Journal 2 - Affinity Group and Digg Stream

 

 

 

 

Affinity Group:  

I joined the affinity group, Teachers Pay Teachers at: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/   I first heard about this group from Dr. McGarvey in class.   I think joining a collective brain trust or think tank, even at the level of an interest/affinity group, provides people with an outlet for their creativity.

I am also all about repurposing knowledge for cash. This can be my “retirement plan”.  I can help myself while helping others.  Besides the monetary reward, it is very affirming to share ideas and potentially have people say how much they appreciate you.   

Digg Reader:

Digg Reader is a wonderful, timesaving tool. The topics that I find fascinating at the moment are ESL and investing.  I currently teach ESL, own a great penny stock (ticker symbol JAMN), and day trade (in simulation for now).  This week, I saw job postings for ESL teachers, learned about the latest hot penny stocks, and read an article about billionaires and how they think and do business.  I am excited to continue logging in to Digg in the upcoming weeks to read the articles it has retrieved and to continue to add areas of interest to my list.  

Question 1:  Why is it important to join an affinity group?

Answer 1:  It is important because it connects you with likeminded people who may or may not exist in your geographical area.  It gives you access to a more “global” community and allows you to learn and share on topics of mutual interest.

Question 2:  How can Digg Reader become an invaluable tool?

Answer 2:  If you are always on the go and in need of the latest updates on certain topics, accessing all that information in a “one-stop” shop is priceless.  You can always add new areas of interest, delete old areas of interest, or refine your search criteria.  It is a great way to save time and energy in retrieving information that could potentially put you one step ahead of the crowd.