From BLC to Bangkok

What a whirlwind end to my summer. Seattle - St. Louis - Boston - Back to Seattle - then on to Bangkok. I landed at 11pm on Sunday night and started work at 7am Monday morning. Take three days to make sure all computers are working, all Smartboards and projectors are plugged in and that new teachers are up to speed. Then....bring on the students!

Hence the reason why I'm just now getting around to writing a reflection on the BLC conference in Boston.

The easiest place to begin is with the Keynotes. By far the best three keynotes at one conference I've ever heard. Starting with the inspiration of Ben Zander, looking Beyond the Crash with Stephen Heppell and finishing up with looking at Knowledge in the Age of the Internet with David Weinberger was a perfect setup.

What I liked about the conference was the size. At right around 1000 people there was enough people to have great discussions and to fill the presentation rooms, but not more than the conference center could handle. The sessions were great, the WIFI worked well, and the participants were eager to learn and discuss.

I gave two presentation at BLC one titled Beyond E-Mail which looked at the changing nature of school communication using web based tools. The other Moving from Consumers to Producers of Knowledge was a session that I gave twice. I was able to record it and create an enhanced podcast of the session. You can view it here, or download it here (iTunes Link).

Overall I had a great summer. Was able to see 11 baseball games in 6 weeks. 7 at Safeco Field watching my Mariners play. 2 at the Short A Texas Ranger's Farm team in my home town of Spokane, WA. A game in Baltimore at Camden Yards and to top it off a game at Fenway Park in Boston.

Now that summer is over, time to get back into the routine. Try something new, break a few things along the way, and just have fun learning everyday. I went into teaching because I love to learn, and there is no greater place if you like to learn than at a school. :)