Not at NECC 2009 {By: Steve Sokoloski}
I am sad to write this. The twitter feed is full of excited folks headed to Washington, D.C. for ISTE’s NECC 2009 Conference. My introduction to the world of social networking for educators was ISTE NECC in San Diego 2006 and what a wild ride it has been since then. NECC is a powerful experience. I wish the best for the folks who are going. Events (a very late school year - Mrs. Soko is not out until Monday!, a high school graduation w/ attendant family parties and most of all the need to invest any travel dollars in a new roof for the house) have conspired to keep me away this time around but I am planning to head out to Denver next year.
One of the things that is curious to me in the ED 2.0 Community is our conviction that long distance collaboration is great, and that we learn much from far away friends in our far flung social networks. Yet the minute we get in the same , we turn the power of the social network to meet F2F. As much as we are comfortable in the space our technology has carved out, it is so much more fun in person. So as the tweets go out about where people are going and meeting up, I will follow along, and be jealous.