When is the conference being held?In 2010, the preconference keynote will be posted online Monday, October 11th. "Regular week" presentations will be available for viewing the weeks of October 18th and 25th, and will remain online indefinitely. Several LIVE events will also available during the weeks of the conference, and continue in 2010 through our twice-monthly EdTechTalk webcast, "K-12 Online Echo." All upcoming events will be listed on our conference Ning events page. Past / archived events are linked on our wiki, and also included in our "Fireside Chats" Ning group.As presentations "go live" and are published, they are posted to our conference blog and linked from our 2010 Conference schedule. (It will be created once our presenters are announced) Is there any cost involved?No, this online conference is free and open to anyone, anywhere, to view and comment. If you are affiliated with a commercial vendor, please see our "Goals and Values" page for clarification on participation as an individual.How do I participate? Do I need to Register?Register to participate in the conference by joining our online learning community, our conference Ning. You are also welcome to sign our Guest Book. Add yourself to our Frappr Map, which is also linked on our conference Ning.During the conference dates you participate by downloading the presenter's content or viewing it online, reviewing it, and then posting feedback or comments. Comments can be posted on our conference blog, on the video in our conference Ning, or in the Ning group for the presentation's strand. The Conference schedule identifies when a particular presenter's content will be available (after the identified date, the schedule will have a link to the content). You can also get involved synchronously during the fireside chat sessions highlighted on the schedule as well. These live sessions provide an opportunity for you to listen to the week's presenters, ask questions directly and visit with other participants (virtually, speaking). It's a good idea to watch this conference feed for conference information, follow the conference twitter feed, or check back regularly to the conference website. You can find additional information about making the most of the conference as a participant here. How do the LIVE sessions work?Starting in the fall of 2009, the K-12 Online Conference partnered with EdTechTalk to host a series of "LAN Parties" using Ustream and past conference presentations. These are linked and can be viewed from our "Fireside Chats" Ning group.EdTechTalk Fireside Chats or "LAN parties" utilize two different technologies: A Ustream channel video webcast / broadcast of the live presentation, and an interactive, text-based chat room for "backchannel" discussions among participants as well as presenters. During a K12Online Fireside chat with EdTechTalk, episode hosts as well as the conference presenter introduce a session and then play back all or a portion of that session over Ustream. Following the presentation, hosts as well as backchannel participants engage in a Q&A dialog with the presenter. What about blocked content?Have a look at our information on accessing blocked content.How can I receive updates on what's happening with K12Online?
How do the events work?I've heard of "Before the Dawn," "Fireside Chats," "Teasers," and "RoundTables." What are these and how do Participate?Before the Dawn - An interactive opportunity for conference presenters to obtain information and ask questions about their responsibilities and deadlines relating to the conference. This takes place within this year's Presenter's group on our conference Ning. Fireside Chats - In 2006, 2007, and 2008, we utilized Elluminate for our live events. Starting in 2009, we are using EdTechTalk for live, video webcasting and text-based backchannel discussions about K12Online presentations. Webcast guests and hosts present over the EdTechTalk Studio Ustream channel, and session participants utilize the EdTechTalk chat room as a "backchannel" for discussion and Q&A during the live session. Check out our archived fireside chats / LAN Parties from 2009 on our archived events page for a sense of how these work. Teasers - Teasers are optional marketing videos created by presenters to generate buzz and awareness about their conference presentation. These will be cross-posted in 2009 both to our conference Ning site as videos and as posts on our conference blog. Where can I discuss presentations with others?In 2009, conference presentations will be cross-posted to both our conference blog and conference Ning. We are also in the process of embedding posts from past conferences in our conference Ning. In addition to scheduled live events, asynchronous discussions surrounding conference presentations and activities can be posted on individual conference presentation blog posts, In our conference Ning on submitted videos, in Ning groups for each year's respective strands, and in the Ning discussion forum. In addition, participants are encouraged to post about, cross-link to, and embed conference presentations and content. The official "tag" for blog posts, Flickr images is k12online10. The official twitter hash tag for this year's conference is #k12online10. Can I view previous year's presentations?Yes! All of the presentations and supporting materials are available for the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 conferences, as well as archived live events.Tips for first time participantsDon't try to take it all in at once. Pick a strand and follow it. View, perhaps, only one presentation per day.There is approximately one synchronous activity per week but remember, these are archived so you can always catch up later, if the timing does not work for you. Managing the information overloadLike any conference, you're best to review the program ahead of time and choose the sessions that most interest you. Once the conference starts, you'll find things happening at fast/furious so it's best to plan ahead!Check out the presentation teasers to help you decide where to start your conference experience. Divide and ConquerWork with a colleague to share the information. Just like at an "in-person" conference, go to different sessions and "get the information and handouts" then report back.Get everyone together for a keynote session, then assign people to report back on the key points in one presentation. Professional Development LAN PartiesYou, the presenter and several other colleagues: Why not make it a school event and get together after school, at lunch time, whenever to view the conference sessions with colleagues? Pick one that interests you and/or fits your school 's goals.Asynchronous Professional DevelopmentIf you're busy all week, remember, the conference is mostly asynchronous (not happening in real time) so you can catch up with the conference later. For instance, you can view the 2006 conference presentations and the 2007 conference presentations. |
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