Ask Ben Wilkoff Anything: Launching #AskBenW

Ask Ben Wilkoff Anything: Launching #AskBenW

I have made videos while driving. I have made slow motion videos of my own facilitation. I have made vlogs in a community of reflective practice. I have even made 6 second videos for a keynote. Suffice it to say, videos are something that I find compelling value within.

However, of late, I have had trouble finding time to make them. By the end of the day I feel as though I don’t have anything left to give. I don’t want to appear haggard on camera and not give everything I have to the creation of something new. That is where this idea came from.

As it turns out, I have a dedicated amount of time between the moment that I park my car and when I arrive at the Denver Public Schools Emily Griffith Campus (my office). Because I park between 4–8 blocks away, it takes me at least 10 minutes to walk in on any given day. I want to use those minutes wisely, as they are incredibly productive because my brain is still fully processing what is coming next.

So, here is what I would like to do:
1. Every morning that I have the inclination, I would like to make a video on my way from my parked car to my office.
2. Each time I make that video, I would like to be answering an important question about our work in DPS or about something going on in the world of education and/or technology.
3. Each time I make that video, I would like to have it ready to upload by the time I walk into the front door.

In order to help me make this happen and create a community to support this practice, here is what I would like you to do:
1. Tweet me questions you have using the hashtag #AskBenW
2. Watch some (or all) of the videos and comment upon them as you see fit.
3. Create your own #Ask[WhateverYourNameIs] hashtags and let folks ask you questions too.

I hope this idea isn’t too crazy or too out there for you. I hope this idea makes you want to create videos as it helps me to create my own. Thank you for taking part in this experiment.

2 Comments

  1. Phil G

    Ben this is a great idea. I’ll ask questions and watch too. This is a great opportunity. How did you keep the camera (phone) so steady? Selfie stick? Keep your stream of consciousness going throughout the walk? My wife urges me to ask how do you keep from running into things and stay safe? If I can figure those out…I’ll do my own #askpgoerner set too! Thanks for a genius idea!

    1. Ben Wilkoff

      I kept the camera steady by using the YouTube Capture app which has a stabilizer.

      Don’t worry, I am going to watch where I am going. I had to promise my wife I wouldn’t make any more videos while driving, so this is the next logical step.

      So, what question would you like to ask first?

      My first one for you is: How can we trust teachers more?

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