Yes Tech!

What an awesome day! To celebrate Earth Day, a group of 10 or so of us from all over the world worked together to pull off 24 hours of non-stop programming over the entire GMT day. The webcasting team came from Canada, Germany, Australia, the UK, Portugal, and the USA. Conversations centered around preserving the Earth. Guests included scientists, environmentalists, business leaders, educators, community members, and students! We recorded the day’s events, which will be available soon for those to listen to later.

Participants filled the chat room to ask questions of the hosts and special guests - the live conversations were fun and informative. I was actively involved with about 18 of the hours either by hosting or providing behind-the-scenes support to the person hosting. This was true of the entire Earthcast team. It was the best teamwork I’ve ever been a part of!

The day was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. The pass-offs at the hour mark when webcasters passed the streaming to someone else in another part of the world were times when everyone came together - checking the sound, offering suggestions, and encouraging each other.

Student voices were heard from all over the world about important environmental matters. They were poised and proud to be broadcasting to a worldwide audience and they were invested in the subject. Their teachers report that they want to know when they can do something like this again.

I felt a great sense of accomplishment at the end of the day. I streamed both audio and video from my laptop for the first time and I didn’t mess it up. I enjoyed sharing the 6th grade blogging project done by April Warren and her students, and talking with Sue Hellman and her students about a video they created for Earth Day. I also interviewed Chris Clonen, the Project Manager of General Motors’ Education website and loved the conversation and learning about hybrid vehicles, fuel cells, no waste manufacturing plants, and more.  Click here for archived audio of the interview.

This one one of the highlights of my entire career and I look forward to future similar experiences. The possibilities are endless!

Thanks to the entire Earthcast team and everyone who participated! This event would not have been possible without the support of WorldBridges and EdTechTalk.

What kind of Earth will your grandchildren’s grandchildren grow up in?

 Act Locally; Share Globally! Come join the 24-hour long conversation about the health of our planet.  Participants will be from around the world. Special guests include local leaders, student environmental advocates, scientists, engineers, and people like you who are interested in helping to make the world safe and healthy for future generations.  Participation can occur anywhere there is an Internet connection!  There are three Ways to Participate:

1. Listen to the live show at http://www.webcastacademy.net/live.  There are several ways to listen to the audio:  iTunes, Windows Media, Real Player, and Ustream.  Select the option that works best for your computer system.  Use the chat room to ask questions or communicate ideas to the special guests.  See tentative schedule on the attached flyer.
2. Create your own video or audio that can be played during the webcastathon.  Share how you and your students are making a difference in your own community or any thoughts and ideas that you have about environmental issues.  Upload videos to youtube, teachertube, your blog or website.  Tag all content with earthcast08.  If you need help with the uploading or tagging process, contact Pam by leaving a comment. 
3. Add an an audio, video, or text comment to the EarthDay Webcastathon VoiceThread at  http://enviroscims.wikispaces.com/earthcast08+VoiceThread    

Please help spread the word!  Distribute this flyer to all your contacts who may be interested: 

webcastathonflyer.pdf