Comments on: NCTE Brain Dump

By: Writing For The Network - Serendipity35

Writing For The Network - Serendipity35 — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:15:23 +0000

[...] For The Network I was reading a post by Bud the Teacher called NCTE Brain Dump. I wasn’t at the recent NCTE conference in Texas, but I like what he points to from it.[emphasis [...]

By: Kylene Beers

Kylene Beers — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 01:17:23 +0000

Bud,
I’d sure like to take you up on your offer when you wrote that “many of us are willing, interested, and able to help.” Send me (offline) your list of a think-tank group that would help NCTE continue the shift. I’ve got my list started–you’re on it. Want to see where our lists have intersections.
Thanks for the smart blog post, Bud. I smiled at your description of NCTE as a “wonderfully frustrating place at the moment.” I think that description fits. Shifts aren’t supposed to be easy and you’re right–as we think about 100 years of history, we are also considering what comes next.
As I think back on the Convention, I know that three tech kiosks weren’t enough–but they were a start; more rooms with wifi connection weren’t enough–but they were a next step; asking Tim Tyson and Karl Fisch to be featured speakers proved very smart as people loved their sessions; asking Sara Kajder to figure out the tech-on-the-go kiosks was perhaps the smartest thing I did with Convention planning! The NCTE Ning–a new move for NCTE–has proven to be exciting and powerful. We’re now over 1,500 participants and more and more conversations emerge daily. I want to see this number double in January–so spread the word, Bud! Unexpected delights–the revamped “NCTE Central” with all the technology. People were in the booth all the time using the computers, learning new NCTE tech tools, posting to the Ning, checking email, posting blogs–it was an amazing NCTE Central! And the first-time ever Saturday night General Session with Barbara Ehrenreich was a huge success. Her session, along with Greg Mortenson’s featured session and Gary Knell’s General Session showing literacy development around the world, reminded us all about what poverty means. In a moment when we can get caught up in the excitement of technology, I wanted us to have sessions that reminded us of the people in this country and around the world whose lives are bounded by desperate needs.
NCTE IS shifting–one can feel the excitement! Our 21st century literacies definition is catching the eye of so many. The Ning is offering people a place to extend the NCTE 2008 conversation. And, I’m spending part of a Sunday night reading dozens and dozens of blogs about the Convention. Those comments–each of them–confirm for me that though some of the shifts will cause some frustrations as things move too fast for some and too slowly for others, shift is the right thing to do.
Do drop me a note, Bud.
Thanks,
Kylene Beers
President, NCTE

By: William Kist

William Kist — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:08:54 +0000

Bud, Thanks for your comments. Let's hope that the "shift" will continue to happen at NCTE annual conventions. Prohibitive cost is always the immediate answer when the wireless issue is brought up, so let's hope the comment is noticed above from the person who said he would gladly check off a box to pay a little more to get wireless. It makes me wonder how the other professional teaching organizations (that aren't itech) such as NCSS, NCTM and NSTA handle this apparent dilemma. William Kists last blog post..San Antonio

By: Jo McLeay

Jo McLeay — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:16:01 +0000

Bud, I just wanted to thank you for inviting those of us who couldn't be there to be there virtually. You provided such a great service for English teachers everywhere who were connected, for attendees no doubt who were connected and for NCTE, not to mention the students who will see there teachers have hope for the future as well with all these connected conversations able to go on. And thank you for your reflections after the conference here as well. I particularly liked "I have faith in language and in language arts teachers, in the power of the written and spoken word and all the other ways we have to create, compose and share, and I know good things are coming". I too share that faith, as I look forward to starting my new job as English/Literacy coordinator at a new school in 2009. Jo McLeays last blog post..Exploring Comic Life

By: Brendan

Brendan — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 06:58:25 +0000

I saw over 30% of attendees on their laptops in the one session I attended that did have WiFi access. The teachers are using these tools more and more and I think that NCTE needs to support them. I, for one, would happily check a box on my conference registration that added an additional fee (up to $30) for access during the convention next year. At least then I could ask my school to cover part of it. That isn't anywhere near the $13/day you wrote about, but the economies of scale might make a smaller fee possible. As a bigger question, how do you make sure everything you learned at the conference doesn't fade from your daily practice over the next few months until CLAS? Brendans last blog post..NCTE 2008 “Shift Happens”

By: Bill Gaskins

Bill Gaskins — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:58:40 +0000

Bud-- you are right on target! My learning tool stayed mostly unused through out the conference. It was an AWESOME conference. I enjoyed meeting you face to face...Look forward to next year. Bill Bill Gaskinss last blog post..meeting Jerry Harste

By: Bud Hunt

Bud Hunt — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:11:38 +0000

Plenty of good stuff here to respond to – but I’m going to give myself until after Thanksgiving to do so. Thought it was only fair to warn you.

By: Christina Cantrill

Christina Cantrill — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:38:53 +0000

Hi Bud. Nice to see you in San Antonio if only briefly. Just wanted to say that I really agree that Yancey’s speech was great — both thought provoking and wonderfully presented — and please do let us know if you find a recorded version of it. I think it would be valuable to share more widely.

By: Miguel Guhlin

Miguel Guhlin — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:58:43 +0000

Bud, so nice to see you at NCTE! I have to admit, I was shocked…so much so that I wrote it up here:
http://mguhlin.net/2008/11/bud-introduces-tokboxcom.html

;->

Thanks,
Miguel Guhlin
Around the Corner-MGuhlin.net
http://mguhlin.net

By: Scott S. Floyd

Scott S. Floyd — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 02:52:08 +0000

My son and I enjoyed the few minutes we got to Skype into your session. He thought it was cool to be on a computer seven hours away. He forgot we Skyped during NECC, but that was between the two of us. He got to see strangers this time. Cool stuff for a 7 y/o. Thanks for inviting us to take over the UStream for a few. Scott S. Floyds last blog post..I interrupt the regularly scheduled post to bring you…. Me.