I'm willing to put money down that he's heard it before, but definitely not yet from me.
Adam and I presented together at ISTE with other friends in Hollywood Squares: A Brain-Bending Game Show in which we presented relevant research findings in the ed tech world through the lense of nine ridiculous celebrities in the tic-tac-to-style Hollywood Squares game show.
It was pretty crazy. I was Bill Nye. Read more about it here.
Back to Adam.
Adam presented at an IGNITE session. The IGNITE sessions were unique from any other session at ISTE. A group of presenters had exactly 5 minutes each and 20 slides (changing automatically every 15 seconds) in order to tell about a given ed tech concept, idea, practice, etc.
Adam nailed it.
Moreover, he did it with slides throwing back to 80's movies.
So now, without hesitation, I'd like to shamelessly "borrow" Adam's idea in order to recap my experience at ISTE.
Bladerunner (1982)
There was an insane amount of new technology at ISTE 2012 in San Diego. But, instead of fearing that our world is on an irreversible path toward a tech-dominant dystopian future, I think it taught me to be human. I witnessed tools that challenged the way I thought about teaching, but affirmed my role as a teacher. I saw applications of new technologies made only stronger by the promise an educator saw in how he or she could use it in the classroom. I saw and touched the future and was deeply affected by it.
Topgun (1985)
But I didn't stay in the conference center the whole time. San Diego had a lot to offer and, among the many sites I explored on foot, bike, car, and trolley, I did wind up at the USS Midway (CVB-41). By that time it was too late to board, but after already walking past several volleyball courts and knowing Comic Con would be in full swing within a couple short weeks, I couldn't help but think of Tom Cruise who once, now famously, at an event that never happened told me, "Matthew Winner, you can be my wingman anytime." I miss that guy.
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Back at ISTE, sessions filled to capacity quickly. I served a number of reconnaissance missions to procure seats for popular sessions and made sure there was no man left behind. Lucky to not go it alone, too, because a lot of these sessions kicked my butt and left me breathless. I mean, how much inspiration can you pack into a 60 minute session... really?!
The Breakfast Club (1985)
But some of the biggest ah-ha's happened when we probably shouldn't have been talking. There were moments when a speaker would share something, an idea, a quote, a resource, etc., and you would just feel like you were punched in the chest. Like everything in you just had to say something because you just hadn't ever thought of things that way before. That happened a bunch of times. When I attended sessions alone, I found myself mumbling Mmm Hmmm, volunteering answers, or smiling and nodding thoughtlessly. To quote my friend Cheryl, I was eating up whatever they were cooking. And it was good. When I attended sessions with friends, I walked out thankful that I came with the right friends, because I would just talk and talk. What if we used ____ to do _____ in our classes? Would it be possible to link _______ to our websites to that our students could have access to ______ at the ready?
Big (1988)
But mostly, ISTE made me feel like a kid in an adult body. I nerded out over anything video game-related. I went out with friends to corporate-sponsored events and didn't quite no what to do with myself (other than people-watch and criticize bad fashion or otherwise ridiculousness). I longed to see my friends, and I didn't like sleeping in a hotel alone. After presenting a workshop on Wii Math, a couple of San Diego friends offered to take me out to lunch and the zoo. Tiffany and James had been part of our house church in Baltimore before moving out to CA for James to attend med school and work on his doctorate. Tiffany asked me what I had been doing since arriving in San Diego the night before. In truth, I told her, I'd been hunting down comic book stores to no avail. As it turns out, San Diego hosts the world's largest (and premiere) comic book convention, but the nearest comic book shop is a couple miles away from the convention center. Not a big loss. The zoo was amazing.
The Goonies (1985)
The biggest takeaway for me, though, may have been making friends early and sticking by their side throughout the conference. It's impossible to say what may have happened if it weren't for meeting Cheryl, Ryan, Alaina, Tiff, and Ilona. We each did our own thing at ISTE, but found ourselves reuniting over lunch or in the evenings, and often for little more than to have one another. It was as if their was an unspoken band of brotherhood holding us together and no one really wanted to mess with it. We talked about favorite books (mine's When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, if you're keeping score). We ate some amazing Italian food. We shared best practices and made plans to collaborate in the future. We found an old pirate ship hidden deep below San Diego by following an old treasure map into a cave, beneath a park's water fountain, and past a bunch of scary pirate skeletons. Definitely good times.
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1985)
But at some point you realize that it's time to go home. You realize that you're only visiting and, even with all the incredible memories made, experiences experienced, connections bridged, it will all stay with you. Remember what E.T. said to Elliott? "I'll be right here." And it is. And it will be. All of those memories at the front of your mind, ready for you to bring them to your students and to your school. Ready for you to challenge the hand you've been dealt and work to make your classroom a better place than anyone could imagine. But actually, I'm not asking for a movie script ending, just for my name in the credits.
Attending a national (international) conference is a tremendous experience and one that will stick with me for a very long time. I hope to have the opportunity to do it again, and I hope that you, reader, will also get the chance to do it. If you do, consider the suggestions I made to myself before leaving for ISTE and allow yourself to become fully immersed in the experience.
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