Sunday, March 30, 2008

Ooops... Bailey in Beta...

by Jeff Bailey

I often try out new technologies, as most of you do as well and sometimes they go a little wacky. This evening I tried out a broadcasting tool called Kyte.tv This tool is a lot like other online tools like ustream, operator11, or talkshoe. It lets you add video, slides, audio, titles, text, polls, and links to your broadcast and even has a live chat feature. The nice part about it was that it integrated with many sites like Blogger and Facebook to publish in multiple places at once or even broadcast it live to those services simultaneously. Well, being the brave technology explorer that I fancy myself to be, I tried posting it to my personal blog as a test. Kyte.tv said it worked but I couldn't see it on my blog anywhere.

That's when it hit me... I posted to Learning in Maine's blog (which is actually first in my Blogger Dashboard). And sure enough, there was me on my webcam with my "test episode". For any of you who have an intrepid RSS reader, you may have gotten my ugly mug in your feed, but at least you have these links as my penance : )
Jeff Bailey

On Flying, Aspirations & Virtual Worlds

"There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: One is roots, the other is wings."

~ Hodding Carter
When I was a child, I remember having flying dreams . . . ahhhh, such freedom! I either don't have them now, or simply just don't remember them when I crawl out of bed in the morning. Of course I could go to a virtual world such as Second Life to fly, but you know, it just ain't the same as a good old-fashioned dream . . . or is it?

Carl Jung's idea was that in a flying dream we are expressing our desire to break free of restrictions and limitations. There are many other interpretations out there, but we do know that these flying dreams have been with us throughout history.

The Greek myth, Daedulus and Icarus, has a tragic ending in that Icarus dies from flying too close to the sun. The message seems to be that there is a danger in going too far from our roots.

Questions:

Are we giving our kids adequate roots?

Are we giving our kids wings?

Are virtual worlds such as
Skoolaborate an adequate substitute for strong flesh & blood families and communities?

How do social networking sites such as Webkins, Miss Bimbo, and others fit into all this?

What are our roles as parents, teachers, and community members in this new reality?

Final Question: Do kids still have flying dreams? Do kids have life dreams?

"If I had two wishes, I know what they would be
I'd wish for Roots to cling to, and Wings to set me free;

Roots of inner values, like rings within a tree, and Wings of independence to seek my destiny.

Roots to hold forever to keep me safe and strong,
To let me know you love me, when I've done something wrong;

To show me by example, and help me learn to choose,
To take those actions every day to win instead of lose.

Just be there when I need you, to tell me it's all right,
To face my fear of falling when I test my wings in flight;

Don't make my life too easy, it's better if I try,
And fail and get back up myself, so I can learn to fly.

If I had two wishes, and two were all I had,
And they could just be granted, by my Mom and Dad;
I wouldn't ask for money or any store-bought things,

The greatest gifts I'd ask for are simply Roots and Wings."

~ Denis Waitley