Today marks the start of Connected Educator Month, celebrating the power of online communities to transform teaching and learning. More than 60 national education organizations (including NAESP), communities, and companies have joined forces to sponsor a slew of online activities, from forums to webinars to contests.

Connected educators are retooling teaching and learning in the age of the Internet. You might be a connected educator if…

• You automatically think in 140-character sentences.
• You know the ins and outs of wikis and webinars, flipped learning and Flickr.
• You encourage your teachers to Skype, blog, and even use video games in the classroom.
• You read a fabulous article and immediately think, “My PLN should see this!”

Not quite “connected” yet? Connected Educator Month offers activities and resources for tech experts and novices alike. Kick off the festivities with this Connected Educator Starter Kit, with ideas and projects for each day of the month.  

Then, check out this extensive calendar of events. Some upcoming highlights include:

• Thursday, August 2

Keynote Presentation: “Program or Be Programmed: Commands for Education’s Digital Age.”

• Friday, August 3

Forum Discussion: Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due: Incenting and Recognizing Teachers for Their Investments in Learning

• Thursday, August 9

Webinar: How Schools are Using iPads to Increase Learning

• Various dates and times

Webinar and Chat: Peek Inside the Life of a Connected Educator