Northwest PA Association for Educational Communication and Technology
Reflection - Crosspost from district blog
(http://dasdtips.blogspot.com)
On Saturday, March 29th, Nicole Hill and I ventured north to attend the NPAECT day-conference. I have to admit that I really love this concept. Yes, it was a 2 1/2 hour drive for Nicole and I, but that just gave us a chance to chat and reflect.
As a participant in large events like NECC and PETE&C I know the feeling of being completely overwhelmed within hours of the opening keynote. At NECC in Atlanta, I was physically and emotionally drained by lunch. My brain screamed at the prospect of 3 more days of new information. I spent about 2 hours each night making sure that I organized my thoughts in an attempt to make room for the next wave of ideas.
The NPAECT conference felt more like informal chat about teaching and learning than a life changing event. One can only take so many life changing events and it felt nice to just discuss. I also believe that this is an ideal way to introduce those that are wary about teaching and learning with technology without having them mentally check out. One day gives a person a chance to see, experience, and above all reflect with focus and purpose. All those that attended now have adequate time to absorb the information provided and see where it may impact their practice.
The conference was kicked of with a short talk from the Wattsburg Superintendent, Jay Badams (He shared the Medal of Honor Project which looked amazing, see an article here). He encouraged us to think "inside the box." "The box is good," he said and he has a great point. From an activity and socialization aspect, the "box" of the school district can provide so much more than cyber institution. If a school district can bridge the gap between what cyber provides and what the "box" has to offer, I believe the district would prove to be far superior. Teachers need to make a effort to prove that they have more to offer than a digitized curriculum. After all, "If you can be replaced by a computer you probably should be." - Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach
The conference provided 3 threads, Classroom Practice, Personal/Professional Learning, and Community Connection. Within those threads was a wide rang of discussions about collaborative tools, RSS, and even safe searches using Nettrekker di., a product that all of PA has access to. The best session that I personally attended was a small group that met with the purpose of discussing aggregation, but ended with a better understanding of 4 different public schools positions in PA. Guess what, we could all work together :) Collegiality is a wonderful concept.
I don't like to make my posts too long so I will end here. I want to add that this was the first year that this regional organization attempted to hold a conference. I for one think it was a success. I met great people, I had an excellent lunch, and I look forward to helping NPAECT in any capacity that I can. They are making an effort and it seems like people in the Erie area are listening. When you see a train staring to move you have to make the choice to jump on or let it pass you by. This one is worth traveling for.
See session information on Kyli's wiki http://edtechnation.pbwiki.com/
On Saturday, March 29th, Nicole Hill and I ventured north to attend the NPAECT day-conference. I have to admit that I really love this concept. Yes, it was a 2 1/2 hour drive for Nicole and I, but that just gave us a chance to chat and reflect.
As a participant in large events like NECC and PETE&C I know the feeling of being completely overwhelmed within hours of the opening keynote. At NECC in Atlanta, I was physically and emotionally drained by lunch. My brain screamed at the prospect of 3 more days of new information. I spent about 2 hours each night making sure that I organized my thoughts in an attempt to make room for the next wave of ideas.
The NPAECT conference felt more like informal chat about teaching and learning than a life changing event. One can only take so many life changing events and it felt nice to just discuss. I also believe that this is an ideal way to introduce those that are wary about teaching and learning with technology without having them mentally check out. One day gives a person a chance to see, experience, and above all reflect with focus and purpose. All those that attended now have adequate time to absorb the information provided and see where it may impact their practice.
The conference was kicked of with a short talk from the Wattsburg Superintendent, Jay Badams (He shared the Medal of Honor Project which looked amazing, see an article here). He encouraged us to think "inside the box." "The box is good," he said and he has a great point. From an activity and socialization aspect, the "box" of the school district can provide so much more than cyber institution. If a school district can bridge the gap between what cyber provides and what the "box" has to offer, I believe the district would prove to be far superior. Teachers need to make a effort to prove that they have more to offer than a digitized curriculum. After all, "If you can be replaced by a computer you probably should be." - Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach
The conference provided 3 threads, Classroom Practice, Personal/Professional Learning, and Community Connection. Within those threads was a wide rang of discussions about collaborative tools, RSS, and even safe searches using Nettrekker di., a product that all of PA has access to. The best session that I personally attended was a small group that met with the purpose of discussing aggregation, but ended with a better understanding of 4 different public schools positions in PA. Guess what, we could all work together :) Collegiality is a wonderful concept.
I don't like to make my posts too long so I will end here. I want to add that this was the first year that this regional organization attempted to hold a conference. I for one think it was a success. I met great people, I had an excellent lunch, and I look forward to helping NPAECT in any capacity that I can. They are making an effort and it seems like people in the Erie area are listening. When you see a train staring to move you have to make the choice to jump on or let it pass you by. This one is worth traveling for.
See session information on Kyli's wiki http://edtechnation.pbwiki.com/
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