Yesterday was the second EduBloggerCon which I have attended. Unlike the first one I attended at NECC-Atlanta, I was not anticipating this as much as I did last year. Part of it was wondering if this event was overly hyped and would not be able to meet the higher expectations. My experience this year was one which was mixed. I enjoyed being able to connect with friends, both old and new, and I did participate in a few sessions, such as the discussion of Clay Shirkey’s Here Comes Everybody, that captured the essense and excitement that I felt last year. […]

This morning while trying to process EduBloggerCon, I went to my RSS reader to see what others were thinking and saying. I came upon Jeff Utecht’s post about his experiences at EduBloggerCon and it piqued my interest. I too worry about the impact that a scheduled NECC Unplugged will have on the spontaneous nature of the Blogger’s Cafe and the informal connections which were made last year in Atlanta. This was best  demonstrated in Atlantanwhen we commundeared a plasma display to hold impromptu demonstrations where were were all able to learn. Since this is my first visit to San Antonio, […]

In my last post, I shared my strategies for surviving NECC from a professional standpoint, that fact that you need to be willing to take risks and connect with others, for we have much to learn from one another. Today, I want to focus on the other aspects that I feel are important to survive NECC. Fruits and Vegetables – One has to pay attention to making sure that you get proper nurishment, including fruits and vegetables. Too many fast foods will tire you out. Exercise – I find that a good walk to and from the convention center to […]

NECC is a large conference, attended by thousands of people. It is easy to get overwhelmed with the multitude of sessions, informal learning opportunities, and the exhibit hall. The sights and sounds can stimulate to the point where you are overloaded and may shut down. Ryan Bretag alerted me to a post on the Langwitches blog, about paying attention, which I believe is relevant to survive a conference like NECC. While at NECC, in addition to listening to those EdTech folks who are known on a first name basis (Will, Davids, Wes, Sheryl, Hall, etc.), make sure that you connect […]

Dear ISTE, First, thank you for putting on a great conference. This gathering of educators who are looking to embed technology into their classrooms is one of the highlights of my year. I gather many new ideas and make many great friends from the conversations that you enable me to have by assembling this massive group of people. Secondly, thank you for providing the space for the second EduBloggerCon this year. I had gone to many NECCs in the past, but this single event provided for me more contact with people who inspire me, challenge my thinking, and have helped […]