8 Ways to Prepare & Connect at Conferences: #NYCSchoolsTech Summit

The #NYCSchoolsTech Summit is the largest annual #EdTech conference in New York City. At the conference innovative educators from across NYC Schools share their knowledge and expertise with other educators from NYC, surrounding areas, and even around the world thanks to social media. The conference is so popular, it trends on Twitter.  

There are dozens of workshops, lunchtime activities, and school reimagineer Jason Green is our keynote speaker. It makes it hard to choose and even harder to stay informed of all that is going on. But don’t despair. When educators connect, everyone benefits and learns even if they aren’t able to attend a particular session in person.  

Here is how participants (live or remote) can do just that at this year’s #NYCSchoolsTech Summit.

Tip 1 - Check out the Agenda

At the #NYCSchoolsTech Summit all workshops have a link to an agenda which you can find by viewing any session in Livecube. #NYCSchoolsTech teacher and all around nerd, Eileen Lennon offers a hint that she has used before. “Scour the agenda beforehand for questions and discussion points. If you’re ahead of the game, you get the most out of the workshop and may even help steer the conversation in helpful ways.”

Tip 2 - Participate in Backchannel Conversations

You can see where and when all the backchannel conversations are taking place in Livecube right here.  Introduce yourself and jump into the conversation.

Tip 3 - Moderate

Ask the presenter if s/he would like you to moderate backchannel conversations and/or comments on the livestream. Whether you're there f2f or remotely, just message the presenter of a session you are interested in and offer your help.

Tip 4 - Hashtag Happiness

Follow the hashtag for the conference (#NYCSchoolsTech) and session you are interested in. You can see the hashtag for each session in Livecube when you “Join the Conversation.”

Tip 5 - Follow the Livestream

Presenters are encouraged to livestream.  When they do, we want them to post the link to the workshop in Livecube. After the Summit you can visit the workshop schedule. There we encourage presenters to update the sheet with a link to their livestream. If you're presenting or helping the presenter, you can read this for some strategies to keep in mind.

Tip 6 - Follow The Presenters

It goes without saying to follow the presenters on Twitter and any other social media. They may have a blog where they have shared their expertise in more detail. As innovative educator Eileen Lennon says, “Learning doesn’t happen all in one day in a classroom, neither should it from a one day summit. It’s the start of a journey. You might as well take a map and a guide with you.” To make this easier you can visit the #NYCSchoolsTech Summit presenters list.

Tip 7 - Session Summary

Offer to capture the session you attended via Wakelet. The moderator will be thankful.

Tip 8 - Share on Social Media

Share what you are learning using the session hashtag (found in Livecube), the conference hashtag #NYCSchoolsTech, and your name. 

What do you think? How do you plan to connect at this year's #NYCSchoolTech Summit? We can't wait to share and learn with you.

9 Platforms & Techniques for Successful Team Learning

The logo for our buttons
and hashtag for the work.

There are many benefits of attending events as a team and learning together. Doing so successfully takes preparation, planning, and the right tools. If you are coordinating an event for you and others, the strategies, tools, and platforms below may help you do so successfully.  

Facebook event

A Facebook event allowed those across New York City schools to find and/or inspire other colleagues to attend.

Face-to-face proposal writing session

Educators came together for a one-day session to create proposals to submit to the conference. More than a dozen educators presented as a result of the presentations submitted at this session.  

MS Teams for planning and collaboration 

Educators used an MS Team to share files, discuss how to volunteer to cover the cost of registration, sessions, and more.  

Facebook group chat

During the conference we used an ongoing group chat to share what was worth seeing, events folks may want to attend, thoughts about the keynote, etc.  

#NYCSchoolsTech buttons

One of the educators created a logo for our group and another turned them into pins that we all wore proudly during the conference. 

Friend locator 

The Friend Locator app enabled us to easily find each other throughout the conference.

Google Maps

We had customized Google Maps that indicated where we were all staying as well as important points of interest for conference goers.

Google Sheets

A Google spreadsheet enabled us to easily coordinate travel, accommodations, attend each others sessions, etc.

Twitter

Everyone was on Twitter. We used the hashtag #NYCSchoolsTech to share our learning.

Your Turn

If you've attended events with others you may have experience with some of these strategies and platforms. What has worked for you? Have you tried something that is not listed here?

Quick Guide to Accessible Social Media

Responsible social media use means being a good digital citizen. Good digital citizens know the importance of sharing inclusively. When you share inclusively, what you share is accessible to everyone. Not sure what that means? 

Mindy Johnson, Director of Digital Communications & Outreach for AEM Center & CAST, created a useful graphic that explains how to share accessibly.


You can learn the specifics and find resources for each by visiting "Best Practices for Accessible Social Media."

Better Together: 9 Benefits of Team Learning

More than two dozen educators from across New York City schools experienced the benefits of team learning when they descended upon Philadelphia, PA for the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference.

You can read the insights of these attendees below to discover the benefits they realized as a result of participating in events as a team. If you like what they shared you can click on their name to learn more about them and follow them on Twitter.

Better Together

Being together as a NYCDOE team made such a difference. The discussions went on all day and night about how we can all be better. I loved being part of our team. It made ISTE 100 times better.

--Eileen Lennon

Overall the level of support, technical assistance, and collective knowledge made us all more effective.

--Sean Arnold

Supportive Environment

I felt supported and welcome in the group. The conference was not isolating or overwhelming like I imagined, I had a group of people I could turn to when I needed help, directions, advice, session ideas. ISTE with #NYCSchoolsTech inspired me more than anything else in my teaching career.

--Serena Robinett

It was powerful and energizing to know that we have each other for support, collaboration, and good conversations. 

--Cindy Wong

Having a team there enabled us to attend one another’s presentations and provide a supportive environment for colleagues. 

--Jackie Patanio

Deeper Discussions

We discussed what we learned, what we shared, what help we might need, what we will do when we get home. All of those discussions happened in Philly when they couldn't have happened anywhere else.

--Eileen Lennon

We had in depth discussions that I would not have had with strangers- the tech trends we foresee in NYC, different ways to foster community among teachers, and how to implement more digital inclusion in our practice.

--Serena Robinett

A Part of Something Bigger

In my school I often feel very isolated, an island struggling to make connection with the mainland classroom. The group always give me a sense of being part of something bigger. 

--Nick Rubinfier

Making District-Specific Meaning 

It was most important to turn to my colleagues and say ”what do you think of this... in nyc?” To grow we need to collaborate on a level beyond the day to day. Being there as a group helped us to do that.  

--Clay Smith

This atmosphere allowed for conversations tied to relevant and current content which we could discuss in terms of how it relates to or work at the NYCDOE.  

--JoAnn Westhall

Conferences are a chance to learn from others and bring back actionable practices to your school, but attending as a group is so much more fulfilling. At one point I mentioned something I was considering doing at my school and was given advice and model schools in NYC to look to for inspiration and best practices.

--Serena Robinett

Attending ISTE as a group meant being with like-minded and bold educators with a vision to prepare students to be future ready. 

--Cindy Wong

Benefits to Non-Attendees

Attending as a group allowed DOE members to record my sessions and allow DOE staff not in attendance to benefit from being able to view the material. 

--Sean Arnold

Strengthen Relationships

Meeting colleagues/collaborating from across the NYCDOE from our online PLN (#NYCSchoolsTech group) in person helped me feel closer to the community, gave me a sense of who to seek for crowdsourcing. There are so many incredibly talented educators within this group each with a unique skill and experience.  

--JoAnn Westhall

Awareness

The group helped me find sessions that I might not have considered which benefited me greatly (I even sprinted to a session!).

--Serena Robinet

Being a part of the group enabled me to be aware of sessions and learning opportunities I didn't have time or the availability to make.

--Sean Arnold

A Sense of Belonging

I attended the last ISTE in Phili years ago, and felt very detached. This year, it was the opposite. I felt closer to the whole Network of NYCDOE Tech people, and to EdTech as a whole.  I came back so much richer than I went.  It also helped me clarify what I want to do with the next phase of my career. 

--Eric Kollin

his was my first ISTE and being a part of the group made this experience non-isolating and helped expand our network to share ideas and resources. 

--Cindy Wong

Your Turn

What do you think? Have you attended a learning opportunity with others? If so, did you realize any of these benefits? Anything missing? What are some strategies you’ve put in place for successful team learning?