My fabulous colleagues back home in New Zealand have been enjoying the Learning@Schools09 Conference held in Rotorua.  When my good friend AllanahK tweeted that she was organising a “Matt-style” dance at the start of Wes Fryer’s Keynote presentation, I couldn’t resist the urge to tweet back “Can I skype in?”

Sure enough – at 7.15am Bangkok, Thailand time, and 1.15pm, New Zealand time, she did just that- skyped me in so that I could join in the dance too.  It was brilliant – almost like being there.  I was able listen to Wes’s Keynote until Allanah’s battery finally died.  I wish I could have been there in personal to reconnect with old friends, make new friends, and learn new things from incredibly talented people.  Watch the video!

I originally used jing to capture the screen on my laptop (’cos that’s all I had), then discovered that it saves as .swf. Drat – not editable (without the Pro version – funny that?).  So here’s the master genius work around I used:

Step 1:  Grab Jeff Utecht on his way out the door – (’cos he has ScreenFlow)
Step 2:  Replay .swf on his laptop and re-capture using ScreenFlow – saves as a .mov, edit as you go
Step 3:  Import into iMovie – add titles and credits
Step 4:  Play real “Dancing with Matt” video on YouTube to capture the soundtrack using Audio Hijack Pro
Step 5:  Import audio into iMovie – adjust sound levels
Step 6:  Upload to teachingsagittarian’s YouTube channel

Did I mention that I love my mac laptop?

I have to keep pinching myself because it seems so far-fetched that I’m flying to Shanghai, China in 6 days to attend the Learning2.0 Conference beginning with Edublogger Con on Thursday 18th September AND I get to fly with two fabulous friends and awesome bloggers Kim Cofino and Tara Ethridge AND catch up with fellow NZder Simon May who lives and teaches in Shanghai.

This is an amazing opportunity to catch up with invited guests David Warlick, Ewan MacIntosh, whom I have the absolute pleasure to meet and listen to already, as well as the chance to meet and listen to Clarence Fisher, Brian Crosby, Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, Alan Levine and David Jakes.  That in itself just makes me incredibly excited.

My twitter network was a-twitter last week with questions of “Are you going to Learning2.0?”  My excitement was pushed three more steps up as I began to discover that many of the amazing people in my twitter-network were going to Shanghai also. I’m looking forward to meeting lots of fellow educators/bloggers from Australia and Qatar (can’t wait to meet you finally Julie!).  There’s going to be so much meeting and greeting – I was beginning to wonder when we might get time to attend a conference?!

Who would have thought that my excitement could step up a notch after all that? I didn’t think it was possible, but Jeff Utecht made it so.  He asked if I would be interested in doing a 45 minute presentation at Learning2.0 Shanghai!  Oh my goodness!  Are you kidding me?  Me?  Present? With all those famous people you already have lined up?  What a fabulous chance to give something back to the very community that got me started on this amazing journey of Web2.0 in the classroom.  Thanks for the opportunity Jeff!

So here’s the blurb for my presentation ……….  now I just need to put the finishing touches on it.

For those of you that I didn’t get a chance to tell personally or you didn’t catch my twitter ….

Yes, I’ve moved from Napier, New Zealand, across the seas to Bangkok, Thailand

It’s farewell to my very supportive principal and fellow colleagues for the last four years at TIS and hello to a fabulous new principal, deputy principal, some amazing new colleagues in Elementary School, fellow ex-pats, and without a doubt, some serious fellow-bloggers such as my wonderful friend Ms Cofino and Jeff Utecht.  I’m absolutely thrilled to be working the International School of Bangkok whose commitment to 21st Century Digital Literacy makes it an inspiring place to be involved in.

I’ve just completed my first week at ISB and even though it’s still early days when the shine of excitement still remains, I have to say I’m impressed.  For such a big school (and I’ve come from roll of 580 to a roll of 700 in just the Elementary School) I don’t feel too lost, I certainly feel very welcome, and it definitely feels right to be here.  I love my surroundings, I love my new apartment, I love my class and classroom and I love the fact that on Day 5 of being at a new school, my students and I began our own class blog!

Ye-ah! I live and work in Bangkok!  Contrary to popular suggestions (thanks Brian) I will not be changing to bkchrissy on twitter – Once a Kiwi, always a Kiwi – so nzchrissy remains!  Watch this space!

Earlier today, I managed to listen to the audio file of Jeff Utecht’s K12Online Presentation, Sustained Blogging in the Classroom.   (I gave up trying to get the video file – for some reason my downloading time is excruciatingly slow at the moment).

I was particularly interested in this presentation as our classroom blog is up and running – since earlier in the year – and apart from the occassional post from a couple of students, it’s yet to really take off.  I thought that it was a good idea to start with a class blog, then introduce individual blogs.  Apart from one or two students posting of their own accord, the others post because I remind them to, or ask them to.  I rate the value of blogging in the classroom simply because I see the value of students writing for an audience that comprises of not just me, the teacher.  Good blogging models are out there and I truly believe that sometimes kids learn way more from each other than they do from teachers.  I’d like my students to realise that there is a purpose to writing,  it can be a rewarding experience and it is validating to know that others are reading your writing and are interested in what you have to say.  So why isn’t it working?

Jeff Utecht’s presentation gave me some insight into why blogging isn’t yet sustained in our classroom. This is a practical presentation, full of sensible ideas, simple techniques and some really good “takeaways” thrown in as well.  So, what did I learn?

1. Blogging is a conversation – 2 way communication and you need to take it to this level.
2. Allow the conversation to take place.  Change the way your classroom is arranged if you have to – rearrange it so that the conversation can take place.
3. Make time.  If it’s an add-on, it won’t work.  Simple.  Make it the way we do things ’round here.
4. Guide the conversation, persuade the conversation, give suggestions, model to your students.  Find good blogs to read.

Jeff’s got a great wikispace set up too with all the links to some pretty clever teachers (Mark Ahlness, Scott Hossack, Clarence Fisher) out there who have sustained blogging going on in their classrooms.  I’ve realised that I have all the ingredients to achieve sustained blogging in the classroom, I just have to tweak things a little.  I’m glad that I’m on the right track and I now know what to do to allow sustained blogging to happen.

There’s so much more in this presentation but rather than regurgitate the whole of Jeff’s presentation – please go take a look/listen at it yourself.  I highly recommend it!

If you’ve not gotten into the K12 Online Conference yet, then you must.  The beauty of this conference is you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home!  And it’s free! Costs nothing more than your time!  And if you’re like me, and the kid’s need you, you can just pause and go back to it later. Or, if you think you missed something, you can go back and view it again.  Wicked!