It was an absolute pleasure to be invited by Silvia Tolisano to skype-join in the conversation at their school’s K-12 Online Conference LAN party “last night” or earlier this morning (for me.)

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The timing was perfect – albeit they were having a wine (early evening) and I was having a coffee (early the next morning), the conversation was very interesting and most enjoyable.

My understanding of how Silvia had set up the LAN party was there were several rooms set up with various conference presentations running in them so that teachers could choose which presentations interested them the most.  Then when those presentations had been viewed, everyone met together in one room and discussed what they watched and what they understood or took from it.

The power of sharing ideas, thoughts and understandings, whether you are having conversations face to face or skyping into them is so strong.  The power of discussing what you’ve seen, what you’ve heard and how that affects you is even stronger.  There were presentations I heard teachers talk about that I hadn’t considered watching but now I will because I’m curious and inspired by their thoughts.  I’m now personally connected to some of those teachers even though the chances of us meeting face to face are relatively small.

If you haven’t considered watching K-12 Online Conference 2008, I really think you ought to.  And then find someone who’s watched it too and have a conversation with them – they don’t even have to be living in the same place as you!  Better still, inspire someone else to start watching K-12 Online Conference presentations too.

Today is Blog Action Day – a day where thousands of bloggers around the world focus upon and highlight issues around one topic – poverty.

I’ve always been a mix of a visual and aural learner = my creative side and musical side with a touch of kinesthetic woven into the mix.  Perhaps that way The Digital Photography School’s Post entitled “17 images of Poverty” really struck a cord with me tonight.

What does poverty look like?  You might be surprised.  I know I was and then again I wasn’t.  Poverty doesn’t care what you look like, where you come from and what nationality you are.  Poverty could look like anyone.  Please take a look if you have the time.

Blogger in Middle Earth’s post gives some really practical tips on what you can do to make a difference towards easing the grip of poverty.  If we all did one thing from that list imagine the difference it has the potential to make.

I find myself asking – what will I do?  I’m not sure – but I know that I need to do something.  Why?  Not because I feel guilty, or because I feel I should but because I can.

What will you do?