If I Could be a Student for One Semester...

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Today I decided that I want to go back to high school so that I can take some tech classes. I spent the day with a group of communication technology teachers who were meeting to share and learn about some of the toys and tools available to them. My role today was to support the teachers' introduction to GAFE by providing login support and demonstrating a few of the tools (forms, Classroom, docs). Easy, right? Nope. I has some serious competition.

Representatives from Canon were on hand to demonstrated some of the features of their XA camcorder. The demonstration of the functionality of this camera made me seriously consider whether I had something I needed to make a documentary about right now. For instance, maybe I need to show people how to use GAFE on their smartphones whilst rollerskating on the waterfront trail. That might be useful, right?

The TriCaster was another gorgeous piece of equipment on display. I had never been exposed to this type of equipment before, and the possibilities it offered for broadcasting events were mind-blowing. Wouldn't it be great to cover a school event and intersperse the live feed with live or pre-recorded interviews (shot in front of a green screen, of course), commercials (made by me ahead of time), colour commentary, participant bios, and shots of the audience? Mindblowing.

The granddaddy of technology show-and-tell items today was a GoPro camera attached to a drone. It was like something out of a James Bond movie. It is flown with a remote control, knows how to return 'home' if it runs low on power, and has terrific image stabilization. Is this a gadget that everyone needs? No. Is this a gadget that inspires people to think big? Absolutely.

Today I am left thinking about what I would do if I were in high school right now. Tech seems like the place to be for anyone with a creative streak. The tools at students' fingers allow them to realize a larger artistic vision than students in the past were able to. So, what would I be creating if I was a student in Comm Tech right now? Only a secondment from my secondment would let me answer that question. I wonder if my bosses would let me go back to school for just one semester...

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