Cathy Nelson’s Professional Thoughts

Today ended the SCASL conference that I attended in Columbia, SC. It is always a rewarding experience, as being a librarian makes you a singleton in your building most of the time, so what fun and excitement all of us like minded people can have when we are all together. There was never a dull moment. Here I am setting up my Exploratorium booth and getting ready to show and tell Flickr and SCASL Blogs!

Columbia was warm and sunny the whole conference (March 12-14, 2008) and I rekindled old friendships and made some new ones.

Fondest memories:

Sitting with Susan Henley and Camillia Harris (from Charleston School District) in Larry Johnson’s pre-conference session was so much fun–We talked almost through the whole presentation! But I had my laptop so we were pulling up the links to things he was talking about, so it was somewhat related. He never seemed to get annoyed with us, but I do think we were a tad distracting. Apologies Larry!

Eating dinner @ California Dreaming with Heather Loy and Mary (from Busbee Elementary). Although the three of us come from different school levels–Heather is from a high school, Mary from an elementary school, and I am from middle–each of us seem to face a lot of similar issues in our libraries.

Sitting through Joyce Valenza’s sessions were probably the highlight of the conference. She is leading with such an awesome example of what a true 21st century teacher librarian should look like, and I have set her as my own personal role model of what I want to be. I just want to thank Joyce for raising that bar SO high. One of my friends made fun of me for sitting on the front rows of the sessions Joyce gave. I just asked isn’t that what all kiss-ups do? But I truly wanted some of her knowledge & wisdom to touch me, if not physically, than spiritually from her aura. I don’t know why, but I felt the need to be right there. I think Joyce may have been surprised at the lack of knowledge on 2.0 tools, and she even fretted to some of us after her first session that perhaps she needs to slow down or chunk some of the content for easier digestion. I said no, please keep the bar raised high so our state librarians will know what they need to work towards. Note to Joyce: While there may have been fear in some eyes as you presented, there was a spark that we need to fan into a fire on utilizing today’s tools to engage learners. Many came to my session just thelp them understand better, and I thank you for that.

The SCASL Bag Fashion Show was a hoot-and yes, I participated. I hope to get more of the pictures posted and Ida Thompson’s rather funny diatribe that was read as we walked the fashion runway!

Supper at Damon’s with Julia Davis, MaryAnn Sansonetti, and Chris Craft was a delightful way to end the day, and we have some plans underway–watch for them to be revealed soon. Collective wisdom is awesome.

After two full days of “sit and get” style presentations, I was worried about my own presentation on RSS Feeds. I returned to my room Thursday evening set on revamping my preso, removing the little text that I already had in it, and retooling it to be less like the “sit and get” sessions I had been in the two previous days. I tried hard to come up with interactivity, but never could formulate a plan that I thought would work. So I decided to turn to my network. I asked for shout outs at the beginning of my session, asking Twitter to greet my group and tell how they use RSS. I had 24 tweets to share, and I used them to start and finish my session. I was dumbfounded to realize that Joyce Valenza herself and Kathy Shrock, both of whom have been at SCASL before, and both in my reader’s “expert” folder, tweeted to my group. (Joyce had already returned to PA, but sent warm wishes and thanks for the fun she’d had in SC the day before.) I also got a skype chat from Tim Van Heule while presenting, which was rather funny b/c he did not know I was in the middle of my preso. Really cute and funny, and it went something like this:

Tim Van Heule
Sessions already? 8:13 AM

Cathy Nelson
ready 8:13 AM
hi Tim Van Heule 8:13 AM

Tim Van Heule
What’s going on, Cathy Nelson? 8:13 AM

Cathy Nelson
in the middle of a presentation 8:14 AM

Tim Van Heule
Ah… Fun… leaving you to it. 8:14 AM

Cathy Nelson
bye 8:14 AM

My audience got a real kick out of the fact that I briefly chatted (using Skype chat as a text) with Tim. Since I had Skype open there was no disregarding it, so I just pulled it in as part of my preso! I had arranged to get Dennis Richards of Massachusetts to skype in, so instead of waiting for him to call (which is why i had Skype open) I just went ahead and called him. He was at the ASCD Conference in New Orleans. Using wireless on a conference connection is risky business indeed, too, but I forged ahead. It was a stop and go call, but Dennis did a fabulous job telling all how we knew each other from networking with the tools. He introduced himself as a school superintendent in his area, catching many LMS’s there off guard to know that a supt was using the tools as well. He shared that he had only been using RSS since last summer, but now thinks a whole new way about learning, particularly personal learning, now that he uses RSS. I didn’t drag out the conversation long since it was choppy, but do feel I left a strong impression about how RSS can help you develop a PLN (professional learning network) to grow and learn. In the mix I had the RSS in Plain English video as well as a video interview of Will Richardson where he spoke to the fact that educators must first learn the tools themselves before tryng to use them in school with kids. I also showed a short segment of an archived Ustream that Dennis Richards had on his blog where Sheryl Nussbaum Beach is talking about how a network can supplement your learning, and it was form the day before at her keynote at the NCAET Conference no less, going on simultaneously with SCASL–just about 175 miles up the road. Read about her keynote, and even view it here. I hope today I did teach how RSS can play a lead role in professional development, and I think I embodied the example of taking advantage of generous people in my network who helped me out. I thought this was one of the best presentations I have ever done. Of course, I’m biased too.

My audience seemed receptive to my message and now I have a TON of homework to do. I promised all the links I used would appear in the presentation link of this blog, and so I must set out to create that. I also have a 3-hour workshop to prepare for Monday. Am feeling very swamped!!

As I see others reflecting on the year 2007 as it draws to a close, I must as well. There have been several changes for me including a new job, a new living arrangement for my family, and new opportunities that are as a direct result of joining the blogosphere and interacting with a network (like Twitter.) I won’t bore you with my favorites, but instead make some goals:

• Brevity – In my own blog reading I find it difficult to read long posts. I know I’m guilty of writing long posts too. So I have a goal–be brief and get to the point! I am planning to reduce verbiage, and try to say it with far fewer words, and instead use more pictures, and maybe a video or two (stored sensibly on video and picture storing sites–hello, YouTube, TeacherTube, Photobucket, & Flickr.)

• Relocate – I am becoming ever increasingly unhappy with Edublogs. I dumped blogger a year and half ago, and jumped ship to Edublogs, primarily b/c I feared Blogger would be blocked at school (and I was not disappointed.) Edublogs was good for me, but as I have grown, my material requires more space. Since it is time to pay for more space to be allowed the service, I see it also as a good time to explore hosting it on my own space/domain. I don’t even know if I understand it, but I have been assured help from my friends Chris Craft, Jennifer Wagner, and perhaps even David Jakes. (Counting on you all, actually!) Timeline? I don’t know. I need to get bills from Christmas squared away before I decide. But in the meantime, my posts will probably be limited.

• Video – I’m going to seriously look at adding video to my mix here. I’ve created myself a YouTube and TeacherTube account, and want to begin playing in the green screen department. Dean Shareski is responsible for that! (Note to Dean–You inspire me!)

• Redesign – I have some presentations coming up, and I plan to redesign them. I’ve been reading a lot lately about the 10-20-30 rule for presenting. I’ve also come to understand that folks don’t want to read it, they want you to tell it-and what better way than in a story. So I’m going to be hitting Flickrcc hard, and trying add in the mix some videos (for commercial breaks, as I heard one blogger call them–wish i could credit that person!) And I’m going to rehearse my spill in the best storytelling format I can come up with. Along with that, I hope to add some kind of interactivity to my sessions–though I haven’t quite figured out how yet. Anyone have any suggestion? Look out SCASL, SCASA’s SLI, and SC Edtech.

Okay, I know, I know, still way too wordy. Give me a break, it’s not 2008 yet! Rag me about it after the first. Happy New Year everyone!

Attribution:
Image: ‘massive change‘
www.flickr.com/photos/20532289@N00/31219031

Today I gave 2 workshops (one on a overview of Web 2.0 and the other on Digital Storytelling.) Both of these were quite well received, and I should persobally thank Lisa Parisi for the wiki from her course of We 2.0 and for her calling in to my session today using Skype. My attendees were flabbergasted first by her Skype call and the ability to interact with someone in New York City, and then by her wiki for the course, which included many video links and websites to help people get started in the exploration of web 2.0.

I also need to thank David Jakes, and Will Richardson, who both allowed me to use their wiki links on the topics too. It was nice to be able to focus on the introduction and/or sharing about my topics rather than focus on a handout for once. I should also give kudos to Chris Craft for allowing me to share his “Life ‘Round Here” videos that are a part of his phenomenal global digital storytelling project. And Chris Betcher (of Sydney Australia) and Ann *** (NJTeacher) surprised me today when I showed my own first attempt at a Voice Thread by leaving txt and voice comments! My audience was so excited. Just imagine how the kids will feel when I share this. You guys ROCK!

During both of my sessions today I also asked my twitter network to warmly greet my session attendees. You did not let me down, and I was able to show how my global network is awesome

Look at my twitter images at all the greeters!

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..

Today Bob Sprankle (guest blogger on Wes Fryer’s Moving at the Speed of Creativity) wrote about his 30 days of Twitter and how he gets it and is a transformed person because of it.  Bob, I’m right there with ya!! I have decided that Twitter can be really informative and downright fun!!  I have used it to preview blog posts–some of the folks I follow post a URL to twitter long before it hits my aggregator–its almost like getting a sneak peak. I got to see Will Richardson dance! I get tipped off to fabulous global projects, like Chris Craft’s “Life ‘Round Here” digital storytelling project.  I can get sports updates from golf, baseball, football, soccer, racing, and just about anything else.  It’s a cross b/w professional conversations and gabbing on the phone about anything. I’m totally hooked on Twitter.  If you like Twitter, follow me at “Cathyjo.”  I only hope some of my contributions are as meaty as the pros I’m following.