Digital Learning Day 2012

Yesterday brought a fantastic day with Tom VanderArk, the Ohio House Education Committee, the fine folk at Knowledgeworks, and a gaggle of other Digital Ed experts.

The opening event was a discussion of Tom's new book Getting Smart: How Digital Learning is Changing the World. (Plus we all got free copies!) Do check out the book. It's a great view of what's out there.

Five o'clock brought a hearing of the House Education Committee. Tom somehow managed to be the sideshow--not his doing, he performed great! But the show was stolen by four kids from various Ohio laocations and school settings, who (vociferously at times) expounded their experiences with digital learning. (Really? The world Irish dancing champion is a 15 year old African American young man..from Greenville, OH?!)

What amazed me most was the familiarity these very bright young people had with the "other end" of the Academic spectrum. The maybe-dropped-out. The special needs. The overly shy. (I am still grappling with the whole "bullying" eruption). These outgoing young men and women (as young as 15) spoke almost as full-fledged ed pundits on their fellow students vis digital ed.

Two online teachers also did a tremendous job fielding the representatives' questions, questions that ran long past the scheduled hearing slot and far into tea time.

When we did escape the hearing, KnowledgeWorks and Fordham had laid out a wonderful feast, colplete with wine, beer, and lobster mini-quesadillas. And more great conversation.

It was really a treat meeting many of the people we've shared ideas with these past couple years.

I hope to soon see much more of many of them!