Crowds - 18000 people are registered in this conference. Sitting in the keynote in a sea of people makes one feel small. How can you make contact, to make connections, exchange ideas, so essential as part of the conference experience in such a large mob?
I spent the evening at the Edublogger's Cafe - putting faces to the words I have read and heard via blogs and webcasts. And I met my fellow webcaster with whom I had been presenting webcast shows for almost two years, but we had never met. I love my virtual life; it has provided and continues to provide ideas, challenges to my thinking and connections - but it is so nice to have personal conversations and meet face to face. Among this community the essential conversations can happen. How to make a neighbourhood within a larger context.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Day 179: NECC09
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Day 83: Fifty Fingers - Hands Together
Being part of the 2009/365 Flickr group has been interesting in terms of growing relationships and community. Here are 50 fingers - on 10 hands to represent the connections happening around the world because of the many social tools that live on the web. These hands belong to some of my physical colleagues - they have been a huge part of my learning and support. However, my online relationships have become a large part of my life.
While we learn from each other, we also support each other in personal ways. So these 50 fingers also represent a reaching out to the people who have been part of my photography community and particularly are in response to Tim - who has left many positive comments for me. Today is his brother's 50th birthday; this photograph is also my birthday wish to his brother, Eric. I have never met either of them, but they are now a part of my life.