On Tuesday night @ 7PM I was running around my house trying to get connected to Skype so that I could be a part of an online chat with several other OWP (Ohio Writing Project) teachers regarding technology in the classroom. Betsy Woods (former Mariemont student and now head of the English department at Milford) mediated the discussion.
It was a neat experience but one that was fraught with disconnections and tech snafoos.
Just as one of the conversants began to tell about a wiki she had used in her class, the fancy laptop I had borrowed from school ran out of "juice."
I reentered the conversation just as Betsy was asking, "So has your use of technology saved or spent more of your time?"
Several members of the conversation then "dropped."
Once everyone was "reconnected," it was 7:45.
I had to laugh.
I see the potential of Skype and online chats, absolutely.
Just need to get the kinks ironed out.