This is pretty much how I felt during the webinar Friday. I only wish I could have had that background music. Oh, I also forgot to mention that in my version all the plates fell on the floor.
Webinars stress me out. I get so distracted by everything else that's going on that I forget to pay attention to the people presenting. I was distracted by the "technical difficulties," the comments being made by other participants on the screen, and I was especially distracted by Twitter. I kept trying to think of possible "tweets" that would be helpful or relevant to add to the mix and then I would realize that I had quit listening and had no idea what the speakers were even talking about. It was like being trapped in an ADD nightmare.
I don't mean to dismiss things like webinars or Twitter. At least not yet. I think it's important to keep in mind that just because something doesn't work for me doesn't mean it can't be beneficial to my students. It also doesn't mean I can't learn to use it. Maybe some people actually retain more from an experience--be it a webinar, conference, class discussion, etc.--if they are able to tweet about it. It could be used as an amped up form of note-taking.
My biggest concern is that this format seemed to keep me from really being present in the experience. I don't remember much about what was said by our guest speakers. I would even go as far as to say that I feel my inability to focus was disrespectful. Thankfully, our guests were aware that this was, for many of us, our first webinar and were very patient with us.
My other question is about Twitter. It was totally acceptable that we were tweeting during the presentation. However, does this send a tacit message that it is okay to tweet in any situation? Will students (or adults, for that matter) tweet their lives away? That's a little dramatic, but I sometimes worry that we are so connected with technology that we become disconnected from authentic (maybe that's a loaded word) experiences.
As with many things in my life, I feel these ideas are expressed well by Jon Stewart. Enjoy!
Nice Stewart clip. Like you, I was also pretty distracted during the webinar. Maybe it was the technical difficulties, or maybe I am just not an audio learner - I tend to tune out speakers, too.
ReplyDeleteI also think Twitter can easily become a nightmare if you do not identify clearly the reason you are using it . . . I still haven't figured that one out but I will be working on it this week!
I loved Old Man Stewart shakes his fist at _____ I hope it's a regular segment, as I've never watched regularly enough to notice.
ReplyDeleteI felt distracted throughout the Webinar too, but I started to look at the websites that they provided and kept coming back in and out to get more information.
I'm sorry that your experience with the webinar was as disconnected as it was, Jen. I can relate to that kind of overloaded feeling and it's not pleasant. Come the fall you'll have a couple of additional go-rounds with the webinar modality in what we hope you'll find to be a more intimate and relaxed space. When and where is it a net positive for our students to have alternative ways to articulate their thoughts? Where's the balance point between drawing in the quiet students as well as the more confident ones, and tipping over into sensory overload. Hang in there, JA....we'll take a couple more spins at the wheel and see what we have.
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