Cathy Nelson’s Professional Thoughts

Bummer. I have joined another conference (free of course) by joining Ustreams w/ chatrooms (see my previous post.) One of the presenters, Steve Dembo, actually created his own Ustream for us, and twittered to invite us. Then Lisa Parisi twittered that she was at the same conference, and would be asking permission from presenters to set up a UStream/chat for the sessions she attended, which were graciously allowed. So I got to virtually sit in on sessions given by Alan November and David Jakes. David Jakes even walked up to her Ustreaming laptop and asked the chatroom what they thought! Now how cool is that?? You must visit her saved UStreams here.

As always, I’m watching my bloglines, and many have been blogging from the AASL conference in Reno. When one of the first blog postings came in, I posted a comment first thanking the said blogger for sharing about the conference, and then asked about any backchanneling or possible Ustreaming coming out. The response I got (in a polite little email and not posted to their blog) was that “videos and podcasts will be made available after the conference for a cost,” and then the posed question “and if they did allow that, then what would the conference of the future look like?”

Well, I hope I’m not alone in thinking that Ustreams and Skypechats will NEVER replace the feeling of having a f2f experience. Just like my friend Lisa Parisi, who I am ever so jealous of, ate lunch with the very presenters she attended sessions for that day. All b/c she asked permission to widen the network of the conference experience.

I guess you could call me a twitter ustream groupie, b/c I hop over and check out any ustream happening when it is twittered to me. But I certainly would MUCH rather be there f2f for the fun and networking, than left out here in a virtual sense to experience it. If I could go, I would. But that is not always possible. I really don’t think people will STOP going to conferences, so I am shocked, saddened, and puzzled by the other blogger’s response.

Attribution:

Image: ‘Zooomr Mark III Launch‘

www.flickr.com/photos/94343090@N00/509693303

SCEdtech concluded yesterday at 1:30 with a wonderful awards luncheon.  My friend Chris Craft was a Tehnology Innovative Program (TIP) Award winner, and was presented with a SMART Board and handhelds to go with it.  WOOT.  I suggested Chris apply last spring, telling him he was a shoe-in.  Chris, you are well on your way to amazing things! (I’m predicting an early retirement from teaching and perhaps a job as consultant.  PS-thx for unmuting my Mac Friday morning.)

I went to three sessions yesterday–one on photo storage sites, one on using Lexiles, and one on using digital storytelling to address hot topics at school.  All three were excellent, even if nothing new to me.  That’s okay though, b/c my twitter invited me to join in three sessions going on at a conference in New York City–TechForum.  I was invited in to listen to Alan November, and then simultaneously Steve Dembo and a panel discuss Web 2.0, AND  into a session with David Jakes on Digital Storytelling.  It was tricky but worth it. It was a series of tabs and mutes, and I know the people sitting around me wondered what on earth i could be typing or why i giggled out several times.  The act of doing this really makes you feel giddy, and at times you forget where you really are. (NOTE: You can view some of the videos on Lisa Parisi’s wikispace–here’s her twitter:  techforumNY.wikispaces.com All videos and chats that could be saved.) Steve Dembo maybe addinghis there on Monday.

It feels strange to say that I was absorbing information from ALL OVER the world during my morning but I was.  You see, I was reading emails and my bloglines,  following Twitter, attending sessions at SC Edtech, viewing sessions in NY’s TechForum, AND participating in chatrooms set up for TechForum.  Oh wow. My brain hurts.  If that’s not enough, on my three hour drive home to be with my husband and family, I listened to Dean Shareski and other K12 Online Conference sessions. Dean’s was so good audio-wise, I had to go home and view the video that was also available. It ROCKED!

This is what it’s all about. PD anytime, anywhere.  I do not have to attend a conference to get it. Getting to go is just ICING on the cake.  Thanks to all who attended and presented and made this year’s SC Edtech a blast–even if you were not there, but somewhere else in this WWW..