Learning is Still a Thrill

My annual work on the Program for ITEA's Conference often affords me an early glimpse at some of the sessions, workshops, and other events that are being planned. Even though my background is not in education, there are often events that I think I would like to attend - as an ATTENDEE rather than as a staff person. 

Here's a workshop that will be held Wednesday, March 25, from 1pm–4pm that really caught my eye:

"Learning through Electronic Portfolios: Tools, Concepts, and Logistics

This hands-on workshop engages technology teachers in using current tools such as Adobe Flash®, Dreamweaver®, and Photoshop® to enable their students (Grades 8–12) to create web-based portfolios and publish multimedia products on the World Wide Web. Teenagers from around the globe spend many hours a week on the Internet utilizing web-based social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube. However, many students have a poor conceptual understanding of how the Internet and web-based media technologies function. They may lack the skills, as practiced in industry, to design and publish custom multimedia products for the WWW. Publishing on the web helps reinforce concept learning, increases technological literacy, and furthers skill development." 

Honestly, I am a bit of a techno-geek and I can't seem to get enough of new computer-related technologies - software, digital images, social networking, you name it. The fact that I'm posting to a blog should be some indication of that. Therefore, that workshop sounds GREAT to me. And even though so much of technological literacy has nothing whatsoever to do with computer literacy, there are times when a crossover is natural and necessary - particularly if teachers want to engage students on their own turf. 

Just the fact that this Conference has dozens, if not HUNDREDS of opportunities for attendees to learn new things should excite anyone who's thinking of coming to Louisville. I haven't been in a classroom for some time now, but that thrill of learning something new is still very real. If you possibly can - Go! Learn!