It’s the morning after NECC and we are still in Atlanta. Our flight leaves for home later this afternoon, so I am just relaxing and reflecting on the highlights…and there are many!

NECC has been absolutely astounding! There’s something here for everybody…from the novice beginning to utilize technology in the classroom, to the highest level thinkers and edubloggers who are debating the future of the much needed renewal of how we create 21st century learning communities. I have many thoughts and ideas from several sessions and conversations that I will be chewing on, and I look forward to sharing those with you as they gel, but here are a few quick points…

The blogger café was certainly the focal point of the conference for me. That’s not to say that NECC wasn’t important, because I think that it was the fuel to the fire of the edublogger discussions about everything and anything. It was great to finally meet the many bloggers that I read regularly. I was able to personally thank people like Jeff Utecht, Will Richardson, Wes Fryer, Vicki Davis and Karl Fisch for being my digital mentors. I gain so much understanding and formulate my personal vision by reading their blogs and listening to their podcasts.

The session I went to were, for the most part, first rate. Two in particular stand out, Joyce Valenza and Alan November. I had never had the chance to hear either speak, and have never spoken to either, but they both added greatly to my vision of school 2.0 and how to get there.

I did try out the vendors area (a small portion is shown in this view from the bloggers café), but quite frankly I was kind of saddened by the commercialization of learning. Most of the vendors were not promoting product that truly promoted 21st century creativity and learning, but rather engaged in a lustful orgy of exploitism, best represented by the huge “Best Buy” bags that floated throughout the venue. I lasted a full 10 minutes before I felt sick to my stomach and had to leave, taking one lone pen from a vendor.

But, by far, the best part of the conference was simply meeting people from all over, whether it be in the blogger café or somewhere else, sharing ideas and developing contacts – contacts that I hope will develop into some globally connected, student based, collaborative projects.

What am I taking away?

– A renewed passion and a heightened vision for the need to not just tweak or renew, but reinvent what learning looks like to develop school 2.0
– A deeper understanding of the role that information (not the technology) needs to play in leading that shift
– A better grasp on how web 2.0 tools can be used in our classrooms to facilitate, share and celebrate student published, authentic work
– The need for our students to connect globally. The new 21st century global community will require our youth to develop the skills to play, learn and work in a digital, global environment

I do have many notes from individual sessions and conversations that I need to chew on and digest over the next while, but I will be sure to share more ideas with you soon.

I can’t wait to get started. Let the revolution begin!

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