UnPluggEd! Evolves

With just three days to go before my UnPluggEd! workshop at the Oman International ELT Conference, there has been a lot of excitement and perpetual motion surrounding the supporting materials. Although the idea has been stewing for a long time, there is nothing quite like a deadline to get things moving.

When making the original proposal, I outlined quite a rigorous plan for the workshop, but many little twists have evolved since then. I am thrilled to be able to support my workshop with a wealth of resources in different media hosted in a central location. The true key of a workshop, of course, is to walk the talk, and I have designed a few ways in which to embody the true power of e-learning (from a social constructivist stance) in the interactions.

Of course, just when you think you've got it all figured out, you have a Coke Light and the Muse strikes with full fury. The combination of digging up some of my old artwork, re-reading the work of Michael J. Gelb, a first aid workshop, long meeting at work today, and of course sleep deprivation culminated in a doodle (above) that re-ignited the whole UnPluggEd! concept.

And turned it all completely upside down.

Three days before showtime I am back at the drawing-board. But rather than just dutiflly plugging away at the project, I am intoxicated with the new perspective and obsessed with communicating it to my audience with every word, every image and every activity.

The medium IS the message.