K12 Online Conference 2008 - "Video-Conferencing It's Easy, Free and Powerful"

The online conference presentation I watched was about video conferencing. The man who narrated the video, Brian Crosby, said that video conferencing is a field trip you take without leaving your classroom. I really liked that statement. It is also true that sometimes technology does get dull after the initial "wow factor." Some topics that were discussed included: inclusion; sharing an expert; sharing an experience; practicing oral language; analyze, critique, and get feedback; collaboration; and how hard it is to use skype. I really enjoyed the part that was about using skype and podcasting. This used a lot of examples shown using a fourth grade class. This was an interesting way to show how technology is used in everyday life for simple and real things. I liked his last statement of the video conference and will heed his words: "And remember: Learning is Messy!"