We pulled it off - and judging by the comments and emails Communicate.06 was the conference I had hoped it would be. We've got at least 12 blogging and podcasting projects underway after just 4 hours, covering a third of the country. There are another two definite filmmaking projects that are in embryonic state, after witnessing the incredibly professional media team at work - average age 16. Creating the film guide is my next big piece of work. Countless others who couldn't make it to the Comic Life session have immediately seen how making comics is a great way to a) get some creative photography into a languages lesson and b) get kids writing more and more original, demanding material - without them even realising it.
I've even seen a comment on the forum saying that Peter Ford's keynote reminded a teacher why she wanted to teach. I'm sure she's not alone. We've already got some classic Fordy moments on the mflePodcast. His cracking keynote from Communicate.06 will be podcast this Wednesday on the mflePodcast, too.
I am pretty shattered 24 hours after the end of the conference, but will post on the MFLE blog, and here, throughout the next week. The MFLE will provide all the details of each session too, over the next wee while. John's started blogging about stuff already. He was a complete star on the day and helped sort out one or two technical problems, not that any of the participants would ever have noticed.
The best thing? Teachers in Scotland are already asking for help and getting their projects off to a start with the guidance of our seminar leaders in the MFLE forums.
The free conference that lasts at least two months, where you can talk to the seminar leaders as long as you want? This is a real unconference conference.
I've done some sessions with comiclife for teachers in Kintyre, just recently, and they can see lots of areas in which it could be useful, immediately. So easy..tiny tiny learning curve! My Primary 3's use it readily. One of the best progs I have discovered in years. We now have an Authority Licence in Argyll and it is not at all expensive. Ask John McPhee what he had to spend, for the entire county.
Posted by: Marlyn Moffat | March 20, 2006 at 01:06 AM
If you take a look at the teds blog you will see what Primary 2 children managed to do with ComicLife with just a little bit of support...http://talkingteds.blogspot.com
Posted by: Morag Macdonald | March 20, 2006 at 07:58 PM