Comments on: A Simple Change of Conference Format

By: Time for an Unmeeting? » Burt's Blog

Time for an Unmeeting? » Burt's Blog — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 22:44:44 +0000

[...] has requested some conference rooms to be set aside for discussions to follow presentations. Dean Shareski has discussed backwards conference scheduling on his blog. Mark Jeffery has shared his vision [...]

By: Reflections on FETC at Snapshots of Technology Integration

Reflections on FETC at Snapshots of Technology Integration — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 18:14:21 +0000

[...] I woke up on day three of the conference thinking of this I read a blog post by Dean Shareski, A Simple Change of Conference Format. Someone attending the same conference was having the same [...]

By: MaryAnn Sansonetti

MaryAnn Sansonetti — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 02:50:04 +0000

Dean,
It was great to actually meet you at FETC. But I have to say you are right on target with a shift or change in conference going. As I reflect on FETC, yes, I took one or two things with me but I could have taken so much more if I could have freely talked and shared in small groups. Maybe we can call it the un-conference.

Reading the blogs from EduCon, it seems they captured the essence of what you wrote. I want to create this type of conference/conversation in South Carolina where I live… and maybe you will hear about hear about a great conversation taking place here soon!

By: M. Walker

M. Walker — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 17:39:21 +0000

Dean, This year at the December TIES conference in Minnesota they tried something demonstrated at NECC last summer. Several of the keynote speakers were scheduled after their session for an informal roundtable "Communities of Interest" session. This allowed people who wanted to follow up with the presenter the opportunity to do so in a Q and A session. I attended one with Chris Dede on Role Playing Games and Simulations in K-12 classrooms that was quite good. Of course, that meant that I missed out on other sessions, however, TIES set up a a href="https://wiki.ties.k12.mn.us/>Wiki for presenters to share information that helped a lot.

By: Sgurell

Sgurell — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 06:27:36 +0000

For the OpenEd conference some software was developed especially for the kind of follow-up you are looking for. http://www.51weeks.com/

By: Alan November » Comment on A Simple Change of Conference Format by Randy Rodgers

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 01:43:13 +0000

[...] Commonhealth wrote an interesting post today on Comment on A Simple Change of Conference Format by Randy RodgersHere’s a quick excerptDean, Thanks for the post–very thought-provoking. I’ve experienced the post Alan November feelings myself. Tim, [...]

By: Randy Rodgers

Randy Rodgers — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:57:41 +0000

Dean,

Thanks for the post–very thought-provoking. I’ve experienced the post Alan November feelings myself.

Tim,

I really like the Starbucks idea–I’ll be offering that at TCEA in a couple of weeks!

By: Lisa Linn/Clare Lane

Lisa Linn/Clare Lane — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:27:50 +0000

I am beginning to see a paradigm shift in ed-tech and in conference format. We need more conversation and communication about what we do, what we believe, and where we’re going. The quality and quantity of my own learning has dramatically increased and deepened as result of relationships built “virtually” in Second Life and on Twitter. In short, we need more “unconferences” like Edublogger-Con and EduCon that will facilitate our learning from, and sharing with each other. One of the things I remember as extraordinary about NECC ‘07 was being in a small room with like-minded educators, in a conversation lead by David Warlick. We talked to each other, we were heard, and we learned. Isn’t that the kind of collaborative thinking that we’d like to see our students do?

By: Alan November » A Simple Change of Conference Format

Alan November » A Simple Change of Conference Format — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:23:38 +0000

[...] shareski@gmail.com (Dean Shareski) wrote an interesting post today on A Simple Change of Conference FormatHere’s a quick excerptThursday, I went to Alan November’s session on Cultivating a World Class Ethic. In it he refers to RSS, Custom Searches, Skype and a host of other tools and ideas. Alan is a compelling speaker, I’ve heard him many times and know the … [...]

By: Dean Shareski

Dean Shareski — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:52:38 +0000

Tim and Kevin,

Those are always the most exciting, exhilarating moments of any conference. Nice that you’ve created those experiences. Those learning experiences reflect Personal Learning and serendipity in a context that most conference designers are hesitant to incorporate.

Aly,

That would be another simple conference format change. Thanks.

By: Tom Turner

Tom Turner — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:51:15 +0000

Here’s an ODD Concept. I’m actually responding to a blog post. Something I’ve not done in a long time. And definitely something I need to start doing again, and more often.

You bring up some VERY valid points Dean. For the most part FETC has been a success for me. I’m more interested in the networking possibilities that are present, with the sessions secondary and possibly even tertiary in my mindset on levels of importance. I think back to my first experience of NECC last summer in Atlanta. I was amazed and awestruck at the size and volume of the entire experience. I made plenty of effort to attend as many sessions that I possibly could. But still it was nothing compared to the new content, new thoughts on learning, and discussions that I had at the small areas such as the Blogger’s Cafe. As I’ve walked around the convention center here in Orlando, that is the ONE thing that strikes me as missing from this conference. The lack of these areas to me is big. Where is the networking and collaboration happening? Is it Happening? Other than the small bubble of educators I’ve been walking around with, I just don’t see it.

Maybe going to Educon next year at the same time might be a little more on my docket?

By: Heather Ross

Heather Ross — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:50:15 +0000

Great post, Dean. I set up a Ning community for the latest BarCamp held here in Saskatoon with the hope that conversations would continue, but it never really got off the ground. I think it’s important that people have the ability to follow up on the discussions and presentations from conferences. Otherwise, much of what goes on is lost in a pile of notes we never look at again. I’m just not sure what the secret is to keeping that going.

By: Aly Tapp

Aly Tapp — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:42:01 +0000

My in-a-perfect-world vision would also revise the conference model so that it sets the level of challenge. For example, a session on Skype might be marked “N” for New exposure or “A” for Advanced tools and use.

By: Kevin Willson

Kevin Willson — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:29:29 +0000

I too agree. I spent 15 minutes after Steve Dembo’s presentation yesterday helping a teacher from Florida set up Twitter, Skype and Delicious. He was watching Aly and I use Google docs to take notes, use Ustream to watch another session, and communicate with our Twitter friends, and after the conference he came up to me and said, I feel like I don’t know anything. Can you please help me with some of these items. I was more then happy to spend the time with him, because it wasn’t more then a year ago that someone sat with me to help me. It really is about developing that professional development network. Think we need more about that.

By: Tim Childers

Tim Childers — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:22:04 +0000

I quite agree that the “open” atmosphere would benefit attendees as much or more than the actual concurrent sessions. Of course, I’m not at FETC, so I can’t comment on it. However, recently at TETC in TN, with about 1500 in attendance, I saw very few people actually carrying laptops to sessions. Wifi was not free to attendees either. But during the conference a friend of mine and I sat at a table outside Starbucks and did mini workshops on Twitter, Photo Story, Discovery streaming, and more. It was the most fun I’ve had in a long time working practically one-on-one. I would love to see the round tables in the exhibit hall where people eat lunch used for mini-sessions like these. Just sit down with a laptop and put up a sign that has your topic. People could come and go as they please, but you would never have more than 7 or 8 people in attendance. Thanks for sharing!