Outside Convention

Outside Convention
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

The name on the electronic board may be incorrect but most everyone will agree that everything about this NECC was worth the money it cost to fly, register and stay at a NECC conference.

It is too bad that EVERY teacher who is interested can't attend. I met some great people, saw some stupendous ideas, talked more than even I thought possible [grin], and fell into bed exhausted each night.

We found the time, to go outside in the strong Atlanta sunshine, walk around in the famous Centennial Park and watch the families relaxing.

Take a look at my photos. I am so glad to have taken my new camera.

Midge Frazel and David Warlick

Midge Frazel and David Warlick
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Really...could I look more pleased to have the attention of David Warlick all to myself for a few minutes?

I so enjoyed his presentation, Redefining Literacy for the 21st Century, which can be viewed as a handout. I recommend looking at it.

He remarked that students today, when graduating from high school, do not say good-bye to their friends [and never see many again] as they did when we left to go to college. I was struck by that new interpretation of connected communication, as my grown daughter has been re-discovering her high school, undergraduate and graduate friends as cell phone and social networking seep into her life as a young adult.

Where are my old pals now?

I had no nametags at my 25th high school graduation. I was a bit at a loss as I had left that state when I married. How literate is that?

David is a wonderful speaker who I can now call friend. Isn't that something?

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Flowers and Tags

Flowers and Tags
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

The beauty of Atlanta and the conversations of NECC; what more could you ask for?

I snapped this photo of Hall Davidson's NECC name badge next to the flower. It took only a few seconds while he and Kathy armed wrestled. [It's something they do at every conference. Go figure.]

It was hard to take a photo of the friends hanging out but I lightened it up so you could see it!

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Midge Frazel and Tony Vincent

Midge Frazel and Tony Vincent
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

I'm back from the most intense NECC I have ever attended. My ears ring from the conversations and the crush of people.

I was delighted to reach out and hug Tony Vincent and to watch him at this poster session and sit in the front row at his presentation about iPods.

He's a great guy and I continue to be pleased [check out my smile] to be his friend. I have to go now and read his new book which he so kindly gave me an autographed copy!

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Ready for NECC 2007!

Ready for NECC 2007!
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

My bags are packed and I'm ready to go... Living an hour or so from Boston, I still have to get up early and take the Logan Express bus from Braintree to Boston meet Kathy at the airport and start the adventure.

This is the first NECC where I have spent the whole day beforehand looking at already posted photos and reading blogs.

I've even started a post-NECC "to-do" list. The first entry? To find someone to hire me to teach a distance learning class. Interested?

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Resources at the Library of Congress

This afternoon, I attended a {free} online chat at the Library of Congress given in the OPAL Auditorium. [Online Programming for All Libraries]. These chats, although few in number per year, are very nicely run and are easy to use by any educator. You can type your questions or use your microphone as the presenter shows you, in another window, certain Web pages on that topic that are housed at the LOC. It uses Voice-Over-IP technology.

As an example this is the description from their Web page of the chat I did today.

"Family Reunions: Exploring Your Roots
Family reunions reconnect people with their shared history – a history encompassing life’s milestones, travels, and the influence of regional, national, and global events. A family’s story comes to life with the addition of photographs, diaries, memorabilia, and maps describing the locations and events that shaped the lives of family members. Join Library of Congress staff and explore ways to use our digital resources to recreate your family’s personal history. "

I use the LOC frequently for the genealogy side of my life but I still feel that teachers are under using such excellent resources in their classroom. I hope you will take a look at this for your summer professional development.

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Distant Memory

Distant Memory
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

This is a photo of the display board outside the room where I spoke at NECC 2003 in Seattle. It was a vendor presentation sponsored by Teacher Created Materials.

As I prepare for NECC 2007 in Atlanta, I reflect on past NECCs and think about what I have learned along the journey and how they differ from the conventions of today.

Although I have learned how to write tags for my blogs, today I tried out David Warlick's Blog Tag Generator. Certainly easier than writing code by hand!

Directions for using it. He's a super guy!

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Forget the NECC Planner: Steve's List is Better.

Steve Hargadon has done everyone who is attending NECC a BIG service by making a list (plus more) of presenters. Of course, I've made my decisions and exported them to my handheld but now I see ones that I might be more interested in!

NECC needs to be one more day longer. I don't mean the pre-conference events..I mean one more regular day for us regular people.

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Flying Horse Carousel

Flying Horse Carousel
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Sometimes, special places in our past make great digital stories. For one of my projects, I researched the Flying Horse Carousel in Watch Hill, RI. I rode on this as a child as did my mother and her mother too. That's history.

Brigid Rooney Smith's. Watch Hill by River and By Sea, a title in the Images of America Series says it was built during the late 1860s and abandoned either by gypsies or by a carnival.

"Abandoned on the sands of Napatree [Point] in 1879, this venerable landmark has withstood the ravages of the sand, the sun, the snow and ultimately, the fatal Hurricane of 1938 to carry out its annual charge of providing merriment to the scores of youthful visitors that come down to the sea of a blue-skied summer's day." [Introduction]

Digital images are even more powerful when shared.
My video at YouTube has been watched 479 times as of today. I posted it 26 July, 2006.

Watch Hill is the place to sea... Enjoy your summer, but remember it is hurricane season.

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Flying Horse Carousel

Forward to NECC

I'll be traveling soon to Atlanta to attend NECC. I haven't been in a few years but I have been to the one held in Atlanta in 2000. It should be very different than that NECC. Time will tell.
But, one thing is for sure. I get to hug Tony Vincent!

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NECC2007