This is a cross-post with technoLOTE

The ePlanks podcast is up and running! We have 4 episodes all ready to go for your listening pleasure. ePlanks is a project that I (Jess McCulloch) am working on with Anne Mirtschin. We are trying to lay the ePlanks of the virtual classroom and a Web 2.0 school. We’ve been a bit busy lately with my little iPod and it’s voice recorder -which has become my favourite piece of technology lately!

Episode 1 - We talk to Virginia as she begins her journey as a blogger. We ask her what she thinks of the whole Web 2.0 thing. She’s feeling a bit left behind, but that’s ok - never fear, Jess and Anne are here!

Episode 2 - We found Sandy Phillips from the Victorian Department of Education’s Education Channel and so we sat her down and asked her how Global Teacher got started, which is the blogging campus we have set up many of our students and teachers with for their blogs.

Episode 3 - We (myself, Anne and our greatly treasured librarian, Faye) had a little chat amongst ourselves in the car about blogging as we drove back to Hawkesdale from Melbourne.

We chatted about how we started, some fears and just jumping in and trying it.

Episode 4 - As part of our ePlanks project, Anne and I decided to go and visit Coburg Senior High School, who are not just talking the talk of a 21st century school, but also walking the walk. You will have to listen in for more details of this pretty amazing school.

We are planning many more episodes for ePlanks, so keep an ear open - we are on the cyberwaves!

Click on the player here to listen to our episodes, go straight to our podomatic site, or you can subscribe through iTunes.

I must say I am having a marvelous time visiting with blog writer Lori Gloyd, author of Into the Blue and Return to the Garden. She has really shown me the town. Since I am on assignment for Web Witchery Weekly, we are taking a few minutes to be serious and discuss issues of technology and creativity. Lori has taken me for supper at a local diner near the beach. I conducted the following interview while waiting for our meal to be served. Priscilla: I know you may find this hard to believe, Lori, but before I began my journey I didn’t even know how to switch on a computer. A lot of my friends hate computers and resist being web savvy. Are your friends like this?

Lori: (LOL!) You’re kidding me? The Queen of Cyberspace couldn’t switch on a computer? Well, there’s hope for all of us, I think. To answer your question, most people I know use their computers for practical purposes- e-mail correspondence, keeping their financial or personal records– or for light recreation-surfing the web, playing music or watching movies, that sort of thing. I am the only one in my circle who uses computer technology for creative self-expression.

P.: Why do you suppose some writers and artists don’t use these tools?

L.: Well, I think most people have a natural reluctance to reveal their creative works to the world for fear of ridicule. Truth be told, that is possible, but the alternative is never having your work seen or enjoyed by those who WOULD appreciate it. Web-publishing has been a most amazing and wonderful gift for creative people for this reason, but unfortunately, it is not highly regarded by some.

P.: Why do you think some people do not treat web publishing seriously?

L: I think one of the reasons is that many people assume that if any person, regardless of education or credentials, can be an instant author, then their work cannot possibly be “good.” Similarly, some might assume that if a creative product is any “good”, then it would be appear in a hard-copy publication. For some reason, the perception of being in print on paper is more “real”. For many, the free and instantaneous nature of web-publishing devalues the worth of the creative product.

P: But obviously you don’t think that.

L.: Of course not. I think web-publishing offers to the world new ways of thinking and exposure for writers and artists who would never have the opportunity otherwise. Like me! (LOL!) Also, there is more creative liberty in web-publishing.

P: How so?

L.: Since I don’t have to worry about creating a product that is going to be considered by a publisher as economically viable, I am totally free to write or create whatever I wish. Furthermore, none of us need to be enslaved to the personal tastes of literary and art critics who decide what is “good” or “bad.”

P: What has become the most rewarding aspect of working online?

L.: Finding other people who think just like this. I get a certain amount of support from some of my friends and family, but it wasn’t until I got involved with team-blogging that I found the understanding and support that comes from connecting with like-minded artists and writers-the ones who really “get it”- that is, people who truly understand the innovative and evolving realm of Web 2.0.

P.: That’s wonderful. Whenever I look at or visit the Soul Food Café, it seems like an inexplicable maze. What do you think I should do to become more actively involved? What do I really have to learn to do before engaging?

L.: First, you need to get over the fear of putting your work out there. So what if it’s not “perfect”? Every time you write or make something and expose it to an audience, you learn something about yourself and your craft. You find your “voice”. Things like proper grammar or spelling, or in the case of art-making, technical skill, will improve as you continue.

BUT, let me give you a cautionary note here: I am talking about putting your creative and intellectual work out there. I am not talking about putting personal information out there about yourself or your family and friends. Cyberspace is truly a wild and wooly frontier and there are a few unscrupulous people out there. If you are not sure, ask a teacher or other mentor before you post. Be expressive but be cautious.

P.: I couldn’t agree with you more, Lori.

L.: That being said, the second thing every writer and artist needs is a bit of discipline and commitment. At best, you should write or make art daily, but at least on a regular, frequent basis. There’s no secret for accomplishing this-you just have to make up you mind to do it.

Third, take action and get a blog. Simple blogs are free. I am familiar with Wordpress and Blogger. There are others. Find any that you like and set up a blog. The blog is your blank canvas. Once you get started, and this I guarantee, you will amaze yourself with the words and images that spring forth.

Fourth, you need to find a virtual community of supportive, like-minded people. It might be your classmates or it might be a group like the Soul Food Café. And, don’t sit back and be quiet in these groups. Even if you don’t create or write something every day, you can comment and offer supportive words to the other members of your creative community.

P.: Technology clearly encourages people to become agile and adaptive. I guess, like me, they are accustomed to keeping upright on a broom. Have you found you have had to be resilient? Does this Web 2.0 stuff keep you on your toes?

L.: That leads me to my final point. You must be willing to learn about and experiment with new things. For example, a year and a half ago, I knew nothing about blogging and online communities. Now I am fairly competent with Wordpress, Yahoo Groups, and Flickr, plus programs like Photoshop and Illustrator which I learned as my own art-making evolved. You’re going to laugh at me, but I only recently learned that all this has a name: Web 2.0. Who knew? (LOL!)

P: Your blogs are just amazing Lori. Obviously you now have a virtual toolbox at your disposal. What web tools have become indispensable to you?

L.: Thank you, Priscilla. I appreciate that. Well, besides the tools I just mentioned, I am learning how do better research online for my projects. I don’t know what I would do without Google. But, let me add that not everything on the web is accurate so you have to be discerning about your sources. Your teachers or other experts in a given field can guide you in using web-based sources. Oh, yeah, (LOL!), you may be surprised to know that just recently I discovered YouTube!

P.: Really? That IS funny. What have you found most challenging about working on an interactive, Web 2.0 site like Soul Food? How has technology changed your creative life?

L.: To answer your first question, the fact that the technology does change so rapidly, I find keeping up is a bit of a challenge. If you don’t keep up, you’ll get left behind. So when I encounter a new application or tool, I give it a try. I may not incorporate it into my toolbox, but at least I try to familiar with it.

In answer to your second question, technology has changed my creative life by giving me a creative life. Because I have these tools and access to a world-wide audience, I have been prompted to write and create more often and to explore new areas. My evolution as a creative person has been extraordinary. I’m not kidding you.

P: One more thing: Here’s a piece of paper and some pens. I want you to trace your right hand and share the five magical things that you have learned about creativity and the web at the Soul Food Cafe.

L.: Okay, sure! This will be fun……….Right, here it is.

P.: Lori, that is absolutely spot-on. Well, I think our dinner is coming…I want to thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.

L.: My pleasure, Priscilla.

P. Enchanteur tells me that you are one of the longest serving members of Soul Food Vi. Tell us a bit about what you were doing back then. Can you just wind back the video and tell us about how you stumbled upon the Cafe and became a member? Share some of the most significant changes you have witnessed over a ten year period. Share some of your memories.

Vi. Well, Priscilla, I was writing a lot of poetry back then, mainly for my own satisfaction. I never tried to get any of it published and I’m glad now that I didn’t. I wrote it for me…for my wellbeing.And yes, I really did stumble into the café. If I remember rightly, I was surfing for sites of interest to writers and artists when the name, Soul Food Café caught my eye. It has been a great ride with Heather and all the other wonderful folk I have met in the café and its many rooms. I have sat back amazed at the changes…how it has, under Heather’s expert leadership, evolved into what it is today.

P. From what I can gather it has been quite a challenge for you to learn new technology while you have been on the site. Most women of our age would be happy to join a book club or a writing group in the local neighborhood centre. Many prefer to play bowls. Are many of your friends computer savvy? What drives you to keep on engaging in an online setting. What is the most frustrating thing about it all.

Vi. Well, some of my neighbors are computer savvy, but most of my close friends are not. Although almost all my friends have computers, most use them only for e-mailing and games, Solitaire and whatnot. I’m not into games at all, either on or off the computer. But, if they fill a need and I’m sure they do, so-be-it. There’s a whole new world out here on the web and I want to be part of it. Sometimes I get frustrated because I can’t always absorb it all as fast as I would like to. I tend to make it more difficult than it is. Then I get mad and walk away saying,’the hell with that…forget it,’ but the next morning I’m back at it. When I do learn something new, I wonder why I found it so difficult in the first place. The prospect of your visit, Priscilla, really pushed me into acquiring new computer skillsI. I needed that push and I thank you for it.

P. While I was in L.A. with Lori I heard all about your digital art work with Genece. Can you tell me how you managed to create your tiger and actually post it on your blog? What is your tip for a poor novice like me? What do I have to do to show off a piece of art work in this setting?

Vi. The tiger was hard. I don’t have a Wacom tablet which would make it much easier. Painting with the mouse is awkward, especially for the tiny details, but it can be done. Genece’s tutorial is excellent and is easy to follow. I have run up against a brick wall a couple of times, but that was because I can be dimwitted at times, especially when it comes to these involved programs. It’s like with Photoshop Elements—I’ve been trying hard to understand Layers, but for the life of me, I can’t get them down pat. I’m about to go into Layers with Genece’s painter program, perhaps her instruction will indirectly help me with PS Elements as well. About the tiger, I tried to visualize a live tiger stalking his prey, and fill in the markings as best I could. Unfortunately, I feel that my version looks more like a cartoon animal than the real thing, but it’s a start. My tip to you, Priscilla, until you can get yourself a Wacom, just take your time and work the colors so that they blend together nicely. You’ll be doing a lot of erasing, but it’ll come if you take your time and persevere.

P. You have published books. Tell me about them and what is involved. Why do you think E will not actually publish a text? Can you understand why she insists on publishing online?

Vi. I have two books in a series of five published. A third one is with the publisher. They tell me it will be introduced next summer, just before the literary convention. I write under an assumed name, so I feel that part of my life is completely separated from the poet, wannabe painter, and photographer that is the other me. I absolutely understand why E will not actually publish. By the time the editors are through with a manuscript, the spontaneity has, in my humble opinion, been lost. But, who am I to know what sells and what does not? I’ve found a writer’s life for publication is hard work. For me personally, I have found I have little time to spend on other pursuits; painting and photography. My poetry, too, has suffered. I cannot write good poetry when I am in the novel mode. Does that make sense to you? I know now that I made a mistake signing a contract for five books. I’m trying now to pace myself so that I allow time for my other pursuits. And since the last two books are, for all intents and purposes written, it is just a matter of fine tuning them so-to-speak. This, I am hoping, will allow me more time for other pursuits.

P. Trace your foot. Use this as a template on your new program and make a footprint which tells us about the major creative things you have done at Soul Food.

Vi. Trace my foot! You really want me to trace my foot? If I bend down to trace my foot, I might not straighten up again. I can tell you in a few words about the creative things I have done at the SFC. I have posted a couple of short stories and a number of poems, all of which have been well received. Compared with what others have done, my efforts have been rather feeble. I have tried, even with tight time restraints, to comment on all the excellent work that I have seen at the SFC. It is an amazing to be part of the Soul Food community.

P. It is hard to convert people who do not like technology. Why do you think they should make the effort and work in this environment.

Vi. Technology is the way of the future. People, especially older people, need to keep their mind active. Keep on learning new things. Lifelong learning will help stave off such debilitating diseases as Alzheimer’s. It’s true, you know, when they say, ‘use it or lose it,’ so folks, for goodness sake use it. I would like to add, Priscilla, before we end this interview, that it is such a pleasure having you visit for two weeks. You have already opened my mind to many new skills. I am going to miss you when you move on, but I still have ten or eleven days to enjoy your company.