Today was a glorious day. Why, you ask? I video conferenced with a person sitting 2 feet away from me. But all jeers aside, the technology showcased today was very interesting in a number of ways. Firstly, the Skype program seems to be a great way to communicate with people in far away places. This sort of technology could be utilized by educators to home tutor students or hold review sessions from the comfort of one's home. Skype really puts a face on cyber space communication, if you know what I mean. Secondly, the Illuminate software is a great idea for holding video conferences focused upon group collaboration. Allowing all members to modify and construct one text or file, Illuminate makes group work possible without the hassles of meeting in one place.
More than any other technology offered, Skype and Illuminate transcend barriers of time and space to unite people with common goals. A group project, a tutoring session, or perhaps a friendly social gathering are all possible with these tools. Collaboration is moving in new directions, away from the hassles of geographical determinism and into the boundless world of the interweb. Down with the computer lab!
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My hope is that we will get away from the computer lab and make the technology more personal where you have what you want when you need it. It is getter cheaper and easier to do that.
ReplyDeleteI believe we are both history makors and so I can share your enthusism for the ability to link people from different parts of the world. Skype and elluminate are to programs I am very interested in using and hope that I have the opportunity to make it a major part of my teaching. I will join you sir as we move into the "boundless world of the interweb"
ReplyDeleteHah, you guys crack me up. These posts and comments are funny but I am sure you both mean them as well.
ReplyDeleteI hope to connect with everyone using Skype. Now the teachers can have fun with the students, and not just their own. Maybe while I'm teaching Threepenny Opera, I can contact a class in Germany to get their perspective.