Cathy Nelson’s Professional Thoughts

Oh I hate that I did not follow up Friday and get a few more to let me interview them, but these that did have done a great job capturing the essence of how exciting this year’s conference was! Over and over I heard how much folks enjoyed Will Richardson. Alane Ferguson blew us all away too, and she actually has promised SC Librarians a treat that I dare not place here online. Email me or talk to others who went to her session to get a TREAT! Even without wifi in the conference center (which most of you probably know nearly pushed me into serious DTs and other side effects of withdrawal) the conference was EXCELLENT! Kudos to Joe Myers, our SCASL president elect and conference planning committee chair.

Other highlights for me (more I guess, since I’ve already blogged some earlier):

• Seeing Evernote in action; then using the app on my droid that I downloaded over a month ago but had not yet tried out!
• Talking with Alane Ferguson and finding out we have much in common (we are both from large families so as children we were at times lost in the mix.)
• Going to see Alice in Wonderland in 3D at the Imax theater with fellow media specialists Fran Bullington, Heather Loy, and former mentor who now lives in Chatanooga, TN, Allison Roberts.
• Playing hostess to Will Richardson for dinner and having a group of friends join our dinner.
• Getting a $50 gift certificate to spend with ABC-Clio for attending their luncheon/presentation (though it did make me miss my friend Chris Craft’s preso. Sad.)
• Having a smart phone (my Droid Eris to keep me somewhat connected with my PLN and friends DESPITE no wifi.
• Having lunch Thursday at 5 Guys (oooh, yeah try not think calories) with several friends: LMS’s Heather Loy, Fran Bullington, Sally Hursey, Steven Reed, and Spanish teacher (but SCASL member) Chris Craft! (Almost the same crew from dinner with Will Richardson.)
• Getting to spend time with my sister (even though it was mostly just late evenings.) I don’t visit her enough in Mount Pleasant, a different part of Charleston. It caused me to have a 30 minute ride back to the convention center each day, but it was worth it.  We had a great dinner out Tuesday evening, and enjoyed watching together the DVR’d American Idol Wednesday evening.  She is a GREAT sister, one of three. (I have three brothers too, just in case you are curious. The video below is her talking to our brother Chris, who I pictured in the blog yesterday. He lives in North Charleston.)
• Getting to be a part of Will Richardson’s pre-conference sessions, and learning all about Khan Academy.  It is definitely a GAME changer for schools and teaching IMHO.  Everyone needs to share this resources with their teachers and students.  I will be sharing with my freshman son in college.
• Getting to hang out A LOT with the three media muskateers–me, Heather Loy, and Fran Bullington.  We’ve begun planning our summer upstate technology conference presentation! Heather made us a cool “badge” to wear at conference, and I wore mine proudly.
• Hanging out Thursday afternoon in the hotel lobby with immediate past AASL President Ann Martin, AASL regional network liaison Allison Roberts, and USC-SLIS Professor Virgina Wallace.  What a highlight.

Tags: SCASL10