PNAIS 2009 TechShare Conference -- Day Three

Session 1 -- Educator Track

Structuring an Online Conversation: The Why Not?

Presenter: Richard Kassissieh (Catlin Gabel School)

The focal point of Richard’s presentation was the video Skype conversation he showed us (on video) of an instructive and powerful online conversation between students in his classrooms at Catlin Gabel and a group of students in the Gaza Strip.

Watching and listening to these young people grapple with other cultures and listen to each other with such patience and effort to understand the unfamiliar or to revise previous assumptions about others, was, in itself, inspiring. It was a very good demonstration of the power inherent in some online tools in truly bringing us together as a global community.


Final Session -- Educator Track

Building Projects Around Common Goals & Lesson Plan Development

Presenters: Richard Kassissieh (Catlin Gabel School) and Jimi Robinson (Evergreen School)

Richard and Jimi challenged us to take a topic in our groups at each table (there were five tables) and, in this small group, come up with a plan and strategy for bringing that topic to our students or into a curriculum we were involved in. The subject that arose at our table was ways of using video in the classroom and tools that make video accessible and useful, ranging from which cameras to use to methods of distributing/sharing student video projects (i.e. SchoolTube, TeacherTube).

As the final session of the conference, there was also some time spent on thank yous and farewells.

.....and adieu

As I found in my previous participation in TechShare conferences, my time at the 2009 version was well-spent. I’m grateful that PNAIS offers this kind of professional development opportunity. One difference for me at this conference was the fact that I was one of the presenters. I’m glad that the presentation that Lillian and I did was pretty well-received. It was a very useful exercise and I learned a great deal in putting together the presentation and actually making the presentation in front of these TechShare colleagues.

I’m glad to have had the opportunity to attend this conference and I appreciate the support the school has given to make this possible.