I get invited to a lot of conferences each year. I limit myself to just 2-3 based in Texas. I think next year, I may just attend one and send more teachers to these conferences.
And that is what our event is about - teachers talking about technology.
Techpalooza isn't for tech directors. It isn't for the "usual" crowd to get together to brag about their initiatives. This isn't for lurkers to sit in the back and blog. The mainstay of this conference isn't the local BBQ or the conversation in Tweetups or events after the main event.
Techpalooza is about letting people who aren't comfortable using technology, talk honestly about using technology.
The greatest compliment overheard last year was "I didn't know the language to even ask the right questions...now I have the right words and know what to look for".
That's the purpose of Techpalooza.
So send us your teachers who want to explore openly and share about their use of the vast resources of the web, IWBs, document cameras, mobile devices, and even home computing.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Not Kerrville ISD
On June 4, we are not Kerrville Independent School District. We become Kerrville Personal Learning Community. Every person who attends Techpalooza has the opportunity to be a resource for someone else who attends.
It could be you who offers a question that someone else in the room is afraid to ask.
It could be you who takes on leading a small or large group on a given topic.
It could be you who knows more than the speaker and feels ready to share to the rest of the group.
The thing about Techpalooza is that it is WAY different than any staff development day where you have participated.
We start with a blank schedule. We ask the group "what do you want to learn today?" and fill up a blank board with the answers. We group these responses into session ideas.
And then we ask the entire group "who feels comfortable talking about ________" as we go through each session idea.
It is completely flexible, exciting and you get to see how other teachers in the district are experts in what they do with technology in the classroom. You get to ask questions and interact. And we implement the "2 foot rule" which allows you the flexibility to use your own 2 feet to walk out of any session you feel you aren't enjoying to find a session more to your liking.
No one is offended. Just go where you want to go.
It could be you who offers a question that someone else in the room is afraid to ask.
It could be you who takes on leading a small or large group on a given topic.
It could be you who knows more than the speaker and feels ready to share to the rest of the group.
The thing about Techpalooza is that it is WAY different than any staff development day where you have participated.
We start with a blank schedule. We ask the group "what do you want to learn today?" and fill up a blank board with the answers. We group these responses into session ideas.
And then we ask the entire group "who feels comfortable talking about ________" as we go through each session idea.
It is completely flexible, exciting and you get to see how other teachers in the district are experts in what they do with technology in the classroom. You get to ask questions and interact. And we implement the "2 foot rule" which allows you the flexibility to use your own 2 feet to walk out of any session you feel you aren't enjoying to find a session more to your liking.
No one is offended. Just go where you want to go.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Techpalooza 2.0 date is SET!
June 4, 2012 - at Hal Peterson Middle School. We will rock your socks off! And if you aren't wearing socks, we will add you to the final number of those who had socks rocked off.
More details to come. Follow us on Twitter @techpalooza or by visiting our site www.techpalooza.net.
More flyers posted there if you want some printables.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
21st Century Moble Learning Event
On Wednesday, February 29, Kerrville ISD and the City of Kerrville are hosting a keynote speaker to share on the topic of 21st Century Learning in a Mobile World. We are welcoming Maria Henderson from Apple as our speaker to start a conversation with educators, parents, students, and education stakeholders about how mobile devices are transforming education.
Maria serves as a Development Executive for Apple and she is responsible for field marketing in Texas. She has over 20 years experience as an educator and advocate for Instructional Technology.
This event is about developing a starting point to discuss how mobile technology is changing education. This is not a sales pitch for Apple products or services, though their products will be mentioned and referenced as will other brand of mobile devices.
If you plan to attend, you are encouraged to bring your mobile device whether it is an Apple device or not.
Information is posted on http://www.techpalooza.net and we hope you plan to make it to this event. We are posting interactive moderated commentary on our site to share information with those who cannot make it.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Reconcile Meeting Attendance 1
I am referencing a great book called "Boring Meetings Suck" by John Petz in which the author outlines something that I know not many of us do when preparing for attending a meeting.
Too often, we just go. We go to meetings we have been invited to attend.
But how often do you ask the meeting organizer why you were invited to attend?
Most meetings are informational and could be handled by a memo or an email. Most meetings are generally setup to where the speaker shares information with an audience and checks for understanding. Very few actually ask for input from those around the table.
As Jon explains in his book, we are usually asked to attend a meeting as a participant. So why not participate more in the development of the meeting?
Here's a simple implementation to try out where you work. The next time you are requested to attend a meeting, ask the meeting host why you are being asked to attend?
Ask the person who is hosting to explain what it is they are hoping you will contribute during the meeting.
If the answer is that it is informational, simply state that you would prefer an email or memo.
Our time is valuable. And if a meeting is no longer participatory and is simply information sharing, it is better to request a copy of a memo in order to save time to be doing more active work.
Are you willing to try this in your meetings? Where would be some difficult areas where this request would seem rude or inappropriate?
Too often, we just go. We go to meetings we have been invited to attend.
But how often do you ask the meeting organizer why you were invited to attend?
Most meetings are informational and could be handled by a memo or an email. Most meetings are generally setup to where the speaker shares information with an audience and checks for understanding. Very few actually ask for input from those around the table.
As Jon explains in his book, we are usually asked to attend a meeting as a participant. So why not participate more in the development of the meeting?
Here's a simple implementation to try out where you work. The next time you are requested to attend a meeting, ask the meeting host why you are being asked to attend?
Ask the person who is hosting to explain what it is they are hoping you will contribute during the meeting.
If the answer is that it is informational, simply state that you would prefer an email or memo.
Our time is valuable. And if a meeting is no longer participatory and is simply information sharing, it is better to request a copy of a memo in order to save time to be doing more active work.
Are you willing to try this in your meetings? Where would be some difficult areas where this request would seem rude or inappropriate?
Monday, October 3, 2011
A whimper and then a bang
We've got a problem.
Staff development. Committees. Meetings.
You could say all three of these are separate problems. I disagree. They all have a unifying problem and that is most people don't know how to manage these three things in order to make them effective.
All three utilize 3 common elements: people, time and space.
Quality staff development is engaging and uses the resources in the room.
Committees value the team members and allows cross-collaboration and interaction.
Meetings are interactive and engage the creativity of the people who attend.
Sound like your people-gatherings?
June 1, my district let me run an event called "techpalooza" and it sparked such conversation and idea sharing. Without a planned schedule, we let the participants develop their own schedule and set them about to self-learn. We provided interactive gamestorm activities and encouraged participants to share.
It was a successful event and the ideas behind it continue to spark different types of people-gatherings into innovative collaboration events.
Techpalooza is now a term for our district that we plan to use for featured staff development events that we know will be different than average. These are coordinated events of unplanned creative sharing. Techpalooza is removing the words "meeting", "committee", and "staff development" from our vernacular because of the negative connotation.
The brand is starting after whimpers of excessively controlled and boring methods of group sharing. This blog will be about our events and ideas for changing what we do with the people in the room. We hope you join us in this journey!
Staff development. Committees. Meetings.
You could say all three of these are separate problems. I disagree. They all have a unifying problem and that is most people don't know how to manage these three things in order to make them effective.
All three utilize 3 common elements: people, time and space.
Quality staff development is engaging and uses the resources in the room.
Committees value the team members and allows cross-collaboration and interaction.
Meetings are interactive and engage the creativity of the people who attend.
Sound like your people-gatherings?
June 1, my district let me run an event called "techpalooza" and it sparked such conversation and idea sharing. Without a planned schedule, we let the participants develop their own schedule and set them about to self-learn. We provided interactive gamestorm activities and encouraged participants to share.
It was a successful event and the ideas behind it continue to spark different types of people-gatherings into innovative collaboration events.
Techpalooza is now a term for our district that we plan to use for featured staff development events that we know will be different than average. These are coordinated events of unplanned creative sharing. Techpalooza is removing the words "meeting", "committee", and "staff development" from our vernacular because of the negative connotation.
The brand is starting after whimpers of excessively controlled and boring methods of group sharing. This blog will be about our events and ideas for changing what we do with the people in the room. We hope you join us in this journey!
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