Conferences have proven to be an enduring approach to professional learning. Given the one time approach to professional learning, it is important to consider how you’re going to make the conference work for you. It can be easy to become distracted or overwhelmed at a big conference. Before the first day of the conference, stop and set an intention for your experience.
Conferences are a great opportunity for:
- informal learning
- exposure to new technology
- working to fulfil your professional development plan
- meeting people from your virtual learning network
- presenting and sharing your practice, failures and successes
- processing new information
Informal Learning
Take the chance to speak to people between and during sessions to expand your knowledge of what’s happening in education beyond your experience.
Exposure to New Technology
Conferences, especially large ones, provide the opportunity for you to find out what technology is newly available for teaching and learning. Before going to a conference, make a list of the tools/resources that you are dissatisfied with or problems that you have not found a solution for. Visit vendors and demos to find out resources that may meet your needs. Also, take the opportunity for hands-on experience with tools that you are curious about or have never encountered before to build your knowledge base.
Attend sessions that are connected to your professional development plan.
Look at the agenda to decide what value the conference offers you, and whether to attend. It’s okay to sit out a session; this could be a valuable opportunity to process a previous session and make a plan for integrating your new learning into your context. Spend some time looking at the schedule and select sessions that tie into your goals and plans, and that will help you achieve them. Have a focus.
Meet people from your virtual learning network
I’m a big fan of virtual connections but have to remember the importance of connections in the physical work. It adds a new dimension to the connections that you’ve built online when you can meet people in the physical world.
Present Something
Is there something that you’re excited or passionate about. Presenting lets you add the social element to learning which provides motivation and engagement. It also lets you cater to different personality types and learning preferences.
Debrief
Take time to process your learning. Share resources with those who may be interested, write some blog posts to expand and share your thinking. Follow up with admin to clarify some goals, and implement some processes related to your own professional growth.
If you have a growth mindset, you can create your own learning experiences in a conference, or reframe the experiences provided to meet your goals and the needs of your role.
What strategies do you apply to grow from participation in conferences? I’d love to know what excites you about them.
This post is reformatted and expanded from the original.
Featured Image Source: Pixabay, CC0