Lifelong Learning 2.0

This summer, I have been working on several creative projects that I wrote proposals for this Spring.  There is one additional project that I was assigned to do which has not been as exciting.  In fact, I am having a hard time with it.  It involves working on pacing guides to accompany textbooks in the core areas, for grades K-8.  The pacing guides designate which chapters address state standards.  The chapters are paced out for each week of the school year, with key questions from the state framework, along with accompanying assessments and answer keys.  These pacing guides provide the lesson plans, allowing teachers to be on the same page without having to recreate the wheel.

The problem?  The textbooks.

Earlier this year, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested the idea of replacing California’s public school textbooks with open-source materials and digital curriculum.  I love the basic idea, which allows the students to have access to current information, saves money, and provides a platform for teachers and students to collaborate on lessons.  Of course, there are obvious obstacles that would have to be overcome, but the vision is exciting.

I like what Lucas Ames has to say in his blog, Entrepreneurial Teaching,

Innovative entrepreneurs create new value, but in the process destroy the value proposition of an existing business.  A good way to look at this is through the lens of music.  From records, 8-tracks, cassettes, CDs, to mp3s new innovation destroyed older business models, but also provided tremendous benefits to the consumer and the music industry. In many ways I believe our education system is in need of more entrepreneurial teachers to ‘creatively destroy’ it.

I am interested in a new vision of education at our school.  How can we creatively destroy the traditional model of textbooks updated every 6 years, tons of worksheets, and old school methods?

Ames also quotes Bill Gates, who had this to say:

Training the workforce of tomorrow with the high schools of today is like trying to teach kids about today’s computers on a 50-year-old mainframe. It’s the wrong tool for the times.

Our high schools were designed fifty years ago to meet the needs of another age. Until we design them to meet the needs of the 21st century, we will keep limiting–even ruining–the lives of millions of Americans every year.

What are your thoughts on this?

In an effort to pilot a new approach, I ditched textbooks last year in the areas of science and social studies. It required a lot of extra work in lesson planning.  It was a challenge to creatively design projects that were inquiry-based, full of opportunities for writing and critical thinking, and still met state standards.  It would have been great to have digital curriculum to access and opportunities to collaborate with other teachers on those lesson plans.

I don’t want to use those pacing guides I have to work on, traditional textbooks and worksheets with students. I want to use innovative teaching methods and integrated technology, to engage students in lifelong learning habits, while preparing them in 21st century skills.  I would love to work collaboratively with others to create project learning and thoughtful assessments.

Do you share this passion? Are you designing online units, collaborative lessons, or inquiry-based projects?  I would love to learn how you make it work at your school.

Have you fantasized about ditching textbooks altogether?

What’s one step that you plan to take this year to be innovative in how you teach students?

Creative Commons Photo Attribution:  June 15, by Little Yiye

Live conversations about the impact of the Internet on society and culture can be found at Conversations.net, brainchild of Steve Hargadon.  It amazes me how many great ideas can be brought to life by just one person. If you’re not familiar with just how much he has accomplished so far, check out Steve’s bio.

Somehow, I missed the opening of Conversations.net, which was created on July 13th, then kicked off the next day with the first interview.  I wondered, “How I could have missed this?”  Answer: 1. Life has been crazy since returning from NECC. 2. I was at the Coldplay concert that day. 3. I have been avoiding my Google Reader out of guilt of not being able to catch up. (More of this in a separate post.)

I’m letting you know about Conversations.net in case you missed it too.  I’ve listened to several interviews on Elluminate.  Using the Elluminate platform allows people to participate in the discussion, dialogue with other participants in chat window, ask questions by taking the microphone, view presentations, take polls, and meet great people.  It is a wonderful way to nurture lifelong learning and add to your PLN.

The first conversation was an interview with Douglas Rushkoff, author of Life, Inc. How the World Became a Corporation and How to Take it Back. As taken from Steve’s blog,

“Winner of the first Neil Postman award for Career Achievement in Public Intellectual Activity, Douglas Rushkoff is an author, teacher, and documentarian who focuses on the ways people, cultures, and institutions create, share, and influence each other’s values. He teaches media studies at the New School University, serves as technology columnist for The Daily Beast, and lectures around the world.”

Rushkoff was on the Colbert show the day after being interviewed on Conversations.net.  You can read more about him on:

Douglas Rushkoff’s website

Steve Hargadon’s blog

Conversations.net

Next in the interview series will be a conversation with Clay Shirky. I’m looking forward to catching that interview!  Keep track of future conversations from the Conversations.net site and the Google Calendar posted at the top of the ning.  Did I mention that it is a Ning? Join the free network to participate in extended conversations.  More Interviews can be found on one of Steve’s other nings, The Future of Education.  You can also follow these on Twitter: futureofed and convnet.

I’ve been thinking about school starting in the fall.  Not because I want to. I relish the thought of summer lasting for weeks and weeks. I’ve been thinking about it because several of the bloggers I follow have started writing about the start of school.

Summer is a great time for refreshment, relaxation, renewal.  It is also a great time for educators to connect with their PLN and extend their knowledge.  As school starts, I know I will be so busy that the thought of extra time to learn new things seems almost impossible.  Will I have time to stay connected to my PLN? I know that when I am I learn so much and am able to contribute to others.  If you value this too, I am confident that with thoughtful planning, you can take create time for self-education and growth during the busy school year.

1. Be proactive. We make choices daily about how we spend our time.  Make a conscious effort to learn something new.  Be a lifelong learner.

2. Set clearly defined goals and put them in writing. Things don’t often happen just because.  Success and growth are intentional.  Create a plan and allow yourself to be flexible with it. Find a friend to hold you accountable.

3. Seek out opportunities for self-education. There are many ways to do this:  follow other blogs, sign up for webinars, read books, join twitter, watch tutorials, take a class, register for a workshop, subscribe to learning channels on YouTube.

4. Start with you. Learn new ways to use existing tools.  However, don’t push web 2.0 tools on students without taking time to use them for your own learning.  Participate in networks, create a wiki, journal in a blog.  You’ll be better prepared to help your students with these tools if you use them for your own professional growth. Learn first. Experience.  Then pass on the treasures to your students and learn with them.

5. Blog.  Journal about your self-educational experiences.  Reflect on your learning.

6. Take risks. Seize opportunities. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.  This is often the very place where true growth can occur.

7. Grow in community. Vygotsky spoke of the “Zone of proximal development,” meaning that there exists a certain amount of knowledge that can only come from the assistance of others through social interaction.  The learning process flourishes when you focus on learning together.  Collaborate.  Find others who have the same interests.  Share resources. Grow together. Learning in community is a wonderful path to take.

Photo Attribution: End of Summer, by Noe

On the surface, this seems like a great site for learning about explorers. However, this isn’t a just another website for history lessons.  All About Explorers is a great tool to use to teach students about finding validity in what they find on the web.  Wikipedia defines digital literacy as “the ability to locate, organize, understand, evaluate and create information using digital technology.”  The lessons you’ll find on All About Explorers are designed for elementary students, emphasizing the importance of digital literacy.

Be sure to check out the resource page for teachers first, where you’ll find lessons, materials, links and references.  Here are the lessons you’ll find:

1. Just Because It’s Out There Doesn’t Mean It’s Good.
2. So How Do You Find the Good Stuff?
3. Google, What?
4. Where Exactly Am I, Anyway?
5. How Could They Be So Wrong?
6. Explorer WebQuest

The website has students complete research using a variety of website links.  The links chosen for the activities have all been created by the team behind All About Explorers. Some of the information is true, mixed in with fictitious facts.  Here’s an example, taken from one of the websites about Christopher Columbus:

“Columbus returned to Spain in 1939 and was hailed as a hero. He was known as the first person to walk on American soil. A huge parade was held in his honor. He appeared on Larry King Live and became quite famous around the world.”

“Columbus made three more voyages to the lands of Hispaniola, Dominica, Trinidad, Venezuela, Mexico, Honduras and Panama. These trips were all documented by National Geographic and opened a whole new business of tourism for the country of Spain.”

Some of the other fictional examples are not as obvious to spot.  The creators have this to say about their project:

“Because we wanted to make a point about finding useless information even in a site which looked at first to be fairly well put together, all of the Explorer biographies here are fictional. While many of the facts are true or based on truth, many inaccuracies, lies, and even downright absurdity are mixed in indiscriminately. As such, it is important that you do not use this site as a source of reference for your own research!”

Use the lessons to teach how to search the Internet skillfully, to discern which information is valid and useful.  Then, if you want to continue with the historical webquest on explorers, the site provides accurate information in a different section.

One of the featured videos on the education section of The New York Times is “The 21st Century Librarian.”  One of the archived videos highlights school librarian, Stephanie Rosalia.  She shares how she has transformed into a “multi-faceted information specialist who guides students through the flood of digital information that confronts them on a daily basis.”  In the video, she is shown using the All About Explorers lesson with a class of 5th graders.  Take a look here.  If you decide to give these lessons a try, let me know how it goes.  Thank you for the organizers of All About Explorers.  This is a wonderful, useful tool that I’ll be using with my students for years to come!

Photo Attribution

It was 106 degrees at the outdoor amphitheater in Wheatland. We were all extremely hot, as it didn’t seem to cool down until 11pm. That didn’t seem to affect the energy of Chris Martin as he ran across the stage, jumped around, and pretended to swim on stage during the “tides that I tried to swim against” portion of “Clocks”.  Despite the heat, Guy Berry, Will Champio, and Jonny Buckland joined Chris Martin in an amazing and energetic performance!

When the concert started, everyone in the first section were on their feet.  But everyone from the second section and back sat down.  I thought maybe this would just be during the first song, but it continued. A few minutes in, I stood up. I paid good money for this seat, but I wasn’t about to sit through a Coldplay concert.  Someone behind me yelled for me to sit down, but then the others in my row stood immediately, as though to back me up.  Then the next row, and onward, and before the end of that song, the whole section was on their feet, dancing and singing for the rest of the night.

Hello! It’s a concert! It’s Coldplay!

The experience reminded me of this YouTube video from the Sasquatch Music Festival 2009.  Though my dancing skills were much more polished than this guy, I applaud his confidence!

I had hoped to hear most of my favorite songs and the band did not disappoint.

Life in Technicolor,Clocks, In My Place, Yellow, Cemetaries of London, 42, Fix You, Strawberry Swing, God Put a Smile Upon Your Face, Talk, The Hardest Part, Postcards from Far Away, Viva La Vida, Lost, Green Eyes, Death Will Never Conquer, Politik, Lovers in Japan, Death and All His Friends, The Scientist, Life in Technicolor II, The Escapist

..and I knew all of the words.

From the huge yellow balloons being bounced around (during “Yellow” of course), to the insane amounts of butterfly confetti, and repeated opportunities for the crowd to sing along, Coldplay did well in engaging the audience.  The cellphone-wave was a sight to see.  Chris talked to the crowd quite a bit.  Before a solo of “The Hardest Part”, he said he would be a (*!*##) nightmare if he did a solo.  (He was great, of course.  I happened to catch that solo on video.)

The band constantly thanked us for showing up on a Tuesday, in the terrible heat.

We would come on any day, in any weather! But it was insanely hot.

Twice during the concert, the lights dimmed and the band ran up to the crowd, performing in the midst of the audience, to give people in the back a better view. I couldn’t have asked for a better seat, as the first time they moved to the piano set-up on my right.  The second time, they performed their acoustic songs just to my left.  The crowd went crazy during the acoustic version of “Billie Jean.”  And yes, I have that on video too.

Here are a few more pictures from the concert:

The Strawberry Swing video premiered this week on Babelgum.  Chris Martin performs as a superhero in chalk-drawn world.  I’ve thought of how the video would play out, but I wasn’t expecting a superhero and a giant squirrel. See what you think.

Coldplay’s Fix You video on YouTube,  Fix You Live video

The Scientist video

Viva La Vida video

Yellow video, Yellow concert

Catch other Coldplay videos on YouTube

Shows and Concert Schedule

Follow Coldplay on Twitter

Scott McLeod encouraged bloggers to consider contributing to Leadership Day 2009. He asked for blogposts about effective school technology leadership.  It is a great way to encourage administrators to look at what it means to prepare students for the 21st century.  It also helps them see how to utilize technology systems to make their organizations more efficient and effective.

At the core of a successful school is a strong mission, a visionary leader, and a supportive staff committed to student success.  In thinking about leadership, I must take a moment to tell you about a leader at my school.  Jody Graf came to us just a couple of years ago.  I first met her when our district sent a few of us to the ASCD Conference in Chicago.  It was the first year teachers were sent to a conference and she had just been hired as an administrator.  Early on, I had a sense of her passion for preparing students for the 21st century.  I could see that she valued people.

Not long after, she became the executive director of our charter school of 150+ teachers and 3,200 students. As director, she walked into a school environment that was productive, but not without its challenges.

In a few short years, Jody has tackled what she referred to as the “elephants in the room,” those issues that had been tiptoed around.  She established an open-door policy and encouraged round-table discussions where staff and teachers could have honest discussions, while offering solutions for improvements.  Action teams were set up to tackle issues.  Successes were celebrated. Conversations were opened for all parties to share ideas.  This was an important step to prepare our staff for innovation to take over.

Here are three things I learned from her leadership in the process:

• When all stakeholders take ownership in the school’s mission, passion becomes infectious.

• We practice good leadership when we become transparent, exposing thoughts and positions on issues with an open-door policy.

• We can increase student engagement and academic success when we personalize learning for students, provide time for reflection, and facilitate learning opportunities with relevance and meaning.

Now that there is a culture of trust, my director can walk us through her vision for empowering our students and teachers with technological skills for lifelong learning.  Until recently, most of our teachers not know about wikis, educational uses for blogs, or web 2.0. (I know. And I was right there with them until 9 months ago.)

We are on a mission to bring all of our 150+ teachers and staff to a level of technological proficiency and shared commitment for innovative learning.  Part of our school will be turned into a virtual learning academy.  We plan to establish teacher proficiencies (NETS). We hope to remove traditional textbooks and replace them with project- and inquiry-based learning models.  We are at a turning point for change.

Last year, our school set up class offerings twice a month in the areas of technology tools and web 2.0.  A good effort was made, but many teachers claimed they had never heard of these tools before and didn’t know where to start.  They took a class, and were left to figure it out. They (we) were overwhelmed.

In a state of wanting to learn more, but being overwhelmed, I set out to create my own professional development.  From this experience, I have a bit of advice to share with the leaders of my school, and others who may read this as well.

Embrace the conference experience.

Find a way to send teachers to conferences.  If your school is not a position to do this, at least support them with time off to be able to attend.  At the recent NECC09 conference, I grew professionally more than I had with hours of PD at my school. It is a great way for teachers to learn from each other, and to catch a gimpse into what other classrooms are doing.

Embrace online professional development.

Give teachers control to establish their own professional development.  There are an amazing amount of valuable resources available to teachers.  This can come in the form of online classes, interview series, or webinars.  It may mean reading blogs and reflecting, or attending virtual workshops and sharing the experience with others.  Let teachers take ownership and create their professional development.

Embrace free and open source tools.

Here are a few places to look:  K-12 Open Source Community, MIT Open Courseware, and SchoolForge.net, FOSS in Education, NCOSE, and K12 Open Tech.

Embrace transparency.

Give teachers the freedom to be honest about where they are at, while encouraging them to grow.  Provide an environment of transparency and trust.

Embrace networking and learning in community.

We all know how we feel when we come home from a conference. The passion that comes from being around innovative educators is contagious.  Your teachers and administrative staff can experience this daily – for free.  How?  By participating in online networks such as Classroom 2.0.  Teach them how to use twitter, to share ideas and network.  Create a social network for them to be connected with each other.  I started one at my school for parents and teachers, and it has been nothing short of amazing! Embrace the social networks that are available. Encourage teachers to learn in community.

Photo Attribution:  Addo Elephant, by exfordy

EduBloggerCon was exactly what I hoped it would be.  Innovative, flexible, and interactive.  Meaningful conversations.  Organized just enough, yet adaptable and unwritten to allow for spontaneous sessions.

After the Web 2.0 Smackdown, I spent some time in the session led by Mark Wagner. I loved the concept for the session, “Wish a particular tool existed? Learn how to get it made! We’ll design a tool together.” The plan was to brainstorm ideas for a tool that we all wished would have existed and vote on a favorite. Funds would be collected, and Mark would then hire someone from rentacoder.com to create the tool.  The interesting part of the session was having someone suggest an idea for the perfect tool only to have someone else give the name and url for the tool that already existed.  In the process, I picked up a list of really cool tools.

JuicyStudio – Readability test

Teachers Connecting – Collaboration/Connections for Projects

OnlineProjects4Teachers – Collaboration/Connections for Projects (Jen Wagner)

Global Education Collaborative – Collaboration/Connections for Projects (Lucy Gray)

Scholarpress.net – WordPress + Education

Socrata – Social Data Network

Voice Candy – Professional Voice-over/file of teacher comments linked to rubric

Vocaroo.com – free audio recording for embedding or link

Drop.io – keep hearing about how people love this, but haven’t looked into it yet

Great list of (already existing) resources!

The final consensus was to create a rubric builder tool that would be filled out electronically and connect you to a Google Form or Spreadsheet.  If I’m understanding it correctly, this would allow teachers to share rubrics.  I sent my name to be on a list to contribute to the project.

Even if the rubric tool doesn’t get created, I picked up a handy list of resources to check out.  The opportunity to sit in a brainstorming session with so many great minds was inspiring.  I love the collaboration model.  Just think of what we can accomplish when we put our minds together!

If you’ve used any of these tools and recommend them, post a comment.  If you love drop.io, explain it to me.

Photo Attribution: kjarrett

In our chats about EduBloggerCon on Twitter, Jon Becker made a comment about it being like the first day of summer camp.  I love the analogy! It’s funny to look back at the first photos I took, with a room full of people that I had never met in person. Sure, some I had connected with virtually and consider a valuable part of my personal learning community.  Yet there were many in the photos, (even sitting in the rows right around me) that I didn’t know that day, but came to know well by the end of the week. Now, it feels like I’ve known them for years. (I mean that in a good way.)

Steve Hargadon organized EduBloggerCon to be about getting together in a “collaborative conference” setting, to share experiences, questions, tools and strategies. He did an amazing job putting it together, giving enough structure that the day could be organized, yet allowing enough freedom that the schedule could grow organically around conversation.  The free event was also organized by the participants in a wiki and allowed for virtual participation.

The day began with an hour of time to socialize. Who wouldn’t love a whole hour for a meet-and-greet? I was all over that. It was a wonderful time to catch up with old friends, meet virtual peeps in person, and get to know new people.  The room was busy with business card exchanges, cameras clicking, hugs and conversation.

My first session was difficult to choose.  My interest in Professional Development Models made me want to attend the session led by Liz Davis.  However, since this was my first time at NECC and EBC, I had to experience a Web2.0 Smackdown for myself. The basic idea involved people lining up to demo their favorite Web 2.0 tool.  However, there was a 3 minute limit per person.  I love that the event was streamed live in elluminate and Ustream for virtual attendees, and backchanneling goodness in CoverItLive.  Thanks to Vicki Davis for facilitating, Paul Wood for officiating, and Kristin Hokanson for organizing the backchannel.  Many thanks to all who took the stage to demo a cool tool.

Go here and scroll down to watch a fun remix of Smackdown Memories from 2007 and 2008 that Vicki Davis put together.  You’ll also find the recorded video and backchannel recordings from the 2009 Smackdown.

Here is a list a few of the cool tools from the session:

Diigo Lists – Vicki Davis – I heard a lot about Diigo this week. Amazing features. Need to switch over. Vicki also shared how the Diigo lists can be shared as a WebSlide.  Very cool!

FreshBrain – Rushton Hurley – open & free website for teens to create projects, engage in social networking, and explore technology

QR Codes – John Costilla – What are these things?  Had to check Wikipedia!

Google Similar Images Searches – Lisa Thumann – Loved her recent CR2.0 session on Google Tools.  This Google Lab feature is cool!

CompFight and FlickrStorm – Angela Maiers – Amazing tools for images.  Angela did a refined search for literacy.  You need to try this!

CoverItLive – Kristin Hokanson – This is a great find.  I plan to use this one a lot next year. Loved the line: “Students notes are better, because they are doing it together.”  On the break, Kristin (below) took time to give me a more detailed tutorial of CoverItLive. Awesome!

Wikispaces – Adam Frey – tools and tagging tips from our favorite wiki guy

Fur.ly – David Jakes – Shortening multiple urls into one

Twoogle and Twitalyzer – Scott McLeod – Cool Twitter tools! Twoogle is a genius idea!

Woot – Leigh Zeitz – online store that sells cool stuff cheap, selling one item per day until it is sold out

K12 Online Conference and EdTech Talk - Wes Fryer – Can’t wait for this conference!

Taggalaxy – Lee Kolbert -This is an awesome find!  Try it out!!

TinEye – Maria Droujkova- a reverse image search engine

Opus09, Noteflight, JamStudio – Chris Chater – great resources & new ning

Bump – Chad Lehmann – Love this.  What a quick and easy way to exchange information!

Today’sMeet, TinyPaste – Craig Nansen – A backchannel option and an interesting tool.

And last, but not least, I have to mention the…

New and Improved Web 2.0 Keychain – Kevin Honeycutt – Loved how Vicki had Kevin demo this from a train, on his way to NECC. (Gotta love Skype!)  If you weren’t able to get one of these keychains, you can download it from his website.  I need to ask him permission to use this idea with the teachers at my school this year.  I’d love to give them “a new key” every time I finish a presentation.

If I’ve left anyone out, please add it in the comments.  I typed as quickly as I could into my Google Doc.  Time flies when you’re watching the Smackdown!

More on the other EduBloggerCon sessions in another post.  I’ll leave you with this list of resources for now:

Resources:

EduBloggerCon Wiki: http://www.edubloggercon.com/

EduBloggerCon Group on Diigo: http://groups.diigo.com/groups/edubloggercon

EduBloggerCon Schedule: http://www.edubloggercon.com/DC+2009+Agenda

EduBloggerCon Aggregator: http://www.edubloggercon.com/EduBloggerCon+Aggregator

Thanks to kjarrett for the many awesome photos he took at EBC09 and NECC09!

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Personal Learning Networks (PLNs) are an integral part of an educator’s life.

Since getting started 10 months ago, my PLN has been the best thing to come my way professionally.  For those of you new to the concept, you can build your network by participating in social networks, conferences, blogs and twitter.  Even though I’ve only been on twitter since May, I have received a wealth of information to last a lifetime.

I am nurturing my network by collaboration, contributions, and deep conversations. My PLN helps me stay connected and teaches me new things daily.  They also make me think when I should go deeper, laugh about life, and stretch where I need to grow.

My first blog post about NECC focuses on my PLN.  Why? Because the face-to-face conversations were the most valuable part of the conference.  Although there were many fabulous workshops taking place, I gained much more from the networking connections with people at the Blogger’s cafe, on twitter, and in backchannels.

Here are a few things to consider when making connections at a conference:

1.  Plan to meet your PLN.

The best part of being at NECC was spending time, in person, with many of the people in my learning community. It was an amazing and surreal experience.   How fun to be able to tweet my location and have people run over to say hello.  I connected with virtual friends even up to the last day of the conference.  I will have a new experience when I see their name on a tweet or read their blog post, having met them in person.

I enjoyed meeting new people to add to my learning community.  It’s neat how you can just meet someone, and by the end of the conference, feel as though you’ve known him or her for years.  I will miss hanging out.  It was an experience I’ll treasure.

2.  Plan to meet the well-connected people.

Besides hanging out with my own tweeps, I made an effort to introduce myself to those well-connected bloggers in our midst.  We all learn from them.  Why not say hello?  Sure, sometimes people put them up on a pedestal (some put themselves there), but they are just regular people.  Unlike the experience this blogger had, I found value from our exchanges.  Taking an interest in what they are up to, as well as being able to share I’m doing, made for great conversation.

Angela Maiers was one of those bloggers I’ve admired for a long time.  As I made my way over to introduce myself on the first day, she rushed over and kept hugging me.  She knew my name before I put my name tag on.  She asked me questions about the projects I’m involved in, and was such an encouragement to me.  Isn’t that just Angela, though?  I want to always be as authentic and caring. I want to give back as much as I get from my PLN.

3. Plan to meet the new people.

As equally important to not being star-struck with well-known bloggers, make a point to meet the new people.  Don’t just say hello, but engage!

I spent a lot of time at NECC in the blogger’s cafe’ and hallways.  You can tell who the new people are. They slowly walk up to the blogger’s cafe. They look around, then sneak in a few photos before finding a seat at the edge of the room.

I took a funny picture of a friend from the back, with the Teach42 blog on their laptop, and Steve Dembo standing right in front of them.  He was comparing the photo to see if it was actually Steve standing before him.  Of course, I then had to introduce myself to Steve, and then introduce the two of them, so they could have the chance to meet.  It was a great moment.

During the conference, I walked right up to people that didn’t seem to know anyone.  Many people, like myself, attend these conferences alone.  I asked them questions and listened intentionally.  Many times, we ended up exchanging business cards and sharing ideas.  Everyone has a story to tell.  It is so important at events like NECC, to include new people and make them feel valued.

Wait.  I’m new!

Which brings up another point.  Don’t wait for people to include you.  Reach out to others.

4. Plan to collaborate.

What should you do now that the conference is over?  Well, the conversations are only just beginning!  I plan to collaborate with a teacher on digital portfolios next fall.  I hope to work with another few teachers on a book discussion group.  I chatted with a few people about the possibility of co-presenting at future conferences.  A few of us discussed ideas for meet-ups.  Wikis were shared for global classroom connections.  The possibilities for collaboration are endless!

Read tweets and blogposts about the NECC experience.  Find them on twitter with the hashtag #NECC09.  Check out these blogs. Make a note if something resonates with you.  Contact those people you may want to work on a project with in the future.

5.  Plan to go deep!

Be authentic.  Of course, your PLN can be a valuable resource, but don’t let it stop there.  Go deep!  Look for ways to contribute to others.  I love what Beth Still has done in setting up the Help Send a Newbie to NECC project.  What a great way to give back.  There are many people who do this well that you can learn from.  Be part of a larger community of learners.

There were so many things I took away from the conference, which I’ll be blogging about in the next few days.  However, the exchanges and networking with others was the most valuable experience at NECC09. My PLN definitely rocks!