breakout session 1:

This is the group I'll be spending the day with.  Cathy is with a different group so our live blogs should be pretty distinct.

Robin Lane - director of e-learning @ champlain, moderator for session.  Sitting next to Elaine Young, who is twittering away!  VPT will be taping our session today.  Big PEG access presence at this table.  Several students too.  2 high school students from CVU.  Judge Cashman is in the hizzy.  Superintendent of South Burlington schools is at the table too.  Kind of a weird group -- that might be good.

We get to decide ground rules for the conversation -- open source discussion!  Golden rule starts it off -- who could disagree.  Eye-rolling discouraged.  Shared air time.  one person speaking at a time.  If you're offended or upset, say why.  We can disagree, but don't take it personally.

First conversation doesn't require a "deliverable."  Good to know!  Breaking into pairs to talk about our communities.

VPT has arrived and a boom mic is hanging overhead...



Discussion prompts:
what makes you feel connected to the community where you live?  Different definitions of "community" being used in answers.  Homopholy.  "Escapism is not community." 
In what ways do we interact with neighbors, school, town?  This question seems geared toward the physical community.  It's not one or the other.  "I can't get the internet to babysit my neighbor's child."  Yes, but your neighbor can't search the Library of Congress while she tells you how many sex offenders live on your block and recommends books based on your previous reading habits.

How do you use the internet to keep in touch with local community?  FPF

How is tech helpful? Does it interfere with community connection?

identify key themes emerging from conversation. 

Good talk, but so much to discuss and a viciously ticking clock.

Please note: I'm live-blogging today (5/29/08) from the Snelling Center for Government's day-long symposium: Fulfilling Vermont's E-state Potential: Building Community in a Connected Age.  Please excuse any typos or poorly-worded posts -- I'll fix them later. You can also follow my shenanigans on Twitter.