I had the opportunity to attend the OESIS West Conference
last week and was reminded of the value of a conference. I attended some really
interesting sessions and heard some great keynotes. I was really looking
forward to hearing Angela Maiers
speak and she certainly lived up to her reputation. I was blown away when she
introduced Brigadier General John Michel, Commanding
General NATO Air Training Command - Afghanistan, to share how technology is
changing lives for the better in Afghanistan. I had the opportunity to present
a few sessions and have some great dialogue with educators who are passionate
about using blended and online learning to reach students. The added bonus is
that I was in Los Angeles and dodged another winter storm back home in Ohio.
But neither the change of scenery nor the sessions/keynotes are what I will carry
back with me as a reminder of my conference experience.
For me, it’s the relationships that I formed while attending
the conferences that will help me to continue to grow professionally. The real
learning didn’t happen in the sessions or keynotes as I sat passively and
listened (even though the content was good).
The real learning happened in the halls between the sessions, at the
social events, on Twitter, during meals, anywhere that people who were fueled
by the interest to improve education were congregating, talking, and
networking. It was the sessions that sparked many of these conversations, but
the real value came from continuing those conversations.
Conferences are a great opportunity to get away from our
home base, our comfort zone, and expand our thinking by networking and
connecting with others who may have a different perspective but share the same
passion.
It can be totally awkward to talk to someone you never met
or just walk up to someone you know from social media and say “Hi”, but in
every case it is worth the risk. It’s in these unique moments that we build
relationships with folks who will continue to challenge, inspire, and help us
grow. In return, we get to do the same
for them.
If the real learning happens, for adults, in the conversations
and relationships, don’t you think the same can hold true for students? Are we
building in enough time for them to collaborate, discuss, and connect their
learning with their peers, both inside and outside of our classrooms? Blended
and online learning can be a bridge to open up new collaborative opportunities
for students. Education isn’t about how much we teach in a 50-minute period,
it’s about how much they take with them and use over a lifetime.
