When I got to Baltimore to present at the AIMS conference, I realized that I had Internet access. I uploaded my slides to Google Presentations, did some editing and got going. Vinnie Vrotny and Patrick Higgings showed up for the presentation (huge thanks to the two of them). Alecia Berman-Dry was a wonderful host (she invited me to present at the conference and blogged about it here).
The audience did a great job keeping their attention during the last session of the day. After my presentation, we all discussed how we could bring collaborative technology to back to their schools and classrooms.
Here’s my updated Google Presentation
Also, I forgot to hand out my handouts. Here’s a link to the PDF handout.
As I tweaked the presentation on the train to Baltimore, I realized more and more that these projects are about the relationships. Lucy Gray spoke about it in our conversations, Vicki Davis discusses it when she speaks about the Flat Classroom project. It’s all about the connections we are making. And they are real, even though many are virtual.
I’m working on editing the video of the event and will post that shortly.
Comments appreciated. Thanks!
Learning Blog 
Hey Alex –
Finally checked out your Skype preso! Great demonstration of how to use Google Docs & Spreadsheets for presos. I’m going to show it in my own preso on social media tomorrow.
Lucy, Thanks so much for the comment and using the tool. Hopefully we’ll get to make a connection at the Kean conference next week. Cheers.
Hello,
I was just checking out your presentation. Thanks for posting it. I’ve been searching for sites that allow teachers to find other teachers to collaborate with. I’ve been experimenting with Skype this year. One of the challenges is finding other teachers that are interested in possible collaboration projects. Are there websites already out there dedicated to connecting teachers that want to collaborate? Thanks~
George Mayo
Hi George,
Thanks for your comment.
As I worked on this presentation, I realized that the core to making global connections are relationships. There are numerous sites that match teachers, but my suggestion would be to join a ning community, search for international teachers who have interesting blogs, or check out listservs that have lots of international educators. Once you find a teacher, start corresponding and see if you could work with them.
It takes a lot of time to develop these relationships, but they are the cement of any of these projects. Good luck!
– Alex
Thanks for sharing the slides. I’m going to be giving a presentation to alternate route teachers in February. The more I think about it, the more I am sure that want to have some sort of one page handout.
I went to Kean last week and some comments I overheard made me realize I’ve given myself a good education over the last 9 months. There’s just too much information overload if you haven’t been exposed to these personal learning networks. The best advice I can share regarding technology with new teachers is the idea of building a PLN.
I haven’t used Skype yet, although I have an account. Thanks for sharing online. I’ll do the same when I make my presentation.