Cathy Nelson’s Professional Thoughts

Today for my weekly drive home, once again I listened to the ipod. When I first got in the car, I put on the ear buds, fired up my ipod to my “1daysdriveplaylist” and then became a wee bit (almost) profane when I realized I did not synch up my new list! No matter b/c the Sean Hannity radio show was recapping the Myrtle Beach Republican Presidential Debate from Thursday (a local event that TOTALLY snarled traffic around town), and so I listened to him as he did a lot of candidate bashing! Note if you haven’t seen the sand castle debate pictures, click here. That was the biggest traffic nightmare of them all!
When I finally lost the radio show, I carefully navigated the steering wheel of my car and the navigational wheel of my ipod, deciding I’d just listen from the podcasts, ABC order, whatever was new.

So today I listened to a short book podcast by New Zealand’s Allanah K’s year 4 students in their podcast Appleby Airwaves. She has a great resource to help understand how her kids are able to do this.

The next podcast alphabetically available was Bob Sprankle’s Bit by Bit. But JOY-JOY-JOY it was one I had pulled into my “1daysdrive” playlist that I forgot to synch. It was the last of the sessions he attended and podcast from the Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference 2007. The featured speaker was Dr. Tim Tyson, and his topic was “The Blogging School.” I enjoyed this one, especially since my principal has just gotten the blogging bug, and wants help beginning hers. YEP. I plan to share this one with her too.

Visit the podcast here:

Bit By Bit Podcast: January 10, 2008
Show 61

So in any event, what is on my ipod in straight ABC order is great stuff too–of course it is, I handpicked the podcasts I subscribe too. So anyway, I’ve got two more drivers to add to my driving list: Bob Sprankle and Tim Tyson…“Baby You Can Drive My Car!”

Okay so I’m reveling in being mentioned in a blog today as a woman who has a voice in the blogosphere. And to see the excellent company I have there, many of whom already fill my reader daily. I hadn’t thought, though, about one comment Janet Clarey (Brandon-Hall Research Blog) made– that of there not being a bevy of female keynoters. I certainly don’t feel qualified, though I do love sharing knowledge through workshops and presentations. I have heard Joyce Valenza as a keynote address, and I’ve seen to many women speakers who were spotlight sessions at NECC and other conferences. Many may even have their travel and lodging paid for, and receive a stipend of some kind too. (I can say that from my experience presenting at the state level here in South Carolina, anyway.) Some may get all the perks I listed, but many simply opt for the ability to participate in the conference as an attendee as well.  I’m not complaining, though, I’m celebrating as I have very much enjoyed hearing the likes of Joyce Valenza, Kathy Schrock, and Leslie Fisher, which at the moment is all I can think of.

Let’s not forget the ones who had INTERNATIONAL voice in the K12Online Conference too, as women were maybe half the presenters there, and one of the MAIN organizers, Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, is really quite established too. I do beleive she could carry a keynote as well.

So what do you think? Who else? What other women do you know could draw a crowd for a keynote?

Attribution:

Image: ‘Balboa Theater‘
www.flickr.com/photos/27109792@N00/304021434