Thank you, PLN!

How did I get started in Twitter and growing my PLN? That's a question I asked myself recently. I had to think for a few minutes about my first experience with Twitter, and what (or who) made me decide to give it a try. I guess I'd have to credit @ipadsammy (Jon Samuelson) for getting me started. I'm not sure if he'll even remember this, but back in December 2012 he encouraged me to start a Twitter account and following other educators across the country. I'm still not quite sure how I even found Jon. It's kind of like "what came first, the chicken or the egg?". I started following him around the same time that I discovered @mathycathy's (Cathy Yenca) blog, and I'm not quite sure whether I found her blog because of Jon, or I found Jon because of her blog. But either way, they were my original inspirations. (Thank you so much to both of you!!)

At first, I just Twitter-stalked. It took me a long time to feel like I had something to say that others might think of as interesting enough to read. I just absorbed anything and everything I could about using iPads in my math class. After an almost full year of utilizing these wonderful tools in my classroom, I finally decided I wanted to begin blogging about some of my experiences so I could possibly help others, as everyone in my PLN did for me.

With that said, here's a list of those in my PLN that I feel have really been the biggest inspirations for me in either iPadding and/or blogging. Most of you probably don't even know me, but you have made a difference in my work, so thank you!

• Jon Samuelson, Alison Anderson (@tedrosececi), and Curt Rees (@CurtRees) - I learned so much from your Techlandia podcast, not to mention had a lot of laughs!
• Cathy Yenca - the fact that you blogged about your first experiences with iPads and you teach middle school math like me has been a huge plus!
• Lisa Johnson (@TechChef4u) - so many great ideas from your blog, you're so creative!
• Fawn Nguyen (@fawnpnguyen) - love your stories and your attitude!
• Aimee Bartis (@aimeegbartis) - thanks for the advice!
• Tony Vincent (@tonyvincent) - thanks for sharing my Stick Around puzzle on your blog!
• Jenny Magiera (@MsMagiera), Sue Gorman (@sjgorman), Jeff Herb (@InstTechTalk), and Jeff Bradbury (@TeacherCast) - love your podcasts too!
• Rafranz Davis (@RafranzDavis), Andrew Stadel (@mr_stadel), and Julie Reulbach (@jreulbach), - fellow math techies with great blogs!
• Jen Kimbrell (@TechwithJen) - great ideas from the Technology Tailgate crew!
• Terri Eichholz (@terrieichholz) - you engage my mind!
• Erin Klein (@KleinErin), Drew Minock (@TechMinock), Brad Waid (@Techbradwaid) and Courtney Pepe (@ipadqueen2012) - great AR ideas!
• Emre Firat (@EMREFIRAT2012) - thanks for the Google assistance!
• and to everyone else I failed to mention, thank you too!