TxDLA: The Recap
March 28, 2008
Some Ideas
- Use a wiki to use with the ASK Process. (Thank you, Audra!) I think this might be a great fit. Each class could have a page and if I teach them how to use the comments that might work for talking about how to select and develop good questions.
- Teaching the interactive web technologies with paper simulations first. (Thank you, Linda McDonald and Ken Conn)
- “Let them die.” I try to support and scaffold experiences for teachers so that they can be successful. Am I robbing them of an opportunity to learn? One presentation on how to learn to teach online said to “let them die” which relates to how most people learn to use video games by crashing and dying and then figuring out what not to do again. Expectation failure.
- Work on developing some framework for successful projects or collaboration implementation. There are so many moving pieces and so many ways for things to go wrong. This was the topic of our first session today and it continues to be the biggest challenge for “backyard treasures”, “grow your own” type events.
Technology
- Videoconference connections were outstanding!
- Polycom HD connection was perfect with Dave Carey.
- Internet connections were awful…many presenters could not even get Internet access. I could not even tether my Blackberry.
- There are some people trying to get the blogging and Twittering going. Didn’t work too well. (See #2.)
- We need to continue to use the technology in our personal practice and within the organization. I am seeing more and more use of the supportive technologies.
People
- There were about 20 people from schools in our region in attendance at the conference. Three years ago there were only 4 attending.
- People came from Indiana, Ohio, Kansas, Arkansas, South Dakota and many more places. It is great to see the conference and the organization continue to grow and nurture more innovation and creativity.
- The networking portion of the conference is amazing. TxDLA has a very different feel from CILC Symposium. K-12 has a significant presence and so many people who are willing to share and to help each other out.
Posted in Conferences, TxDLA
content rss
Some people trying blogging and Twittering? Those were officially created by the conference committee. Actually, the blogging and twittering worked out better than we expected, even with the bad Internet connection. I’m not sure what standard you are using to say that they didn’t work, but considering that they were both put together about two weeks before the conference started and we weren’t able to really get the word out, I would say we got a great response. Definitely better than last year. I also spoke with well over a hundred people that said they loved the Twitter even though they didn’t have time to participate. The general impression we got was that they worked great.
I liked Dave Carey’s presentation, but had a hard time paying attention to it. I just don’t find talking heads on a video screen to be that engaging. To me, that just seemed like a selfish attempt to show off a vendor’s equipment (since Polycom sponsored that speech). He mentioned that he flew into Austin the night before. He could have as easily flew into Houston and drove to Galveston.
Hi, Matt,
The point I was attempting to make was that the Internet connection was so frustrating for many and that had it been easier to get connected and to use our phones, there would have been more activity on the Twitter and more comments on the blog. The team working on technology did an outstanding job but I could tell that at times they were frustrated too.
I talked to people that loved the Twitter and I also talked to many who would have joined in if they could have connected.
I am thankful to see the organization using these technologies and hope to have better connection next year. I would also be glad to help with the blogging of some of the sessions.
Thanks for sharing your perspective on the Carey presentation. I mainly work with videoconferencing so it did not bother me. I think that it was great to show off the equipment in an engaging presentation. Wimba had a classroom in the panel discussion. Jan tried to get Alan November to integrate the video from the CILC/Tandberg Kids Creating Content contest. It is the nature of the conference….captive audience and vendors want to showcase their products.
Thanks for commenting,
Roxanne
I heartly agree with this comment. The twittering and blogging went quite well and I sincerely hope we do it again next year!
First I just want to say that I understand and appreciate the commitment that people are making in volunteering within the TxDLA and am pleased to continue to see new names involved. The networking issues and poor phone coverage had to have a large impact of how active people could be with blogging or twittering. Heck, we couldn’t even access the Internet for a presentation I was involved with on Tuesday afternoon that REVOLVED AROUND taking the audience through all of the tools on the TxDLA website. Hopefully the Corpus Christi Convention Center will be better suited for these activities and they will be used again next year. I’d also like to see some students from the local high schools and even higher education institutions get involved with the conference next year. They could help with keeping the live web technologies active and updated with pictures, video, & text as well as do some reporting from the floor, and even moderating sessions and greeting at meals and special sessions. I think having a local high school band play at lunch on Wednesday was a positive step to making this happen.
Dave Carey not engaging?!?!? Are you serious?!?!? I’ve probably seen over 20 keynote presentations in my life and that was hands down the best that I have had the pleasure of attending. With the connection so clear and his message touching my core, the technology disappeared for me. In my opinion, calling the presentation a “selfish attempt to show off a vendor’s equipment” belittles the experience. As far as him flying into Austin instead of Houston and driving into Galveston, it could be that he had other business in that area which made that a better option for him. I don’t know that, but it is certainly a possibility. Anyway, I thank you for sharing your comments Matt as they have once again helped remind me that there are many different perspectives to any situation and we all should share them with one another in an attempt to make future experiences richer for everyone.
Ken
Ken - just to point out, I did not say that Dave Carey was not engaging. I said that the technology used was distracting. In fact, I said “I liked Dave Carey’s presentation.” I also did talk to someone on the committee that did say that flying in to Houston was a possibility for Dave. Personally, I don’t find presenters that sit down very engaging, so matter how interesting their speech was. I also spoke to several other people that felt the same way. But I also spoke to others that didn’t mind. We all have different opinions. That’s why I pointed out that this was my opinion by saying “To me…”
I’m used to tuning out the talking head on the video screen (television), so I actually nodded off during the presentation, even though I thought his message was wonderful. Of course, there were other general sessions that proved to be even less engaging, but over all I was pleased with the general sessions at TxDLA. I know that the vendors are going to want to show-off their product at conventions like this, but I personally disagree with this practice. Dave Carey is someone that would probably be very animated and interesting to see in person, on a stage where he can move around. To make people watch him on a screen just to show off your product does qualify as a little selfish in my opinion. But they are the sponsor, so they can do what they want.