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A Whole Helluvalotta Bunk
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Today the EdMedia got going with its official "pre-conference" workshops -- all lectures, tutorials, group sessions, etc., theoretically designed to put the focus on helping instructional designers, faculty, and IT professionals better integrating technology into the learning environment. Let's also not forget that these 3 hour "courses" cost each participant (who've already paid the 465 dollars to attend the post-workshop conference) a whopping $115.
The session I attended bore the amusing title of "Blogs, Boards, Borgs, and Just a Bit of Bonk: Best Practicies Bring Us Back to the Future" and was headed up by the somewhat amusing, but mostly annoying, Curt Bonk, of Indiana University and SurveyShare.com. After getting things started, he went around the room, asking folks how many EdMedia conferences they had attended as well as how many times they'd come to one of his talks. When the tally was completed, all of us "new-to-theBonk-experience"-ers learned just how many groupies he had. I wasn's sure who this guy was -- IT rock star? IT prophet? egomaniac?
The "Bonk Bingo" game just made things worse, and I gave it up when I realized that it was taking more of my attention than the actual lecture Mr. Bonk was giving. Anyway, to cut to the chase, I had to leave early because I found myself resenting the entire workshop and the myriad absurdities which were meant to keep the audience amused and attentive. I left feeling cheated (and happy that my workplace had foot the bill) and spent the next couple of minutes wondering how the suckers still in Salon Hemon could take this guy seriously. Not once did the topic of "Blogs" receive any attention in his lecture, and so many of the "Best Practices for Effective E-Learning" were so incredibly obvious. It was as if Bonk had successfully created a science (or a religion?) out of common sense ideas. One of the PowerPoint slides he showed us listed a colleague's recommendations for the instructor who wants to conduct an effective "synchronous learning session." (This, just so you know, is a nice euphemism for a distance learning course in which the teacher actually teaches the students electronically in "real time" -- as opposed to "asynchronously."
Here's that list for the Ideal Environment of Synchronous Trainer:
1. A private, soundproof room
2. High-speed connection; telephone; powerful computer; additional computer; tech support phone #
3. Studio microphone and speakers
4. A "Do Not Disturb" sign
5. Near restroom; pitcher of water.
Why, thank you so much Mr. Bonk and Ms. Hoffman. I never would have figured any of that out. I'm so happy my boss paid a C-note and some change for that most useful information!
Well, that's it for today. Hopefully Todd Oppenheimer's keynote will balance things out tomorrow. Last year I read his book The Flickering Mind and really appreciated the honesty and intelligence of his largely critical approach to technology in pre-college education. I expect he'll make up for Bonk's silliness...
The session I attended bore the amusing title of "Blogs, Boards, Borgs, and Just a Bit of Bonk: Best Practicies Bring Us Back to the Future" and was headed up by the somewhat amusing, but mostly annoying, Curt Bonk, of Indiana University and SurveyShare.com. After getting things started, he went around the room, asking folks how many EdMedia conferences they had attended as well as how many times they'd come to one of his talks. When the tally was completed, all of us "new-to-theBonk-experience"-ers learned just how many groupies he had. I wasn's sure who this guy was -- IT rock star? IT prophet? egomaniac?
The "Bonk Bingo" game just made things worse, and I gave it up when I realized that it was taking more of my attention than the actual lecture Mr. Bonk was giving. Anyway, to cut to the chase, I had to leave early because I found myself resenting the entire workshop and the myriad absurdities which were meant to keep the audience amused and attentive. I left feeling cheated (and happy that my workplace had foot the bill) and spent the next couple of minutes wondering how the suckers still in Salon Hemon could take this guy seriously. Not once did the topic of "Blogs" receive any attention in his lecture, and so many of the "Best Practices for Effective E-Learning" were so incredibly obvious. It was as if Bonk had successfully created a science (or a religion?) out of common sense ideas. One of the PowerPoint slides he showed us listed a colleague's recommendations for the instructor who wants to conduct an effective "synchronous learning session." (This, just so you know, is a nice euphemism for a distance learning course in which the teacher actually teaches the students electronically in "real time" -- as opposed to "asynchronously."
Here's that list for the Ideal Environment of Synchronous Trainer:
1. A private, soundproof room
2. High-speed connection; telephone; powerful computer; additional computer; tech support phone #
3. Studio microphone and speakers
4. A "Do Not Disturb" sign
5. Near restroom; pitcher of water.
Why, thank you so much Mr. Bonk and Ms. Hoffman. I never would have figured any of that out. I'm so happy my boss paid a C-note and some change for that most useful information!
Well, that's it for today. Hopefully Todd Oppenheimer's keynote will balance things out tomorrow. Last year I read his book The Flickering Mind and really appreciated the honesty and intelligence of his largely critical approach to technology in pre-college education. I expect he'll make up for Bonk's silliness...
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