Random thoughts of an ed admin lifer

Wed. July 18, 2007

Prairie South School Division’s Technology Learning Consultant Dean Shareski presented at the BLC07 conference in Boston. Dean’s Session was called “Beyond the Wow Factor with Google Earth” and focused on using the amazing mapping software applications that are available for free on the web.

It was comical when Dean introduced himself as being from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and asked if anyone knew where Moose Jaw is located . . . and then proceeded to show us where he lives on Google Earth – not just location of Moose Jaw, but also his house and the location of his office at Lindale School!
Click here for Dean’s wiki about the session.

I have just returned from an introductory session on our school division’s new Polycom units (video conferencing units).  After getting over the initial ooohs and aaahs of the technology I started thinking about how I could utilize this in my school – could sure add a different flavour to morning announcements!  As far as the impact on our school division,  I think there are some real cost savings to be had in the area of travel expenses and definite benefits for students in small schools where they could receive instruction in subjects they normally wouldn’t.  One of the challenges we were given as we were getting ready to leave was to try and find ways to implement this in our practice. . .  has anyone had any experience with video conferencing and particularly its use to enhance student learning?

Okay, I have always thought of myself as fairly forward thinking and progressive educator.  In the last two days I have come to feel as if I have been asleep for the past decade.  I’m 40 next year and I have an mp3 player, frequent the Internet – my friends and family get me to burn disks for them and are amazed at how quickly I can do that.  I buy stuff on Ebay.  I, therefore am technologically literate . . .  right?!? 

Ah, no.

Web 2.0 or the multimedia, read-write-post-video-audio-voip thingy has set up camp in my nice little familiar world and I just don’t know how it happened.  I have been here the whole time – I am a pioneer.  First teacher to have Internet access in my school!  Ahhhhhhhhhh.  How do you keep up?!!

Thoughts?