Now I am supposed to learn to swim in this Tsunami!

If you want to see more ways to use online educational resources check out Scott Leslie’s presentation at TTIX (Technology with Technology Idea Exchange. Scott talked about how he has learned to swim in this Tsunami of information we have available to us. I watched him swim too, and I was amazed at how many tools he uses to remix content into this engaging and interactive presentation.

The Grand Poobah of Social Networking at TTIX

One of my favorite parts of TTIX was the constant Twitter feed going on.  Check it out at #TTIX. Sitting through Scott’s presentation with my laptop open and monitoring the feed via Twitterfall was a completely different experience than anything I know of.  I wasn’t even Tweeting but I was more engaged just watching than I would otherwise have been. Before this week I only had a limited vision of the power of Twitter.  Now I know it can be used to win great prizes, like my friend Tom who won an iPod Touch and became this years Grand Poobah of social networking for TTIX. I really dig that hat!

I have to say, I am glad that I haven’t created my course schedule yet for the “Distance Education Tools” workshop I am teaching this summer.  So many things to show them.  Next year I should just email them all and have them meet me at the TTIX conference. Especially since it is FREE.

I’m still swimming!

Well, swimming instead of drowning is a good thing I guess.  The TTIX conference has been incredible for me.  There have just been too many things that I wanted to learn about but didn’t quite dare to get into.  For one thing non-users seem to like to feed you stories about how technology will take over your life if you let it. As if technology only takes away from your quality of life! What about all the things it adds. Collaborating and learning from people who share my same interests is so exciting to me.  Now if I can just get over my online shyness phobia. I guess that will just have to be one blog, Twitter, Facebook post at a time. Wahoo, I like swimming even if I am just treading water right now!

What a great learning day!

I spent the day at the TTIX pre-conference workshop on PLE’s (Personal Learning Environments). Although I knew some of the things they talked about, I really think you can never know enough to be a true expert.  This stuff changes so fast it can make my head spin.  It was interesting to see how the instructors, Jared Stein, Chris Lot, and Scott Leslie managed their own PLE’s and how different that is from someone just starting out.  Their use of technology has matured to the point that they have been able to set boundaries.  Now if I can only get my 15 year old son to understand that.

Chris and Scott also talked about how to build your own networks and the value that has for them.  I always thought that I could just hide in my own little corner of the world and just watch what everyone else is doing and that would be ok.  Now I understand why we network.  Scott said it best when he called it creating Synergy. This whole social networking thing is fascinating to me. I especially like to see how it can be used to create better learning environment. I can tell I have a lot to learn.  We still have 2 more days of the conference so I am sure I will be swimming in over my head before I am done.