Community
Snow, What snow? With schools officially closed in the region due to poor weather, you'd think there would be cause for concern. In the end, it wasn't nearly enough to impede the staff, students or parents of Science Leadership Academy. For details on how Educon came together, check out Chris Lehmann's post that highlights how the community rallied.Student Engagement
Emblematic of the fullness of student participation in Educon, was the first and final person we saw at SLA. Jeff Kessler, also known as EduConcierge, demonstrated a true passion for addressing the travel needs of attendees. His efforts exceeded all expectations. Don't be surprised if Jeff reaches his goal of becoming Secretary of Transportation. In the words of Michael Wacker: "I heart Educoncierge".
Collaboration
Working under the direction of Darren Kuropatwa and Dean Shareski, our group was in stitches throughout the recording of our trick-the-senses video: "A Nice Light Snack - with Added Crunch". A big thanks to Andy Forgrave for leading Kim McGill, Colin Jagoe, Zoe Branigan-Pipe, Alec Couros, Brian C. Smith, and myself through the project. Be sure to check out the other completed works.Transparency
As you likely know, conversations from SLA were streamed to the World Wide Web, allowing a distant audience to participate by auditing the sessions. In a number of sessions, remote participants were invited to actively engage in the co-creation of products and resources. Although most small group conversations were only heard by the participants, you're invited to eavesdrop on this 6 minute conversation from Brian C. Smith's session Share the Joy. The voices you'll hear are Michael Wacker, Alec Couros, and Rodd Lucier.
Celebration
The song "Bad Romance" keeps running through my head. It was one of many rocking good time songs performed by LiQuid A at Field House Philly. The Saturday evening social turned into a great way to celebrate the birthday of Science Leadership Academy principal, Chris Lehmann.Authenticity
Powerful stories were the order of the day. Perhaps the most compelling, was shared during Alec Couros and Dean Shareski's session: 'The Obligation to Share...'. Consider the story shared by Sarah Edson: an account of an English teacher who long ago, had fostered the speaker's passion for writing. After the teacher-mentor suffered a catastrophic loss of memory, it was the very student that he had enabled, now a teacher, who was able rekindle the former teacher's memory, through a descriptive thank you letter.
If you attended in person or online, I can't help but wonder: What were your take-aways?
Media Credits: EduConcierge video and Snickers photo, captured by Andrew Forgrave; other images by Rodd Lucier.
