A discussion of education in East Tennessee

"Inventing New Boundaries" at the K12 Online Conference 2007

The K-12 Online Conference 2007 began today with a preconference keynote by educator and technology advocate David Warlick. If you are curious about effective and meaningful technology integration into our classrooms, this conference is a good way to explore with minimal time investment and zero expense!

Conference organizers are utilizing a variety of applications familiar to School Matters members -- blogs, forums, chat -- to help folks at all levels of technical expertise gain some traction in the new information landscape.

And "gaining traction" was a primary concept in Warlick's 45-minute opening address, called Inventing the New Boundaries. (Scroll down the page and you will see a link to download the presentation video.)

Forty-five minutes may be too long for those with busy schedules, but I recommend you download the video and at least watch the first few minutes. And, if you don't have time, fast forward to the last 10 or so minutes to listen to the powerful conclusion in which he describes "three converging forces" on our nation's classrooms. Here is a teaser:

For the first time in history we are preparing our students for a future we cannot fully describe.

The actual K12 Online Conference "sessions" begin Oct. 15 with most sessions going online at 8 a.m EST through Oct. 26. But dates and times are essentially meaningless, as this is a virtual conference, and you can access the information you want when you want it! Take a peek at the 2006 archives to see what I mean.

I do highly recommend you check out the conference schedule and conference strands now, as there will be a few live events, including a "fireside chat" with Warlick at 7 p.m. EST on Oct. 9. This year’s strands include “Classroom 2.0,” “New Tools,” “Professional Learning Networks,” and “Obstacles to Opportunities.” Contact the conference Help Desk for answers and support.

I have never participated in a virtual conference, but it seems to be a fabulous demonstration of how the newest generation of web-based tools can bring down walls.

For one, the conference is free and registration is not required. Two, the presentations are posted online so anyone may access them at any time, eliminating typical conference conundrums when two equally interesting sessions occur simultaneously.

Hope to “see” you at the conference!