Interested in innovative ways to use Web2.0 tools for teaching? The 2007 K12 Online Conference is a great place to learn what’s happening. Teachers from around the world will be participating in this virtual conference. This year’s conference theme is ‘Playing With Boundaries.’ Sounds appropriate for the subject, doesn’t it?

As a homeschooler, what interests me the most about Web2.0 are a couple things:

• How can Web2.0 tools be used at home with one student or a few rather than in a classroom setting? Or in other words, how can I apply a learning community in a homeschool setting?
• How does the philosophy of kids being digital natives and me being a digital immigrant affect how I need to prepare my kids for their futures? How big is the digital divide in my teaching?

David Warlick opened the conference yesterday with his preconference keynote address, ‘Inventing the New Boundaries.’ It’s a persuasive commentary on the powerful influence of community in learning. I recommend downloading the video; there is valuable visual content missed in the audio. In the 24-hour live chat opened after this keynote there are 2500+ messages from all over the world. Very cool.

Conferences have great learning potential. The beauty of this virtual conference is it’s free and it really doesn’t end. Unlike a conference in a convention center with hotel rooms and expenses to attend K12 Online Conference you don’t have to leave the comfort of your couch. And it’s not a one-time event; it’s always available online, on-demand. There are four strands for the sessions, Classroom 2.0, New Tools, Professional Learning Networks, and Obstacles to Opportunities. The conference wiki has all the materials and resources you need.

So, if you need some professional development as a homeschooler, especially if you are looking at teaching older kids, pour a cup of coffee and download a few sessions that sound interesting and join in the fun. Or you can subscribe to the RSS and the podcasts on the home page. Here’s the schedule that continues next week.

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