Greetings from San Antonio!

(I sent this email to the SILSA faculty yesterday morning from NECC 2008.)

Greetings from San Antonio!

My workshop on Sunday was fantastic! I learned a great deal about the Library of Congress's American Memory Project. I discovered connections to science, math, as well as the easy English and history ones. The three presenters were all educational outreach specialists for the Library of Congress, so I was learning from PRIMARY SOURCES. So much excellent information about inquiry and bias and paying attention. i can't wait to share it all with you. One of the presenters was Martha Geitner's soul sister. Her Book Hooks are phenomenal, just like what Geitner does with lots of links to primary sources at the LOC. I will try to send links soon.

(I am writing from a conference room that has already closed for the 11:00 session. I got in a few minutes ago and thought to check email and send word to you all while I waited. The room is full and no one will be allowed in now.)

But what I really wanted to tell you about was the lecture I attended this morning. It was life-changing. The presenter is a middle school language arts teacher who just submitted his PhD dissertation about online blogging communities and their impact on students. He spoke the truth, eloquently and passionately. I don't want to wait any longer to blog with my students. The bulk of his lecture was about COMMUNITY and RELATIONSHIPS and how to foster those in an online community. Of course, I wanted to ask him about the Digital Divide, but he was surrounded by admirers afterward. I will not forget to email or something about that. (I am too distracted here to write well about it, and it's all so fresh and new that I am still processing it. I do want to do a better job of telling you about it soon.)

April and I are taking lots of pictures, but I forgot my cable, so you will have to wait for my PhotoStory at the SILSA retreat. Can you imagine 18,000 teachers in one place? It is mind-boggling! I feel like such a newbie here.

The thing that intrigues me most, on a personal level, is Second Life. Due to the work of hundreds of volunteers, this conference is also happening in Second Life. Do you know about this? For example, last night there was an Opening Night Hoe Down after the keynote speaker. As the band played on the stage, a GIGANTIC screen to the left of the stage projected a scene of the band playing in front of the Alamo, all virtual, happening in real-time in Second Life. To the right of the stage was a raised platform with eight people sitting in front of laptops watching the show and controlling the avatars of the band members. I barely understand this, but it feels EXCITING to me. That is the new frontier.

Even the lecture this morning was happening in Second Life. I sat behind one of the guys who was making it happen. I wish you could have seen it.

WHEW!

Well, my lecture here is ramping up. This one is on using technology for differentiation in reading and writing.

I will write when I can. If I were cooler, I would be blogging!

Love to all of you,
Theda