In DC!

I'm officially here, officially tired, officially IN THE WEEDS!

I'm 'way up out away (Uptown, I'm told) from the conference center, but I'm about to venture out and make a practice run to the Washington Conference Center, so that I an make it with confidence to tomorrow a.m.'s 7:15 door opening for the ISTE Volunteer Breakfast, then back up a ways to the Renaissance Hotel for the CSTA CSIT Symposium, which I fully intend to alternate during the day with the fabulous Edubloggercon back down at the Conference Center. I'll be taking subway trains so I'd better get good at it.

I plan to work on my schedule today, pound out a comprehensive to-do list for the weekend, and to wake bright and shiny for a day of networking and learning. No presenting for me tomorrow, or Sunday, for that matter, when I'll be attending several events, starting with the ISTE Leadership Symposium 8-12:30, then I'll catch the ISTE Member Welcome from 2:00-3:45 and then the ISTE SL Volunteer Welcome at 4-5 pm followed by the conference keynote address from none other than Malcolm Gladwell. Dinner? Maybe I'll head back up home for a catnamp before catching the ISTE President's Reception at the Smithsonian! That's from 8:30 to 10:00 so if I plan to be conscious that's likely a good idea...

Monday, of course, the Second Life Playground kicks off from 8-4, and Lisa and I will be wrangling a stable of capable volunteers for that, then I'll be presenting the Quest Atlantis Birds of a Feather Networking session from 4:4506:15.

Then there'es the SLPg from 9-4, then TP405--Introduction to Education in Second Life: n00bs UNITE! from 12:30 to 3:30 on Tuesday, the Second Life Birds of a Feather session from 4:45-6:15. Wednesday it's an early one with WA507--Educators' Toolbox and Skill Set: Instruction and Presentation in Second Life from 8:30 to 11:30 and the Closing Keynote address from Erin Gruwell from 2:45 to 4.

Wrapup work will happen on the 2nd, blogging, and archiving and thank-you'ing and such, then I'm hoping for some rest on the 3rd and 4th, catching some entertainment and fireworks the night of the 4th of July, and flying home to my much-missed and very patient family the aftnoon of the 5th.

There you have it--stalk me at will. Free hugs.

Off to the conference center dry-run!

Last day of NECC--Rockin' and Reelin' from the Week!

Wow, this has been a fantastic week, and I thank my administrators at both University School of Nashville and the Vanderbilt Center for Science and Math for making it possible for me to go. I also want to thank ISTE and its administrators for giving me stage above and beyond what I expected here, and the fantastic Claudia L'Amoreaux (Claudia Linden) from Linden Lab for being there for all of us every step of the way. Toss in a deep bow to Steve Hargadon and the organizers of the pre-conference Edubloggercon "unconference" for giving me a rich day of networking with and learning from some of the best minds in the forefront of educational advocacy.

One of the limitations of what a dear Second Life friend calls "meatspace" is that one can only be in one place at any given time. We are often able to rise above that limitation with the Internet (when the wireless connection works--no jab at the tech folks here: I'm sure they're doing everything they can to make things work) by twittering, blogging, ustreaming, ninging, and such; but it remains an absolute limitation of physicality. That said, I want to say I missed hanging out with my IVC friends this year. My amiable and extraordinarily capable colleagues in that arena, friends for nearly a decade of collaboration, will always be my friends, or at least I hope they'll allow me that privilege. I've simply been limited this year by the Meatspace Law: "1 body, 1 place."

I'll be working over the next week to summarize as succinctly as possible my amazing adventures here at NECC 2008. Until then, I'd like you to chew on the following:

I believe that virtual environments hold so much promise for education in so many ways that I've thrown in with that group here at NECC, also a dynamic, dedicated, pioneering band of educators. I believe that so much that I'm proposing a new ISTE Special Interest Group, and I'll propose that it be called SIGVE, for "Virtual Environments." I talked with ISTE Membership Director Jennifer Ragan-Fore last night at a small gathering of ISTE Docents, and she seems to think it can happen, in part based on the full house Birds of a Feather session we staged Monday here in San Antonio. Anybody else think so?

I'm prepared to pursue what steps it may take to get it started. This, as friend Cathy Walker said last night when I discussed it with her, is a first and most important step toward legitimizing this fertile field in the minds of reluctant administrators, especially the ones who hold the purse strings for teacher professional development programs. Let's begin to work together to bring ISTE member focus to the potentials of the 3D internet. What say? Kitty, send me that paperwork?

Virtual NECCers!

Hey, ya'll,

Knee-deep, I am, working on a myriad of tasks toward being ready for NECC2008 in San Antonio. If you're gonna be there, look me up. I'll be hanging out at Edubloggercon all day Saturday, then you can expect to see me around the fine folks who are the core corps of the ISTE Second Life initiatives.

For my dear readers and colleagues who cannot travel to the fair state of Texas for NECC, I just created a ning group at http://www.necc2008.org/group/virtualneccers for you all. I think this might just catch on, so get in on it early and participate enthusiastically! I'm not sure how much I'll be around, so it's up to you to move the conversation around and make the group what you want and need it to be.

Tell 'em I sent ya!

Cheers from Nashville!