Conference Hunting Season

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You should follow these 5 guidelines when it comes to hunting for learning at these educational events.

Speaker giving a talk in conference hall at education event.
(Image credit: kasto80)

As the calendar turns in educational circles, conference hunting season is upon us. BETT, FETC, TCEA, SXSW, ICE and many more acronymic events are in season, and, just like hunting in real life, you should follow these 5 guidelines when it comes to hunting for learning at these educational events. 

  1. Hunter wear: You are encouraged to wear bright and/or clever T-shirts so that other hunters (conference attendees) will notice your wit and humor. 
  2. Skins: Grab as many of those “badge flair” sticker things. These are akin to hides on a wall and show others how expert you are at conference hunting.
  3. Vendor Call: As you visit the exhibition hall, beware of the vendor call. They may lure you in with a free stylus or t-shirt, but don’t waste their time unless you are truly interested. Unless they are giving away free chocolate.
  4. Hunting Hours: Please note that hunting can often be extended to the evening hours. While this may seem like a bonus opportunity to network with other hunters, know that in darker light, hunting becomes more dangerous.
  5. Processing: Take time to process your kill (i.e. what you learn). Too often times people run from session to session trying to “rack” up as much content as they can. Spend a few minutes to process what you’ve learned and you’ll be a much happier hunter.
Carl Hooker

Carl Hooker has spent the past 20+ years in education as a teacher and administrator focused on the thoughtful integration of technology and innovation. He consults for multiple districts across the country and is a frequent speaker at state and national events. In his free time he's an author, DJ, podcast host, Poetry Slammer, and Trivia Night MC. He's the co-founder of the social platform K12Leaders.com. Check out his latest book Ready Set FAIL! Now available for order here: https://mrhook.it/fail  Read more of his blogs at Hooked on Innovation.