http://www.learning-blog.org/2007/03/07/skype-in-global-ed-program/

Question: I am extremely interested in using Skype in our Global Ed program. Do you give workshops or have good reference materials to pass on to me?

My Response:

Hi,

I webcast weekly at http://www.edtechtalk.com and Skype is the program we use to conference the participants together. I am going to give a workshop in the fall in Baltimore, but I think that with skype and a partner school, you can get this going.

I posted some directions on how we video conferenced with china here: http://www.learning-blog.org/2006/12/05/video-skyping-with-china/

There are so many resources out there. I would check out the Webheads in Action: http://webheadsinaction.org/ for a great group of international teacher where you can create these types of connections. Also, check out http://flatclassroomproject.wikispaces.com/.

I hope this helps.

- Alex

There are tons of other resources… What else am I missing?

http://www.learning-blog.org/2007/03/26/spring-break-slowing-down/

It’s Spring Break. The kids (and teachers) are gone for two weeks… Today has been very quiet. It’s been quite a productive day. Last year at this time, I was running around fixing things and installing new hardware/software. This year, I’m catching up on posting audio files, cleaning out my hard drive, and generally, just trying to catch up a bit.

What’s the difference? We have a new Head of School and Business Manager this year. One of the great parts of these two new perspectives is that I have been forced to slow down and look at our whole program. We have begun to review our mission, student technology program, staffing, budget, computer to technical support ratios, and training/professional development program.

This slowing down has been hard for me. But as we have, I’ve realized parts of the program that were missing/glossed over. So for next year, we will concentrate on reliability of systems and faculty professional development. We will have two new department members next year, and their perspectives will inform our metamorphosis as well.

I keep catching myself wanting to offer professional development seminars on blogging, wikis, etc, but that will come. Our professional development Tech 20s will get there… But I need a critical mass of faculty who are comfortable with tech before we go further. One step at a time.

It feels good to slow down.

http://www.learning-blog.org/2007/03/26/professional-development-day

We offered a professional development day in February. Below is the introduction talk I gave to the faculty. The day was successful, because we surveyed the faculty and designed the day for what they needed/required.

Thanks to Nancy White and David Wilcox for their inspirational comments that fundamentally influenced the design of this day.