Category: Conference

ACPA, ACPAdigital, Conference

#ACPA16 CFP: Genius Labs and Pecha Kucha Powered By @ACPA

Laura Pasquini

August brings us to a time of back-to-school fun, but it also means the deadline for the 2016 ACPA Convention (#ACPA16) program proposals is coming fast! There are plenty of program categories to choose from for your #ACPA16 proposal; however, on behalf of the Technology Programs Team, let me highlight two NEW additions to the CFP this year and how you can successfully submit your proposal(s) for Genius Labs and Pecha Kucha Powered By ACPA.

Genius Labs

The convention’s Genius Labs are 20-minute skill-building workshops highlighting a number of practical activities (primarily focused on technology, but not limited to) for participants to learn about, experiment with, and implement immediately.

InfoCourt

Genius Labs topics are up to you! We hope to provide a variety of engaging content areas with the intent of having meaningful instruction for all skill levels, offering attendees effective (and often free) new resources, and building confidence and competence in technical tools to help you work at your institution. Want to learn how to develop your proposal or ask about a potential Genius Labs topic, be sure to connect with Erica Thompson (by email or @EricaKThompson).

listofacpa16genlabs

Pecha Kucha Powered By ACPA

Pecha Kucha is an innovative presentation format during which the speaker’s 20 slides auto-advance every 20 seconds. It is the art of concise presentations. This event is guaranteed to challenge conventional presentation styles, while inspiring colleagues in 6 minutes and 40 seconds!

pecha-kucha-02Your Pecha Kucha Powered By ACPA talk can highlight issues from the field of higher education, student development, our professional competencies, and/or your own personal experiences. Want to see a few examples from past ACPA Conventions? Browse the Pecha Kucha Talks from previous years:

For more information about the origins of Pecha Kucha visit the official website, and for questions about your Pecha Kucha Powered By ACPA proposal please reach out to Laura Pasquini (by email or @laurapasquini).

For both the Genius Labs and Pecha Kucha Powered by ACPA talk proposals, we recommend sharing and showing your work. For Pecha Kucha Powered by ACPA program proposals, we want you to “audition” so we can “see” you in action to understand more about your potential talk. This proposal can include either a presentation lecture capture or screencast to showcase your talk or ideas. Here are a few free screencasting options to consider:

To help us select your Genius Labs demonstration, our team would love to see your examples, ideas, experiences, applicable resources, and concepts you will be share for either presentation. This might include the following item(s) for your Genius Labs program proposal submission: creating a screencast, posting a YouTube video, including a Google Doc tip sheet, linking to slide deck from SlideShare, or sharing a Dropbox file.

If you have a demonstration, handout, or “how to” presentation you want to share for the Genius Labs we would love to see examples of these in your proposal as well. For the Pecha Kucha program proposal sessions, we encourage you to submit a “rough draft” of your talk via a video or screencast shared on YouTube. This will video clip will give us a better idea of your content, presentation style, and we can offer suggestions/ideas if your proposal is selected for Montreal! All #ACPA16 program proposal submissions are due September 4, 2015. Have fun and good luck!

Submit your 2016 ACPA Convention program proposal today!

Conference, Higher Education, StudentAffairs

Technological Advancements & Considerations for Student Affairs at #ACPA15

Laura Pasquini

This week I will be in Tampa, FL for the 2015 ACPA Convention (Follow #ACPA15 chat on Twitter). Besides getting a chance to warm up from the chilly winter weather, I am looking forward to connecting with a number of student affairs (SA) professionals and faculty who will be attending. This year’s convention holds a number of informative and interactive sessions in the program to support professional development and scholarly research for SA educators. I have a few meetings (#ACPAdigital and #ACPA16, I’m looking at you!); however I am really looking forward to catching up with a number of colleagues who will be in attendance. I suspect a number of hugs and high fives will happen soon.

ACPA Tampa 2015Part of my time in the next couple of days will be spent with the fine folks I have been fortunate to work with on the ACPA Digital Task Force (#ACPAdigital).

digital_report

The association established #ACPAdigital to make recommendations on how student affair educators can best advance the application of digital technology in higher education, specifically through informed scholarship and practice. Being charged with reviewing how ACPA will be a leader in the field, this task force was divided into four working subgroups:

  • Proven Practices
  • Knowledge and Skills
  • Research and Scholarship
  • Informed and Responsible Engagement with Social Technology

While serving on the #ACPAdigital task force this year, I can personally say, the efforts made to evaluate and assess  and how current educators shape student development for digital learning has been impressive. As I review the 49-page report we are sharing with the ACPA leadership this week, I am looking forward to the conversations we will have about our findings, recommendations, questions and proposed research agenda. It is critical that student affairs and learner support entities in post-secondary education consider how technological advancements will impact the work we do with students in face-to-face, blended, and online learning environments. This groups needs to be at the table for discussions on distance education and workforce preparation considerations. I am excited to be part of the discussion and push to move in this direction with student affairs. To learn more about this report and #ACPAdigital’s work, be sure to review the task force website:  http://digitaltaskforce.myacpa.org/

As a member of the Informed and Responsible Engagement with Social Technology (IREST) group, I was part of the collaborative author team who contributed to updating Erik Qualman’s What Happens in Vegas Goes on YouTube. The last few months of swapping ideas, sharing resources, discussing issues, and making edits with Paul, Jason, Courtney, and Erik has been great – and we’re so pleased that we are able to share our efforts this week at #ACPA15:

campus book launch ad.003

The ACPA co-branded book, What Happens on Campus Stays on YouTube, is designed to have your students reflect on their digital identity, with regards to their college experience and future personal/professional development. For #ACPA15, early release copies of book will be available for sale ($11.99) and the official launch on Amazon/public sale will be in April 2015. If you want to get a sneak peek of the book before everyone else, get your copy at the ACPA Booth in the Expo Hall or join our #SAreads event happening on Saturday (3/7) from 12:30-1:30 pm at the #ACPATrendingNow round tables in the Marketplace with Courtney and myself. If you are interested in bulk orders for your curriculum or campus, please be sure to reach out to Courtney O’Connell so she can discuss options best for your institutional needs.

Will you be found at the harbor front this week for #ACPA15? Let me know – I would love to have a chat and catch up. See you soon!

Conference, Professional Development

Have Conferences, Will Travel – Fall 2014 Edition

Laura Pasquini

With the start of the academic semester comes a series of conferences. I’m grateful for the conference survival guides and other helpful conference hacks shared by my PLN. Due to limited travel funds and time, I had to decline a few conferences; however I will be sure to follow along the Twitter backchannel (I am looking at you #HEWeb14 and #SMSociety14).

In considering the cost of professional development at many conferences, I have learned to get more involved to help fund this sort of travel.

jure

Image c/o @jure

Here are a few ways to get involved and learn how to fund your own conference travel with your professional affiliations:

  • Volunteer at the conference – check-in desk, hospitality, and more! Ask to volunteer!
  • Apply to present a Pre-Conference workshop – often you are eligible for comped registration and/or bonus honorarium to travel.
  • Get involved with conference planning – join the conference steering committee or planning group. It gets you networked and often offers a discount for registration and/or accommodations
  • Get invited – See if invites are available for featured talks, workshops or edu sessions. Tap into your network and share what you are working on.
  • Stay with a friend – I have housed and been housed at a number of conference locations just to avoid the steep hotel costs. Bunk up, or find a local off the conference beat.
  • Apply for a travel grant – This might be at your own institution, through the professional organization, or other entity.
  • See what’s local – You will be surprised to learn a number of different conferences, workshops, and other P.D. that is happening in your own neck of the woods OR online. 🙂
  • Present virtually! – Limited travel? See if the conference offers virtual papers, workshops or posters and submit your CFP! If you’re in the #edtech realm, you will likely find this a popular option to travel.

Here is my quick conference list for the Fall 2014 term:

Where are you traveling this academic term? Will our conference travel cross paths? How have you creatively spread your travel funds? Please share. 🙂

Conference, EdTech

This Is My Recap of #et4online

Laura Pasquini

Another year at the #et4online conference brings various researchers, educators, practitioners, and then some to talk about the online learning landscape. I presented a session, attended a few workshops & sessions, learned a great deal (see my notes taken on Twitter), and connected to some new ideas and people. Each time I attend #et4online I find myself surrounded by some of the usual #edtech suspects who banter about pedagogy and talk about learning — rather than just the technology… and this is refreshing.

et4online montage

A few of my own #et4online highlights include:

 

Other reflections and thoughts about #et4online have been shared by George and Jim (#JimOfThings)…and I suspect a few others to follow.

 

Key takeaways I am still chewing on…

 

 

Special shout out to @jlknott for a stellar conference week as my roommate &  partner-in-crime. Here’s to our combined forces (support) to crush (or defend) our dissertations this summer! Go team!

Excited

Until then, I think #et4online should dance it out… Because I’m happy…

Happy

Conference, CTCX, Higher Education, Professional Development, SAchat

Stopping by #SxSW

Laura Pasquini

#SxSW has attracted the interactive, film and music fans from around the world to Austin, TX every March. This year @julieclarsen decided to drop into the interactive part – #SxSWi – since we are only 3.5 hours north of the fun.

Although our road trip was short, we managed to soak in all that #SXSW was offering for the interactive time. There are loads of events and happenings for non-registered fans, and it gave us a sample of what we might attend next year – because we’re very interested in playing & engaging with some of the great panel sessions too.

Here are a few #SxSW highlights from the rogue attendees:

  • There’s an app for that! – Many new startups, apps and more begin to shine at #SxSW. We were texting beside the CEO/Founder, Mike, of Hashable & also met the developers from PunchTab who just launched their online reward program 5 days before #SxSWi.
  • FREE! is the name of the game – There are loads of fun things to do & see for the frugal-minded geek. Many happenings were found on the street or at an RSVP gathering within the 4th-6th Street limits.
  • Time to Play – Ping pong, Foursquare, Geek Games from Mashable &  frolicking is key for the #SxSWi. Loads of events happening on the street, in a parking lot and around town to enjoy. And there is tonnes of fun being tweeted & broadcasted about what is happening around town.
  • Celebrity Sighting – If you want to see a few stars, they are sure to appear in front of a camera or microphone for an interview near you (on the street). We saw Danny Devito interview for an upcoming film he’s producing, but other friends met Conan O’Brien, Dane Cook, Juno, Mike Tyson and then some.
  • Ideas, Solutions & Blue Skies – There are loads of great panels, talks and discussions about what’s to come in the techie realm.
  • Points to Ponder – This event had my mind spinning for ideas to research, develop, and create. Imagine if I attended more of the convention. Unreal.
  • BEST PART = Meet & Greet – There are loads of people in Austin on the street who are open to chatting & gathering. I recommend a local cafe or watering hole such as South Congress Cafe, Fado, Stubbs BBQ or The Gingerman. It was a great weekend to connect & meet a few #SAChat friends IRL.

Besides meeting @EdCabellon, Julie & I met up with a few #SAChat friends such as @bradpopiolek, @jeffjackson, @SueBecks, @lizgross144, @marlenabh, @reyjunco, @stephwint, @PetePereira, @lynnellison & @LauraLambeth (who took some fab photogs from the #SASxSW TweetUp because I was too chatty and less of a photographer :)) at Rudy’s BBQ. We feasted & chatted over some Texas finest BBQ. Our meeting was cut short by my scholastic obligations (who puts a test on Saturday night of Spring Break?), however I do hope to connect and visit with more local & faraway #SAChat friends in the future.

BIG kudos goes out to Brad, our Austin host with the most, and Julie, the ultimate road warrior. Here’s to more gatherings of technology and fun in the future! Learning is best when it’s crowd-sourced & IRL.