Yesterday in Liverpool there were a few kids. Today in Bolton, there are lots of kids, and I have to say that trying to deliver a message about the Read/Write Web that was relevant (and interesting) to a very bright group of Year 6 students and their 
teachers alike was more than challenging. Basically, I told them this…you guys are extremely lucky…look at the opportunities that await…look at the connections you can make. We talked about networks (they were impressed by my Cluster Map, trying to figure out where the little dots in the ocean were from,) and they were amazed at the idea of fan fiction and the over quarter million pieces of writing posted there about Harry Potter. (When I asked them what they would write about their answers ranged from Wonderama to the Simpsons to CSI.) And I think I got them with the Northwest Tree Octopus, telling them that’s one area where they are not as lucky as us, that they can’t just be readers anymore, that they have to be editors as well. And I also told them they have much to teach us and that they need to get to it.
While I was talking, they were using the computers at the table to comment on Tucker’s blog and on mine. (They liked me! They really liked me!) Later today, we’ll be creating blogs for all of them on the Bolton Blog Network set up by John Bidder, who is doing great things to move the area forward.
Then it was off to the teepees (yep, they actually have teepees here for them) where the “digital natives” learned about Comic Life and Garage Band and other tools that they can use to begin to create and publish their own work, building their own networks. The kids just exude such a great energy…more later I’m sure.
Thanks for a brilliant experience today at the Bolton ICT conference. Our students had a superb experience and the learning was made real by the chance to try it out as we heard about it.
It’s got me thinking… Cheers!
PS an dthe teepees!