A Reflection on METC: 10 Random Thoughts

1. Social media may be the catalyst to creating relationships, but it isn't as valuable as being face to face with each other. Yes, I know this is me being a broken record, but it still is true. :)
2. Seeing people I recognize (who also recognize me) shrinks the size of even large crowds. Just a nod or smile as we pass makes me feel much more comfortable in a strange situation.
3. There are many unbelievable people that work very hard to put on the conference. I would list them, but I know I would miss some and that would not be good. You know who you are. :)
4. Our community is not growing as quickly as I think it should. There are approximately 4 million k-12 teachers in the United States, but only a small fraction of a percent are connecting through social media. Are there other places where reform issues are being discussed by a larger group?
5. Students making connections seems to becoming a real theme among many speakers at these conferences. 
6. I'm not sure that this is the message most attendees are hearing though.There still seems to be too much focus on tools, not on why we use them. The message isn't being picked up quickly enough by "normal" teachers.
7. Teachers know how to have fun. 
8. The Embassy Suites in St. Charles is a pretty cool place to stay. If you stayed there you know why. ;)
9. I didn't see any students at this conference. I may have missed them, but maybe we should think about including them more in our presentations.
10. I know there were pre-service teachers in attendance. I think that there needs to be some presentations  specifically geared to them. While all the workshops are appropriate, they might feel a bigger sense of community if they have a few that address their specific needs. Perhaps a social networking class for them so they can learn more about being an online professional or how to develop a learning network using Twitter or Plurk.