….that I have ever been to!
This conference is huge – over 1000 people here – and energy
levels are already high. The whole experience is carefully crafted and branded,
scheduled, teamed, hashtagged and mobile app’ed.
The opening keynote is from the CEO – in a suit but no tie,
massive screens amplifying his image through the huge ballroom here at the San
Diego Hilton, talking about the company’s record on accessible learning, the
imperative to take learning out of the classroom and into the world.
The enthusiasm is sort of infectious but the upbeat,
unrelentingly positive tone is also a little embarrassing to British ears. Our party hoorahs with some irony and reluctantly gets on its feet when bid - but maybe we'll get over our reserve by the end of the three days.
Here in San Diego I can’t get over the sensation that I am an extra in an offbeat american comedy: it may be the jetlag but the sense of unreality was not helped by
having arrived at the tail end of ComicCon and finding ourselves surrounded by
Batmen and Wonderwomen, children in Star Wars and Dr Who themed costumes and
thousands of Big Bang Theory types clutching their oversize goody bags.
There is so much to do here at the conference – in terms of sessions, poster
exhibitions, product displays – and there is a strong air of competitiveness. The VP of Marketing
is just explaining how we can win points for our teams or win “swag” for
ourselves by entering various draws and a contest for the best e-portfolio.
Currently we are listening to and watching Sal Khan of the Khan
Academy: giving the story of how his enterprise started in 2004 – tutoring his
niece in maths via speaker phone and early internet tools. Really interesting
and funny - he developed software to
generate maths problems to support a growing number of cousins wanting tuition but finding it
strenuous, was advised to put explanatory videos on You Tube. The cousins
preferred him on You Tube to personal tutorials :)
Great to hear an account of modest ambitions and a real desire to support learning. Setting the theme for the conference?
Wow great post Jane, thanks for sharing your thoughts and observations. I had a very similar experience when I attended Fusion a few years ago now, I guess they try to better the conference every year in that traditional North American spirit... hope they don't over do it, on to your other posts.
ReplyDeleteWow great post Jane, thanks for sharing your thoughts and observations. I had a very similar experience when I attended Fusion a few years ago now, I guess they try to better the conference every year in that traditional North American spirit... hope they don't over do it, on to your other posts.
ReplyDelete