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I had never thought of looking through my things while I have down time, maybe I will be able to do this more now since my kids have their own ipods, kindles..... I'm going to try to do this more often, even if only 5 minutes a day! -Christina Miller

Hi Christina, I was just thinking the same thing. I have to maximize my downtime! C. Hornyak

I understand what she is saying here, but I think that downtime can be good.  We need to be able to clear and rest our minds (and our eyes) sometimes.  Call me old-fashioned, but it really bothers me when I see people in public with their phones or ipads out and their eyes glued on it.  Especially young children.  I think this is one area where technology and social media is damaging our culture and society.  Just some thoughts! Sorry for the "soap-box"! Tonya Scott

I think that this is a great example of how we can maximize our downtime and really put our smart phones to good use. I personally think that I would have to start making more of a conscious effort to do this because I tend to get caught up in my surroundings and would rather be present in the current moment than with my face in my phone. I completely understand the point of this strategy. I just think that for some people, they would have to change a lifestyle habit. -Ilana Haas

I agree, I never thought that that 5 minutes in the bathroom can be beneficial, or maybe when you are on your lunch break from work. I'm going to have to remember that every time I have an extra 5 minutes to use it to my advantage and organize my PLN

I'm sorry. I forgot to put my name- Maria Onorato

Maximizeing down time can be a good idea, but it can also burn you out.  We are so connected all of the time that I think we need to take a break from technology every day.  I make my children do it, so I need to lead by example! (Dawn Lynn)

As others have said downtime is important to relax and little and destress.  So although there are times where downtime can be used for stuff like this, we do not want to create burnout.  For example, I know some off periods I get I should use for planning and prep, but some days I just use it to unwind after a stressful class.  During days like that I could not imagine doing something like this.

Forgot to post my name. (John Bugay)

I actually think that this is totally ridiculous. People can't be connected all of the time. Most of the time, these are the times where it is my actual and only downtime for the day and let me tell you, I am not wasting it on social media. I need it for my own sanity! (Felicia Ulsh)

That's a great idea, but as most of you will soon, or at some point realize, when you move on to the journey of your doctorate, there's no such thing as "down time", but time management is definitely necessary, something that I am in constant struggle with.

I agree - it feels so good to just leave all technology off for the day! I think deep down inside, my kids appreciate it, too:). -Dr. Fritz

I enjoyed this back and forth of opinions on using social media during downtime. The way I've always thought about it is whether my downtime has more opportunities from being present with my own thoughts and the world around me, or if this is a true downtime I should be taking advantage of. No one can tell you where to draw the line with too much use of technology, but I think there is a time to get busy on your phone and a time to give it a rest. Having worked at a Starbucks for some time in the past, I can say I've seen people miss great thing in the real world around them because of their phones, but I've also seen people enjoy their otherwise tedious and frustrating wait because of social media. All I can say for sure about this is to try to be mindful of those around you and to be dynamic about moving from the world on your phone to the world around you. Technology is given a bad rap because of how oblivious people can be when they use it in public. If now is the time to get stuff done in your downtime, make that little bit of effort to be good to the real people around you. Timothy Conley

I can see where there are some points in time that can be used to do this but I do not think that every waking moment should be devoted to maximizing downtime. As with everything else, there should be balance. Sometimes standing in line is just for standing in line and not having your face buried in a phone. I understand what the writer is trying to say but think there should be some discretion for how literally it is applied. (W. Kerr)

I have mixed feelings about this statement. Everytime I have downtime I feel like I always reach for my phone and start browsing through all of my social media accounts. Lately I have been telling myself that I need to back off and back away from technology because I feel like it distracts me from the world around me and I don't feel like I take the time to notice my surroundings enough. I definitely think its important to try and keep up to date with new updates in the industry but I think its important to draw a line and a maximum amount of time spent doing this each day because it can really take away from personal relaxation time that I feel is important also. -Carissa McGuigan

This reminds me of the time management exercise I used to do with college students.  I'd put a brick in a glass jar, then some stones, then some sand to fill in the gaps and ask if it was full.  When they would (inevitably) say it was full, I'd start pouring in water, then lead a discussion about finding those bits of downtime.  That being said, I think a teacher who is constantly ON - teaching, learning, seeking, reading, etc. - runs the risk of burning out very quickly.  This is especially true for those of us who are true introverts.  ~S. Owens  

I strongly disagree with this quote. What happened to work/life balance? Downtime is important, and so is having interests outside of your job - especially for teachers who can get burnt out so easily. I think technology makes it so easy to be "working" 24/7 that we need to consciously separate ourselves from our jobs - which makes downtime so important. - P. Cammiso 

I like that the author gives ideas for tools to use, but basically just gives the idea that being organized is the most important part of the process.  Finding a way to keep a daily process efficient and reliable is what is most important.

I agree completely with this statement. Using social media needs to be a planned process and something that can become habit and a routine. It can seem overwhelming at first, but I understand how this could be a useful activity.-Ryan Burks

I love that these tools can allow me to more easily share resources with my staff. C. Spina

I agree with Arik Hanson that as teachers, we must maximize any downtime that we have.  However, I do not think that downtime should be spent reading education blogs and twitter posts.  At least, this shouldn't happen all the time.  Everyone needs time to remove themselves from their jobs.  Not being able to do causes burn out.  I personally look forward to the little breaks during the school day so that I can turn off my brain momentarily and recharge my batteries. - Alex Kenkelen (EDUC 611-901)

I just checked out paper.li and found that it is moving to a paid service on March 8th. But I wasn't that impressed with it anyway. The automatically generated papers were not very well keword organized. When searching for physics education, I got mostly physical education articles.

I never got into an RSS system, because I have been far too busy. As this author mentions, I could scan the headlines, but I would never have time to go back and read the articles. Perhaps once I am finished with my PhD and concurrent MS and only have one job, I can attempt this. Now that I have some strategies, it might work.

I have never gotten into on either. I have also been too busy with work and grad school. I hope to read more during the summer months.

I still can't even figure out how they work, and how I'm supposed to find the time to read the headlines behind the articles.  I can barely find enough time for my Facebook news feed!

Twitter is so expansive that would be almost impossible to cover all the content. Making lists is a good way to be organized and utilize the time you spend on it wisely. (W.Kerr)

Feedly is laid out nicely, however I still don't understand the concept of scanning 100 blogs in 15 minutes.  Isn't that the same as simply reading the headlines? Headlines can be extremely misleading.  I tried setting up a Feedly page and I like it, but I still am not sure how I'm going to read blogs so quickly-I guess I just have to start practicing! -P. Fradin

Meaningful connections! Because technology surrounds our ever day life... these are the "authentic and relevant connections" our children make with the world. It's the way they communicate. Although, face-to-face connections are important,educators should continue to find ways to teach children within this foundation, meeting their need and source of connection. -Jess Ross

I also think this is important to students who may have social anxiety. Although it may be impossible for them to talk to someone in person, they may open up a lot more on social media/through technology (C.Loring)

Getting something started with something new can sometime scare people.  For people who are not technologically inclined this could be even worse.  I've heard teachers in the past shy away from technology instead of embracing it because they aren't tech savvy.  As teachers, we need to assume that new things and ideas will come out and we have to jump on board.  In the end, students benefit from this and that's the number one priority.  

"Extend the classroom" is a great phrase. Why does a classroom have to be a room? Social media came make the world the classroom. -Jeannine McGoldrick

One thing that can help make these playlists even more enriching is another application known as educanon, which I have recently discovered.  Here questions can be inserted into Youtube videos that will assess student understanding for what they just watched.  This way they aren't just watching a video, but are engaged with it as well. (John Bugay)

We constantly need to remember that social media by itself is never enough, we need to bend it to our uses and create experiences that benefit ourselves and our learners.

Forgot name again - John Bugay

I agree!  It is important to use technology, but we must choose what works best for our students and what adds to the lesson.  We should not use technology for "technology's sake". (Dawn Lynn)

Yes, every student is different. I like Power Point but that  might not be best for everyone. 

-Jeannine