You Can't Hide Your Head In The Water - Web 2.0 Is Here.
The Virtual Schools Society conference was mind expanding. At every session I saw people doing things with technology that I had never seen before. It was a combination of necessity, new software and grand imagination.
During a session with Steve Dotto, I watched as a wave of Twitter responses followed his presentation. The interaction elevated the experience to a level of community participation I have never witnessed. We became engaged in a shared dialog with Steve.
The conference was one of the most creative I have attended. Each presenter demonstrated a unique approach to the challenges of creating meaningful content using Web 2.0 tools. The techniques and pedagogy weren’t always refined, but all the sessions were thought-provoking. For most of my fellow participants the dominant question at the conference was: How can I use what this presenter is sharing in my own context?
The keynote presentations were fascinating and often used examples from industry to illustrate or make predictions about what was happening, and going to happen in education. A dominant theme of the conversation was that we have entered a new paradigm of social interaction. A paradigm where we the educators are obliged to find progressive ways to apply the new models to enhance student achievement. As a rural teacher I see these new changes in the educational landscape providing students with opportunities they have never had before. In one session I joined isolated kindergarten students from across northern BC and the Yukon as they interacted and shared stories using Elluminate. In another session I watched while high school students created and shared multimedia presentations. One group was situated in a classroom, while the other group was spread around the province. Technology had rendered distance insignificance.
The presentations at the VSS weren’t always flawless. But they showed a potential for solving the problems that have often prevented rural students from reaching their potential in the past. It was inspiring; now the work begins.
