In our book, The Global Educator Leveraging Technology for Collaborative Learning & Teaching, we have read many case studies and real life examples of how educators should put a considerable amount of time into expanding their network. It is so much more beneficial to students when they have a teacher who is willing to bring in ideas from around the world. Sharing experiences, successes, and failures helps everyone grow. In a profession where we mold the minds of young children, why wouldn’t we want the best tools at our fingerprints?
What Conferences Offer
As discussed in the book, conferences offer a wealth of knowledge from experienced educators all over the world. The stories they share inspire and offer help to everyone in attendance. If educators are able to hear what others have gone through, they are able to grow. At times, it can also feel as though you are not getting through to your students, these conferences even offer solace that you are not alone. The best part is you don’t even have to travel for all conferences, some are virtual which is absolutely amazing!
Virtual Conferences
One conference the book discusses is the K12 Online Conference. This conference was run by volunteers. They were able to get other educators to participate and bring to life a fantastic online conference with many different stories, ideas, and inspiration. The group ended their presentations in June 2018, but you can still view archived videos here. Global learning is not just for students, but educators should always be willing to work towards learning as much as they can to benefit their students.
Below is a trailer for a previous K12 Conference.