eDesign and 2.0

I was just thinking about the impact of Ajax and 2.0 on my world, which led me to remember a new program that I'll be using next year in my yearbook class. Usually we create our books on Adobe InDesign with an embedded feature that is compatible with our publisher, Herff Jones. My in-school IT gal has been one of my greatest allies in helping me to secure enough licenses to put on computers in our school to create a classroom set for both my publications classes. At 100 dollars a piece, it wasn't easy getting the money to secure these licenses. Just as we were submitting our last pages for print this year, my representative from HJ told me that we will be using a new program next year called eDesign. This will allow us to work on our pages from any computer with a reasonable connection. This means that not only can my students work on their pages on any computer in the school, they, and I, can work from any computer anywhere. This is a revelation when it comes to my yearbook class. I know that the nature and quality of next year's book will be significantly altered as a result of this new opportunity. I have this rosy vision that my students will have their page open while they are working and chatting on their MySpace pages. I'm probably being overly optimistic, but I do have a strong belief that this program will greatly improve publishing across the board. I've not been trained in the program as yet, but I can't wait to start. All this is obviously a result of Ajax capabilities and 2.0. This is just a tiny glimmer of what's to come in the classroom across the country, and makes me even more excited about the field of education technology. My poor IT gal bemoaned the fact that we'd gone to so much trouble to get the licenses for our computers. I had to reassure her that I would utilize our existing InDesign programs in my other publications classes. Just like that, cutting edge technology made obsolete. Amazing.