Well, I skimmed through and did some searches on the blog posts for NECC07 to get a flavor for the discussion and mood at NECC this year since I couldn’t attend onsite. I was disappointed that the web 2.0 crowd at NECC generated a lot of buzz, however I couldn’t find much blogging about videoconferencing. (Thanks Gail for your post & love how that pix of the hat gets around.) Then I read Roxanne’s post, Now Go Tell Two Friends.
Those of you who work as distance learning coordinators know that there really is no formal training available to teach us how to do our job.
There are technical trainings to learn how to run the equipment and Janine’s online courses that teach about creating projects and 123VC to immerse teachers into the videoconference/distance learning environment, but how do coordinators learn how to coordinate programs and what is available?
One way to learn is by blogging.
Amen, girl! What a blessing the blogging conversation about videoconferencing has been especially this past year for me. I learn so much from my colleagues blogging. We’ve started to really comment and interconnect our blog conversations in the ways that the web 2.0 crowd is doing so well. We can improve on this small start!
We need the same collaborative-learning-growing-knowledge community in the K12 videoconferencing world that exists in the School 2.0 world. We have so much to learn from each other! And some of you are really pushing the edges with creative cool engaging uses of videoconferencing in the classroom. You don’t have to blog every day, just start writing about what’s going well and what you’re experiencing and learning! I want to read your blog!!! Yes, YOU reading this right now. Send me an email when you start so I can link to your blog here.
So funny you would write this up…that is EXACTLY what I have been thinking as I read through the NECC blogs. I think that the videoconferencing group should continue to blog and teach others because most of the vc folks that I know are focused on projects that put many of the theories of the educational technology community into practice.
I have my two that I am working with this summer…look for two new voices to join the conversation later this summer! Also, be sure to subscribe to Angela Conrad’s IVC@HISD podcast in iTunes.
I tried – but I seemed to have conflicts with other sessions or places I needed to be – video-conferencing was one of my priorities and it just didn’t happen. I teach elementary and some of the one I saw available didn’t really pertain to me. I did blog about the POCKETPHONE software and that was partly ideo conferencing.
Brian
I’m blogging away, though not from NECC – please visit the Virtual Learning Center blog from Cooperating School Districts (CSD): http://www.csdtechpd.wordpress.com
Three of us recently attended/participated in the National Media Literacy Conference (NMEC 2007 – here in St. Louis)- we made some great connections! We realized that much of what we do at the VLC is directly related to media literacy- podcasting, videoconferencing, etc.!
One colleague who just returned to work from Atlanta reported NECC was HUGE and overwhelming with all it had to offer. I would love to hear what people thought about various sessions, since it was impossible to hit all of them! What’s the NECC word on v/c?
Janine,
I could not agree more….my head is spinning a bit from NECC and the travel (5+ hours
sitting on tramac last nite…) but I plan on posting about the SIGIVC sessions and other
thoughts. Today I too have been reading other blogs about NECC reflections. I really
feel strongly about melding VC with other tools and really packaging the various work we
do with the host of new tools, ideas and teaching methods. Sometimes I feel VC is distanced
from other forms of educational technology and that is a shame b/c I believe there are many
exciting ways to blend VC with “web 2.0”. I was very encouraged at the SIGIVC that others
shared in this idea.
Ok, I will l quit lurking and consider blogging. I have learned so much from both
you and Roxanne!
Most of the “edubloggers” that I read never even mention videoconferencing and rarely mention what students are doing with the Web 2.0 tools (most of which are blocked in schools!) I still cannot figure out a reason that Twitter is a good thing! 🙂
I am thankful to have this group and that we create student projects and use tools that enhance student learning, connecting teachers and students with others to enhance learning.
[…] in one place, to archive ideas, thoughts and answers to common questions. It’s also why I really want other people in the K12 videoconferencing world to be blogging. All those great ideas, experiences, projects and lesson ideas need to be shared! We […]