So call me crazy, call me a plebe but I don’t get all the fuss that is being made about Second Life! Don’t get me wrong I can see how it can be used as a good way to meet online and run professional development, I can see how could be used in education for some powerful learning activities (MaggieMarat’s presentation at NECC about students and body image was a great example) but I am not sure that I get why you would want to do more than that? Why do you want to spend your real life living in an online, virtual world? It is hard enough as a Christian to be not of this world, but in it John 17:14-16 but then to be not of this world but be in it in a virtual world, it does my head in! Also wonder about why it is exciting to ‘do’ things in world when really you are just sitting at a computer operating a keyboard and mouse. I think it is more exciting to do real things, see people and talk to them in the real world. I know, I know that makes me not a real ICT purist and with that I am very happy. I do like to meet (or at least see) people that I have an online relationship with. I think it enriches the online relationship greatly. I also wonder about the loss on inhibitions that can happen in a virtual environment. I have seen students gain incredible amounts of confidence when online and for some it gives them a voice that was previously unheard which is great, however when people feel like they can throw away normal moral boundaries, be a bit flirty, be a bit of a bully or generally behave in manner that they would never do in real life what happens then? Is that OK? Are you still answerable for your actions in Second Life or is it amoral because you don’t know the real person? I think as tools such as Second Life are embraced in education serious discussion needs to take place about educating students about appropriate online behaviors and moral consequences.

Enough confused ramblings now onto the task of Learning Management Systems and a ICT resource wiki!

Well thanks to the inspiration of some fellow travellers I am going to attempt to keep a blog of my travels on the ACCE study tour. I am really looking forward to the trip and all that I can learn and hopefully bring back to my school. I am really hoping to bring back some ideas on staff training in  ICT, strategic direction setting and a raft of new tools a goodies to inspire staff and provide resources for them to help change they way that they think and teach with ICT.  ICT is such a huge field and there is so much that can be done in and with it to inspire and engage our students. I would also like to explore ways to be innovative and to shift educational paradigms of how ICT should be done. Phew I am exhausted already. Hopefully I will also get a little bit of sightseeing done! I also hope this will be a great way to keep a record of the trip and especially the conference as I am sure that I will be brain dead by the end of it. So many sessions to choose from and go to, 17,000 plus educators, San Antonio to see, people to meet. So please enjoy the journey!