The Media Commons
Tailgate is an event I had been looking forward to since the last one
held in 2008. We put a lot of emphasis on the relationships we have, and
continue to build with the Commonwealth campuses and bringing everyone
together for an event like this is a celebration of what really feels
like a family now.
I think that our amazing keynote speaker, Dean Long, hit on some critically important points and kept me thinking about the trans-formative period that we are all living in right now. Just as the literary revolution that took place as we transitioned from an oral dialogue to the written word. They called the written word a "pharmacon for memory and wisdom" with the ability to heal as well as to poison...but isn't that the case with every new technology?
As an early adopter of our newer "pharmacons", such as video, games and the internet, I am cognisant of importance for critical reflection, but also as a way to connect with one another.
As the day progressed, it struck me just how much conversation was happening between, in some cases, total strangers. The atmosphere was relaxed, somewhat informal and fun which I attribute directly to some key decisions made in planning this event.
Our first panel on "Activities and Techniques for Integrating Media in Instruction" truly felt like a conversation between the audience and some of our Media Commons/EGC folk. There wasn't someone standing on a stage lecturing to people about how they should be using multimedia, but more like a thoughtful dialogue about innovation and strategy.
I think that our amazing keynote speaker, Dean Long, hit on some critically important points and kept me thinking about the trans-formative period that we are all living in right now. Just as the literary revolution that took place as we transitioned from an oral dialogue to the written word. They called the written word a "pharmacon for memory and wisdom" with the ability to heal as well as to poison...but isn't that the case with every new technology?
As an early adopter of our newer "pharmacons", such as video, games and the internet, I am cognisant of importance for critical reflection, but also as a way to connect with one another.
As the day progressed, it struck me just how much conversation was happening between, in some cases, total strangers. The atmosphere was relaxed, somewhat informal and fun which I attribute directly to some key decisions made in planning this event.
Our first panel on "Activities and Techniques for Integrating Media in Instruction" truly felt like a conversation between the audience and some of our Media Commons/EGC folk. There wasn't someone standing on a stage lecturing to people about how they should be using multimedia, but more like a thoughtful dialogue about innovation and strategy.
I also believe that Chris' idea to have a "fireside chat" was brilliant, and has set the tone for future MC events. Another intentional program decision was to have each session last only 30 minutes, with the exception of the student and faculty panels. This idea, for me, came from the Open Video Conference I attended in October. Several of the sessions at this event were between 30-45 minutes in length and I really feel like that worked well for keeping things moving maintaining momentum.
One of my favorite sessions of the day was the student panel discussing "Social Media and the Future of Student Conversation". This panel came together serendipitously and was honest, intelligent and open. Several of the panelists were from Onward State joined by representatives from UPUA, Innoblue and the president of IFC. I knew that these guys (and girl) would be insightful and articulate and when Dr. Sam Richards agreed to moderate I knew we were going to be in for a treat. The students talked honestly about how they are using social media both for coursework and in their social life. There is a clear distinction between which social platforms are welcomed into the academic pool and which are strictly off limits i.e. text messaging. We can learn a lot from these students about how to use social media responsibly and how it can be used to foster engagement in class.
I think Davis Shaver was very astute in saying that "Faculty and educational technology designers need to figure out how to put the social in the tech, rather than just trying to extend the tech into existing social platforms".
I ended the day feeling accomplished, enlightened and motivated to think critically about the way I make decisions in the future. I am excited to be able to add so many amazing people to my network and community and am very much looking forward to hopefully working with them again!
Here is the link to all of the recordings from the event!
