Finding effective teacher-created lessons and resources for your interactive classroom is a picnic with MimioConnect! 

Last week I attended a summer barbeque with a number of good friends, who also happen to be educators. As you know, when educators get together over the summer months, quite a few topics get discussed around the picnic table. Since this was a gathering of educators at the end of July, our conversation quickly turned to our back-to-school preparations. 

Many of my friends mentioned the long hours they typically spend organizing their materials before each new school year. Others described in great detail the time they have already invested in lesson planning, in-services, and activity creation for their new students. Two others at the gathering proclaimed how excited they were to have several new Mimio products in their classroom. They explained that they had participated in online training sessions and were now spending their warm summer days on their back patio, creating new interactive lessons with MimioStudio™ software.

As the conversation continued, I chimed in and asked my friends if any of them had ever used the resources on the MimioConnect® website. Several of them asked, “What’s MimioConnect?” Another laughed and said, “I don’t have time to learn another new piece of technology!” So I began to explain just how beneficial MimioConnect resources can be to teachers who are preparing for a new school year. Having used mimioconnect.com myself over the past several years, I could tell them firsthand that it reduced my teacher workload and provided some rigorous interactive lessons for my students. I also began to enumerate all of the benefits waiting for members of the MimioConnect teaching community.   

Why You Should Become a Member of the MimioConnect Teaching Community 
The MimioConnect website is a dynamic online community for educators who are using technology in their classrooms. MimioConnect resources can assist anyone who is struggling to find the time to organize, plan, and create content in preparation for the upcoming school year. Membership is free. Just register, create your MimioConnect profile, and begin enjoying the benefits.

You can access and download thousands of free teacher-created interactive lessons that correspond to your specific curriculum. Furthermore, you can easily customize the lessons found on the MimioConnect site to fit specific classroom needs, via MimioStudio™ classroom software. You can alter lessons to accommodate your teaching style and/or the individual learning styles and needs of your students. 

The MimioConnect site also offers lots of support for educators who are just getting started with Mimio in their classrooms, including forums, free training options, collaborative groups, and the ability to ask a Mimio Master a question.

What Types of Resources Can an Educator Find on MimioConnect?   
My friends at the picnic teach across the curriculum, including grade school, middle school, and even some high school classes. The MimioConnect online teaching community offers the following benefits to all of them, including:

• Lesson Plans and Activities: Educators can find and download thousands of free teacher-created lesson plans, activities, and Gallery files, which they can modify and use in their classroom.

• Lesson Collaboration: Educators can connect with other MimioConnect members in their school, district, or even across the country to share their ideas for lessons and collaborate on projects. 

• Forums: Educators can engage in discussions on an existing forum, or even create their own discussions. Members can ask one another questions, and the entire community can benefit from a shared knowledge base. 

• Groups: Educators can join an existing group or create one of their own for their school.

• Ask a Mimio Master: Educators can get answers to their most technical questions from experienced Mimio educators. They can also search the answer database for helpful tutorials.

How Do You Register for Membership in the MimioConnect Teaching Community?   
As previously mentioned, MimioConnect membership is completely free. To register, simply visit http://www.mimioconnect.com/user/register. Once you have experienced this amazing resource, be sure to share the news with other teachers in your school. The MimioConnect teaching community is the best way to get ready for the upcoming school year and beyond.  

Don’t Just Take My Word for It
Every teacher I know who has explored the MimioConnect site tells me they are thrilled at what they find. But Mimio is also excited that the MimioConnect online community won this year’s Reader’s Choice award from eSchools News. More than 1,300 educators and administrators from K-12 schools and districts across North America nominated their favorite ed-tech products or services, and the MimioConnect teacher community is one of 50 winning products and services for 2014-2015. It’s always great to see this powerful resource recognized, because it helps spread the word to more teachers, who can both benefit from and help to grow this excellent online community.

Join MimioConnect today! Become a member.>>