Conversations Show 17 - 2008 11 16
This week's topic was about conferences. We asked and discussed why do you go to conferences, what do you gain by going to a conference, and wandered off track a bit to share experiences. We were joined by Lee Kolbert and Arvind Grover in the skype call as well as many others in the chat room. Arvind shared information about the unconference model from his first hand experiences.
11:17:44 Lisa Parisi: Hi Lee
11:18:35 Lee Kolbert: Hi Lisa
11:23:21 PeggyG: Good morning all!
11:25:34 Lee Kolbert: What's the topic today?
11:26:36 Lisa Parisi: Conferences...why do we go? Does our mindset change how we react?
11:30:43 PeggyG: Welcome Maria! Great to see you.
11:31:53 Lisa Parisi: Hello Paul
11:32:46 Lisa Parisi: Who wants in on our skype call?
11:32:46 paulbogush: Hi Lisa...this is so bad. Wife and kids went to church and I am supposed to be painting some window. As soon as I hear the car doors close I have to RUN!
11:34:10 PeggyG: @paulbogus-that's so funny!! What a man! :-)
11:34:28 PeggyG: audio is coming through for me now
11:34:47 paulbogush: Yes
11:35:13 Lee Kolbert: not for me
11:35:31 Lisa Parisi: Come into the skype Lee..then you can listen and talk
11:35:55 Lee Kolbert: you'll have t invite me, yes?
11:36:06 mariak: http://www.jenuinetech.com/bbfund.htm
11:36:06 Lisa Parisi: yes...turn on skype and I will
11:38:26 PeggyG: That is so sad and devastating about the fires and loss of homes/lives! thanks for sharing that fund site!
11:39:28 PeggyG: the audio is very good today
11:39:42 mariak: yippee for good audio
11:41:08 colleenk: Hi Everyone!
11:41:26 Lisa Parisi: Hello Colleen, Cathy, and Arvind
11:41:32 arvind: hi Lisa, hi all
11:41:48 PeggyG: how much do you think that mindset about conferences has to do with whether people are required to attend or choosing to attend?
11:41:54 paulbogush: If you go in with questions you learn--if you go in thinking you know all the answers you get nothing.
11:42:23 colleenk: @PeggyG Good question. I think that has a lot to do with attitude.
11:42:27 arvind: @peggyg motivation is certainly a huge issue in how people participate
11:43:22 PeggyG: I eagerly anticipate every conference I participate in whether virtually or in person and ALWAYS learn something new.
11:43:50 paulbogush: Key word you are using is YOU decided to go, it wasn't choosen for you
11:43:59 PeggyG: I think it's also affected by whether people are paying for themselves to attend.
11:44:16 arvind: we just finished our tech/library unconference yesterday, and one thing we're putting together for next year is a toolkit for attendees
11:44:39 arvind: it'll have how to prepare, how to set goals before that you can try and meet while you're there, best practices for unconference attendnace, and more like that
11:45:18 livingsp: The part of conferences that usually has the most value for me is interaction with fellow participants
11:45:20 paulbogush: Most teachers I know think they know it all, so even when they go to a conference on a brand new topic they feel like they don't need it because they think everything they are doing is fine.
11:45:49 arvind: @livingsp you're dead on. that's why we went to the unconference, open space model, which lets the participants set the sessions when they arrive
11:46:08 PeggyG: sometimes the things I learn at a conference are incidental" or "unintended"-I may learn how to stream a presentation by watching someone do it which has nothing to do with the content of the presentation.
11:46:11 arvind: @paulbogush teachers who can't learn?! that's never good...
11:46:27 livingsp: Good idea. By the way Arvind it's Pamela Livingston.
11:46:46 paulbogush: Show me a teacher who reflects on past leasons, and I'll show you a teacher who will improve on future lessons regardless of the conference they attend.
11:46:52 arvind: ha, hi Pamela
11:47:10 livingsp: There is a conf I've gone to many times called EdAccess which forms adhoc sessions based on attendee needs
11:47:29 PeggyG: it's easy to get overwhelmed with very big conferences!
11:47:55 livingsp: I am working with the One-to-One Inst to have a peer conference like EdAccess in August 2008, will be based on needs of attendees entirely
11:48:16 livingsp: Like NECC Blogger's area but kind of hit or miss who you see
11:48:28 arvind: one of my goals for our unconference next year is to have a virtual orientation before people arrive, and a social network to plug into beforehand that helps people prepare
11:48:35 Lee Kolbert: @livingsp right! Who knew?
11:48:49 livingsp: Arvind that's a great idea what is URL for your unconf please
11:48:54 PeggyG: PLNs are such a big help when it comes to knowing what's available and what's worth checking out.
11:49:08 Lee Kolbert: Yes! PLNs are so valuable.
11:49:27 livingsp: NECC had a Ning ahead of time this year - was a good idea
11:49:58 PeggyG: Last year at NECC I used the unconference schedule for NECC UnPlugged and actually added sessions I wanted to join in from the blogger's cafe on my schedule :-)
11:49:59 Lee Kolbert: What about conference that have become echo chambers?
11:50:08 CAthy E: Do ya'll already have your hotel reservations for NECC?
11:50:08 livingsp: My latest thing is I am just tired of keynotes, have seen many of them, have given a number, just not inspiring anymore
11:50:14 arvind: Pamela, our unconference: http://neit.wikispaces.com
11:50:37 livingsp: Thanks Arvind. Yes agree about the echo chamber. It also makes it difficult to disagree.
11:50:43 paulbogush: Reservations made--looking for a male roomate to split cost!
11:50:54 PeggyG: I don't have a problem with "echo chambers"-sometimes you're looking for like minded people to confirm what you are thinking/doing
11:50:55 paulbogush: Wife was against idea of female roomate
11:51:02 CAthy E: haha
11:51:59 livingsp: Yes, the sharing, agreed. That's why the edaccess.org works every year so well, it's all about the sharing. REquirement for this conf. is that to have a session, must have an expert and a recorder.
11:52:22 livingsp: Yes to the sameness tiring for me as well
11:52:43 PeggyG: I actually participated in a coveritlive/streamed session sitting in the blogger's cafe last year - saved walking across the conference hall :-)
11:52:44 livingsp: I love the top people know most of them but have seen them all many times
11:53:49 livingsp: Let's stop talking about it and do it - multiple far reaching projects that we all plan and do
11:53:52 CAthy E: But even though I have heard the same ideas over and over, I always learn something new
11:53:58 arvind: ooh, the celbration is awesome!
11:54:37 paulbogush: Has the explosion of material on the net has made attending conferences less important? Why bother go if you can listen to the podcasts and read the material on your couch? ...for free? How important is actually being in the presence of the person hearing the same think you have read or heard before?
11:54:39 arvind: http://thirteencelebration.org/
11:54:54 Lee Kolbert: @paulbogush very good point
11:55:02 PeggyG: @CathyE-I agree with you. Even with "big name" presenters whom I've seen many times.
11:55:05 Lee Kolbert: Our expectations are higher as they should be
11:55:16 arvind: @paulbogush it's a good question, and the same question about whether students will have to go to school anymore. Online teaching is getting better and better
11:55:57 paulbogush: What additional wisdom can be gained by being surrounded by like-minded individuals?
11:56:12 PeggyG: after you've participated in good technology conferences, it's hard to participate in other more traditional conferences where streaming and interaction isn't possible or used
11:56:13 livingsp: Listening not doing ...
11:57:05 PeggyG: I'm thrilled to see that ASCD is including a technology strand this year and incorporating more options for connecting-a big step!
11:57:35 arvind: bbl
11:57:45 livingsp: But there IS a disconnect - AYP, testing, is all many educators hear
11:58:18 livingsp: I want more practical, do-able examplars from everyone
11:58:25 paulbogush: Lisa I actually like that question---I ask my student teachers all the time the same question--why bother doing this? If that q can't be answered then why bother being there fro any other info
11:58:59 PeggyG: http://learningbeyondboundaries.wikispaces.com/ This wiki was set up to help ASCD make plans for incorporating an instructional technology strand for the national conference. Very exciting grass roots change :-)
11:59:04 Lisa Parisi: Hello Anne and Doug
11:59:31 sylvia: hi everybody
11:59:39 Lisa Parisi: Hi Sylvia...welcome
11:59:40 livingsp: 2012 there will be national tech skills required of all schools - schools/districts are going to have to pay more attn
12:00:56 sylvia: pam, i just got invited to be on that committee
12:01:33 livingsp: sylvia (Martinez?) cool! I want to be on cmte too - bring the great ideas foward
12:01:45 Ann - NJTechTeacher: Hi all - I'm cleaning the front porch and listening. Thanks for the background conversation!
12:01:52 livingsp: Glad you are on the cmte Sylvia
12:01:55 Lisa Parisi: Welcome Ann
12:02:13 Lee Kolbert: Perhaps when there's some meat behind implementing the NETS standards that will help
12:02:19 sylvia: yeah, it's me :)
12:02:31 Lee Kolbert: Hi DougPete
12:02:36 livingsp: Agree with you Lee some meat yes
12:02:38 PeggyG: I always enjoyed attending conferences with teachers from my school when I was a principal. So much to talk about and explore during and when we returned.
12:02:50 Lisa Parisi: HEllo Karen!
12:03:01 KarenJan: HI, LIsa - so glad i can finally join you
12:03:04 KarenJan: what's the topic
12:03:10 KarenJan: that was a loaded statement by Maria!
12:03:11 Lisa Parisi: Conferences
12:03:12 CAthy E: Sometimes the ride to and from the conference is more productive that the actual conference
12:03:17 sylvia: hey karen!
12:03:21 KarenJan: hi, sylvia!
12:03:34 KarenJan: great to be hear with such a wonderful group
12:03:55 KarenJan: here
12:04:01 sylvia: i think team attendance with prep and debrief works
12:05:17 PeggyG: at the National PDS Conference (Professional Development Schools) we always attended as a team and set aside time during the conference to do some of our own planning based on new things we were seeing/hearing. Very valuable.
12:05:31 livingsp: That's a good question about challenging our thinking - I don't want to go to those confs either - also is a $ issue
12:05:56 Lee Kolbert: I agree
12:06:08 arvind: hey Sylvia, long time no see! ;)
12:06:11 PeggyG: but you can be an advocate and bring another voice to those who don't see the value in using technology in their classrooms
12:06:15 Lee Kolbert: perhaps differnt venues for differnt attendees
12:06:30 Lee Kolbert: That was expressed at ILC
12:06:43 arvind: great idea, rookie conference goers have a totally different experience
12:06:49 KarenJan: this is an aside discussion but our town is sending 20 teachers to what I consider a worthless conference - plus teachers have to get subs for 3 days. it's called the Blue Ribbon Schools conference in South carolina - has anyone heard of it?
12:06:55 Lee Kolbert: oh gosh, yes
12:07:07 livingsp: There seems to be a spreading out and watering down in general - many many bloggers, many confs, many tools, many ideas trying to make sense can be f.t. for those of us onboard imagine those new
12:07:14 arvind: worthless conference? the hallways between sessions are always good!
12:07:15 Lee Kolbert: old wine in new bottles
12:07:29 arvind: ha
12:07:37 Lee Kolbert: but I don't pay money to stand in hallways
12:07:38 KarenJan: @arvind - this is a very small conference - very few people know about it
12:07:50 CAthy E: I have already been told there is no $$ to take teachers from my school to our state tech conference :(
12:07:55 sylvia: conferences by nature have to be promotional rather than cautionary
12:07:58 PeggyG: @KarenJan-is that a conference that highlights practices in blue ribbon schools?
12:08:00 Lee Kolbert: go figure
12:08:01 arvind: I agree Lee, but I think that conferences are missing out in the obvious talent in the room
12:08:08 livingsp: Yes I remember whole language wow it was a movement!
12:08:19 Lee Kolbert: why is that? ARe the participants not applying to present?
12:08:28 livingsp: At a school where I worked w.l. caused a major angry rift
12:08:36 KarenJan: @peggy - not the federal blueribbon schools, just a business that has decided to take advantage of the name
12:08:39 Lee Kolbert: Is the conf doing a good job of screening applicants?
12:08:40 Lisa Parisi: would anyone like to join this skype call?
12:09:05 KarenJan: it's next month and they haven't even posted the topics and schedule yet!
12:10:02 sarah H: hi Karen--I'm just up in NC--I looked at the site, its hard to tell what the conference is about.
12:10:12 sylvia: blue ribbon schools is a non-profit that runs confs and sells counsulting
12:10:40 sylvia: arvind, you should talk about NEIT
12:10:45 paulbogush: This might sound a bit snooty but...I don't think conferences should be used to "convince" newbies, or intro stuff that is readily available soemwhere else. We don't hold conferences for doctors on the benifits of using a stethescope. If you are a "professional" you are keeping up on things through journals, etc. and learning about new things. I like to go to conferences in which I gain wisdom on how to implement the things I have already learned about on my own.
12:10:47 arvind: participatory conferences, yes please!
12:11:02 adinasullivan: I think many at conferences don't feel confident/safe enough to throw out and defend own ideas.
12:11:06 KarenJan: @sylvia they sell their program - our superintendent has bought in and the research i've done shows they offer little value to our town
12:11:15 CAthy E: @Karen - where in NC?
12:11:33 livingsp: Yes, Arvind, talk about that!
12:11:41 KarenJan: @sarah - isn't that frightening considering it's less than a month away
12:11:49 KarenJan: it's in SC
12:11:55 paulbogush: Agree Lisa!!
12:12:02 Lisa Parisi: arvind come into the call
12:12:16 mariak: @arvind - join skype call please - anyone else too - please
12:12:21 PeggyG: @ Paul-interesting perspective-I think people come to learn many different things at a conference and shouldn't that be ok--whether they are beginners or experts?
12:12:21 arvind: we've been looking to create conference workshop types - so some are lecture, some are hands-on workshop, some are problem-solving groups, some are research groups
12:12:31 CAthy E: @Sarah - you are in NC?
12:12:57 sarah H: Yes, sorry. We just had a conference last week in NC for independent schools. Only a few of us went, but for the first time I tried live blogging and teachers at school jumped in when they could and sent me questions/comments.
12:13:00 PeggyG: sometimes the streaming during a session and the backchannel chat can actually take a presentation off track
12:13:00 KarenJan: is that the conference Dydan reamed?
12:13:13 sarah H: I am --Greensboro
12:13:16 Lee Kolbert: Yes @karenjan
12:13:20 sylvia: NEIT was the first confernce in 5 years where i went to EVERY sesion
12:13:34 KarenJan: when will we no longer need conferences?
12:13:41 mariak: @karenJan - would you talk about Constructing Modern Knowledge experience?
12:13:48 CAthy E: @Sarah will you be @NCETC in Dec or NCTIES in MArch?
12:14:09 sarah H: Both--I hope.
12:14:10 Lee Kolbert: thats ok, though
12:14:12 colleenk: @KArenJan I think we'll always need the f2f time conferences allow.
12:14:27 KarenJan: @maria - that was unlike any conference i've attended, freed me to explore things I had no knowledge of and had not ever tried before. it has transformed my thinking in some ways
12:14:38 sarah H: Definitely NCETC since its right here. I'm going to teach a workshop before. Are you coming?
12:14:46 PeggyG: I have heard educators express disappointment that a workshop/conference wasn't what they "expected" when the objectives were very clearly stated in advance. Must not have read them :-(
12:14:49 CAthy E: yes, yes
12:14:57 CAthy E: we have to connect
12:14:58 adinasullivan: I think that's important...there are many people VERY new to ideas we've been talking about for a few yeaers
12:15:06 KarenJan: this week is the MassCUE conference. wasn't planning to go but now i'm suffering withdrawal and feel like i need to connect with local techies
12:15:15 sarah H: Peggy--I agree--people can pick sessions pretty randomly.
12:15:43 sarah H: Cathy E--where are you coming from?
12:15:45 colleenk: @MariaK Have you applied anything you learned at CMK this year?
12:15:59 PeggyG: bute name-Blogger's Bistro :-)
12:16:17 PeggyG: oops-cute name!
12:16:24 CAthy E: Sarah - I am coming from Dare Co.
12:16:31 KarenJan: @colleen - I have tried, but as a consultant, it's difficult. i've shared many of the websites
12:16:36 Lee Kolbert: David Warlick will be our keynote in March for our school district conference
12:16:43 KarenJan: have you applied anything from CMK?
12:16:50 Lee Kolbert: Our teachers will be energized. I hope.
12:16:51 KarenJan: in your math practice?
12:17:06 Lee Kolbert: We get over 2000 teachers to our conf
12:17:21 KarenJan: @lee - where are you?
12:17:22 colleenk: @KarenJan It gave me the push I needed to start teaching programming/game design classes this winter.
12:17:28 KarenJan: awesome!
12:17:29 sarah H: oh--my husband is from the coast and trying to get back! Are you going to David Warlick's small session? I signed up just to get to talk with him in a smaller group!
12:17:33 CAthy E: yea David Warlick - my hero
12:17:34 PeggyG: many people are uncomfortable with the unconference concept and want more traditional structure
12:17:48 Lee Kolbert: and we don't charge anything. But we have over 12,000 teachers so I guess that's not too bad a %
12:17:59 Lee Kolbert: I'm in Palm Beach County, FL
12:18:02 arvind: peggyg, we have found that most participants after 1 or 2 sessions felt totally comfortable with the unconference format
12:18:03 KarenJan: @peggy - i got so much from K12 conference this year
12:18:16 adinasullivan: @PeggyG I think we have to keep those people in mind. I was one not long ago
12:18:57 KarenJan: one of my big takeaways was the freedom to explore
12:19:06 Lisa Parisi: Adina I agree
12:19:23 PeggyG: @KarenJan-me too! I always learn so much from the k12 onine conference! but there are people who watch a session or two and say they didn't learn anything new. Maybe that goes back to point about not know how to participate in a conference :-)
12:19:35 Lee Kolbert: our conf http://www.pbspaces.com/techconf
12:19:46 sylvia: come mess around this summer! http://www.constructingmodernknowledge.com
12:20:29 KarenJan: @peggy - what's great is they can go back whenever they need to, just in time learning. I hope they continue to explore other 20 minute presos - it's free after all, nothing to lose!
12:20:32 mariak: hi Sylvia - didn't see that you were here
12:20:55 sarah H: Cathy--lets plan ahead and connect. I have a gmail address. shanawald
12:21:03 sylvia: @markak :)
12:21:18 livingsp: Arvind I bet that people from EdACCESS were part of this! That's how edACCESS happens as well!
12:21:19 KarenJan: setting the topics based upon participation - interesting
12:21:27 PeggyG: I think it's very different perspective when you're a conference planner or a conference participant. Why do you care what everyone else is getting out of the conference unless your an organizer?
12:21:40 CAthy E: @sarah - her is my school email [email protected]
12:21:51 sylvia: i was there. i thought it worked better than the unconference format
12:22:06 KarenJan: @sylvia what do u mean?
12:22:15 sylvia: it's based on a concept called "Open Space"
12:22:30 KarenJan: anyone going to educon 2.1?
12:22:35 Lisa Parisi: Yes
12:22:54 livingsp: Went to EduCon last year and not going this year
12:23:05 KarenJan: i'm so impressed you can interview AND read the chat!
12:23:10 arvind: Pamela, any particular reason you're not going?
12:23:27 Lee Kolbert: Hi Nadine
12:23:31 sylvia: openspaceworld.org
12:23:48 PeggyG: I just bought SEnd for my Kindle! excellent book about using email!
12:23:52 livingsp: It didn't engage me but it may have been because I brought my teen daughter along so that was more of a distraction
12:24:16 nnorris: Hi Lee!
12:24:18 sylvia: But as the closing speacher, I didn't prepare my talk until the night before, to respect the process
12:24:28 KarenJan: @livingsp - I brought my teenage son to it - he was very impressed with the school, envious as well!
12:24:46 KarenJan: @sylvia, thanks for the link - i have to explore this
12:24:48 Lee Kolbert: Like this!!!!
12:25:01 livingsp: We should have had a teen kid session I guess, although Sharon Peter's teen daughter and mine did hang out a bit
12:25:05 sylvia: it's about trusting the process and the participants
12:25:09 Lee Kolbert: This is like a conference session every week.
12:25:18 KarenJan: @lee yes!
12:25:31 sylvia: the thing is, they aren't all the same. the organization makes a HUGE difference
12:25:48 Lisa Parisi: Yes, Lee, but it's structured...same time and place each week
12:26:13 Lee Kolbert: Correct, and I like that.
12:26:19 arvind: Wikipedia definition of an unconference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconference
12:26:19 sylvia: i find some unconferences seem too competitive. Open Space solves that
12:26:55 livingsp: I'm involved in planning a new conference which will be unconf - will involve panels, and lots of ad hoc sessions, will be in Denver in August - just like Arvind describes - based on EdACCESS, people propose sessions
12:27:21 sylvia: The physical space is important too - at the lodge where Arvind did this, there were LOTS of rooms
12:27:26 livingsp: Starts with a big roundtable where you are asked "what do you want to know"and"what do you have to offer"
12:27:29 sarah H: Pamela--that sounds cool--what is it called?
12:27:39 KarenJan: how many educators are really prepared for unconferences?
12:28:06 livingsp: It's going to be a One-to-One conference no name yet leaders from large one-to-one implementations with the MI One-to-One Insittute
12:28:58 livingsp: Just what Arvind says is the point - what are on people's minds and what do they want to learn and what do they want to share
12:29:04 arvind: KarenJan, more than I thought would be. But more certainly could be, and sometimes that just means being mentally ready to learn
12:29:09 sylvia: and the planning happens all the time, not just once
12:29:27 PeggyG: unconferences are still very new-when we were planning our unconference there were a number of the planners who were very uncomfortable going into it without all of the slots filled and topics covered. They wanted to prepare.
12:30:08 livingsp: We're using Adrian Segar to help us as he planned the original EdACCESS conferences back in mid-90's so has all this experience knowing what works and what doesn't
12:30:10 Lisa Parisi: I guess Paul's family came home
12:30:37 Lisa Parisi: We need a topic for next week...anyone have an idea?
12:30:58 arvind: PeggyG breaking mental models of a "conference" is not easy. That in itself was our first challenge
12:31:03 KarenJan: student voices?
12:31:04 PeggyG: the big value of an unconference is active participation and if you expect to sit and git you'll be disappointed
12:31:26 arvind: but our heads of school are now asking about it, and are considering it. Our division heads are now going to do a partial unconference for their conference in Jan
12:31:39 adinasullivan: I do that. Set goals for the 2 or 3 three things I really to explore - but always keep open to more
12:31:46 KarenJan: if you could go to only one conference next year, which one would it be?
12:31:47 PeggyG: @arvind-absolutely! that is a big challenge and not that easy to explain :-)
12:32:06 livingsp: For unconf if structured this way can also have bird of a feather over meals for things that you missed - plus you can have Wikis on the spot to put your notes from sessions
12:32:09 arvind: for sure, Peggy
12:32:16 Lee Kolbert: yes thta helps a lot
12:32:36 sylvia: reflection
12:32:44 Lee Kolbert: We're Lab Rats!!
12:32:57 Lee Kolbert: LOL
12:33:01 arvind: haha
12:33:04 KarenJan: or drive with someone
12:33:09 colleenk: @KArenJan NECC - never been to one and best chance to see the greatest number of people
12:33:13 PeggyG: sometimes the real learning happens when you return from a conference and try to tell others about it
12:33:31 CAthy E: yes Peggy, I agree
12:33:34 KarenJan: @colleen are you going to MassCUE?
12:33:36 arvind: Another model that has been bugely successful is BarCamp: http://barcamp.org
12:33:46 sylvia: barcamp is another model
12:33:48 Lee Kolbert: I learn the most in the networking areas.
12:33:51 sylvia: GMTA
12:34:18 Lee Kolbert: Since NECC, I"ve learned an enormous amount due to the F2F connections I developed.
12:34:27 colleenk: @KarenJan No, opted for a day or two of Christa McAuliffe. More topics there that interest me.
12:34:28 PeggyG: Never heard of BarCamp. Thanks for link
12:34:46 arvind: http://barcamp.org/WhatToExpect
12:34:47 livingsp: Agree f2f needed
12:35:10 livingsp: Also how to cull through possibilities is so much info if only online
12:35:12 arvind: http://barcamp.org/TheRulesOfBarCamp
12:35:17 sylvia: the numbers of people change things
12:35:22 CAthy E: The f2f is so very valuable - becasue actually going to a conference gives you "time" for networking
12:35:35 KarenJan: @sylvia - was CMK what you and Gary envisioned?
12:35:37 sylvia: there can't be only one kind
12:35:51 sarah H: Very true point about increasing the digital divide if conferences die off. Kids are demanding lunch, so I'll say bye
12:35:55 PeggyG: I think we'll be seeing many more unconferences that are streamed and accessible anywhere because of the high costs of attending conferences f2f
12:35:59 sylvia: @karen yes, and even more so
12:36:14 Lee Kolbert: How about "thank you" letters and comments from past students
12:36:19 Lee Kolbert: how we know we had an impact
12:36:30 JazzyJsMom: Are invites sent to grad students of online schools for future participants?
12:36:35 Lisa Parisi: ettconversations.blogspot.com
12:36:38 arvind: thanks for the great convo everyone!
12:36:43 KarenJan: so glad to be able to be here today!
12:36:45 PeggyG: @sylvia-I really agree-can't be only one kind!
12:36:48 Lee Kolbert: Thank you everyone!!
12:36:58 KarenJan: yes!
12:37:17 livingsp: I like the student voices idea as well also skills vs. projects
12:37:21 PeggyG: an unconference format would let you start the conversation next week without a topic :-)
12:37:23 CAthy E: Sometime - "no topic" sessions are the best
12:37:27 KarenJan: how do we include students?
12:37:30 sylvia: nice to "see" everyone. i've been overloading on fire news
12:37:38 KarenJan: @cathy - true! open Sunday
12:37:40 livingsp: Thank you all
12:37:47 colleenk: Thanks everyone!
12:37:51 KarenJan: @sylvia - how close are you?
12:38:11 sylvia: @karen not in danger, thank goodness
12:38:19 KarenJan: good
12:38:26 sylvia: bye all!
12:38:37 PeggyG: always leave this conversation with many things to think about. Thanks all!!!
12:38:38 KarenJan: bye everyone!
12:38:48 adinasullivan: Thanks all. Have a great week
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Peer conferences
Pamela Livingston graciously mentioned the peer conference format I've developed over the last sixteen years. You can read about this approach, which we've been using for the edACCESS annual conferences, at my web site www.segar.com.
My book "Conferences that work: creating events that people love" is in press and will be published in 2009.