Category Archives: necc07

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What If We Got What We Want?

I may not be the first to bring this up. But …

At the NECC EduBloggerCon one of the most lively discussions took place in a session where we discussed the “talking points” of Web 2.0. How do we advance our agenda about getting these tools and edtech and project based learning utilized to a much greater extent in education?

One of the points that came up was the lack of many working, successful examples of what we visualize as our model of what education and schools should or could look like. This made me wonder … I’m sure we don’t all agree on precisely what that model is, but what if you got it?

Tomorrow you get a call and your school district or whomever has decided to follow an educational plan that is basically your vision. 1:1 laptops, web 2.0 apps unblocked, time and $ for training, training, training, discussion, discussion, discussion, planning, planning, planning, whatever other hardware you feel is necessary, plenty of IT support, plenty of bandwidth, software – whether it is purchased or open-source, whatever else you envision as necessary. And this is going to cost a bundle AND everyone is watching. You have 5 to 10 years to show this makes a difference.

Now just having the tech is not all it would take obviously. How can or will students be evaluated would change the dynamic, connectivity at home (although that could be covered in the “whatever else you envision as necessary” point above – student connections at home – communitywide wireless?). What else needs to be considered?

How confident are you feeling now? You are one of the instigators here no matter what your role is (teacher, district/state edtech administrator, IT admin, ?). People are going to remember you (and others) pushed for this. They’re putting their money and resources behind you (and others). You have railed for these changes for a long time … and now you have them. Still confident this will lead to better student learning? Can you prove students are learning better or more? How? Test scores? Portfolios?

So if this really happened … are you freaking out about now … or thrilled to death?

Getting everything you want can be messy.

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Test From Flock – Or I Better Not Get Caught Using Word to Write My Blog Again!!!

OK – I was made fun of (just a little) by several inhabitants of the Bloggers Cafe right after David Warlick sat next to me, saw that I was authoring a blog post, noticed I was using Word and said, “You use Word to write your blog!???” which brought much jovial kidding (I think it was jovial). Jeff Utecht and Mark Wagner showed me a few options (the whole time chuckling). So, here I am trying this new version of Flock even though I’ve heard both good and bad about it.

By the way not long after it was noticed that I use Word, someone saw that I wasn’t using RSS (I am now) – I must say that I did my part providing comic relief (even though none was needed) to my fellow bloggers. OK, time to see how this works. Did I mention I heard about this through my Twitter feed?

Learning is messy and sometimes embarrassing.

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Cafe Envy

Jeff Utecht wonders why those of us populating the Blogger Cafe find it more engaging than many of the sessions. Well for one, you have a group of the most knowledgeable edtech people from all over the world in the same place, at the same time sharing and mashing all that knowledge and enthusiasm – “ and that’s powerful and addictive. You aren’t tied to “the topic” of a session – you can pick and choose and blend topics.

More intriguing to me is how do we replicate “Bloggers Cafe” on the web? Of course the answer is you can’t – Blogger’s Cafe has no time zone issues (if you’ve ever wanted to do a Skype session with other places in the world you know how difficult time zones are to deal with), it has no connectivity, platform or software issues. Sharing is immediate and not bound by what you can see or hear or feel on your computer.

This is the first “Cafe” and no one could anticipate its allure and how it has leveraged the entire conference. But it does then beg the question – how could we capture any of its power over the net? Skype or Elluminate are good tools for connecting – but the time zone issue clouds them. Wikis, blogs, feeds, and so forth all have their place – could they be mashed in some way to capture any of the magic of this place? It would be more than worth it to try – so you do it – you have the time, don’t you? Hmmm – yep that’s the rub. What new web 2.0 (3.0 actually) app could we come up with that would do this – you’d be a gazillionaire if you come up with it and develop it because this is way too powerful and meaningful.

Jeff Utecht, Chris Lehman, Darren Draper, John Pederson, Janice Stearns and I Skype-chatted a great session by Will Richardson just now –  Dean Shareski, Clarence Fisher, Bill Fitzgerald and others joined from as far away as Canada – here we were live Skype-Chatting Will’s preso and sharing it with people thousands of miles away.

Afterwards Chris Lehman may have captured the essence of “Blogger’s Cafe” when he said, “Blogger’s Cafe  is the reflection time not present in the sessions.” We all literally said, “AHHHH!”

Here’s to another example of “messy learning”

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I’m Melancholy Already

We have just had too much fun and learning and networking. Twitter has been all the rage here (if you hadn’t already figured that out) – has been a great tool for sharing what’s going on and connecting up. I’m sitting in the Blogger’s Café AGAIN and it is almost 8:30pm – very little going on … except that many here have been asked by the WOW2 ladies to be part of a NECC WOW2 – and that starts in 30 minutes not far from here.

The downside of all this networking is definitely going to be the withdrawl after it ends. I’m fairly tech savvy, but many of the other bloggers here are never disconnected. If there’s no wireless they have the phones and know how to make connections all the time. Has lead to some very funny stories about being just too connected. But when all this ends its going to be tough. All the more reason to do it again next year! Gotta go – WOW2 is about to start.

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Blogger’s Café – The Conversation Place

The Blogger’s Café, which I believe is new this year, actually has become a touchbase for the edubloggers here. One reason is its location – near bathrooms, coffee and a view of the dreaded exhibit floor. Its 8:45am and right now David Warlick, David Jakes, John Pederson, Cheryl Oakes, Jennifer Wagner, Brian Grenier and a few others that my muddled morning mind can’t conjure their names have staked out a spot near a plug strip. David W and John were showing others Twitter as people share where they are going etc.

At one point yesterday all those named above along with Wes Fryer, Will Richardson, Mark Wagner, Sharon Peters, Vicki Davis and 10 or more others were all here talking, laughing, sharing – breaking into informal discussion groups that were fluid and would trade members. Chris Lehman sat with Sharon Peters as she asked him questions about SLA and recorded the answers for a podcast – those around chimed in with questions and comments too. Someone brought over their laptop so they could Video-Skype a friend from across the country that is interested in progressive education so she could listen in and Chris was totally accommodating. This is how to conference. The face to face is awesome and needed.

Learning is messy!

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My Home Today?




Blogger’s Cafe

Originally uploaded by BCrosby

Yesterday was EduBloggerCon – today, for me, is nothing pre-planned other than tonight’s keynote with Andrew Zolli and the opening reception at the Georgia Aquarium. So I’ll probably hang out here in the Blogger’s Cafe and clean off my laptop’s desktop (which is embarrassingly messy), blog some, plan more of my conference and hopefully have some conversations. After the last few days of running around, should be a nice rest for the rest of the conference. So if you’re here at the conference and have time to converse, you know where i probably am.

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Do These Guys Know That People Will Be Here Monday???

I took these shots of the exhibit hall at NECC 2007 – Saturday at noon. The amazing thing is you know they will be ready. Can you tell I shot this through a window? (notice my hands and camera reflected in the glass – extra points if you can tell me the model camera I used).
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Setting up for National Educational Technology Conventions is Messy! (How’s that Tom? : } )

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I’m Here! NECC 2007

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Well my plane (jet) left an hour earlier than it said it would on my itinerary, but that worked out OK. I just read Dave’s Tips about how to behave while here – I hope I remember everything.

I learned during my visit to Houston in January that you do need to be aware of your surroundings. A presenter made a somewhat disparaging comment about our President, and the Texans in the crowd moaned and were not pleased. The woman sitting next to me explained that she did not support President Bush in many of his policies, but you do not say anything negative about him in Texas – or if you do it is at your own peril – good to know.

The photo is the view out of my 18th floor room. Does the Coca Cola sign in the distance have something to do with Dave’s comment about Pepsi? Oh well, I’m sure he was just kidding.

OK now I have to find something to do until EduBloggerCon tomorrow morning. Where’s my white hankerchief!?

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No Rest For The Weary!

You’ve probably noted I haven’t posted much lately … I’ve been sick … it’s end of school year syndrome … just too busy. Our last day was Wednesday, but I had to completely box up my room, even though I’m not moving classrooms because the entire school is having asbestos abatement done. All the carpet and floor tile is coming up. The floor tile is the culprit – contains asbestos circa the early 1960’s. We’ve been told for years that as long as the tiles are in one piece we needn’t worry because the asbestos is held in the tile unless the tile starts to flake (We’re all very reassured by this … cough, cough).

We had planned to do one last blog post on the last day, but the gods weren’t with us – cooler than usual weather messed us up because it changed the day’s schedule and just didn’t give us time. We did shoot a little video of our finished animal designs – we had planned to do some interviews about them on tape but that didn’t happen either … best laid plans and all.

I have about 50 projects around the house waiting for me (got most of the vegetable garden in today …  finally) – but I get to go to NECC this year so now I hope to have some time to prep for that … I have to figure out what sessions to go to.

My big news of late is that I got a new MacBook – an administrator in my school district got it for me even though only HP’s are allowed in my district!!! “……because you’ll use it well….” and since it is a district owned computer I can get it tagged and put on the network (shhhh! I just won’t mention what brand it is when I send IT the MAC number). It has an 80 gig hard drive and I really want at least 120 gig – would love 200 gig – but the guy at the Apple Store told me I have to leave it as is or I void the warranty – and since it came with 3 years of AppleCare I don’t want to do that. However, I perused the web some and found several references to others’ having the same thing happen and some say that they have gotten Apple on the phone and were told as long as an Apple certified repair place does it you are OK (the Apple Store guy told me no way you can do it under any circumstances). ANYONE OUT THERE HAVE ACTUAL EXPERIENCE WITH THIS!?

OK, where’s that list of things to do? I’d better get started.

Learning is messy!