So far I’ve been doing all the post-production on these Faculty Academy podcasts. That will change–time to share the joy–but it has been a tremendous learning experience for me, and it puts me in the mind of an assignment for students. A seminar format would be perfect. What if each presentation were recorded to be podcast, but the presentation respondent also did all the post-production and, afterwards, wrote a reflective essay on the presentation? My proposal comes from my sense that careful audio work can make one unusually attentive to the content of the presentation, just as editing a text manuscript can burn all the good, bad, and ugly parts into one’s brain with unusual intensity. Just a wisp of a notion of a possibility, but there it is.

No bad or ugly parts to this podcast, however; in this instance, it really is “all good.” This panel discussion on “What is Web 2.0?” has great contributions from each of the panelists: Jon Udell, Rachel Smith, and Cyprien Lomas. It also features intense, candid, and sometimes even moving contributions from the folks in the audience. I was so in the moment that I couldn’t think about it all as it was happening, but going back and listening again I’m struck by the commitment and richness of the conversation. (There are also some very funny moments.) The focus is where it should be: on what the tools enable, not on the tools themselves. Even better, the discussion builds many bridges between philosophy, pedagogy, research, publication, culture, and innovation. If we could foster and sustain such conversations more frequently and more widely, higher education would come much closer to fulfilling its promise, and its responsibilities. On this day, I could see real school just a little more clearly.

I hope you enjoy the podcast.

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