Social Networking--Part 2

Yesterday, we drove to Masada....that's the teaser, Pam and Noa will blog on the subject.  We arrived home, I logged on to a Social Networking conference moderated by Jay, hosted by Reuven Werber and Ami Salant.  After installing AT&T Interwise software, I entered the conference a bit late, but was still able to participate.  Jay, Reuven, and Ami could control who was talking, participants "raised" their virtual hands (talk about a classroom metaphor!), and when it was their turn to talk, their microphone was turned on....remotely!  Reuven demonstrated a couple of polls, displayed real-time results, and participants could analyze the data.  Afterwards, Reuven mailed everyone the whole presentation.  Click here to see it.  I wondered why there were so many fewer participants than the face-face Social Networking conference from the day before.  Richard Kassissieh recently set up a real-time feed for a conference which 100+ people attended, but fewer than 10 attended virtually.  Perhaps educators prefer face-face because that is what school is.  Teachers see student reactions to statements, lectures, projects, etc.  Based on the visual feedback, teachers make adjustments to their lessons.  If participants have to raise their virtual hands, the immediacy of the feedback to the moderators/hosts is lost.  Some have suggested recording sessions and posting to YouTube and other sites, but then, where is the Social Networking?  Recently, Guy Kawasaki posted a video by Lewis Howes on how to use social media.  Pay special attention to number 7.  Oh, and thanks to all the folks mentioned in this post who jogged my brain today.  Yep, that would be number 8!