A different kind of FETC for 2016

As FETC veterans begin to arrive at the Orange County Convention Center tomorrow, they will, no doubt, notice some changes. For some it will be the fact the FETC - having long dominated the south wing of the OCCC - is now sharing that space with the surfers convention (water surfers, not web surfers) and is split between the north and south wings. Some will notice that the paid workshops are now located at the Hyatt, a short walk from the rest of FETC. These changes should account for a bit more walking this year. No big deal.

For me, the major difference is a personal one. It was a difficult first semester this year. Other then making sure I was prepared for my workshop, I really didn't do much in preparation for FETC. There was no planning of the annual Tweetup at TGI Fridays. We had a run of 5 years with the Tweetup, but there was no real drive to organize it this year. Ordinarily, I would spend the weeks leading up to FETC blogging and Tweeting. There was none of that this year. I didn't use the #FETC hashtag until the drive down to Orlando this morning.

So I wrote all of that to say this, this year FETC will be about re-engaging. Not the regular recharge that I get every year at this massive event. No, I talking about a total reevaluation of my role in education. It will be an opportunity to re-engage with my PLN (which I have neglected as of late). In short, I'm hoping that this week will represent a major turning point in the career. That may seem like a lofty goal for a four day conference. We'll see.

FETC 2014: Day 3 and Hitting Our Stride

Thursday, January 30, 2014 - 1:30pm

It has been a busy morning. I presented my first workshop of the week this morning, and that always makes for a scramble to get ready. That's my excuse for getting a late start here and on Twitter.  I'll try to make it up throughout the rest of the day.

There are some great sessions on today's lineup, and a few that I consider can't miss opportunities. Here is what I'll be checking out this afternoon:

Exploring New Literacies for Networked, Self-Directed Learners and Makers with Will Richardson @willrich45 - 3:20pm in S310GH

If you have not heard Will speak before, don't miss this opportunity. I attended his session yesterday and had not planned on going back today. However, I have to hear more from this guy. He is starting the conversation that we should all be apart of - How do we fundamentally change education to serve today's learners.

Digital Learning Across the Curriculum with Eric Sheninger @nmhs_principal - 4:20 in S310EF

I missed Eric this morning because I was presenting my own workshop at the same time.  Like Will Richardson, Eric's is another can't miss session. Eric is transforming education at New Milford HS in way that should serve as a model for the rest of the country. Don't miss this one!

As you wander the exhibit floor this afternoon, make sure you take time to visit the folks at Remind101 and WeVideo. These are two products that I really believe in, and both companies want to hear your ideas and feedback.

I have several posts that already need to be written, to go in depth with some of the most important things being discussed this week. Keep an eye out over the next few days.

FETC 2014: Day 2 Underway

Things are starting to pickup at the OCCC. Crowds will continue to build throughout the day, peaking at the Opening Keynote at 3:30. Discovery Education's Chief Architecture and Engineering Expert Danny Forster will deliver this year's opening keynote address. Over the year's, the opening keynote has been a mixed bag - some good, some lacking the inspiration that teachers look for in a keynote. I report later on how this year's address is received.

My day started with a session that I am still sitting in - Educating Modern Learners: Intensive Look at the Contexts, Literacies and Practices that Supports Students by Will Richardson @willrich45. Why isn't this guy doing one of this year's keynotes? Like most attendees, I do get excited about learning about new tools. Many get really pumped up scouring the exhibit floor for free pens and water bottles. But this is the kind of session that every attendee should be hearing. Will is asking the right questions. Questions like, "What are the key changes we have to understand in order for the conversation to be relevant?" I plan on devoting a post later on Will's talk, so I'll refrain from further comment now.

So what does the rest of my day look like?

As I mentioned, I'm looking forward to the opening keynote. Before the keynote, I'll be at Techshare Live! with Adam Bellow, Hall Davidson, Leslie Fisher and Kathy Schrock. Techshare begins at 11am in the main hall (SA1). This is always a popular session, and really serves as the unofficial kick-off for FETC. If you going, get there early to beat the crowds to the good seats.

I'll probably dropout of Techshare a little early to get over to Meg Ormiston's talk, Engaging Students in BYOT Classrooms. Meg is great and the topic is hot.

I'll wrap-up the day at tonight's PLN Tweet-up at TGI Friday's. This is our 4th year getting together for the "unconference" event, and is always a great time to interact face to face with the PLN. Get more info here. All are invited.

I'll be posting later with more in depth comments on Will's talk, and anything else that comes up today.

FETC 2014: Game-based learning is the buzzword today

The learning has officially begun at FETC 2014. It is becoming clear, at least for today, that "game-based leaning (#GBL)" will be one of the buzzwords that comes out of this year's conference. FETC, Learning Games Network, and BrainPOP have put together a full-day of workshops to help teachers implement #GBL in their classrooms.

A couple of the tools being shared early on are Kahoot! and Lure of the Labyrinth.

Kahoot! is a classroom response system. It accommodates images, making it really useful as a formative assessment tool.

Lure of the Labyrinth is fun math-focused game. One of the interesting points that came up when talking about this game is that many of these games are being developed so that instructions are not needed. That should help teachers with implementation, particularly if using them in a flipped environment.

Scott Osterweil, who will be speaking later in the week, talks about the Nature of Play and Learning:

More on #GBL later . . .

FETC 2014: The calm before the storm

Tuesday, January 28, 2014 - 8:30 am

By this time tomorrow, the Orange County Convention Center will be a bevy of activity as conference attendees will be scrambling to register and kick-off their week of learning and sharing. This morning . . . it's a mere trickle. Today's schedule consist of paid workshops, and while things will pick-up as the day progresses, it will still pale in comparison to the onslaught that we'll see tomorrow. FETC has over 8,000 registered for this year's conference, a significant increase over the past couple of years.

A quick glance at today's workshop schedule and it appears that Google Apps and game-based learning will be hot topics this year. It will be interesting to see what other buzz words surface throughout the week. I plan on popping into a few Google sessions today. I'm looking forward to hearing what Cindy Lane and Chris Craft have to share.

I'll be posting several times a day, throughout the week, so please stop by often. I'll also be Tweeting everything that you will want to see from FETC 2014. Follow me at @stephenveliz on Twitter.

FETC 2014: A Field Guide

At this time tomorrow, I'll be getting ready to depart for Orlando and the Florida Education Technology Conference (#FETC). With 8500 attendees from 42 countries and over 600 companies sharing their latest products, FETC is one of the most important educational conferences of the year. This year's conference boasts over 200 sessions and workshops covering topics that run the gamut; from building 21st schools, to employing web 2.0 tools that foster collaboration and learning. While the "official" start of FETC is on Wednesday, January 29, the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) will be abuzz on Tuesday with pre-conference workshops conducted throughout the day. You can find a list of the paid workshops at FETC.org.

Because of the sheer size and numbers involved with a conference like this, it is impossible to see and do everything. All conference attendees, but especially first-timers, would be well served in doing a little conference pre-planning. I just spend the last hour working through the conference website and mobile app, charting my course for the coming week. While I will certainly veer of that course from time to time, my plan will at least give me a sense of direction as I navigate the crowded corridors of the OCCC.

The purpose of this post is to provide conference attendees - veteran and novice alike - with tips to help make your week more profitable. It is probably best to start with what to bring - both in your suitcase and your backpack. Then I'll share my list of must see sessions. As with any conference like this, the after-hours schedule can be as important as anything else, so I'll share a couple of events that I think would be worth your time.

An FETC Packing List

• Shoes - Any packing list for FETC should begin with this in mind - the OCCC is HUGE! You will be walking a lot. From treking from the parking lot to the building, to running from session to session, to navigating the enormous exhibit hall, and standing over beverages in the evening, you spend much of the week on your feet.  This makes footwear one of your most important concerns as you begin to pack. Err on the side of comfort and stability.
• Dress for Success - The forecast is calling for temperatures in Orlando that range from the low 40s to upper 70s. There is also a 50% chance a rain on Monday and Wednesday. Like with your footwear, I would plan my wardrobe with comfort as a priority. Regular dress for FETC ranges from very casual (shorts and tees) to business casual. I would also pack a light jacket or sweater, and a raincoat or umbrella. As they say, "If you don't like the weather in Florida, wait 5 minutes and it will change."
• The Backpack - Think lightweight. That being said, make sure you have whichever device you are most comfortable using. Over the years, I have moved from carrying my heavy laptop, to a much more comfortable iPad, to this year when I plan on going back to the laptop (albeit a much lighter version). FETC provides free WiFi throughout the conference area. Don't forget your charging cables!
• Save a little extra space in your bags for stuff that you pickup from exhibitors.  If there is one thing that teachers can't resist, it is free stuff. They'll be tons of swag being tossed your way as you stroll through the exhibit hall. While this is exciting as you fill your bags, remember that you have to carry all of this stuff home. This can get expensive if you are flying.

Session Recommendations

• Deciding which sessions to attend should be a very personal matter. However, I will share some of my top picks for the week.  When choosing sessions to attend, I often look at who is presenting as much as what is being presented. So here goes.
• Educating Modern Learners: Contexts, Literacies and Practices for Students - Will Richardson @willrich45 - Wednesday, January 29 at 8:00am - Paid Workshop $WWA072
• • Over the years, Will has authored one of the must-read blogs in the edtech movement.
  • Session Description: We are in transition from traditional thinking about classrooms, teaching, schools and education to a much more technology-rich, student-centered, authentic, modern definition for all of that and more. Understand the changing contexts for learning, gain a clear understanding of modern learning literacies, learn a framework for beginning conversations and actions around system change, envision and design new classrooms, schools and practices to serve modern learning and learners, and develop a 5 days-5 months-5 years plan for changing personal learning practice.
• TechShare LIVE! - Adam Bellow @adambellow, Hall Davidson @HallDavidson, Leslie Fisher @lesliefisher, Kathy Schrock @kathyschrock - Wednesday, January 29 at 11:00am - TSL386
• • Always a great way to kick-off opening day, this is a rapid-fire sessions of great web 2.0 tools.
  • Session Description: What's new. What's great and Where to Get IT! Back by popular demand! Join us for this fun and fast-paced session prior to the Opening Keynote! Get a first look at the latest, most exciting gadgets, apps, hardware and software in educational technology.
• Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times - Eric Sheninger @nmhs_principal - Thursday, January 30 at 10:00am - FS1383
• • Titled after his recently released book, this session is a must for every administrator in the country. Too bad they won't all be here. But you will be, so make sure this session is on your calendar, whether you are an administrator or not.
  • Session Description: Learning today should unleash the creativity of our students and prepare them with essential skills sets for success in a digital world. Attendees will discover how to seize the opportunity inherent in ubiquitous connectivity, an evolving real-time Web, open-source technology, mobile devices, and personalization to integrate digital learning across the curriculum.
• Removing the Distance from Distance Learning - Dean Shareski @shareski - Thursday, January 30 at 1:00pm - FS3050
• • One of the most important though-leaders in edtech, Shareski always puts on a good show.
  • Session Description: Many of our distance courses are still taught like correspondence courses where work is submitted to the teacher only and students are required to have strong independent skills. This session will explore the strategies, tools and design principles that will enable teachers to create learning experiences that are equal to and perhaps at times better than face to face courses.
• Rapid-Fire Learning: 20 in 40 - Steven Anderson @web20classroom - Thursday, January 30 at 1:00pm - FS3384
• • Anderson and Shareski are on at the same time. This will be a toss-up. Steve is another star in edtech circles.
  • Session Description:  Arm your technology toolkit with some of the latest, greatest and most interesting tools around. Join us as we will do some rapid-fire learning and go through the Top 20 Tools in 40 Minutes.
• Digital Learning Across the Curriculum - Eric Sheninger @nmhs_principal - Thursday, January 30 at 4:20 - FS6382
• • If you miss Eric earlier today, don't make that mistake twice.
  • Session Description: The time is now to change and transform schools to meet the needs of key stakeholders. Learn how to harness the power of digital tools and social media to improve communications, enhance public relations, establish a brand presence, increase student engagement, transform learning spaces, and grow professionally like never before.
• Leading, Learning and Modern School - Christopher Lehmenn @chrislehmenn - Friday, January 31 at 8:45am - KEY456
• • Get up early for Christopher's session. Chris is another of the principals out there that are walking the walk.
  • Session Description: In a time of great societal change, schools have had to work hard to re-imagine and re-envision the purpose of school. How can we create learning institutions where all members of the community, students, teachers, and administrators alike see themselves as active learners? How can we leverage all of the tools at our disposal to transform our schools into ever-evolving communities of practice that enable students to be powerfully engaged in their world today and prepared to be fully realized citizens of the world tomorrow?
• Go Digital and Ignite Professional Development - Lyn Hilt @lynhilt - Friday, January 31 at 10:00am - CS7768
• • Learning for teachers is in as much need of a change as teaching student. I'm really looking forward to this session.
  • Session Description: This session will briefly review adult learning theory and the needs of today's social learners to support professional development. "Unconference" models, flipped faculty meetings, and teacher-led PD will be explored. Tools that will be shared include screen capture/video creation tools, as well as the use of Google Docs, Google Hangout and Google+ communities to promote collaboration. We will examine the use of blogs, wikis, Twitter, backchannels, virtual notebooks/walls, and social bookmarking as methods by which administrators can share pertinent information with staff anytime, anywhere and obtain feedback before, during, and after PD sessions.
• There are many, many more sessions from great presenters. These are just the few that I look forward to hearing. My number one piece of advice is to plan before you go.  FETC has developed a handy mobile appthat makes planning your schedule a breeze.

Share, Share, Share

• One of the most valuable things about FETC is the sharing that take place - during sessions, in the corridors, and just about every other place where attendees gather.
• #FETC - Twitter serves as the central hub for most of the sharing that takes place during the week. If you have not yet embraced Twitter as a part of your professional development, there is no better time to experience the power of this essential social networking tool than this week at FETC. Just follow the #FETC hashtag for a non-stop feed updates.
• If you are new to Twitter and are not sure how all of this works, just talk to others that you meet or jump into one of the many Twitter-focused sessions. It will change your life.

Special Events

• It will be a full or learning and sharing, but don't forget to enjoy yourself.  There will be many "after-hours" events, sponsored by vendors or formed on the fly by attendees.  I encourage you to find something to do after a long day of learning.
• The Annual "Unofficial" PLN Tweet-up - What started as a fairly small group getting together at TGI Friday's a few years ago, is now one of the real highlights of the week.  This year, we'll meet on Wednesday evening at 7:00pm, at the TGI Friday's at 8955 International Drive (the one near Dave & Buster's). This is the place to be on Wednesday night. To add your name to the list of those that plan on attending - a Who's Who of the Edtech PLN - just click here to get to the Google Doc.
• FETC Phot Walk - New this year, this sounds like a lot of fun.  Organizers are attempting to break the world record for the largest photo walk. To participate in this free event, meet in front of the South Concourse of the OCCC at 9:30 on Wednesday morning. It looks like it will be about a three mile walk along International Drive. For more info, click here.

Well, that was a lot of information. But it was really just a drop in the bucket of what you will see and experience this week in Orlando. I will be posting often throughout each day right here on the blog. I also invite you to follow me on Twitter at @stephenveliz. Enjoy your week and FETC 2014.

FETC 2011 Has Come and Gone: Now what?

Three days (four for some), 7,500 attendees, over 200 concurrent sessions, 75 paid workshops, and an exhibit floor featuring more than 500 companies. The 2011 edition of the Florida Educational Technology Conference (FETC) is now in the books. It always takes a few days to recover from the marathon PD experience, and now it's time to sit down and reflect.

Now what?
Millions of dollars spent by school districts, education-minded organization, and individuals just to get to the annual edtech conference in Orlando, FL, not to mention the millions in sales generated by the massive exhibit hall, and single most important question that comes to mind is: "What will all of this mean for American students?" How much of the professional development that took place will result in real changes by real teachers, for real students, in real schools? How much of that new technology showcased on the exhibit floor will be used to transform classrooms into 21st century learning laboratories?

This was my first year presenting at FETC - a three hour hands-on workshop on transforming the classroom with web 2.0 tools - and my hope is that each of the 15 teachers that attended my workshop would take at least one tool discussed and integrated into their curriculum before the end of this school year. Is that a realistic goal?

The more interesting question is, I think, how many teachers attend conferences (any conference) purely for the professional development or as all expense paid mini-vacations? I hope that the number assigned to the latter is small, but I know that it isn't zero. How are schools or school districts deciding who to send to conferences? How does your school or school district decide? In the lean economic days, the process is probably worth taking a hard look at in many schools/districts.

iDevices Take Center-Stage
The technology that stole the show this year was definitely Apple's iPad. I've already devoted an entire post from this year's conference to the iPad, and it was the one gadget that seemed to be on everyone's mind. The two most lively sessions that I attended this year both featured the iPad and its potential as a learning tool. Look around at any session and ipads were as ubiquitous this year as laptops were in 2010. While I think that most would agree that iDevices are game-changers in education, most probably left with more questions than answers about how to put them into widespread use. This should making the coming months/years an exciting time to be in education.

A Time to Connect
As always, one of the most rewarding things about FETC is that it gives attendees an opportunity to connect face-to-face with members of their PLNs, as well as add to it. Since last year's inaugural TGI Friday's tweet-up, I've looked forward to spending time with colleagues that have become friends. Though I applaud FETC for embracing social media this year (Edmodo served as the official social network), their opening night tweet-up on the exhibit floor ran contrary to the spirit of what these meetings should be about - unscripted, spontaneous, and member-driven affairs. I will give them an A for effort for embracing the idea.

The Big Take-Aways

• Mobile devices will drive edtech innovation in the coming years.
• Despite the promotion of Edmodo as the official session back-channeling application, Twitter remains the app of choice.
• How school districts can safely engage in social media remains a BIG question.
  
• Web 2.0 tools are still a big draw for concurrent session presenters.
  
• If the size of a company's presence on the exhibit floor is indicative of their position in the marketplace, Promethean is putting distance on the rest of the field. I wonder if the numbers bear that out.

Do you agree? Disagree? Have some take-aways of your own?

Once again, I look forward to next year. The call for speakers for FETC 2012 will open on March 1.

FETC 2010 - Outside the Lines

One day after receiving an invitation to submit a workshop proposal for FETC 2011, I'm sitting down to tap out what will probably be my final post on the 2010 edition of FETC.

In the months leading up to this year's conference - my first FETC - I waited in eager anticipation for the trip to the magic city. While I was eager to see what the workshops and concurrent sessions would have to offer, what I was really looking forward to were the personal connections that would be made "outside the lines" - in the exhibit hall, the restaurants, and, best of all, at the Thursday night Tweet-up. This came to mind this past week as I talked with colleagues at my school about reporting our FETC experiences for professional development points. Our school district offers points for time spent in workshops, and even time spent in the exhibit hall talking to vendors.

What is more difficult to document is time networking with fellow teachers that, until recently, you had only met online - through their blogs or their Twitter feeds. That's a real shame, because that is some of the most valuable time logged over the three days in Orlando. Though I enjoyed James Gubbins' session on Twitter, and the Teaching with Video session by Steve Katz; the lasting impressions of FETC came from talking edtech with these guys and Jerry Swiatek (@jswiatek) at TGI Fridays over a cold beer. Sitting through sessions with Jenna (@2sonsup) or Elizabeth from SimpleK12 (@SimpleK12) was as rewarding as the sessions themselves.

Even reconnecting with teachers from my district that I seldom see at home - folks like @artykel, @fernandezc4, and @educatore - provided added value to the conference experience.

So now, as I begin working on session proposals for FETC 2011, I am again looking forward to renewing those personal relationships - and making new ones. One thing that I'd like to see added next year is a more formalized "unconference" infrastructure - a blogger's cafe perhaps. What would you like to see changed or added in 2011?

Friday at FETC - A rundown of the good stuff

OK, on Thursday I woke up a little late, and so missed the Eye Opener keynote and the first concurrent session of the day. As you could see in an earlier post, that didn't prevent me from taking a lot away from the sessions that I did make. That said, I wouldn't repeat the sleeping in mistake again.

Choosing between the two early morning keynotes was tough, but I settled on child prodigy Adora Svitak (@flyingfingers) and A Kid's Eye View of an Innovative Classroom. For those that haven't yet had the opportunity to hear Adora speak, I suggest you rush on over to YouTube and check out some of her work. She is, to say the least, an impressive young lady (12-years old I believe) who offers a valuable message - once you look beyond the cuteness factor. She's able to articulate from a child's perspective what many of us have been trying to convince our colleagues of - that we need to engage our students with technology that will hold their attention, while providing those valuable 21st century skills (how long do I have to keep saying 21st century skills?). For half of the some 350 in attendance, she was probably preaching to the choir. For the other half - and for many teachers back at your schools - it was a message that needed to be heard. I won't try and repeat what she had to say here, but you can go on over to uStream to check out the archived video - http://ustre.am/:gKcz.

Next on my list was the VoiceThread session with Lee Kolbert (@TeachaKidd) and David Fisher (@davidfisher65). Lee and David used several examples of projects from their classes to explain the features offered by VoiceThread. I chose this session because I've been looking forward to introducing VoiceThread to my kids but have not sat down to figure it all out. Lee and David did a great job at clearing up many of my questions. As a bonus, Lee clued us into some new features that will be rolled out soon, like hard copy book versions of your VoiceThreads. The presenters created a helpful wiki to support their presentation - click here to go there now.

James Gubbins (@JMGubbins) presented on what became the most valuable tool of the conference - Twitter. The back-channeling that took place during FETC allowed attendees - and those following from anywhere in the world -to follow virtually a number of sessions at once. It was proof-positive of the value and importance of micro-blogging. James offered a rapid-fire session of Twitter related applications designed to locate people to follow, conduct interviews via Twitter, conduct polls, and a number of other useful classroom applications. Contrary to what many out there still believe, Twitter is a valuable tool that should become a fixture in classrooms and schools. You can find James' presentation and links to all of the apps that he covered by clicking here.

Tom Turner (@Tom_Turner) led a session entitled Field Trips 2.0. Expecting it to focus solely on virtual field trips, I was pleased that he also spent considerable time talking about the connection between Web 2.0 applications and actual field trips. I am fortunate that I have the opportunity to lead several field trips every year - from local museums to Washington, DC. I'm always looking for ways to integrate technology meaningfully into my time off-campus. Tom gave us much to think about, like using Google Maps, Glogster, VoiceThread, and other apps for pre-trip activities. Tom also talked a bit about using geocaching both on campus and off. For those that haven't given geocaching a try, I encourage you to give it a go. Your kids will love it. If you're in Florida and need help getting equipment and instruction together, contact me and I may be able to help make it happen. Tom's preso can be found here and the uStream archive video can be found here.

The final session of the day was with Hall Davidson of Discovery Education - Faster, Better, Shorter, Deeper: Editing and Capturing Video. I'll save Hall's presentation - and revisit Steve Katz - in a later post.

Well, I know that this is a long post but I wanted to make available many of the resources that the presenters provided. If there is something missing that relates to one of the covered presentations, please leave comments and share.


Adora pic from www.prometheanplanet.com/blog/?paged=2
Field trip pic is mine from SCMS History Club trip to St. Augustine

FETC - Suffering from a bit of information overload

I had planned to use this post to debrief the final day at FETC. But as I sit here pounding away at the keys, today remains just a blur. Today began at 7:45 am and ended with an overtime session after 4:30 pm. From child prodigy Adora Svitak to Discovery Ed superstar Hall Davidson - and tons in between.

So that FETC wrap-up post will have to wait until tomorrow. Right now, I'll just kick back and recover from the last three days.

A day of learning and sharing - Day One of FETC is in the books.

Well, Thursday was technically Day 2 since the opening session starring actor/environmentalist Ed Begley, Jr. took place Wednesday. Even earlier than Bagley's keynote was the Brown Bag Sandbox Shoot-Out, with Hall Davidson, Leslie Fisher, and John Kuglin offering a barrage of web 2.0 resources. (click on their names to see what they have to offer)

Thursday was, however, the first full day of concurrent sessions. I stayed out a little too late last night and was bummed that I missed the early morning session. My day started with Harvard's Chris Dede and Transforming Education for the 21st Century. Dede made the case for maximizing current and emerging teachnologies to remake the education system to serve the learner's of today. One of the highlights of his talk was his use of cool videos, like this one from Microsoft.

Next, I headed into Steven Katz's Teach with Video: Student-Created Digital Video Projects in Your Class. The session was full of Tweeps that I was meeting in person for the 1st time - people like @stevekatz @SimpleK12 @jswiatek @JMGubbins and more. Many of us have played around with video production, and some have even used it with our students. Steve has made it an integral part of the work he does with his students. His presentation was loaded with practical tips, techniques, and tools. I can't wait to get back to Tallahassee and start putting that Flip to good use. You can find Steve's presentation notes here.

Cindy Lane (@clane) and Lee Kolbert (@TeachaKidd) were next on my agenda with their Biggest User session, which was a rapid-fire stream of web 2.0 applications. I often left wanting in sessions like this because they usually cover the most basic and well-known apps. Cindy and Lee gave us several that I had little or no knowledge of. They also put together a nice wiki for their presentation which can be found here.

We wrapped up the day with a tweet-up at TGI Friday's. Jerry Swiatek (@jswiatek) and the girls from SimpleK12 (@SimpleK12) teamed up to pull it together. I enjoyed fianlly being able to put a real face on those tiny Twitter avatars. I looking forward to another great day on Friday.

I'll be posting with highlights of final day at FETC.

Getting ready for my first FETC

In just over 48 hours, I'll be leaving frigid Tallahassee for the somewhat less frigid Orlando. Since missing it last year, I have been looking forward to my first FETC. Funny thing is I not sure what I'm really looking forward to. Looking over the list of concurrent sessions is enough to give anyone a headache. Picking up freebies and checking out the latest tech gadgets in the exhibit hall should be interesting. But I think what I'm looking forward to most is meeting and making personal connections with people that I know only through words on their blogs. People that I've communicated with just 140 characters at a time.

The road to FETC 2010 has been bittersweet. Last year, when I decided that I would not miss this year's conference, I submitted a presentation proposal. I was excited when that proposal was accepted, and surprised when I found out that I had been given a 3-hour ticketed workshop. There's something about people paying an extra $100 to listen to what I have to say that added to the pressure of the whole thing. The bitter part came when I found out just a couple of weeks ago that the ticketed workshops were not attracting as many people as expected, and that mine was one of several that was being scrapped.

After a few days of being bummed over getting the ax, I decided that the role of attendee instead of presenter may be better for my first go around. So tomorrow I'll start packing for an early morning trip to Orlando on Wednesday. And when I get back on Saturday, I'll start putting together my presentation proposals for next year.

See you in Orlando.