With Konrad and Carolyn in Patrick’s Classroom Blogging Workshop (Podcast)
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Patrick Higgins Shows the Love (Nice poster skills!)So I’m hanging out with Mac last night, late, in Korea, doing homework for my (sorry) pretty uninspiring UCLA online workshop, and then Mac said: Brrrrriiing.
It was Patrick Higgins (of the excellent Chalkdust) in New Jersey, on Skype. He was giving the second day of his workshop to interested teachers in his school, and had invited Konrad Glogowski (Canada grade 8 teacher and writer of his Blog of Proximal Develpment), Carolyn Foote (librarian in Texas and writer of her Not So Distant Future blog) and, apparently desperate for a third guest, this writer of the B.S. blog in Korea.
(I thought it was going to be a video, so I put on a shirt for the occasion. It wasn’t, though. All that energy - standing up, buttoning down - wasted….)
Because we all read each other regularly, we all knew each others’ minds somewhat, though we’d never heard each others’ voices. It was nice to connect this way, in real time.
Patrick set it up nicely. His faculty had questions, and we all gave our two cents.
The subjects? Classroom blogging and edublogs as professional development.
It was strange, fun, and stimulating. As Konrad said, we three guests were really learning alongside the teachers in Patrick’s space. And, oh yeah - it was free. I wish I could say the same for that USD $500 UCLA workshop, but can’t, honestly.
(Check out Patrick’s prof dev wikis - Connective Writing and New Teacher Geek Day - worth a look. Especially for the goofy photos!)
Here it is (and thanks for a good time, Patrick. It’s an excellent way to connect teachers in workshops instead of talking at them about connecting):
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Clay,
Your opening sentence blows me away, “So I’m hanging out with Mac last night, late, in Korea, doing homework for my (sorry) pretty uninspiring UCLA online workshop, and then Mac said: Brrrrriiing.”
Who could have imagined such connectedness when I was a student - even a grad student. Any “correspondence” then was done via letter or postcard, perhaps a phone call, if you were feeling extravagant.
We now have such amazing tools for collaboration. Your podcast is an excellent example of modern PD tools. The more we can encourage educators to take charge of their own professional development, the more invested they will be in what they discover.
[Reply]
diane
25 Jul 07 at 7:50 am
It is amazing, isn’t it? On and on. (Patrick’s podcast, by the way. I know you know. I’m just wondering if it’s rude to embed somebody else’s podcast, and trying to Do The Right Thing
[Reply]
Clay Burell
25 Jul 07 at 8:03 am
Clay,
That was a fascinating experience!
And great to “meet” you voice-wise, and it was a great learning experience.
You were very coherent for late at night
I’ve been really brainstorming how we can use Skype creatively within and outside of our campus, and looking forward to trying some things out once school starts!
[Reply]
Carolyn Foote
25 Jul 07 at 8:15 am
Share those brainstorms, Carolyn
“Once school starts”? Why wait? Two points off for “schooliness!”
[Reply]
Clay Burell
25 Jul 07 at 8:18 am
Schooliness is now a staple in my vocabulary–thanks for that one.
I agree, though, there is no need to wait for the doors to open. I plan on continuing the practice we started the other day by opening up my workshops to anyone who would like to come in. There are so many channels now to reach people, and so many people that need to be reached, why not take advantage of them?
Great stuff.
[Reply]
Patrick Higgins
25 Jul 07 at 11:39 pm
Maybe I should change the blog name to Beyond Schooliness?
[Reply]
Clay Burell
25 Jul 07 at 11:48 pm
LOL…well, I was sort of thinking of taking a vacation since school starts a week from now for us
Headin for some sunshine…
So I hope that wasn’t too “schooly”
[Reply]
Carolyn Foote
27 Jul 07 at 10:52 am