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Introducing the 'IDEC OnLine'
project
Developing
a portal for on-line participation with IDEC
and archived mixed media
documentation
Overview of the 'IDEC OnLine' project:
The "International Democratic
Education Conference" [IDEC] has been held annually since 1993
and "being there" is regarded by participants as a profound,
entertaining and unforgettable experience. Although attracting sometimes
over 300 participants, the conference has been unavailable in any
form to many other hundreds of people with an interest, professional
and otherwise, who are unable to attend personally. Further, documentation
of the conferences has been largely dependent on written reports
and perhaps a few photographs.
On-line conferencing, although available
for many years, has usually been only for the privileged few, the
corporate user or other big spenders like rich universities.
The Internet promised to change
all that, and despite advances in technology and bandwidth it has
still taken many years to be justifiably affordable for the average
Internet user to contemplate on-line conferencing as a way of "joining
in" as one would at a live conference.
Not so long ago, it would have been
less expensive to travel to the venue and stay a week than it would
have been to stay "logged on" for the duration.
But just over the past couple of
years there have been dramatic reductions in the cost, and vast
improvements in the technology, that make on-line conferencing viable
for a large proportion of the global community, especially those
involved in the education sector.
The costs involved, never mind the
commitment in time, of attending IDEC are for many people completely
prohibitive. For many people there are insurmountable visa and travel
restriction problems. Unless you are "next door" it takes
a real enthusiasm to attend the conference, and it is a credit to
the conference that it can boast so many participants.
But one wants to avoid the danger that an IDEC is but preaching
to the converted, and a rather elite representation of the converted
at that.
Cecelia Bradley wrote in the IDEN
report on IDEC 2006:
(http://www.idenetwork.org/idec-newsletters/idec-newsletters-english-0.htm)
"Apparently democratic educators have
up to now been reluctant to get involved with distance conferencing
technology, but IDEC 2006 was
something of a breakthrough. Many of the talks were immediately
audible on line, and it was possible to make written comments
while they were going on - much better than waiting until the
talk is finished and you have forgotten what you were going to
say.
There was a chat room, running concurrently with the talks, and
the small-scale conversations often seemed to be more rewarding
than the keynote talks, just as they always do when you are actually
present.
The time differences between Australia and Europe and America
were of course an insuperable problem, unless you were ready to
stay up all night, and only a few people took part. Next time
perhaps more people will be ready to try it."
( Recordings of IDEC 2006: http://www.pnyv.org/idec2006/recordings)
Indeed, IDEC 2006 was in this respect a something
of a breakthrough. Although lacking in "live video", the
system set up by Julia Morton-Marr in Canada, Eric Schneider in
Berlin and the other 'tech angels' in Sydney, certainly worked as
a live and interactive experience. It was easy to use and even then
there was plenty of on-line assistance for those having problems
logging on.
It was surprising that
so few people joined in. Perhaps it was a lack of publicity, or
perhaps the time difference played a factor. Perhaps it was regarded
as a second rate experience [see
notes]. The technology is there however, and accessible to many
people. It is a pity not to use it and promote it. To promote the
conference is the primary purpose of the 'IDEC OnLine' project.
The Ecology of Technology:
There is an ecological aspect to distance conferencing which hardly
needs explaining and should not be ignored. For many years BlueCraneMedia
has been promoting the ecological aspects of electronic communication,
distance learning and generally "staying at home". The
movement of people is such a major contributor to global pollution
that anything that can be done do avoid it should be taken seriously.
Leaving
a Footprint:
'IDEC OnLine' has an objective to provide access to the hardware,
software, telcom and training for schools in 'poor' countries and
poor schools in rich countries, in order that they can join in with
'IDEC OnLine'. The organisation will encourage companies and institutions
to sponsor and support this aspect of distance participation. Not
only for the duration of the conference, but to leave behind a permanent
resource giving the school access to the global on-line education
network.
Consistent
and thorough documentation:
IDEC could benefit many others if more documentation of the conferences
was available on-line. The CD's produced by AERO of various speakers
are invaluable reference as well as being entertaining and reassuring
(in that you are not the only one with some crackpot ideas on education
practice and philosophy). But there is not enough and it is inconsistent.
Much of it is not available on-line and there are many places in
the world where the on-line connection is far more stable and uncensored
than the post.
Contribute:
An important aspect of 'IDEC OnLine' is to provide a platform for
the dissemination of the up-to-now uncoordinated documentation of
IDEC. Of the hundreds of pictures that must have been taken, video
'footage' shot, commentary on the discussions and personal opinion,
very little is available. So this is a place where you can join
in. Send in your pictures and videos and your reports and comments
that you might have from previous IDEC's; they will be shared and
appreciated.
It is for many people a large investment in time and money to attend
the conference, and the more information people have the more confident
they will be in booking and attending. Any conference depends on
a good turn out and IDEC is no exception. The more people who turn
up at IDEC the more fun the conference. Working on the assumption
that a conference comprising three people can be a dull affair.
IDEC OnLine exists not only as a mixed media reference but also
to to encourage "live" participation.
Another aspect is that IDEC OnLine will, as outlined in "A
question of Finance", use available media publishing channels
to capitalise on the content with the beneficiary being IDEC. While
IDEC is not "an organisation or a group", it could have
a bank account.
Why
to join now:
Do not wait until the 'last minute' to join 'IDEC OnLine' !.
The more the demand can be assessed, the more that is known regarding
the would-be on-line participants know-how and available technology,
the more 'IDEC OnLine' can deliver user friendly accessible content.
The "research and development" arm of IDEC OnLine needs
to know how to make life easy for would be virtual paricipants,
and how to avoid those on line virtual participants feeling like
second rate citizens! Interactive is cool, but not with a 15 minute
delay.
IDEC
Documentation:
The list of IDEC's on the left is a reference to what on-line
information is available. It is by no means definitive. If you have
anything to add to the content of any particular conference, please
let us know and it will be included. Many of the links provided
here are the key to a lot of further information on a particular
conference and IDEC in general. AERO and IDEN are two examples of
sites that contain a wealth of information on the whole concept
and development of democratic progressive education. The 'IDEC OnLine'
project is not a substitute. It is a focus for the diverse material
available.
Join
'IDEC OnLine' to be informed of updates.
The
infrastructure:
'IDEC OnLine' will develop a 'kit' that will be available to document
every future conference. The 'kit' will provide technological resource
and support.
The project will be used to road test new technologies, software
and any other innovative applications that are relevant to the production
of the event on line.
It will provide a "real life" experience for those wanting
to learn about on-line content delivery and interactive web based
applications.
It is also an area for quantifiable corporate and business sponsorship
participation and sponsorship..
Project
management, maintenance and an invitation:
The whole 'IDEC OnLine' project, including this web site will serve
as a live platform for students of web design, graphic art, on-line
content delivery, as well as the on site production of the material,
which would include everything from installing hardware and software,
establishing and maintaining internet connectivity, video documentation,
still photography, editing of all kinds, and then there are the
necessary texts, considering publicity. the list goes on and it
is diverse. As a "training platform", it gives a meaning
to multidisciplinary! [see also "A
question of Finance", below]
An invitation is offered to anyone who would like to join in with
the project, on any level of skill or commitment, age and location
are irrelevant, with a view to learning more about any of the above
and more, while at the same time doing it for real.
Schools and other learning centre groups (democratic or otherwise!),
are especially welcome to join in with this free live on-line course
in producing web based multimedia content, both on site and remote.
It is a lot more fun to work on a real project, you're on the spot.
There's plenty of scope and BlueCraneMedia has a crash course in
anything and everything! [contact
if interested]
A
question of Finance:
'IDEC OnLine' is in principle a NPO / NLO and in the process of being
registered as such.
Content owned by 'IDEC OnLine' will always be free of charge to participants.
However, it is the intention of 'IDEC OnLine' to fully capitalize
on every media aspect generated by the project, and to make this
part of the "training platform".
This includes aspects from establishing specific and relevant sponsors
and advertisers, to MCPS / GEMA publishing rights etc., it can be
useful to know how the system works. [see
notes]
It is an aim that the 'IDEC OnLine'
project will not only be self sustainable and expandable, but will
also generate funds for IDEC; any profit made by 'IDEC OnLine' on
any given IDEC will go to the organizers of the conference to defray
their costs. The success is down to the quality of product and the
marketing. People are invited and welcome to make content contributions
to this end under Creative
Commons.
Comments
welcome.
The BlueCraneMedia team
"I
think they've all gone to sleep" "Sssh!
I'm chatting to 3 of them!"
"Na, your cable's unplugged"
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