Monday, November 12, 2007

Belated Thoughts on K12Online Conference

Wow! Is it ever easy to slide and not post for weeks! I've been swamped, for one thing, and for another, I've been a bit...disconcerted & didn't want to blog before I got my brain around a couple of things. I'll post later about that though...I needed to just get a post up tonight so that I'm over the hump and maybe I'll get back to posting semi-regularly!

I'm still trying to catch up and enjoy the K12Online presentations. So many of them were sooo good. Like many people whom I've heard give an opinion on various edtech podcasts, I thought Sylvia Tolisano's presentation, Travel Through Space and Time was just so inspiring! Her school completed a virtual "trip" to China using a Build-a-Bear to give students a focus in their studies. The entire elementary school studied Chinese customs, history, geography, culture, and then 2 teachers (with the bear) actually traveled to China. They used blogs, digital video & photography and various other web2.0 tools to keep in touch, real time, and bring the trip to the children in their school. What a great idea! And it sounds like they've really squeezed all the learning opportunities and connectivity out of it that they possibly could! I'm sure the students at her school will never forget this vivid learning experience! Wow!
Wheels turning in my brain...