So this is just a brain dump of frustration and flailing at trying to figure out how to balance everything that’s going on right now…Last week at the Building Learning Communities conference was great, but as an indicator of how crazed things have become, I would have had a better chance of talking to Darren Kuropatwa via Skype than face to face…I think I saw him for about 20 minutes total, and that was on a bus…same with a couple of the other people who I finally met like Sara Kajder (bus ride, 15 minutes), Marc Prensky (in the lobby after a presentation, 10 minutes, maybe) Steve Dembo (dancing with my wife on the Harbor Cruise…does a great butterfly, btw)…having the family there was great except that it was a lot to ask of them to sit by the pool or run around Boston in 95 degree heat while daddy was presenting and trying to catch up with everyone…and did I mention I had agreed to keynote a Tapped In Festival right in the middle of Tim Tyson‘s presentation on podcasting? (45 seconds, maybe, before one of the keynote addresses)…and that all I wanted as we sat in a 2 1/2 wait to cross back into the US from Canada after a quickly planned two night excursion to Montreal was a wireless connection so at least I could be doing some reading (don’t ask how many messages my Flock aggregator has waiting for me; over 100 from Stephen Downes at least)…so I’m really starting to wonder how I do this, how I keep reading and blogging in the midst of what has been just an insane month…and, oh yeah, I leave for Kansas on Wednesday.
I’m not complaining…just wondering…
Hi Will,
I don’t know how you do it, but, please keep on “doing it”…..Time seems to be a factor for all educators… However, it seems I DO find the time for the really important “stuff” that I truly am passionate about….
I have missed reading entries on your blog….I must be addicted! 🙂 I have found that the bloggers I read everyday have slowed down since NECC….Hopefully, they are taking a little time to spend with their families.
Incidentally, I taught my first blogging class last week and it was very successful. See my presentation page at http://web2class.pbwiki.com/. Thanks to you and Anne for inspiring me to try a wiki for my presentation. It is not what I would like for it to be; however, I just decided to do this two days before the class. Woe is me!!!
Thanks for all you to do to promote the Read/Write Web. Hopefully, educators will finally begin to “get it”, I hope!!!
Regards,
Jerrie
Hi Will
Glad to see you are helping education see how it can and needs to
leverage web and technology for its advancement.
I’m a young web 2.0 entrepreneur and my mom is a public school teacher in Oakland, CA. In everything I plan and build, I try to integrate some element of learning, whether subtle or overt, into the website.
If you have some time, check out FAQQLY. We’re a 3 month old beta, featured in CNET, Mashable!, MTV News, etc. And I’m working also on a project with the Chinese gov’t to do an educational kids portal. Just thought to connect with you since you seem to be somewhat like minded.
http://mashable.com/2006/06/14/faqqly-myspace-meets-yahoo-answers/
http://reviews.cnet.com/4531-10921_7-6519243.html
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1533218/20060530/index.jhtml?headlines=true
Hope to connect!
Best,
—
David Liu
Founder
FAQQLY Inc.
914 Westwood Blvd #143
Los Angeles, CA 90024
310-709-4881 mobile
dave@faqqly.com
http://www.faqqly.com
Sounds like you’re due for a blogging fast, Will! I propose that Wed or Thurs night at MACE, we have dinner with absolutely no technology present what-so-ever, we order an appetizer and THEN order dinner…. basically have a long time to visit without deadlines or other pressing engagements. You’re coming to the Midwest after all, and that should mean an opportunity to slow down a little! See you in a few days. 🙂
It’s too bad you missed out on talking to key people at the conference.
I was if you had a chance to talk to any of the delegates at the conference, and if so would you kindly pass on anything interesting?
Thanks
Al
I hear you about the time thing. I’m home from the beach and I’m in the middle of a dozen Jakob and Kat doctor appts as well as, of course, getting SLA moving… and I can’t quite muster up the energy to catch up on blogging and reading and even keeping up on emails. I just want to slow down a bit and savor this more than I have. I’m giving myself two more days to do that. That’s enough time to contextualize the last year of my life, right?
Two days!?! Must be nice…
It sounds like I was lucky to get ten minutes to talk on the boat. 🙂 It was very nice meeting your wife as well.
However, I wasn’t presenting and still felt as if there wasn’t enough time for all the great conversations going one between the great presentations. I just think of a conference like BLC as a starting point for discussions that will be continued elsewhere.
Hi Will. I was fortunate to get to two of your sessions at blc06 and what an impact it has had on the direction I plan to move my school in. I think even though it proved hectic, the fact that many of us went home and began putting most if not all of what you showed us into pracitice, means a lot. By the way the book is a great guide for those of us just starting out…read it in about an hour at the airport.