Getting an Education at EDUCAUSE
Monday, November 9, 2009 at 8:45AM Last week I had the privilege to attend the EDUCAUSE conference in Denver, Colorado. I had heard many great things about this conference over the years but never had an opportunity to attend.
First of all, it lived up to the hype. My brain is full of information and there is still so much that I want to experience through the recorded sessions that I did not have a chance to attend. The recorded sessions allow you to be in more than one place at a time – so cool.
The following video by my colleague, Alisa Cooper, of Glendale Community College captures the essence of the EDUCAUSE experience.
I think there were three main things that led to a great conference experience: (1) the sessions, (2) the networking opportunities, (3) getting to see new products.
The Sessions
The sessions were great! While some were very technical, once you read between the lines to see which were most applicable to you, they were excellent. The keynotes were exceptional. From the content, to the way they were delivered there was so much to learn and I left each keynote presentation inspired. Although all of the sessions were fantastic, I wanted to highlight just a few:
Check out Lawrence Lessig’s presentation titled “It Is About Time: Getting Our Values Around Copyright Right”
Koichi Nakajima of Tezukayama University presented “Imagine the Future of M-Learning” in which he shared some of the tools they are using in Japan. His use of digital pens and their integration with other technologies was like looking into a crystal ball. Really cool to see what is coming down the pipeline in terms of instructional technologies.
Check out some of the other fantastic presentations at:
http://educause.mediasite.com/mediasite/Catalog/pages/catalog.aspx?catalogId=ef86ba82-810b-4e15-b223-097b2ea90230
The Networking
There were lots of open areas in which individuals could get together, discuss what they were learning, and share their ideas throughout the Denver Convention Center. In these areas I was able to have some amazing discussions with colleagues from other Maricopa schools as well as strangers from schools across the world. I am now connected to these strangers through twitter, so we will be able to continue share our experiences. I always find it interesting that although you work with people, there is something special about getting to know your colleagues outside of the work place. It is amazing how many projects and ideas we created together that we would not have had an opportunity to do within the normal scope of the workday.
The Exhibit Hall
As a self-proclaimed “geek” it is always exciting to see what is new in terms of technology. Walking the exhibit hall elicited memories of walking the aisles of the local toy store as a kid. There are so many great new things, and upgrades to the old things. But like a child, I have to weigh the options to decide what “toys” I will actually use and are now best for teaching and learning. I also loved the opportunity to talk to the individuals who design and develop some of these products. It is exciting when you can share what you like and dislike about a product and the people you are speaking with take notes on your suggestions. I hope we will see some of those suggestions come to market so we will have even stronger tools for teaching and learning.
All in all, the week was great – I hope that I can continue to digest the information that I have gleaned and share it with my colleagues.



