*The K12 Online Conference 2006 has finally begun ( nearly), with David Warlick's much awaited pre-conference keynote http://k12online.wm.edu/k12online2006_optz.mp4 . David had quite a task for any speaker online - to speak to an audience where he couldn't see faces or read the 'feeling of the room'. I think that he carried it off excellently, if a little self consciously at times - anyone would as you are in a public space talking into a machine, as if you are talking face to face ( I know how this feels having produced a few mobile podcasts -one while walking from my nearest village 1 mile away back home, along the road all the while talking earnestly into an mp3 player- very surreal).
David struck the right note also when talking about us all travelling along these straight lines following our designated route. Haven't human beings always actually been fascinated by deviating from the set route and striking off in different directions ( is this what actually makes us human ???)
It will be interesting to see how people obviously used to talking to a 'live' audience cope talking to a virtual one - is it really the same sort of experience, will the chatter of blogs, wiki's and podcasts equal the amount of 'face to face' networking that always goes on at conferences in all sorts of unexpected situations ( I remember still having a very heated discussion about IWB's in Primary education with a fellow teacher while in a queue for reflexology at the BETT show in 2005 ).
On a philosophical note human beings have thrived and even demand social interaction will this still exist in this virtual space - that is probably what I will be looking forward to finding out about as much as what is actually being discussed by the illustrious group of presenters that have been assembled.
At present I am reflecting on the fact that as a primary teacher in South Wales it would be unlikely that I would in the 'real world' get a chance to here a David Warlick keynote in person, that is truly amazing. I still have nagging in my head though the podcasts that David has made of live Q and A sessions at his presentations, and the fact that in those where the speaker is ahving to respond to what is being said changes the dynamic of the conversation - which you don't get in the virtual world unless you use VOIP and I quess that that would be impossible to set up on the scale of this conference.
It is with interest and curiosity then that I will follow the conference and attempt to get the 'feel' of the event through the many discussions that it will generate.

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