Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ Steve Irwin / Africa

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

Sept 04, 2006

Africa. I watched impalas leap majestically across the golden plain, listened to a hundred types of birds, laughed at the monkey hiding in the grass, spied on the ostrich guarding its nest, and so much more.

And Steve Irwin has died and I feel like I have lost a friend.

It was his voice, of course, that I spoofed when creating my famous ant-training video. And when I travelled to Australia in 2004, it was right at the top of my list to visit his Australian Zoo just north of Brisbane, where I watched his show and even shot video of him behind the scenes.

I never met him, but I felt like I knew him, because I understood his passion.

My website is down today, and I'm getting only a trickle of email, so it looks like I won't be able to send out my newsletter. But I will post some Steve Irwin photos and video when I can - I have published the photos before, on my site (link not working at the moment) and I've never posted the video.

I am in Bloemfontein, in the Free State. I have an all-day workshop tomorrow, and a keynote on Wednesday.

I had planned to talk about this in my newsletter, but here's the plan (and please pass the word around if you read this, since most people don't read this).

I've talked with the people here and it looks like I'll be able to pull off a Skypecast. I am going to test the system tomorrow afternoon - I plan to officially start it at 2 pm (that is at 9 am Atlantic time, am Eastern time (I believe I'm in GMT+2 right now but check that).

If it works (and I'm sure it will) I will Skypecast my keynote on Wednesday - I think we're looking 9:30 a.m. here, which means it will be tough to see in North America (but prime-time for Australia and New Zealand). I will keep you posted here, even if I can't get my website up.

So I hope to chat with you tomorrow and - since (to my knowledge) the Wednesday event will be the first ever Skypecast keynote address, I hope to make history with you the day after.

Now I'm off to dinner. Until tomorrow...

Skypecast Update

I still have no website and I still have no email. But I have computers, and a will...

Anyhow, here's the latest on the Skypcast for Tuesday (click here to register):

E-learning 2.0

Hosted by downes

On blogs, podcasting, audio creation, video and vodcasting, and more! Part of the 'more' in this session is Skypecasting, and so we will be hosting a Skypecast for the last hour or two of the session. This Skypecast is also a practice for a world-first Skypecast on Wednesday. All are welcome, and will have the chance to interact with our audience in Bloemfontein, South Africa.


Also: don't forget, there will be another Skypecast Wednesday morning (9 a.m. local time). Information will be posted here on this blog.


Free State
Originally uploaded by Stephen Downes.
View outside Bloemfontein, in the Free State, South Africa.

bloem
Originally uploaded by Stephen Downes.
Hiya folks, you're on the internet.

Learning Objects, What Are They Good For?

With my website and email having been down the last few days, and of course with my flight to South Africa, I am needless to say way behind on things. Oh, and very tired.

Today I completed a preconference workshop, and tomorrow morning I give a keynote address. I will have files to upload soon, but for now the outline is in my wiki at Jotspot. One of the highlights was the World Premiere of my video, Bogota, which will be online soon.

But even better, we successfully ran a Skypecast from the workshop (my thanks to those of you who were able to join). With no website and no newsletter, I wasn't able to advertise it, but I did post a note on Half an Hour.

This success means we are going ahead with part two of the plan: the World's First (I check) keynote address from anything to be Skypecast. Yes, when I speak at 9:45 local time tomorrow, here in South Africa, we will be welcoming people from around the world to join us.

To join, click on the Skypecast link around the time the Skypecast is to start (if you are early, reload the page every few minutes, just in case). You need Skype version 2.5 and when you click you will be joined to the Skypecast. We know the sound works, beautifilly, even from Africa.

I also have some photos online (not many though).


Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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