It’s possible that today, more than any day ever, has shown me the power of Web 2.0 to be the catalyst for change and motivation in education. The fact that blogging has lead to an opportunity for face-to-face dialogue with John Connell, Learning Futures Strategist from LT in Scotland is amazing! Thank you John for taking the time out in your short Aussie stay to chat with some of us downunder.

I sound like an excited teenager – and I guess in the world of blogging that is what I am 🙂 John Connell has been leading educators in Scotland for many years through his work with SSDN, and now in his new role, continues to explore the potential of school-based learning.

So the opportunity to listen to John as he shared stories and insights with a small (select) group of my colleagues in Catholic Education in Parramatta was exceptional – and I know that such opportunities to talk with people with vision and experience is greatly appreciated.

Bloggers of the world really were united – as Al Upton from Glenelg in South Australia joined us to listen to John – again, as a result of our blogging and communications that result from this!

The interesting thing was the ease with which two bloggers, from very different walks of life, could be so easily bound together by the common passion of delivering educational opportunities to students that harness the potential of technology in new ways, incorporating Web 2.0 as platform thinking.

I hope to have a podcast available of John’s presentation available, once I get back to work after attending the Global Summit where I have a feeling we will all be engaging in some very good professional conversations – and possibly knock the socks off the world with the resulting ideas that are generated!! If schooling is indeed struggling to find relevance in today’s world, then it is almost certain that solutions that emerge will do so due to as a result of the activism of bloggers and Web 2.0 aficiondos.

Now, about six degrees of seperation?

John talked about Whitby, the place from which Captain Cook sailed to reach Botany Bay. John travelled out to Australia to speak with us at Parramatta, where Greg Whitby is now our Executive Director. Greg dropped in for a short while to listen to John, and will attend the GENIE meeting with John on Tuesday. Al Upton comes from Glenelg, and I live in Glenelg place.

Bloggers of the world unite!