return on investment

During (!) my volleyball training session last week the chit-chat somehow landed on web 2.0 tools. A team member and I sometimes just quickly exchange things while waiting our turns for one thing or another. (Rest assured, we are no top team ....)
This team member teaches in secondary education and conversations between us regularly turn to discussing educational issues. Just another form of blowing off steam in different surroundings. She had told me a few months ago she had fond memories of the special in-service training course she took in Turkey where she was involved in trying out all sorts of web 2.0 tools. Lots of time for experimenting, sharing ideas, exchanging successful formats etc. , all in a pleasant and stimulating environment (and a warm climate to top it all !). She came home full of new ideas to try out in her classes. Sadly, she now realised months later, she wasn't putting anything to good use, bound up as she was in the daily routine of teaching her classes and checking tests.
It was then that I realised how fortunate I really am, having been given the time to actually try things out at leisure, to discuss your progress and your setbacks with experts and enthusiasts, to take time to consider steps in implementing the new tools. Even though each of our colleagues in the Homo Zappiens community chooses his/her own path, we know we can always fall back on each other and find comfort in sharing things via the Workplace that was set up for us by the project leaders.
The fact that we can do this over an extended period adds to this, it makes it an even more memorable and more importantly, a lasting experience.
How many times haven't we heard people say that they came back inspired and stimulated by a special seminar or course, to fall back into their daily routines as soon as they took up their usual tasks and responsibilities.
Hooray for the people who had the courage to decide on this Homo Zappiens professionalisation track and to offer this to interested lecturers ! I would never have started a blog like this under different circumstances.