to reach nonconnected educators would be print media, television and radio, and articles in journals, newspapers and magazines. We can only hope teachers have time to keep up with such media. Much of this media requires subscription. There might even be buzz at schools that start the school year before September. Of course, the beginning of the year is the busiest and most hectic time at school. That does not allow for a huge amount of buzz.
Still, Whitby argues, an “echo chamber” isn’t necessarily a bad thing if it gives like-minded teachers who know the subject best opportunities to share “skills, interests and motivations"—and perhaps to discuss how to bring their uninitiated colleagues into the fold. ...