Getting Your Work Noticed
After you have published your work, the next challenge is to announce the publication in a few strategic spaces so your colleagues will know of its existence to access and view it...
Links
After you have published your work, the next challenge is to announce the publication in a few strategic spaces so your colleagues will know of its existence to access and view it. Since no singular site coordinates teacher publishing, send a notice to the representative addresses below.
One place to start is your state's department of education. The site, the Los Angeles Learning Community Network, is mentioned just as a reminder -- let your local and state networks know about your accomplishment. Browse around the Professional Development section in this library room for other ideas, such as conferences for computer-using educators.
Yahoo Groups has communities for every subject imaginable. Join groups that match your work's domain, announce your publication, and solicit feedback (getting even more people interested in your work). You might even want to start your own Yahoo Group if there's enough interest.
The COSN discussion list is popular among networked educators.
Now, for the real challenge: How can you interest colleagues who are not yet fully online to "notice" your work? You also need to rely on traditional announcement channels, such as conferences, publications and bulletins in your classroom grade domain and area of specialty and presentations to general curriculum (e.g., the ASCD) and policy groups (eg. national workshops for administrators and schoolboard members). In other words, reach out to both bottom-up and top-down and vertical and horizontal channels in the schooling community. Seek the leaders, called early adopters in the marketing/dissemination communities, within each channel first; they will be the participants at conferences or dedicated readers of publications. Others will follow.
Regardless of your strategies,include your email address along with your traditional contact information so colleagues can send comments. Most teachers use computers at home, even if their school is not yet up to speed. If your project has been placed on your website (highly recommended), make sure you include an e-mail for folks to send feedback. Make sure Google -- and the other search engines -- are indexing your site's contents.
Intel sponsors Odyssey, online, multi-media "stories" of student projects around the world. Tools like hand-held computers, graphical illustrations are integrated into the projects. Topics include biographies of Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln as well as building "cy-bugs" and Romeo and Juliet and Afghani history. A good site for culling ideas for such projects.
Annotation
It can take a while for knowledge of your work to take hold. Be patient and keep getting the word out. Perseverance will pay off in the long run.
