ConnectedTalk

I just read Ryan Bretag’s post on TechLearning blog and it is funny because I had conversations in SL last week with several people while visiting ISTE SL headquarters about this very topic. Is it time we started to have more directed conversations in SL, for example focus groups centered on topics people are interested in? I believe it is. SL is a place for me to meet others in education who want to continue to have conversations about changes in education, web 2.0,  school 2.0, changing pedagogy, social networking for adults, what the value is. I don’t know about anyone else, but as an instructional technology specialist, I am responsible to introduce new useful technologies to teachers in my district for their personal productivity and for classroom use.  I would say for the most part I find these tools on my own, or I depend on people I know and share project ideas with them. I also learn a great deal through blogs I read, and conference attendance, these are the sources for my own personal staff development. SL opens a whole new world for me beacause I am able to meet, connect with, and share experiences with people from all over in regard to my professional learning. It is an environment that is social, you feel as though when you are with a group, you literally are with a group of people, taking about issues that are relevant, you have that personal connection through this virtual environment. I think this is what people have to understand, SL is just the vehicle/environent to bring all of us together regardless of time or distance.  I know in my own district after doing a presentation on SL and even having someone who works for IBM in SL join us with a co worker many of those in attendance talked about how SL avatars looked or walked and I wanted to scream it is not about that! Look at the opportunities for creating personal/professional networks and creating our own personal learning environments. I am ready for those conversations to begin in SL  BloggersCafe here I come!

Today was the first full day of the conference for me and as it has been for the past several years I had several sessions for each of the time slots that I would have liked to attend, so many choices! Not to mention the posters sessions which are outstanding as well. The outstanding session of the day for me was Rock Our World with Carol Anne Maguire and Ann Reardon. This is an international collaboration project which began 5 years ago and has grown to include more classrooms around the world each year. Students use music, digital images, movies and video conferencing to connect and share aspects of their lives and make global connections. The projects seem to encompass groups of students in all age groups and have touched on a variety of subjects.
I also spent some time in the Second Life playground today which was terrific. I had the pleasure of meeting face to face some of the many people I have had very interesting conversations with during the past month. There were stations set up for anyone who was interested to come for information. There were demonstrations of all kinds going on all day and by the number of people stopping at the playgound I would say there was a lot of curiosity about the concept of Second Life. To those who spent their day in the playground answering all the questions, showing your favorite landmarks, creating accounts and changing avatar appearance, just to name a few of the things covered today you did an excellent job.
I look forward to tomorrow and more great opportunities for learning.

I have been spending quite a bit of time in Second Life the past several weeks and I find it fascinating. Several weeks ago at our last curriculum department meeting a colleague and I did a presentation on Second Life. The purpose of the presentation was to make staff and administrators aware of new technologies that are available, and being used, in different educational settings. This presentation had been proceeded with one on Web2.0 tools and applications for the classroom. I had been aware of SL for some time although had never taken the time to actually see what it was about until we were preparing for our presentation. I have had the pleasure of meeting Jeff Utecht whose blog Thinking Stick I read regularly, along with many others who show up at the ISTE Thursday night socials. I have met so many interesting people I never would have come in contact with in my real life. I am going to NECC in Atlanta and look forward to meeting these same people in person! I have signed up to work in the SL playground on Monday.
I look forward to NECC every year and this is no exception. I am disappointed I will not arrive in time for the EduBloggerCon on Saturday, but my reservations had been made before this day was finalized. I hope to be able to participate through the blog posts which I am sure will be full of great conversations. NECC has done an outstanding job this year of creating tags for all of the sessions, I hope to blog about those I attend and share what I learn, it will be a great week!