I wanted to double and triple check this before I blogged it, but it’s been confirmed from the very highest levels. NECC 2006, San Diego, will be wireless. All of the session rooms will be wireless with a hard wire Ethernet connection for presenters.
The NECC folks are also working with the San Diego Gas Lamp District to make the entire restaurant and shopping district wireless through the NECC portal. This part appears not to be a done deal, but the potential is here. We can have a different kind of conference, one that exists on new levels of information, sharing, accessing, and growing knowledge about making our schools the experience that our children deserve.
Many many many thanks to the folks at NECC for making this happen!
Way more than 2¢ worth!
Hi David,
Wireless access has been a priority with NECC organizers this year. I will be the Regional Poster Chair for NECC Atlanta in 2007 and we have had numerous meeting with Leslie, Anita, and others for the past month and wireless has been a topic that has received much consideration. Hopefully, this will be a “done deal” as you said for San Diego as well as Atlanta in 2007. After all, it is a technology conference!!! 🙂 We are striving for this at GaETC in November!!!
Loved your comments to Will’s blog about his Georgia workshop! Gri-ets! 🙂 I was able to attend as an observer (I am not a classroom teacher, but had connections with one of the project organizers and was invited to attend) and it has been a great experience….An entire week on blogging…..Will was awesome…..Anne Davis was “down and dirty” with her session on classroom blogging and pedagogy!!!! I wonder if those 25 teachers in the workshop realized how fortunate they were to be involved! 🙂 Check it out at http://www.blog2learn.org/ We talked with four or five teachers using Skype (Darren K., Chris. S., Lani Hall, etc.)……Gosh, the world is really flat, isn’t it??
I look forward to seeing you at NECC next month!!!!! Am loving your Classroom Blogging book!!! I am teaching a blogging class in July and will recommend it to my eduators!! Thanks again for all you do to get us in the groove with Web 2.0.
Fondly, Jerrie
David,
That is great news! What will I complain about this year now? See you in SD.
Kelly
Hi David
ULearn here in NZ (our national ICT/Learning and teaching conference) has been wireless for years. This year we also have primary/elementary aged KIDS podcasting and vodcasting about the conference, as well as dedicated del.icio.us and wiki sites.
Being wireless adds another dimension to keynotes and workshops – being able to check out sites or resources mentioned during the event, peoples blogs, and so-on is such powerful stuff. You will really enjoy the difference it makes at NECC!!
As you have pointed out in earlier posts David it is important to “walk the talk” with respect to using Web2.0 tools and wireless at conferences, particularly ICT conferences.
The difference wireless capability makes in schools is profound. Lets celebrate this at conferences too.
You should come and have a look at a ULearn Conference some time ….
Greg
I posted recently on my experience of being at a conference with ubiquitous wi-fi access (Coming to you live). I can only echo what Greg says above, it “adds another dimension“. I described it as stunningly useful.
I’m looking forward to breathing in the “exhhaust” from NECC. 🙂