I’m honored to be the keynote speaker at this conference, coming up October 4th and 5th in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Conference theme is “Social Learning Environments: Making Connections.” My keynote talk is on “The Digital Imagination.” Here’s the abstract:
For decades, higher education has run faster and faster to keep up with accelerating technological change. We’ve run from contractor to contractor, vendor to vendor, platform to platform, network to network, course management system to course management system. We’ve also run from paradigm to paradigm as we try to build a curricular presence for these technologies in an increasingly computer-mediated society. We’ve run from technology proficiency, to information literacy, to information fluency. We’re still running, and change is still accelerating. We have three choices. We can slow down or stop, and let the vendors design, build, and lock us into a digital campus. We can run faster, bet on every new shiny object, and try not to embarrass ourselves by throwing an email party in an IM world. Or we can run fast and well, but in a different direction, aiming at a different paradigm: that of the digital imagination, of the computer as mind. We can customize this paradigm for our individual needs, but we will not need to construct it, for it’s been hiding in plain sight for almost half a century. It’s time to go back to the future.
The conference program showcases a fine two-day event with presenters from JMU and other Virginia universities, as well as workshops on Second Life bookending the experience for attendees. I’m struck by how much innovation is here, particularly in open education and emerging technologies. We’ve all come a very long way from the start of this millenium. Conferences like this one fill me with hope that information technologies may yet achieve their transformative potential in our schools.
I’m looking forward to the event, and to the chance to share some of my thoughts with the participants and learn from them as well. I hope to see you there.
Thanks to Andrea and to Jim for their kindness in inviting me to speak.
If you find out any good info on “Technological Applications to Promote Learning in College Students with Learning Disabilities” Let me know please? I’ve always got my ear to the ground for my boy. :o) Sometimes I find good stuff in unexpected places.
Knock’em dead with your speech :o)
Just registered to attend on Thursday. Looking forward to visiting with our neighbors to the southwest and hearing what they’re up to. And, of course, really looking forward to the keynote speaker!