Because of a Tweet

I am constantly amazed by the power of Twitter and the awesomeness of my personal learning network (PLN). They share great links, cool Web 2.0 tools, and learning opportunities. Thanks to a tweet by Chris Johnston, I was able to offer my students an educational experience that not many other students will get. When I saw the above tweet from Chris, he and I exchanged several DMs (direct messages) and Chris hooked me up directly to the Miller family. Next Jennifer Miller and I exchanged emails and phone calls. Then it was set, they were coming to my classroom while they were in New Orleans.

The Miller family is living the kind of life that most of us can only dream about. The four children of the family are having experiences in their young lives that most of us will never have in our entire lifetime. And they came to my classroom and shared their incredible experience from last year with my students. Jennifer, a former teacher, showed a slideshow that took us back through their year of travel through Europe and northern Africa. As she guided us through their year of traveling on bicycles and sleeping in tents, the kids, Hannah, Gabriel, Elisha, and Erza, added their perspectives.

This year they are traveling (by minivan this time) down the eastern coast of the United States, along the Gulf Coast, and ultimately are headed for Costa Rica. One of their stops was New Orleans and thanks to a tweet, they ended up in my classroom. I look forward to following their journey and having my students blogging with the Miller clan. Thank you so much for enriching the lives of my students. Have a safe journey and we will "see" you online.