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Franticity

Mark Treadwell encouraged conference participants to use digital technologies during his two days of presentations. An interesting experience for me with my brand new iPad2: permission to play while listening to a presentation..
On the positive side, the ability to instantly access his lecture notes, zoom into diagrams and find the answers to questions posed was useful.  Mark would say that googling for the answers is 'collaborating not cheating'. My table group 'found' the answers Mark wanted and offered them to the discussion without any need to reflect deeply. It felt like cheating!
I am NOT a digital native and found it exhausting. Normally those ideas that 'pop' in a random manner during PDs I jot down to later act on. This time I actioned them as I thought of them!
During Mark's presentation:
  • I sent the url to my latest photo book to a colleague who'd introduced me to Blurb.com while Mark was explaining neurons. I recieved a physical thumbs up from across the room.
  • I emailed a link to Mark's notes to the staff member back at school who was 'Acting Prin' in our absence and received a reply.
  • I found notes taken by some-one on the web about the same presentation, saved it to iBooks and promised to send it to my table group so they wouldn't need to write notes.
  • I shared the best aps with other new users of iPads.
  • I answered in 'real time' email queries from staff back at school that could have waited a few hours.
  • I ordered a birthday cake during a lull when technology was not working for Mark.
  • I found Mark's webnotes very useful and they filled in the gaps to anything I didn't quite understand. I checked while he was talking.
Is this the frantic real-time, socially-connected world of our students?
I learnt a lot about my iPad, connected better with those at school and at the Conference than previously but I came home needing brain-quiet. I did NOT touch my iPad or laptop for 2 days needing to disconnect myself from the instant and the now. I went for a bike ride, saw a play and visited our newest acquisition at the National Gallery recovering sufficiently by tonight to be in close proximity to my iPhone, iPad and IMac.

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