Last month, I had the opportunity to once again attend the NYSAIS Education and Information Technology (NEIT) conference, which is held annually at the Mohonk Mountain House. NEIT is a fantastic event that brings together librarians and educational technologists for three days of learning and sharing. This year’s keynote speaker was danah boyd, who spoke on the topic of “Privacy and Drama in Social Media: Youth Practices and Educational Opportunities.” You can read collaborative notes from her presentation in a google doc here.
The rest of the conference is mostly an unconference, or open space sessions. Anyone can propose a session on any topic or question he may have. This style of conference stresses taking responsibility of your own learning; making your own choices and being encouraged to stay as long as one session is productive and leaving when it's not. You can see all of the sessions that were offered (as well as ones from previous years), with notes from nearly all of them here.
Aside from the open space sessions, it is a great place to get to know librarians and tech teachers and integrators. There are also opportunities to relax and take in the gorgeous surroundings, go on hikes or if you’re adventurous, attempt the rock scramble. Click on the picture below to see a slideshow on flickr of some great nature shots and technology.
The rest of the conference is mostly an unconference, or open space sessions. Anyone can propose a session on any topic or question he may have. This style of conference stresses taking responsibility of your own learning; making your own choices and being encouraged to stay as long as one session is productive and leaving when it's not. You can see all of the sessions that were offered (as well as ones from previous years), with notes from nearly all of them here.
Aside from the open space sessions, it is a great place to get to know librarians and tech teachers and integrators. There are also opportunities to relax and take in the gorgeous surroundings, go on hikes or if you’re adventurous, attempt the rock scramble. Click on the picture below to see a slideshow on flickr of some great nature shots and technology.
On Thursday night, everyone came together for an hour of ignite sessions. In an ignite session, a speaker gives a 5 minute power point presentation with 20 slides, each of which automatically advance after 15 seconds. Due to the format and restrictions, these are very dynamic presentations and were really great to listen to with great topics, such as the One Laptop One Child Program. The ignite sessions ended on a lighter note with some very funny power point karaoke. The conference closed the next day with an informative panel discussion on Educational Implications on Games & Gaming.
Many thanks to HVLA’s own Kathleen Ellis, Barbara Lutz, and Diane Neary, who were on the organizing committee for this year’s conference.
If you are looking for ways to stay involved with technology throughout the year, here are some suggestions:
Many thanks to HVLA’s own Kathleen Ellis, Barbara Lutz, and Diane Neary, who were on the organizing committee for this year’s conference.
If you are looking for ways to stay involved with technology throughout the year, here are some suggestions:
- New York Consortium of Independent School Technologists (NYCIST) This is a listserv dedicated to technology and education in independent schools. This group also has monthly meetings on topics such as Common Sense Media, Brain Pop, 3D Printers, etc. and it’s a great way to connect with people.
- NYSAIS Teaching With Technology (TWT12) Conference - February 22, 2012 This is a conference by teachers and is all about sharing with each other ways in which you are using technology in the classroom. If you have an idea for a workshop you would like to lead, you can submit proposals here.
This post was brought to you by HVLA Communications Coordinator, Kerry Roeder
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