The BLC conference in Boston just wrapped up and I’ve been busy catching up on various feeds from my usual reporters such as Dean, Darren, Dave and Will. (DDDW 
) I’ve been interested in how they have been able to keep those of us who are not attending informed of what was going on and the connections that they have made. I’ve also been doing a bit of tracking of other bloggers who have been posting. Today, I found Diane at Nexus who is a teacher from Ontario visiting Saskatoon. (Hi Diane!) I’ve also been following some of the discussions via Twitter although I find that I have to spend time going through the back pages as I have been out doing other things and not at my laptop – which is a good thing.
What struck me was the ease at which those of us who are not attending can find information and, with an invite or two, actually join the presentations via Skype. I know that there will be a some podcasts that I’ll have to download and listen to next week while I’m camping. I’m also going to take my laptop just to catch up on the reading I’ve missed so that when I get back from the week away, I’m ONLY a week behind! I’ll be able to do take time to mull over what was said about the conference and the insights that people have had from their attendance.
It also struck me that, if this is possible, what is keeping us from moving in this direction in schools? I know that change is, indeed, something that takes time but ….. I think of meetings where people drive when the exact same could be done via any number of online conference or meeting software. Would it not be possible for a teacher to attend a conference and, at a specific time, Skype other teachers in the school who could then attend the session with them yet never leave the school. With all that goes on in educators’ lives, would it not make sense to provide them tools that would allow them to use their time in ways other than commuting between meetings? Especially in rural areas, where driving can become a full time job, these tools would reduce the stress and workload of rural teachers and provide them more time to do other things.
This made me wonder about the whole idea of podcasting different classes for students that are unable to attend. I mean, if we can do it for “strangers” who are interested in the same conference surely this could be a viable means to provide students who are away for extended periods of time (like that winter vacation in Mexico) to catchup. It wouldn’t mean that teachers would have to record their classes as they were taught but, instead, provide oral instruction that would supplement the other information that the student would get upon returning. This all could be done while the teacher was at home after having taught the class. I know that I am going to be doing something similar for a class that I am teaching at school but am sending to another student via the net. I will provide information using a podcast format for this particular student. I am also going to set up some sort of system that will allow the student to ask questions using voice instead of type. This way, I’m hoping to make things easier and more accessible for this student. I’ve thought about using video but I look terrible on the screen!
So as I go through the significant number of readings about the conference, I really wonder why these technologies are not being provided to every teacher and, in some form or another, every student. It’s not like the net couldn’t handle the traffic! Besides, it would be better for the environment and give teachers something they cherish – time. I know that I was grateful that I could “attend” BLC without having to leave my home. Not that I wouldn’t want to rub elbows with the likes of Christian, Chris or Will but, at this time, it just wasn’t possible and this is certainly a great option. Wouldn’t it be great if these conferences had a fee to attend virtually for those who couldn’t do the f2f.
I am working on finishing my post on my action plan for the upcoming year but I keep being pulled to see what is going on around the blogosphere and trying to digest the information from the posts regarding BLC. This week away will give me some time to just focus on reading and putting my thoughts in order amidst some fine fishing, sand play and nightly visits to the ice cream shop! My family and I are looking forward to getting away and we’re hoping the weather cooperates. Who knows, I may even decide to get into the flickr stream like so many others are doing! Just what you want to see, my family on vacation
7 responses so far ↓
First, thank you for pushing on this idea. Echo your thoughts across the board.
Second, as a new papa who has video access to his kidddo in daycare each day, I am already preparing to be blacked-out once he arrives in a traditional school that considers ‘parent teacher nights’ to be the equal of ‘access’ that I have n0w. Whether regular or semi-regular podcasts (or something more or less dynamic), I’d like to think that by the time my kiddo goes to kindergarten it will be possible for me to regularly ‘attend’ his classes from a distance.
Third, and the same can be said of the classes ‘down the hall’ at the same school I’ll be teaching at this fall. So many wonderful conversations taking place in the same building, but I can’t be in all the classrooms at the same time. Mmm.
Fourth, Alan November’s BLC events will be available for a fee virtually starting next year. He announced that in Boston this summer. Plan on attending one way or another!
Cheers, Christian
@Christian Long – Oh no say it ain’t so!! I have wanted to attend BLC for years and for the first time this year, through the many involved in the skypecasts, I was able to virtually attend. Now you tell me Alan November is finding a way to take that away too? I cannot afford BLC, and have yet to get my district to send me. : (
For once I did get to attend–even if it was only virtually. Now I see the writing on the wall. It will come next year for a fee. RATS! Well I hope it is not too costly. Maybe it will be affordable after all.
Technotuesday: No worries; I’m sure participants (like Dean and others) will offer ‘access’ through their own means, even if the conference (with ‘partners’) will charge virtual fees. Cheers, Christian
[...] I’d already read it, I went to the links that linked to it in Technorati. Here I found this blog named Educational Discourse, and the principal blogger (Kelly Christopherson) also talked about all [...]
technotuesday – I would really love to be able to go to one of the big conferences but, like you, I can’t convince anyone that it will be money well spent. I was able to skype into a few sessions but only those where there was someone willing to get me in. I would be willing to pay a fee to be able to get into any of the sessions especially if it offered audio and video. I think this would be money well spent. Free is nice but I’m willing to put out some money for a chance to partake in something like this.
[...] do you think? As Christian commented on my last post as a new papa who has video access to his kidddo in daycare each day, I am already preparing to [...]
[...] do you think? As Christian commented on my last post as a new papa who has video access to his kidddo in daycare each day, I am already preparing to [...]
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