http://notebook.zoho.com/nb/public/sweidig/book/3946000000023213

I came away with more questions than answers.  Now while David Warlick would relate that that is a good thing, (and I often agree) in this instance I didn’t feel that way.

The session focused on two main “tools” (wikispaces and class blogmeister) for both the delivery of hands on practice (wikispaces) and the awareness of the second one (class blogmeister). Unfortunately, for me the session was far too one sided.  There were a few times that the participants really came forward with strong discussions bringing a myriad of viewpoints to bear on a topic, but this was more the exception than the rule for the session.

There is no one at fault for this neither instructor or participants.  We all worked well in the framework which the session was designed, and part of the design was to get individuals to use these tools… but it did feel silly at times a with 15 people sitting in a room NOT talking, but typing to each other in a threaded wiki discussion forum…

Please feel free to review my notes, but I wwould also love to get your thoughts and feedback on some of the questions that I am still struggling with wrapping my brain around like:

~ What are the implications for learning?

~ What are the implications in opening up conversations with PARENTS and students as well as OTHER classrooms around the world?

~ What are the concerns that should be raised when teachers act outside the district walls using web 2.0 applications and resources…?

~ Should administrators create a sense of transparency in their practices through using blogs to create a communication vehicle with parents and the community at large?

~ What is the role of web 2.0 in the “new” view of Professional Development?

~ How can we leverage technology to (in essance) give time back to teachers? Unfortunately, this is not the perception of technology for educators… what are the collective thoughts around shifting this paradeigm for teachers?

Ok That is just a few of the questions still rattling around in my brain tonight. Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow!

Scott

[Cross-posted at http://myiltce.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=1239424%3ABlogPost%3A10314]

[side not commentary here.  This is NOT what this post was intended to be about... well it's happened.  Will Richardson is so popular (he has reached 1000 people following him on twitter) he has been blocked by websense in my district.  Will I guess you have just become a "Social Network and Personal Site"... Fortunately, I can still read him via IE7's RSS reader and NewsGator... working on unblocking him now...]

Back to being “Plugged in…” I have just spent the last 50 minutes getting “Plugged in” to the ICE conference Ning which frankly I have been a part of for the last few weeks.  Today I connected to the conference flickr stream, the conference blogger stream, the conference twitter stream (which I will have to add later as we block twitter too [working on that as well] and then responding to “friend” requests on the ning… then grazing through the 155 members to see who is coming, and… you get the idea.

For me, blogging has been an interest and a painful, ever present reminder of how little time I have outside of my day to really get involved.  I work with my personal staff, my building staff and faculty, my district staff, and the organizations that I am affiliated with through that… then I look at my personal network of RSS feeds, twitter (twits?) and they abundant resources like:

• Tim Lauer twitting – http://tinyurl.com/2j24oo
• Dean Shareski twitting – http://tinyurl.com/yvfc8y
• Vicki Davis, Lisa Parisi, Karen Hokanson, Brian Smith, Buds the Teacher… and the list goes on and on…

So much so, that I have created a whole new favorites category called “Twitter links to review” just so I can go back to those resources that I can’t get to in the moment.  My NewsGator Go! application on my MotoQ Global smartphone  continues to hover at that 400-500 unread mark regardless of how much I read… wow are we all on this much overload?  I read while feeding my 5 month old (Noah), and try not to collapse when he and his 3 1/2 year old brother (Joshua) finally knock off for the night… then, I finally get to talk to my wife (if she didn’t fall asleep reading to Joshua).  oof…

That said, I am looking forward to lurking virtually at the METC conference via Hitchhikr (Thanks David for this wonderful resource) through blog posts and hopefully, some folks will be streaming via ustream so I can participate.  Are we all this crazy? 

We live in very changing times, and education IS changing (albeit slowly) but I am tired.  There have been recent posts in the blogosphere and microblogosphere (is that a word?) about the value of personal networks as well as which network is more powerful and useful… your in-person network of friends, faculty, district collegues, or your virtual personal network of information and linkages to information.  Will also posted (for a blocked resource I am really investing time in Will’s mental playground…) about this topic last week.  Would live to hear your thoughts on which is more beneficial, impassioned, and productive for you.

Here is the crazy thing, have you noticed that when you get plugged in (or re-plugged in) you want to dive in further? or am I really insane?  Just from updating information on the ICE Ning, I would now like to expand my personal contacts in my local area… get involved with ICE and the educators who attend and WANT to get involved.  Not just for technology sake, but because they are investing time as well. 

There used to be an adage… it’s not what you know it’s who you know… I am feeling that it is not what you know, but who you want to get to know is more applicable.  Thoughts?

[Websense photo from vanishingpoint

Technorati Tags: METC,ILTCE,WillRichardson,DavidWarlick,information,networking

Lensby Photo image from Andrew Morrell Phtotgraphy via flicker viewed 02/04/2008 http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewmorrell/76088141/ ]

Challenges:

•  safety
•  security
•  legitimate web safety program throughout your student body

Professional Development:

•  Get with the ones that are ready to go
•  take a leadership role
•  walk the walk

Assessment:

•  Embrace new ways to evaluate learning
• de-emphasize individual assessment

Equity:

•  Diversity and the digital divide
•  Relevance Race
•  Prepare students for the future world

Great end to a thought provoking message.