Welcome

Here Comes Everybody, the bestseller by Clay Shirky, made nothing less than the Guardian list of the 100 greatest nonfiction books of all time. It explores how the Internet has enabled the public to do something hardly possible before: organize ourselves around an idea without the help (or constraints) of an existing institution. Power to the people, 21st century style.

It’s pioneering insight like this that has earned Shirky the status of Internet idol and icon…and that makes us thrilled to announce that he is the opening keynote speaker for BbWorld 2013.

Since 1996, Shirky has written about the Internet’s positive impact on society for publications including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, and Wired. (Prior to that, he even edited what is believed to be the first book on HTML.) The original Professor of New Media at Hunter College, he currently holds two positions at New York University: Associate Arts Professor in the Interactive Telecommunications Program and Distinguished Writer in Residence in the journalism department.

Shirky is a widely quoted expert on topics including the power of peer-to-peer networking, open source development, and crowdsourcing, known for his phrase “the Internet runs on love.” Based on his observation that “Institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution,” he’s even had a principle named after him.

His book Cognitive Surplus focuses on the observation that digital technology is transforming consumers into producers of content. Everyone who tweets, posts, or otherwise makes his/her voice heard online is a citizen journalist. They question they—we—ask now is not “Why publish this” but rather “Why not?”

“We have lived in this world where little things are done for love and big things for money,” Shirky said. “Now we have [cooperative group efforts like] Wikipedia. Suddenly big things can be done for love.”

So come one, come all—here comes everybody, we hope—to what is sure to be a thoughtful and memorable keynote. Register now for BbWorld 2013.

Guest blog post by Lacie Crone, Online Technologies Coordinator for Ivy Tech Community College and a 2012 BbWorld VIP Blogger.

Last year I had the privilege of being a BbWorld VIP Blogger. Now I have attended a good number of conferences over my careers, but this was the first time I had ever decided to blog about my experience. When you make the decision to share your conference experience with others through a blog, you find that events end up taking on a whole new and deeper meaning. At first when I started writing my “5 Best Things About Being a BbWorld Blogger” all I could come up with was: It was cool! After doing a little more soul-searching, I thought about some of the things I experienced while blogging last year and here is what I came up with:

Blogging gets you more involved. All of a sudden you start reading what your peers are writing and comparing their notes to yours. This not only instantly helps you meet a neat group of people, you start seeing conference activities in a whole different light which takes me to #2…

Blogging gives you the opportunity to share perspectives and experiences. Being part of the BbWorld Bloggers is a great way to develop professional relationships through a common experience of being one of the “team”.

Blogging gets you groovy seating for the keynote addresses. BbWorld bloggers have great seating for the keynote speakers, fully equipped with the ever-necessary power strips and tables to set up a computer. This gives you a guaranteed seat along with plenty of space to toggle between devices so you can blog, tweet, and charge your batteries all at the same time!

Blogging gets you lots of cool extras like a digital badge for your site, blog promotion on the Blackboard social networks, blogger photo shoot, and a special blogger T-shirt!

And the best part of being a BbWorld blogger….YOU might be chosen to be one of this year’s VIP Bloggers!

For the above reasons, and many more, July cannot come fast enough. I look forward to meeting up again with the people I met last year, and maybe even add YOU to my list of blogger friends!

Learn more about how to become a BbWorld Blogger at this year’s conference in July!

 

At Blackboard Collaborate, we’re always boasting about our web conferencing software’s ability to foster a live online experience that’s almost as good as being there.  But sometimes it’s simply nice to just get everyone together face-to-face. So we were ecstatic to descend upon Atlanta last week for our first-ever Collaborate Now one-day user event where we brought together 100 customers from throughout the Southeast to learn about best practices, tips and tricks, and innovative uses of Blackboard Collaborate.  Collaborate Now featured an opening keynote and roadmap presentation, 12 customer and staff-led presentations, an Ask-the-Expert area, a birds-of-the-feather lunch, and unbridled enthusiasm.

Blackboard Collaborate’s VP of Strategy and Operations Annie Chechitelli and VP of Marketing Valerie Schreiner kicked off the day by providing an overview of our platform and roadmap.  Between Annie’s jokes about how much she ate for breakfast and planned to eat for lunch, she gave a detailed overview of our global customer base as well as the demographics of the schools in attendance in Atlanta.  Val then stepped to the podium to emphasize the fact that the Collaborate product team truly listens to its customers.  She initially discussed a slide from 2011 showing what features Collaborate users most requested two years ago, and then wrapped up by showing how those features have all either been delivered or will be shortly – all because of the active, open dialogue between us and our customers.

Guest blog post by Melissa Stange, Ph.D., Blackboard System Administrator at Shenandoah University and a 2012 BbWorld VIP Blogger.

When I started making my list of the five best things about being a BbWorld blogger, I quickly realized that this was going to be a difficult task. I’ve felt many benefits since winning last year’s contest.

But I forced myself to narrow it down, so here are my five best things about being a BbWorld Blogger:

1. You get priority seating at all keynote sessions – I did not have to rush from the previous session to get a seat that wasn’t in the nosebleed area and I did not have to walk over ten people’s feet to get to the last available seat in the middle of the row. BbWorld bloggers get reserved seats up front, which allows you to take some great photos.

2. You are recognized as a powerful voice – Bb is revolutionary by inviting BbWorld bloggers to expand on their blog as a guest blogger on Blackboard’s blog. Other BbWorld attendees look to the bloggers as a resource for details about sessions they could not attend, client opinion, and honest feedback. It’s so fantastic! Blackboard’s Social Team reads the blogs and reacts, so I believe my voice helped shape Bb outside of their standard client programs.

3. You learn a lot about social/new media – At BbWorld I saw that social media is so much more than Facebook and Twitter. I learned about new technologies and how to integrate these technologies. I applied this professional development to my own social efforts while using it to enhance my courses. Bb’s Social Team is very patient and helps beginners learn and advance their skills.

4. You help expand the reach of BbWorld – Whether due to cost or time commitment, not all of Bb’s clients who want to attend are able to attend…physically. As a BbWorld blogger, the feeling of helping others is always present. There’s something so genuinely heartwarming and fulfilling to share your conference experiences and have others comment “Thanks! I did not know that” or “That explains what is happening”.

5. You can validate the importance of BbWorld– If your boss is worried that you will be enjoying Vegas attractions instead of attending sessions, being a BbWorld blogger will correct that mindset. Your boss and co-workers (not to mention the rest of the world) will not only see the sessions you attend but also the level of attention you give to each session. The more people who see the wealth of learning that happens, the more willing people are to invest in attending. Participate in a Blackboard usability study or feedback session and make your institution’s voice heard. Remember, being away from the office sometimes clears the mind, promotes creativity, and allows others to appreciate you more. You can be assured Bb will show you their appreciation throughout BbWorld.

The VIP blogger benefits don’t end there. I also got to interview the keynote speakers, expand my professional network, and take home a great keepsake from Blackboard. While I may not be Bb’s VIP Blogger this year, I am hooked on BbWorld blogging and there’s no going back… See you in July!

Learn more about being a BbWorld Blogger at this year’s conference

The March meeting of the SLATE Group was held this past week (March 20, 2013) at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove IL. The topic, Issues and Concerns of Accessibility to Technology in Teaching and Learning, was described by Ken Sadowski (Founder of the SLATE Group) as a constantly moving curve of importance that seems to once again be on the rise. I was invited to join this meeting to speak about Blackboard’s commitment to accessibility and the improvements made with in Blackboard Learn over the last twelve months.

As a Blackboard designer, I know how important accessibility is to the experience of using any product; we incorporate it in everything we design. The recent issuance of a conformance statement for Blackboard Learn SP11 against the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA by a third-party, is an exciting accomplishment and something I was very pleased to talk about with the SLATE Group. But the real take away from the meeting for me was the true passion and commitment shown by members of the SLATE group to ensure equal access to technology in education for users with any type of disability – declared or not.