Can Ed Tech Conferences Be More Meaningful?

In the last few months, SCETV and Greenville County School District offered free conferences for educators. Free meaning there was no registration charge to attend.  While I enjoyed attending each--mainly to reconnect with colleagues and make new connections--I could not shake the feeling that a huge something was missing.  It's the same feeling I get when I attend SC EdTech conference held every October at Myrtle Beach. 

All of these conferences are well organized.  As someone who has organized national conferences, I know that putting one of these on requires huge amounts of time, commitment, and patience from an army of people--mostly because the devil is in the details.  Conferences usually start with a vision of sharing knowledge, ideas, and resources as a form of professional development.  Themes are argued about, then agreed upon, vendors for exhibits are solicited, proposals for presentations are sought, hotels are scouted, and on it goes until showtime. But sometimes the forest gets lost trying to get the trees to line up.

Back to that nagging feeling.  It stems from what I see as a huge disconnect between addressing the cultural change needed to use technology as a powerful teaching and learning tool and skill building for using technology in the classroom.  The former is strategic, the latter mechanical.   The issue is two fold--many, if not all the sessions are about skill building.  Often this becomes a chicken and egg conundrum.  If teachers are not aware of the tools or not knowledgeable about how to use the tools, how can we expect them to use technology in the classroom?  On the other hand, if they are not predisposed to using technology, how do we get them aware and knowledgeable?  It is easier to demonstrate the tools than tackle the much larger complex issue of how to provide an environment that actively supports teachers and students using technology for deep, meaningful learning. 

Addressing how to change cultures in schools and mindsets of teachers on the importance of using technology to teach and learn is the missing link for me.  How do we spread beyond the echo chamber to make the most impact possible?  The transformation needed in education to change teaching and learning to meet the needs of today's digital learners is urgent and requires exponential action.

How do we make this happen? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Openly and aggressively solicit for proposals from education leaders that have insight into how to change school cultures.  Who are the leaders that have "been there done that" and successfully changed mindsets? Give them a forum to pass on their knowledge and experiences--the rewards as well as the challenges.  Begin a conversation face to face that moves to an online medium after the conference for continued dialogue and connection.

2. Recruit volunteers to ustream, tweet, facebook, and report in various media as many sessions live as possible to allow others to attend virtually.  Allow plenty of awareness and how-to information so as many educators as possible can participate. Allow off site presenters to use technology to present and participate.

3. Require presenters to Include integration strategies and direct curriculum connections in all sessions complete with having an online presence for reference at a later date for all skill building sessions.  Be sure all curriculum areas are represented.  And provide the support to enable this to take place. Be imaginative in helping everyone around the state be collaborative in the session planning.

4. Encourage dialogue at all sessions as well as throughout conference on differences between technology issues and classroom management issues.  For example, dispel myths that cell phone use in classrooms cause cheating. Kids have been cheating forever. How we deal with it is always in constant revision.

In no way do I mean to disparage the brave and hard working people who planned these conferences.  Just want to push them to the next level. Wonder if any of them will take the challenge.

Comments

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