CrossLoop and Skype to the Rescue!

Just yesterday evening Karen Janowski and I completed and successfully submitted our NECC 2009 Proposal. When all is said and done we could not have done it without Skype and CrossLoop. Karen and I set up a CrossLoop session and I had my computer logged onto the the NECC Submission Proposal Screen ready to go. At any point in time Karen could jump right onto my screen and make edits and add text. Using Skype for the audio we were able to complete the process in about an hour's time. Having Karen have access to my computer screen as we filled out the form made life so much easier. We didn't have to email or pass text from one another or get confused as to where we were in the process. If I had to do it again I would definitely turn to Skype and CrossLoop to complete the online proposal. Having these two tools at our disposal made this a truly collaborative experience and one that allowed us to efficiently complete the task at hand. Now the hard part- waiting until December to find out if our proposal was accepted. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

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Professional Development for the 21st Century

Just yesterday I connected with my friend and colleague Karen Janowski, an Assistive Technology Consultant in the Boston Area over Skype and we spent the next hour or so catching up and sharing ideas and showing each other new applications. Using Skype we were able to speak with one another and then we connected using Yuuguu a screen sharing application that allowed us to see each others computer screen. Yuuguu was just updated so that the individual on the other end can now access your screen via the internet. Yuuguu is great for ad hoc meetings when you want to share an application with another individual or for that matter a group. You simply give the participants a URL and a PIN number and within seconds they can see your computer screen (do remember to do some tiding up:-) ). Participants can also request control of the presenters screen as well which is fantastic for training purposes.

More importantly as I was reflecting on our interchange it occurred to me that more educators need to seek out these rich Web 2.0 tools so that they can dialog and direct their own professional development. I know for myself, that having access to professionals like Karen that I can connect with on a regular basis really improves and hones my skills and the exchange of ideas is amazing. So when you are considering your own professional development see how you can craft it using the tools I mentioned, Skype & Yuuguu. Educators and other professionals need to look for new models of professional development for the 21st Century and the web is the way to go. Let me know how you are using Web 2.0 tools to expand your professional development.

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