Today, I'm definitely geeking out and stalking on what's happening at #FETC. I absolutely wish I was at the conference, doing sweet stuff and learning interesting things. Thinking about being there got me wondering if there is a noticeable benefit derived from attending these huge {awesome} Ed Tech conferences. When registration opens on them (FETC, ISTE, etc), I convince myself that I can learn all of this following on Twitter and discovering on my own, which is probably true... ...however, I think the REAL benefit gained from attending these (or any industry) conferences is momentum and excitement. I'm lucky enough in my job to have some (not a lot) time to discover new things and try them out, which I do. But as excited as I get about many of these innovative ideas, I have reasonably few options to share them and whip up some true momentum for me (and my staff). Many of my staff think I'm nuts...I mean who gets THAT excited about Technology? I use Google Hangouts, FaceTime, and messaging about EdTech to my awesome Tech Coach network, but there's something contagious about being immersed in something for 2-3 days with people who share that same passion. It doesn't even come down to you telling people or discussing these ideas at the event. At a good one, there's an energy that you can feel...a buzz of ideas and innovation and excitement. That's what I'm missing in my office. It's not getting interrupted, it's not having to run to meetings, or the noise from the hall...it's the isolation associated with being the only person on a staff doing what I do. So next time Margaret asks me to go to a conference with her, I'm going to do it. Comments are closed.
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Kendra MurphyI'm a Technology Coach and IT Support for a school. I'm passionate about 1:1 classrooms technology in instruction. Archives
September 2015
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