2013 MACUL Tipsheet #2




The 2013 MACUL Conference is now just 8 days away! 

(This is the second in a series of 4 to help you get ready and excited about going to the conference.)

The conference sessions are all locked and loaded...meaning you can peruse the list at your leisure.  Here are some suggestions that may help you better organize for the conference-

Know What You Want: have some idea(s) of what you want to walk away from the conference with.  Use these ideas to help you plan your time so you meet those goals.  For example, you are looking for new uses of Google Apps in your classroom, look for sessions about that.  Or, if you are involved in looking for new school projectors make sure to block out some time to spend in the exhibit hall. 

Conference App: http://www.conferencebeat.com/macul/
This year’s conference app will let you view sessions and mark your “favorites” so that you can quickly find them again - on any device as it is web-based.  To use the app,
  • click on the link above
  • click on the “brochure” that appears on the next screen
  • the bars that are white you can view even when not logged in - to enter the “orange” bars, you need to click on Login
  • enter the same email you used to register for the conference to enter the app
  • you will be prompted to enter a passcode on your account.  This DOES NOT have to be the same as your password used to register!  In fact, it should be different...
You should be able to access all areas after logging in!

Marking Favorites: Here’s a quick video on how to mark a session to your favorites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_8xX4BoHV4&feature=youtube_gdata

Pick Multiple Sessions : It’s good to mark out several sessions for each time slot - some factors (such as an overcrowded room, or distance between sessions later in the day) make it so you miss a desired session.  If you can’t attend your first choice, having a backup in mind ahead of time helps make your day go more smoothly.

Featured Speakers: Featured speakers are featured speakers for a reason.  If you are having a hard time finding a session to go to, look for featured speaker sessions. 

Other Types of Speakers:  Sessions are marked with many pieces of information that can help you make smart decisions in your session choices.  Some pieces to look at:
  • Speaker’s organization - do they work for an educational institution? or a company? Sometimes this can impact both their purpose and approach
  • Speaker’s job role - there are a variety of job roles represented among the speakers.  Again, their role can impact both their purpose and approach
  • Session Strands - many sessions are marked with topical strands.  If a strand interests you, you can keyword search it to find sessions related to that topic.
And remember, the conference is about learning AND having fun... make sure to pick out one session that is "just for the fun of it."
Looking forward to seeing you at the conference!

Popular posts from this blog

Google Script - Create a Drop-Down List from Spreadsheet Column

Google Calendar - How to Share Your Calendar Via Link

Google Documents - Creating Page Anchors (aka Bookmarks)

Google Mail - Create Calendar Event that Includes Email Message

Google Contacts - Newest Area to Get Some "Google Love"