Educational Conferences - Know Before You Go

I believe the most powerful tool in any teacher's toolbox is collaboration. This collaboration can take many paths, but an essential one is making connections with other educators. 

I am writing this post to encourage educators to find the time to attend an in-person conference in 2023. I think it is time for educators to find the time to engage in learning experiences outside of their schools and districts. These experiences can be virtual or in person. Some are free and some have registration fees. 

Today, I wanted to explore some ideas to help educators make the most of any in-person conference experience. In particular, I want to share 7 tips for educators to make the most out of any in-person conference experience. 

On a related note, next week I will share some of the conferences that are generating some buzz for the first half of 2023. Stay tuned ; )

While the focus of this post is conference attendance, I've also included a few additional resources for educators to learn and grow at the end of the post. I realize that no matter how important I believe attending conferences in person can be, it isn't always practical for all educators. 

Tip 1: Have a Plan Before Walking in the Doors

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 my students and how I can help them learn and grow. 
  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 and will share these digitally during the 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 exhibitor list and the presenter resources before attending the conference. 
  6. If one is available, download the Conference's App. Most conference apps will be the most updated resource available to attendees. 
  7. Have a plan to bring something back to your school or district. Hold yourself accountable to share something you learned with your students, a friend, or your colleagues. The more you share the more you learn!

Tip 2: Find Your Tribe - Collaboration Matters

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 when you sit down. 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.

Tip 3: Exhibitors Enhance The Experience - Make Time to Connect

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. 
  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.

Tip 4: Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

I am a high school science teacher and instructional technology coordinator. It would be easy to just attend sessions that connect to these roles, but some of my best experiences have been centered on topics that don't connect on the surface. For example,  I've had some incredible learning experiences attending sessions facilitated by elementary art educators. 

  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. 

Tip 5: Share and Explore in The Conferences Digital Spaces

Most conferences will provide one or more opportunities to share and connect digitally. These are typically Twitter Hashtags, but if you take some time there will probably be other digital options to share and collaborate. 

  1. 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. 
  2. 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 and other social feeds is essential. One of my favorite Twitter tools is lists. I always create a list for the conference and then add educators who are posting useful resources and ideas to this list. 
  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. Reflect on your learning experience at the end of the day and share 1 key takeaway using the conference hashtag. 

Tip 6: Essential Survival 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 or invest in portable laptop chargers and tablet/phone chargers! 
  2. Have you ever explored Rocket Books? Rocket Books are reusable notebooks that can be erased. You can also use the Rockebook App to bring your written notes to the cloud. 
  3. If you are curious about sketchnotes and visual thinking as part of your conference learning experience, be sure to check out this great book: The Conference Companion by Becky Green.

Tip 7: Make Time to Reflect and Share After the Conference

The best ideas and resources are only useful if we put them in play. Make sure you 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 and learning plans. 

Additional Learning Resources

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! #AlwaysLearning

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