As the K12 Online Conference gets closer, it’s time to start thinking about how you plan to participate in it. As I mentioned in a previous post, last year’s event was amazing and this years is shaping up to be even better, building on the successes and learning from the mistakes of the 2006 event.
I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of the organising team for promoting the conference, and we are currently coming up with a bunch of ideas for getting the word out about it. How do we spread the message to as many teachers as possible that this conference exists and the wonderful benefits of taking part in it? Here’s a couple of the main features of the event, as I see it…
- Our presenters will be some of the world’s best, most creative, most current, classroom practitioners using Web2.0. Think of the big ideas you will be exposed to!
- The presentations will all be in a digital format, enabling you to watch or listen to them, download and save them. You can take part in this event as it unfolds, or you can access is at any point in the future. If you want to get a feel for what’s on offer this year you can take a look at last year’s event… I’m sure you’ll get the general idea!
- There are plenty of ways to get involved in the conference as it unfolds, from live chats, Elluminate conference sessions, blogs and wikis, to the final As Night Falls session.
- There is no cost to attend. Yes, that’s right, it’s free. Which is actually a problem, because it might cause you to undervalue what’s on offer and that would be a real shame. What you will learn from this event is worth a great deal more than the pricetag might lead you to think!
Having said all that, there are a few teaser videos to get you thinking… You’ll find them all over at the K12 Online Conference website.
And don’t miss the opening keynote address on October 8th. Or, do miss it if you want to… it doesn’t really matter because you can get it anytime, but wouldn’t it be better to get involved in this event as it unfolds so you can take part in the conversation?
So don’t tell me “I wish I knew more about using technology in my classroom”. Don’t tell me “I just don’t have time”. Don’t whine anout the cost and inconvenience of attending worthwhile conferences. You have the opportunity here to take an active part in an excellent event with great information, zero cost, and complete flexibility. You have no excuses. If you’re serious about being a better teacher in the 21st century (and aren’t we all?) then you really ought to take part in the K12 Online Conference event.
On a personal note: I watched and listened to quite a few of the presentations from last year’s event. Not all of them but a lot of them. I can tell you that the handful of big ideas I picked up were extremely important and paradigm-shifting to the way I think about what I do as an educator. You really ought to take part in this event, even if you don’t do all of it. One good idea can make all the difference!
Tags: k12online07, k12online, conference, education
No Excuses, Just Do It by Chris Betcher is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
I wanted to get into the K12 online conference last year, but I suppose I found an excuse 🙂
Now I’m looking the pan the whole thing, but besides the cost factor, the other difference with an online conference would be that you don’t go anywhere – which also means you don’t leave your school, your class(es), and your teaching responsibilities. It would be great to see schools embrace such valuable professional development and support it through the provision of some release from class to participate. If a means of sharing the learning with the rest of the staff was properly negotiated, then the release time could be money well spent. After all, if you physically went to the conference, they’d have to call a casual in to replace you anyway!
Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach just introduced us. Gidday there from across the ditch.
Hi Allanah, thanks for stopping by to say G’day. Always nice to expand the circle of other bloggers. 🙂