Educon 2.4 Reflections 2012

Lisa & Liz Presenting at Educon 2.4

There is always so much to think about on the way home from Educon. And this year was no different. As I sit home unraveling my experience, I am feeling a mix of emotions. As always it was wonderful to see my old Educon friends and meet many new ones. I attended some interesting sessions, presented an Encienda (20 slides, 15 seconds per slide), and presented a session with Lisa Thumann.

Here are some of my take-aways.

Boy is this a heady experience! Educon lives in the brain. It is a conference of ideas and ideas and ideas. Each session tries to think positively about ways we can improve our educational system. When I leave the conference I often feel my head is going to explode. The next step is to take all of these swirling pieces of something in my brain and put them together to create an actionable step in my professional life. That is the biggest challenge.

Boy do I dislike panels. I finally came to the realization that I just don't like panels. It isn't the panelists, it isn't the setting, it isn't the topic, it is the structure itself. First of all, I'm not afraid to admit I have a short attention span. Listening to people talk, without being able to interact with them, is not my favorite type of learning. I can stand a lecture if it is well crafted with a story to tell and an interesting message. The problem with panels (for me) is that the topics jump all over the place. I often feel like the panelists are just vying to get their voices heard (as opposed to having something to say). There are occasionally bits of genius mixed in, but I find it hard to pay attention enough to catch them. This year I watched the Friday night panel in the overflow room (next year I might watch from Mace's crossing ;-). If I follow the Tweets, I might glean more than if I were in the room.

Boy does the Educon crowd use social media well. The aggregation of information through a single hashtag is brilliant. I know I can look back and learn from the sessions I couldn't attend. This level of comfort brings the technology the closest to "oxygen" than any conference I've been to.

Boy are there a lot of good teachers at Educon. Half of what I learn by attending sessions are pedagogical teaching methods and protocols that I can try in my classrooms. I don't just come away with ideas, I come away with methodologies that I can use to support learning (regardless of the content) with my students.

Boy have I heard a lot of this stuff before. I can't deny I'm getting a little jaded. Each year we talk about the same ideas - giving students more choice, students as teachers, problem based learning, innovation, 21st century learning, higher level thinking, blah blah blah blah blah.

Using the What if, and, and, and protocol introduced to me by David Jakes, What if Educon did the talking and the walking, and each one of us left with one concrete action that we could bring back to our schools, and we made a connection with one other person who promised to support us in that endeavor, and we publicly shared our progress on completing that action, and we came back each year and built on that action until all the little pieces made a big change? Wouldn't that be cool!

5 Things I Love about Educon

At my first Educon 2008

This will be my fifth Educon, and over time, my relationship with this conference has changed, from the freshman excitement of meeting everyone for the first time at Educon 2.0, to the highly anticipated sophomore year, when I couldn't wait to go back and see everyone, to my junior year, where the the familiarity of a place I know well led me to give some Educon advice, and finally my last year as a senior attendee I shared a bit of my disillusionment. And even though I should perhaps have graduated, I'm still committed to this extraordinary conference.

Here are a few reasons I keep going back.

1. The People - For this reason alone I would keep going back. My Twitter network came alive at my first Educon and now it feels like a reunion every time I go back. There are people there I only see once or twice a year, with whom I have developed strong relationships. Every year I add more people to the list. 


2. The Conversations - I can always count on having interesting conversations with people who are facing the same issues I am at their schools. In so many places I am ahead of the pack, doing things others have yet to try.  Not so at Educon, where I can always find someone who is far ahead of me. I learn so much from those folks. 


3. The SLA students - I am always impressed and inspired by the kids who help run this conference. They are an example to me of what students can accomplish if they are given the responsibility, trust and inspiration that The Science Leadership Academy provides for them.


4. The Challenge - Challenge comes in many forms at Educon, there are people who challenge your beliefs and ask tough questions. There are events that require meeting people you don't know (which can be scary at times). And this year I am challenging myself to do an Encienda Educon presentation, something I have never done before.


5. The Sessions - I guess it is ironic that the actual sessions are last on my list. I certainly have not forgotten them. I always enjoy both presenting and attending sessions with this community. There are som many great sessions to choose from, it can be difficult to choose one.

Liz and Lisa

And then there are the purely personal reasons. Hanging out with people I have grown to love, driving 3 blocks down the road when we should be walking, laughing at Chris Craft as he freezes his South Carolina tush off, following around "my conference wife" Lisa Thumann, eating some delicious Philly steak, catching up with Joyce Valenza, David Jakes, Alec Couros and so many more I can't name them all here.

I can't believe it is less than a week away. See y'all there!

You've got to accentuate the positive...

Eliminate the negative

And latch on to the affirmative

Don't mess with Mister In-Between

My recent experience at Educon has lead to a lot of soul searching and thinking for me. We talk so much about change in education, new skills, things students and teachers and administrators need to do differently. And yes there are many things that need to change, should change, have to change. But there are also many things that work really well in education, in the schools we went to, the schools we work in, the schools we visit, and the schools our children attend.

I just started reading The Power of Appreciate Inquiry. A Practical Guide to Positive Change. I am loving this approach which involves "uncover[ing] and bring[ing] forth existing strengths, hopes, and dreams-to identify and amplify the positive core of the organization." I think this approach has great potential to give us a new lens to identify where schools should be going.

So let's make the glass half full. What would you keep? What are you doing in your school that works? What are some of the essential elements of schooling that you feel should stay the same?

Here are a two of my keepers:

• Face to face conversations between kids and adults when we are engaged and thinking and passionate about our ideas.
• The energy that comes from searching, exploring and uncovering the answer to a burning question, in myself and in my students.

Appreciative Inquiry suggests that we get what we study. If we focus on what is wrong, we get more of what is wrong. "We do not describe the world we see, we see the world we describe."

What great things are happening at your school? How can we take those positive stories and build on them? Please share your keepers.

My Educon Struggle

I've been really struggling to put together my thoughts on Educon this year. I think part of my problem is I had really high expectations. The first Educon in 2008 was so groundbreaking for me. I met so many people in my PLN for the first time. I got to know people I had previously only seen on stage. I experienced a conference as a series of conversations rather than presentations. I talked about ideas constantly with people who had similar passions. It was a heady, empowering, life changing event for me.

I know from reading Tweets, reading blog posts, and talking to people that for many this describes their Educon experience. While I did have a great time seeing people I only see once a year, meeting people face to face for the first time, and bringing a colleague from my school, I'm not sure what I learned. That is very difficult for me to write. I know I learn constantly and I certainly took back some good ideas. But many of the sessions, all of them well done, felt like things we have been talking about forever.

I'm tired. I'm tired of complaining about what schools aren't doing. I'm tired of lamenting what kids aren't learning. I'm tired of struggling to figure out effective professional development. I'm exhausted by the term 21st century skills.

I left Educon sadder than I arrived and I feel guilty about my sadness. I don't want to make anyone feel bad. The sessions were excellent. The SLA team of students and teachers and administrators did an incredible job organizing and putting this event together. I'm trying to figure myself out.

Does anyone else feel this way? Am I crazy? What do you think?

David Warlick's Wordle of Educon Tweets:

10 Ways to Get the Most out of Educon

This will be my fourth Educon conference. It is my favorite conference of the year. My PLN comes alive. I love seeing everyone in person. For many of us, this is the one time a year we get to connect face to face. For those of you who are new to Educon, here are a few suggestions for how to get the most out of your experience.

1. If you have time, visit SLA while it is in session. You will get a chance to see how amazing the students are during the conference, but it is truly incredible to discover that they are like that during the regular school day. SLA student love to talk about their school. They give great tours and will answer any and all of your questions. If you don't have time, don't worry, you will still get a sense of the school throughout the conference.

2. Say hello to everyone. If you see people you know from your Online life, don't be afraid to introduce yourself. If you see me wandering around and you read my blog, please say hello to me. I met Lisa Thumann at my first Educon and we have become great friends. Educon is not a place to be shy. Everyone is friendly and hoping to meet you. The most powerful part of the conference is the people. Don't let that pass you by.

3. Go to the social events. Friday night before the panel there are usually people at TGI Fridays.

After the panel, people often hang out at Mace's Crossing. Saturday night at Rembrandts is definitely worth the cab ride over. It is a very casual atmosphere and it is a great time to talk about what you learned during the day.

4. Dress warmly, casually and wear comfortable shoes. You will probably be walking back and forth from the hotel to SLA. Some lazy people (like Lisa and I) drive in the morning, but most people walk. From the Windsor Suites it takes about 10 - 15 minutes. It is a little further to the Franklin Institute. It is cold in Philly and the sidewalks are likely to be slushy. The general vibe at Educon is very casual. Some people change for the evening activities (like me), but it is still a very laid back atmosphere. I also suggest layers in SLA, as some rooms are warm and others can be cold.

5. Take time to reflect. Towards the end of the day on Saturday you will likely be feeling some information overload. Don't be afraid to skip a session and sit in the library at SLA. Write a blog post, talk to some people or just follow the #Educon twitter stream. You can't do everything and you might find your conversation there is the high point of your trip.

6. Tweet lots! If you have never used Twitter before, Educon is the best place to give it a try. Search the Twitter Hashtag #Educon or follow my Educon Twitter List (let me know if you need to be added to it) and let the back channel be part of your learning experience. And don't just lurk, join in. Share something you have learned, an interesting idea, a good link, a question or an answer. Take full advantage of this PLN developing opportunity.

7. Be fully present. Educon flies by. The weekend will be over before you know it. Try to experience it fully. Go to lots of sessions, go out with people you have just met, hang out with people you never see, stay up as late as you can. It only happens once a year. Make the most of the experience.

8. Find a different staircase. The elevators can get really crowded, as can the front bathrooms. There are additional bathrooms hidden on each floor and staircases too. Don't be afraid to ask a student to show you a secret back way.

9. Don't be late for lunch. The lunch line gets really long and the tables fill up. If you can, get there early. Head right for lunch after your session. This is not the time to stop and chat. You can always talk after you get your box lunch.

10. One thing you can skip. If you have to miss something, the Saturday morning keynote is the thing to miss. It is usually a district administrator (this year it is the deputy superintendent) and tends to be on the political side, ie- lots of words signifying nothing.

Most importantly, have a great time! Please leave a comment with your suggestions. Hope to see you there!

Anticipating Educon

The Educon 2.2 conference is only 6 days away. Educon is one of my favorite conferences of the year. It brings together the top thinkers in education and provides an environment perfect for learning from others. This will be my third Educon and knowing how fast it goes by, I'm trying to savor every minute that leads up to it.

Lisa Thumann is my conference buddy. We met three years ago at Educon and hit it off immediately. We both have two kids at home, so a trip away is both exciting and difficult for both of us. We try to make the most of our freedom, but feel the pull of home in the background. Sadly, we only see each other twice a year, at Educon and at BLC. So we tend to be a bit attached at the hip when we are together.

This year I am flying down to Educon with Danja Mahoney (also a mother of two little ones), who I met last year at Educon 2.1. Lisa is picking us up at the airport and then the fun/learning begins. Hopefully we will have time for something to eat before heading over to the panel discussion at the Franklin Institute. Last year I met a bunch of my PLN at TGI Fridays before the panel. I hope we have time to do that again.

The panel topic this year is "What is Smart?" A topic near to my heart if you follow this blog and know how much I'm into Carol Dweck and her "You're not born smart, you get smart" philosophy. I'm interested to see what the panelists have to say and if Dweck comes up in their conversation. I hope she does.

After the panel there is a reception which always feels like a whirlwind of seeing people that I know Online, but haven't met or see only rarely. There is also a meetup of Independent School educators planned by Jim Heynderickx. This will be the beginning of being pulled in many directions. So much to do, so little time.

This year I am only presenting one session on Sunday, so that leaves Saturday pretty stress free for me, except for deciding which of all the amazing sessions to attend. I'll be Tweeting a lot from the conference. You can follow my experience through Twitter. I also have put togehter a Twitter list of Educon Attendees. If you follow the list you should be able to get a taste of what is going on (let me know if you aren't on the list and I'll add you). All of the sessions at Educon are streamed live. So even if you can't attend live, you can always attend virtually.

The Sunday morning panel features former Watertown, MA resident Michael Horn. I met Michael and interviewed him a while back, but haven't seen him since he moved to sunny California. I'm looking forward to hearing what he has to say and saying hello.

Lisa and I are facilitating a session on Sunday on Managing Filter Failure, Getting to the Good Stuff. We are going to use a modified Ping Pong protocol to help participants get to the heart of the problem. And then we are going to brainstorm some solutions. This will be a true conversation, no slideshows or presentation planned. I'm looking forward to seeing what we all can come up with when we put such great minds together. Although, we are up against a lot of big names during our session - hopfully we will get a few people to come brainstorm with us.

Shortly after our session it will be time to head out. I know how fast it all goes by. I'm savoring every moment leading up to it and will try to stay Zen about making the most of the experience. I'm sure I'll be blogging about it when I return. Looking forward to seeing some of you there! Be sure to say hello!