Greetings from the road. As I sit here beginning this blog entry, I am reminded of a couple of things: the Jimmy Buffet classic “This Hotel Room”, and the days of old when the hockey team that played in Jackson had to go on the road for the entire month of January to play their games in order to accomodate the Dixie National Rodeo at this very time of the year!!!. Yes, I am in the midst of a 14 day road trip helping others as they begin to implement some of the Web 2.0 technology we have discussed here many times. Let me take a few minutes to tell you what all we are doing.
First, on January 20th we are streaming LIVE the Mississippi CPAS training session from the Mississippi Department of Education auditorium. We will be posting the link so you can view it live, or on demand after the fact. Should be an interesting time as we start using the technology to help us get through tough economic times. Denise Sibley from the Mississippi Assessment Center is responsible for bringing this technology to her group, and she is to be applauded.
Then, in late January, we will be bringing you a special treat. It will be another live Video stream, but we can not announce it yet, as we are still working out some logistics. But it should be an interesting event; one that moves us further into the realm of using technology on a daily basis.
Another interesting production has been DISK TV. We have created what is essentially a community channel type video outlet via Mogulus.com Mogulus is a free, flash-based streaming video site. Take a few minutes and check it out. And after viewing it, if you have a video or screencast you would like for us to program on our channel, just let me know, and we will take care of it for you.
We have also begun creating a podcast series with Dr. David Lee from the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Lee is doing a motivational podcast series entitled “Leadership That Matters”. We have produced and posted the first two episodes, and have more in the pipeline. Be sure to check back here often for more information about future episodes.
We are continuing with the Mississippi Workforce University Webinar Series. On January 7th we hosted our first webinar of 2009 when we presented “Digital Toolbox for Trainers” to an audience of about 20 viewers. The session had an international flavor, as we had a participant from Canada, as well as viewers in Illionois, Ohio, and from East Carolina University. On January 14, we hosted a webinar entitled “ADA Requirements in BlackBoard“. We had 25 participants for the live presentation, and then have had more than 20 people view the archiveof the session. Evaluations are showing that participants were most pleased not only with the content, but the delivery method. Being able to get professional development free, and without having to leave their office is a real winner. Plus, being able to view the archive at their convenience was another factor they were pleased with. We plan to present more webinars each month. Our next session is the monthly updated Digital Toolbox for Trainers. But beginning in March, we will be changing the format of that particular webcast, so be sure to check it out if you have not done so.
Finally, we are always looking for interesting topics for webinars or net based talk radio. Currently, we are planning webinars on MS Office 2007, Assistive Technology in Training, some computer training sessions, and some software sessions. I am also hoping maybe to persuade a teacher to teach a classroom session via WiZiQ to an audience of students. I think it would be an excellent way to show our progressiveness in the classroom.
So as you can see, 2009 is bringing changes to us, whether we are ready or not. So fasten your seat belts, and make sure your trays and seat backs are in the up right position. We are cleared for take off!!!