Big Conference Experience with a Personal Touch
As the 2017 NYSCATE Annual Conference was about to get started on Saturday, November 19, a snowy storm was blowing into Rochester. As a Kentucky native, snow and cold and wind are not exactly strangers to me, but I'm certainly not used to experiencing them before Thanksgiving. Fortunately, there was more than plenty happening inside the Riverside Convention Center to make staying inside more treat than necessity.
The New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education holds its annual gathering for educators and school staff across the state of New York, though they are more than happy to welcome out of state interlopers like myself. As part of the Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert program, #MIEExpert, Microsoft had sent me to the conference to present a couple of sessions on OneNote. This was my second year to attend NYSCATE, and both experiences have convinced me that this is one of the best ed-tech conferences out there.
The New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education holds its annual gathering for educators and school staff across the state of New York, though they are more than happy to welcome out of state interlopers like myself. As part of the Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert program, #MIEExpert, Microsoft had sent me to the conference to present a couple of sessions on OneNote. This was my second year to attend NYSCATE, and both experiences have convinced me that this is one of the best ed-tech conferences out there.
The best way I can describe NYSCATE is that it is an event that has a big conference feel with a small conference connectivity. I've been fortunate enough to attend some much larger conferences such as ISTE, and I can honestly say that they hold nothing above NYSCATE. (In fact, the opposite may be the case.) Walking through the conference center, the look and feel of NYSCATE is that of a much bigger production.
This year's conference was super hero themed, and the folks who put this event together did an awesome job pulling that theme together and blanketing the conference experience with it.
This year's conference was super hero themed, and the folks who put this event together did an awesome job pulling that theme together and blanketing the conference experience with it.
There were super hero decorations and references throughout the conference center. Participants were given conference super hero capes upon check-in. A phone booth for your caped educator transformation stood in the conference center main lobby. There were even conference themed chocolate bars.
Saturday Kickoff:
On Saturday, NYSCATE started with the Rochester Mini Maker Faire. As a conference participant, I was able to get inside and experience an amazing event put together for and by the community. There were all kinds of different informative and hands-on booths set up for students and their families to experience. For any schools or communities looking to start your own mini maker fair event, I highly recommend taking a deeper look at what NYSCATE put together here.
Bringing OneNote to NYSCATE:
I was invited to present a 2-hour workshop and a general session at the conference, both featuring Microsoft's OneNote application. The OneNote team, along with a batch of passionate educators, have done an amazing job of promoting OneNote in education this past year or so. Obviously, the team has really strengthened OneNote with additions of the Class Notebook and Learning Tools add-ins, as well as other cool features like the ability to embed videos and Forms quizzes, as well as other improvements. Now, when I mention OneNote or Class Notebook in casual teacher conversation, people tend to know a lot more about the product than they used to, as its power to empower students and curriculum has really started getting attention. It's quickly becoming more of a household name among educators. There's a visible curiosity and interest in OneNote's Class Notebook that has started to boom, and I'm excited to be able to travel to a few different conferences this year and share my OneNote experiences with others. As a classroom teacher, it's one of my favorite things to talk about.
A special shout out to two great products: Microsoft's Surface Pro and the Screen Beam wireless projection device. Since getting a Surface Pro a couple years ago, my computing life has been transformed, especially in my job as a teacher. Surface's Digital Ink technology is amazing, empowering, and, I believe, the future of learning devices. I love the mobility of presenting with my Surface, and Screen Beam does an excellent job of letting me do so, especially on older VGA-only projectors.
Other Conference Goodness:
Not only did I get to hear a real NASA astronaut speak, but I also got to be a "hero"--his words, not mine--by holding the hotel elevator for him later that day. Astronaut Mike Massimino also provided me with one of my new favorite quotes: "Just remember: No matter how bad things are, you can always make it worse."
Microsoft had set up their interactive booth on the upper level of the conference center. Throughout the event, various Microsoft employees and trainers provided quick, free workshops on different Microsoft in education products. I had been super excited to check out the new Surface Studio for the first time, but the bad weather that hit the region just before the conference had prevented it from making an appearance. Still, there was a lot of great learning and hands-on sampling of devices that took place here throughout the day.
This is the scene right outside the conference center in Rochester. Even with cold, it's a beautiful spot.
For a Kentucky boy, going to New York and experiencing some snow on the ground in November is a special treat. I'm no stranger to the cold and the wind, but I'm certainly not used to experiencing it this early in the season. I, of course, did not come prepared and had to run to a little store down the street to buy some gloves and something to cover my head.
A special thanks to Microsoft and their Innovative Educator Expert program for making it possible for me to travel to this conference. It truly is one of the best in the country, and I'm so glad I got to be a part of it again this year.