I remember the first ASCD conference I attended many years ago (well, not sure when that was really) and my typical workshop procedure was to find a seat in the middle of the room near the front. I would pull out a mechanical pencil and a legal pad and I would use only the front page so that when I flipped each page, I wouldn’t have to flip the whole pad over to read my writing. I would write the title of the workshop on the very top line of the page and I would use a traditional outline format.
My approach to conference learning has changed a bit. I now often sit near an electrical outlet so I can keep my laptop charged. Instead of a legal pad, I open up Evernote, a clever note taking and file capturing client that syncs to every digital device I own, such as my Droid Incredible, my iPod Touch, and my wife’s iPad. I also have a Twitter client open so that when I hear something clever I copy and paste from Evernote right into Twitter (these days I’m using Kiwi) complete with the hashtag “#ascd11″. In fact, I use TypeIt4Me so that all I have to type is “#a” and with a tap of the space bar, the rest of the hashtag completes itself. I also have a file on Evernote for blog ideas, so in the middle of a presentation, I might be inspired enough to make a note there for a future blog post.
Before the workshop begins or at the end, I am likely to go online to ASCD’s new digital program book and plan for my next one or two workshops. I will likely dial up the mobile version on my Droid so my next workshop is right there to remind me as well as provide a map so I don’t get lost in the vastness of the Moscone Center. I also took some video today of the Exhibit area ribbon cutting with my Flip. I’ll throw that on the blog in the next day or two.
Kudos to ASCD for pushing forward the richness of social media.
More concerning real content tomorrow.
