As a blogger for only a year now, I have tried not to revisit topics and be repetitive. There are some things however, that need to be revisited at certain times of the year. Just as: Thanksgiving brings on articles of thankfulness, Christmas brings on articles of Peace and Love, and New Years brings on articles of recent loss and future resolutions, this time of year brings on articles about Education Conferences. I guess that is because plans are being made to attend the largest conferences of the year. There does seem to be a change in the approach to connections, as well as anticipation and expectations of these conferences much of which may be attributed to Social Media.
As a classroom teacher I was very fortunate to serve for many years on the Board of Directors of NYSCATE, the Educational Technology group for New York educators. For the most part many Professional Education Organizations are run by administrators. I find nothing wrong with that, because running these organizations requires a certain skill set, as well as time commitment that fits the abilities of administrators better than those of classroom teachers. I understand that. I also understand that as much as any of these groups will deny it, there is a perspective or a focus of these conferences that leans more toward administrators than classroom teachers. That is fitting, since a majority of the attendees are administrators. With budgets as they are, it is reasonable that district should get more bang for their buck by sending their technology leaders as opposed to the technology users. This all makes sense in a world of top down management in education.
Of course these organizations will point out that a many of the workshops are done by classroom teachers, and that is true. The workshops and the Keynotes are all selected and approved by the organization leadership. This is not an attack on any organization. This seems to be how it has been done for years and that is the way it worked best. The need for me to explain all of this will enable me to point out the difference that Social Media is making in the process.
The development and broadening effects of Personal Learning Networks are giving educators facts and insights in education that were never before so readily available to them. Twitter, Twitter Chats, Nings, and Blogs are providing teachers with information in greater quantities and personally delivered to them. The direct contact and connections between educators is promoting more awareness, collaboration, and reflection on topics that concern them and their students directly. All of this prepares educators for dealing with conferences as they have not been able to do before.
Ironically, the social aspects of Social Media, in regard to teachers, are often overlooked. I know from experience that I have personal connections with many educators from around the world. When I think of what is meant by “colleagues”, I am no longer limited to the people I work with in a building. These global connections are real and in many instances, very strong connections. If I was traveling, I know I could call upon many of my PLN members for a place to stay if needed. I can’t say that about most people with whom I work.
If I attend a conference, I may very well have had personal contact with many of the attendees, as well as possibly the Keynote Speaker. This is an experience I have had on several occasions at conferences over the past year. At a recent conference, I entered an auditorium to listen to a Keynote speech a few minutes after it began. I entered the auditorium at the back and the seats were all filled to see a great presentation on Blogging as Educators. It was standing room only, and that is what I did at the back of the big room. It was after a minute or so, that the speaker saw me at the back, stopped the speech, and said hello to me. Lisa Nielsen, a great blogger, speaker and wonderful person has been connected with me for quite a while through our PLN’s. Her Blog is The Innovative Educator, http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/ . This never would have happened without the Social Media connection. This is an experience that, to some degree, is common to many Twitter-Using Educators as they attend conferences. This more solid the connection with educators, whose ideas we are familiar with, and whose lives have in some part been shared, make for a more meaningful conference experience.
A greater effect that Social Media is having on Professional Organization Conferences is the whole Edcamp movement. More and more Edcamps, or Teachmeets are cropping up all over the country, or more accurately the world. These conferences are free to participants. Teachers step up and volunteer to present a workshop or a discussion in a certain time slot. Any educator interested in attending all or any part of that workshop may do so. These are organized and publicized using Social Media. I call it a movement because of the number and frequency that I am observing as these pop up around the world. In addition, to Edcamps, we are seeing more and more Free Webinars for teachers being presented through Ning and Wiki sites.
All of this exchange of ideas and collaboration prepares educators to know what they need as individuals from these conferences. It also enables them to knowledgeably tweet out comments from workshops and Keynotes to the twitter stream engaging educators who are unable to personally attend. This ”Backchanneling” holds presenters accountable to be prepared and relevant. All of these factors are enabling Social Media to give a face lift to Professional Organization Conferences.
Finally, I love meeting my PLN members at conferences. I have a problem recognizing them in person and I realize that we all have that problem. I have created my Twitter name tag to address this issue. I used my Twitter Profile Pic, and @tomwhitby on a second name tag that I wear to all conferences. The Hawaiian Shirt may also help identify me.
This year I decided I wanted to try to attend local teacher conferences I learn about through my Twitter PLN. I’ll be attending TeachMeetNJ in March, and am looking for tips on what to do when attending conferences for the first time. Thanks for the Twitter name-tag idea! 🙂
You and I will meet there. I am attending the same conference. Look for a confused guy wearing a Hawaiian Shirt and a Twitter Name Tag.
May be…
“Facebook is for friends who have become strangers.
Twitter is for strangers who should become friends.”
Unkown tweet
I haven’t been to many conferences this year except the big state one last fall. I did, however, spend a great couple of hours after school on Friday at Caribou as the snow piled up on the streets, again, with a Twitter mate that I don’t see only rarely. We talked about the upcoming district 3 Year Tech Plan conference session.
The list of attendees for that gathering is about 80 persons long – there are three classroom teachers included on the list. And, that’s the problem with tech planning, I think. It’s being done by people other than teachers and all too often does not require the collaboration of even the non-teachers who are charged with developing and overseeing curriculum. Tech is still viewed by most of the 80 people who will participate in this upcoming tech planning as something other than curriculum. It gets lumped in with the other ‘facilities’ like toilet paper, floor wax, and bus tires – all things that are necessary for a school but not in quite the same way as ‘tech.’
I was thinking about the beauty of connecting, as you mentioned, Tom, in your post with my colleagues beyond the building and district when I wrote this – http://developingprofessionalstaff-mpls.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html
You’ve hit the nail on the head. I’d been following Lisa for only a short while, but then she posted a timely Tweet while I was working on a webinar presentation for edWeb.net – a PLN for educators. I responded, and voila! A week later, she actually attended the webinar and she was amazing – really made a powerful impact.
You, by the way have just done the same thing. I am working on a piece about professional development in the 21st century, and here is your post (which Lisa just Tweeted). This is very timely indeed. Thank you!
:-)ML
Tom,
We provide an interesting perspective and with credibility since you have served on the NTSCATE board for so long. Like the classroom, social media is drastically changing the face of PD for the better. Through Twitter and blogs, etc PD is now much more specific, personal, timely, and relevant to each individual who CHOOSES to engage.
I participated in my first eConference last weekend and it was definitely a unique experience. It has forced me to think how I can use social media with my staff to increase collaboration and professional learning. I have a staff of 160 teachers so face to face time with eachother is rare.keep up the good work!
I’ll be at Educon this year and TeachMeetNJ so I hope to see you at one or the other. It’s so exciting to see how things have changed since even 10 years ago when my Mom was teaching in NJ.
I love the idea of a twitter name tag, I surely don’t look exactly as I did 4 years ago when that photo was taken 🙂
Are you behind the “Educon for N00bs” tip list? I saw the link go out for tips, but wasn’t sure where/when/how the tips would be released. Thanks!
The Educator’s PLN has a group of educator’s who will also be attending Educon 2.3. Please consider joining that group. You can meet, plan, and collaborate with many of these people before that conference begins. http://edupln.com/group/educon23.
I’m new to this whole Social Networking/advocacy thing… I have connected with a few people, and we are building a community of our own online (ours has a pretty unique twist)… question is, I don’t necessarily know how to “get the word out there” I have a Twitter Account, but no followers (its how I get my news). Any suggestions – you all seem so successful at it!
I go to conferences, and never have time to talk with people… just listen for 8 hours…
@Education4Real
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