Themes: What We Know About Conferences and the Archetypes of Conference Goers

Consider two specific conference you’ve attended. How were they different?

• See things vs. think differently
• Size (number of attendees) & variety of offerings
• Time allocation for digesting information
• Vibe
• Social/networking opportunities

What are the different types of “sessions” you’ve participated in?

• One person organizing/presenting, rest receiving knowledge; Most of us have participated in keynotes, lectures, panel, meet-ups, and workshops
• Experiences that may be more self-directed; less traditional sessions that people have learned from such as films, museums, demos, show and tell, 3 day self-directed learning experiences, flipped experiences, fire sides, edcamps/unconferences, ignites, round tables, and challenge/inquiry-based experiences.

Does learning happen at conferences outside of “sessions”? Explain.

• (Majority) Yes! The conversation continues in hallways, on escalators, on break/during lunch, at happy hours, etc.
• Reflection/process the learning: Debriefing with team after helps with reflection. Need to individualize the main ideas for your class, & collaboration makes that happen.
• Learning happens everywhere.
• Conversations about others districts and situations broadens our view.
• Networking- Often learn the most from networking with others.
• Application: The most valuable learning comes when you attempt to apply/interpret information.
• Also, No- some learning after, but limited + Often feel motivated but never revisit.

Think of your best conference experiences - what made it feel that way?

• Robust workshop offerings - voice, choice, time
• Relevant, useful workshops designed to engage, inspire, and motivate attendees
• Varied session experiences: hands-on, reflective, collaborative
• Opportunities to make connections to others in fun, meaningful ways
• Strong, accessible presenters

Think of your worst conference experiences - what made it feel that way?

• Things that are the worst things that people say about school: assigned seats, lack of choices, "sit and get," required attendance
• Vendors running the show and doing much of the presenting :(
• Lack of opportunities to make connections - "cliquey," no backchannels
• Poor Logistics and Disorganization: disorganized, workshops not on topic as advertised, single-session type/no variety, asynchronous/too many options at once/same type of sessions happening at once
• Speakers: unprepared, assumed that the participants didn't know anything
• sending a hug to the one person who was so traumatized that s/he blocked it out. ((HUG))