Module 1 Assignment 1: PLN#1 - Exploring Teacher Blogs Reflection

Module 1 – Assignment 1: Innovative Educator Blog Review. For this assignment, I chose Lisa Nielsen, widely known as The Innovative Educator. Her work immediately stood out to me because of her personal story and her mission. Lisa shares that she found school boring and irrelevant when she was a student, which motivated her to become an educator dedicated to changing that experience for others. She focuses on creating learning opportunities that are meaningful, relevant, and prepare students for real-world success. I admire that she emphasizes giving both students and educators a voice in the policies and conversations that shape education.

Lisa’s career began in the 1990s as a librarian in Harlem, where she built a thriving community space for students to explore their passions. From there, she went on to serve as a literacy coach, educational technology professional development manager, and technology innovation manager. Today, she is the Director of Digital Engagement and Professional Learning. Her recognition includes being named Teacher of the Year by her district, receiving the ISTE Making IT Happen Award, being listed among the nation’s top 100 influential voices in education, and being recognized as an exemplary connected educator by the U.S. Department of Education. Additionally, her blog, The Innovative Educator, has garnered numerous awards and is recognized as one of the leading voices in educational blogging.

What makes Lisa Nielsen especially influential is her ability to share ideas with a wide audience. She writes and speaks globally, with her work featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, ISTE Connects, Tech & Learning, Huffington Post, and more. She also authored Teaching Generation Text.

I explored three of her recent blog posts and found them insightful:

“AI Won’t Revolutionize Education – Here’s What Will” (Click title to access link)
This post resonated with me because Lisa explains that AI is not the magic solution many claim it to be. Instead, the bigger issue is how much time and money schools continue to allocate to standardized testing, data collection, and test preparation. She argues that the true revolution in education will occur when we prioritize authentic learning experiences over reducing education to test preparation. As a teacher, I agree with this perspective. I’ve seen firsthand how test prep can overshadow meaningful learning.

“Navigate AI with New Risk Assessments” (Click title to access link)
While this post primarily shared resources from Common Sense Media rather than her own reflections, it remains valuable because it highlights practical tools for evaluating AI risks. As AI tools become increasingly prevalent in education, I believe this resource could help teachers and schools make more informed decisions about which tools to adopt.

“Lights, Camera, and 7 Actionable Ways to Use Google Vids” (Click title to access link)
This post provided strategies for using Google’s new video tool in the classroom. I appreciated the concrete, actionable suggestions she gave for teachers to use video in instruction, collaboration, and communication. This is precisely the kind of practical resource that educators seek when exploring new technologies.

At the same time, when looking at blogs more broadly, I think there’s a larger issue with media credibility in the 2020s. It has become increasingly difficult to distinguish between authentic content and essentially paid promotions. Even with the required “#Ad” tags, it doesn’t always feel transparent enough. While not technically blogs, I’ve seen countless TikToks where teachers push their “TPT Resources” with the undertone of “Here’s something great for your classroom, if you pay me first.” Not everyone does this, of course, but it is common enough to make me question some online content.

That said, I still find classroom blogs and vlogs very useful. I personally use TikTok for ideas, and one example that has become a staple in my teaching is First Chapter Friday, which I first discovered on the app. These digital spaces can be powerful for sharing ideas, building community, and improving practice, but I believe the field needs more transparency. Educators should be clear when content is sponsored or monetized, so other teachers can better evaluate what’s genuinely useful and what’s primarily marketing.

Note: Grammarly was used to help identify and correct grammatical errors in this reflection.