Making the Most of Any Educational Conference Experience

“Think and wonder, wonder and think.” - Dr. Seuss

I have a few confessions to share before I talk about making the most of any educational conference experience. I am not shy, I don't think I am too socially awkward, but I am an introvert. Don't get me wrong, I love to collaborate and make new connections with educators. The problem can be that these social interactions are exhausting for me. I enjoy the moments of collaboration and connection, but sometimes by the end of a busy day at a conference, I feel completely drained and desperately need some downtime. 

During my first 10 years as an educator, I rarely felt the need to attend educational conferences. I never really felt the advantages outweighed the disadvantages. When I was asked to attend a conference, I was the guy who found a seat in the back of the room and kept to myself. I took notes and answered questions, but this was mostly done in isolation. I enjoyed the learning experience but I mostly kept the learning to myself.  

I learned a few years ago that the best conference experiences are best when not done in isolation. I have attended quite a few conferences as both an attendee and presenter and I am writing this post to share some of my tips about making the most of the experience. Take it from me, you don't be the teacher sitting in the back of the room disengaged from a greater learning experience. 

Plan Your Day in Advance

This seems like a no brainer, but I am always amazed by the number of teachers frantically flipping through a paper program each morning or between sessions at a conference. Planning in advance is more than just picking sessions based on titles or presenters. 

1. Start by exploring your why. Knowing your why before exploring the sessions is a great way to set the stage for an awesome learning experience. I always start with the mindset that everything I do starts with students in mind. 
2. It is always good to have a backup plan. Pick 2 or 3 sessions during each session time frame that connect to your why. You might arrive and find a session full, or maybe a session just isn't meeting your needs. It is ok to switch sessions, really it is. 
3. If you are attending with other educators from your school or district, have a plan before the conference. Attending sessions together is a great way to collaborate, but sometimes a bit of divide and conquer can lead to some great reflective sharing after the sessions. 
4. Know how you are going to take notes and have a plan to share those notes. If I know that someone else will be seeing my notes it helps keeps me accountable and I am less impacted by other digital distractions. I personally love Google Docs for notes. If you are curious about what my notes look like, here is a sample from the upcoming 2019 ASCD Empower19 conference. 
5. Dive into the conference website and explore other opportunities at the conference outside of the schedule of sessions. If available, find and explore the exhibitors list and the presenter resources before attending the conference. 
6. If one is available, download the Conference's App. 
7. Have a plan to bring something back to your school or district. The more you share the more you learn!

Find Your Tribe

I work with some awesome educators and attending a conference with some of my colleagues is part of a great conference experience. I love having the opportunity to collaborate and sometimes just hang out with my teaching friends, but I do my best to try to make new connections and meet presenters and attendees who I only know through social media. 

1. Introduce yourself to other attendees. A smile and asking someone you don't know how their day is going can open a door to a great collaborative learning experience. Connecting with educators from other schools is a great way to learn something new that you can bring back to help your students. 
2. Presenters are there to meet new people. Try to find a moment before or after a presentation to ask a question or just say thank you.
3. The easiest way to remember who you meet is to make a connection on social media. For me, Twitter is still the easiest way to connect digitally. You can even quickly share your Twitter contact information with anyone using this quick Twitter Tip that I learned at the 2018 ISTE Conference.

Connect With Exhibitors

The exhibit hall is a great space to learn about new EdTech resources and tools to support learning in your classroom. You can also find some great "swag" and other valuable resources at the exhibitor booths. Connecting with exhibitors is a great way to add a little something extra to your learning experience.

1. Find the exhibitor list on the conference website and make a plan to visit at least 5 exhibitors that you are curious about. I always make a list ahead of time and add it to a Google Keep Note. I like Google Keep because I can make a checklist on my phone. Here is a sample note for the 2019 ASCD Empower Conference. 
2. Don't just stop for the swag and run. Take a moment to have a conversation with some of the exhibitors who you are curious about. Many of the exhibitors were teachers before moving into their new roles. Connections with these people can often have a bigger impact than just connecting with the company.
3. Connect with the exhibitors via social media. A shoutout on social media with the conference hashtag is another great way to make new connections. Many conferences exist through the support of exhibitors. 
4. You never know when you might be presented with an opportunity to request a new EdTech tool for your classroom. Knowing about some of the resources and tools before you use them is a great place to start these conversations.

Attend at Least One Session That is Out  of Your Comfort Zone

I was at the NICE Minicon a year ago and there were some great sessions connected to my why, but some of my best learning moments were in a session led by a K-5 Art Teacher. I knew the educator from social media, but never really thought that I could make connections to my classroom by attending one of her sessions. 

1. Find a session title that catches your interest that would not be a session you might normally connect to. Be curious!
2. Attend a session with a presenter outside of your grade level or content area. 
3. Sometimes listening to someone with a different perspective can spark some great creative ideas that can be applied in a new way to teaching and learning experiences. 

Engage in the Digital Conversations

There is nothing wrong with a tweet or two letting everyone know which sessions you are enjoying, but it is the conversations that can really make all the difference. 

1. Organizing your social media feed is essential. There is not always enough time to be in person and virtual so having a plan for twitter is a must. 
   Twitter Tips - The Power of Twitter Notifications and More Tools to Streamline Your Twitter Experience
2. While there are many great ways to connect to a Digital PLN, Twitter still seems to be the place to be for educational conferences. Set aside some time t find and explore the conference hashtag before, during, and after the conference. You never know what you might discover. 
3. Liking tweets is a great way to acknowledge someone's time, but commenting on a tweet can make someone's day.
4. Ask and reply to questions. Have an actual digital conversation. Most educators who share something on social media are looking to do more than just post and run. 
5. I recommend creating a Twitter list of presenters and attendees. Lists are a great way to narrow down some of the clutter that such a busy conference hashtag will generate.
6. Reflect on your learning experience at the end of the day and share 1 key takeaway using the conference hashtag. 

The Essential Supplies

I would start with a Laptop. Macbook. or a Chromebook. Tablets and mobile devices are ok, but there will be sessions where having a full sized screen and keyboard are a huge bonus. I also like to have a pad of paper or notebook for some sketchnotes and brainstorms on the side. I also recommend bringing a refillable water bottle and some snacks to keep your energy levels up. Finally, I think it is important to dress in layers. The temperature can vary a bit in different spaces at a larger conference. 

1. Don't forget those charging cords! 
2. Have you ever explored Rocket Books? Rocket Books are reusable notebooks that can be erased. You can also use the Rockebook App bring your written notes to the cloud. 
3. If you are curious about sketchnotes and doodles as part of your conference learning experience, be sure to check out this great book: The Conference Companion by Becky Green.

Finally, make sure you have have a plan to bring at least one thing that you learned back to your school. It is too easy to get back into the rush of school and never connect your conference learning experience to your teaching plans.

Thanks for reading. If you have any additional suggestions please add them to the comments below. If we ever have the chance to meet at a conference I would love a high five or a "What's Up". It might wear me out a bit, but it will be worth it!