Thank you, Edublogs, for sponsoring the annual Edublog Awards event. Every year, I look forward to discovering new ideas and resources, learning from innovative educators, and the opportunity to give a shout out to those who have inspired me in the past year.

 My 2013 Edublog Awards Nominations:

• Best Individual Blog – Kevin’s Meandering Mind – This is not the first time I have nominated Kevin Hodgson’s blog for an eddie, but this year, I’ve moved his nomination from Best Teacher Blog to this first category. Kevin’s love for teaching, music, poetry, comic creations, collaboration, reflection and more continue to inspire and recharge my thinking about what it means to be a connected educator.
• Best Class Blog – Mr. Bentley’s 5th/6th Grade Loop – Last summer, Edutopia’s Suzie Boss asked me if I had a recommendation for a teacher in my district who immerses students in Project-Base Learning (PBL). Suzie now joins me in recognizing the amazing teaching and learning that happens in Jim Bentley’s classroom. If you can’t visit his classroom in real time,  Jim’s classroom blog will provide a window into his teaching. Be sure to check the resources he and his students have created for producing award-winning documentaries and PSAs.
• Best Group Blog – Youth Voices – An annual invitation to  “youth of all ages to voice their thoughts about their passions, to explain things they understand well, to wonder about things they have just begun to understand, and to share discussion posts with other young people using as many different genres and media as they can imagine!“
• Best Ed Tech / Resource Sharing Blog – Free Technology for Teachers – Richard Byrne’s blog is a treasure. So many great technology tools clearly explained and demonstrated.
• Best Teacher Blog – Alice in WonderTech – A year ago this week, I traveled to Mountain View (California) to attend the Google Teacher Academy, where I met amazing teachers from across the nation and world – including Alice Chen, a middle school ELA teacher. Alice is a fearless explorer of new technologies and a sought after trainer in her district, region, and state. Her blog posts are a reminder that even if we stumble a bit in adopting new ideas and tools, we are still moving forward.
• Most Influential Blog Post of the Year – Using Writing to Combat Bullying and Cliques – OK, I’m not sure if an article posted to Education Week counts as a blog post, but in the month since reading David Rockower’s powerful article, I’ve passed it on to both colleagues and administrators (and even adapted a Google Doc version to center on cyberbullying).
• Best individual Tweeter – @LarryFerlazzo – I really appreciate the constant flow of outstanding resources and articles Larry shares through Twitter.
• Best Twitter Hashtag – #upstanders – Margaret Mead’s words from the past sum up the power of this timely/timeless hashtag: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
• Best free web tool – Mozilla’s PopcornMaker – What a great tool for introducing students to the art and power of remix.
• Best Open PD /Webinar Series – Common Sense Media’s webinars (which include participation certificates) are a wonderful new resource and free online PD option for teachers to learn more about what it means to be a digital citizen.
• Lifetime Achievement – Mike Ribble – With much appreciation for all that Mike has done to ignite conversations and communities around issues of digital citizenship.

Note to self: Next year do NOT wait till the last day to post nominations!