Face to Face

I love Twitter.  Google Plus is pretty cool.  Skype is great.  Facebook....well, I am getting there.  I love the online chats on Twitter.  The outstanding blogs.  The unbelievable sharing of ideas.  The occasional jokes that go flying by from guys like Dean Shareski.  The excitement in the tweets from the new people to Twitter (like I was). The feeling of community when you are watching something on TV and suddenly, someone from 2000 miles away makes a comment on the show you are watching--which is the same thought that you just had.  It is a very comfortable place, and I feel like I am slowly getting to know the cast of characters and their online personalities. 

As a result of connecting on Twitter, I have 'met' hundreds of people.  I have developed outstanding working relationships with them.  And here in BC, I feel like I am part of a family, a community of learners who have divergent ideas but the same goal:  we all want our students to be success.

But as ISTE 12 approaches, I am looking forward to meeting people face-to-face.  I am looking forward to sharing ideas in person.  I am excited to see the excitement in people's faces, to hear their unpolished, un-blogged thoughts and to work together to make these polished ideas.  I am interested to find out what it feels like to introduce myself as Cale Birk, and then as @birklearns, knowing that the former will have little recognition, and the latter will have a little more.

Twitter has opened so many doors for each of us to make positive relationships with people from all over the plane connected to education.  And now, with my trip to ISTE 12 only a couple of nights away, I am eager to meet these people.  I want to meet as many as I possibly can.  Because as great as our online community is, as much as it will continue to grow, I don't know that there is anything that can replace...

Face to Face.

Off to ISTE!