I have never been to Australia…at least not until yesterday (today?).

Some students at our school are participating in the upcoming middle school writing workshop of the 1001 Flat World Tales project, along with another Canadian school, four US schools and two schools from Australia. After assuming the unofficial role of workshop coordinator – (I am not sure how a Math/Science guy gets that gig…but heck, aren’t we all literacy teachers!) – which I am kinda sharing with Ann Oro and Derrall Garrison – from my good friend and project godfather Clay Burell in Korea, I am trying to bring everyone into the same space to get set for the launch later this month.

Since the project is wiki-based, I have been trying to share some of my knowledge of wikis (almost all of our teachers use them here at Nasis Middle) to get teachers and students started. Anne Mirtschin‘s students in Hawkesdale, Vic, Australia invited me to help…an invitation that I gladly accepted.

Last nite (after getting home from teaching my undergrad university class) I hopped back on-line and joined her and her Grade 6 students via Skype and SMART Technologies Bridgit conferencing software and we chatted for almost 45 minutes (9:30 pm yesterday here, 12:30 pm today – just coming up on that here now – there).

We talked about the weather (it was 25C there (the kids were off to swim after my show), -16C, windy and snow here!), a couple of other things and then we toured the 1001 tales wikispace where students will be working together to write and support each other in this wonderful workshop.

This pic says it all…from the Aussie end…there I am (I’m the fuzzy image on the screen). At least now I can say I have been to Australia – at least virtually. It kinda even felt warm…:)

You can read Anne’s take on it here.

Can’t wait to see what we can do next!

tags: technology, education, whipple, clay burell, 1001fwt, anne mirtschin