#nmc15

(Originally posted June 10, 2015)

One might say that the New Media Consortium (NMC) is about its people and it’s community of ideas. Each year friends and colleagues converge in one location for the annual conference. Here is the take away from one participant who had never really heard of NMC until this week.

What was your one big take away?

That people are doing amazing and inspiring things and are so open to sharing them with others!  Its not just about the technology we’ve used or will use, but the human experience. Other conferences I’d heard of or volunteered at in the past seemed too focused on one tool or theme, but NMC incorporated so many different disciplines, departments, professions and that contrast sparks actions, other projects, amazing conversations and infinite futures.

What was your favorite event of the conference?

I was really inspired by Liz Neely’s Keynote “Invincible Creativity” and immediately and wholeheartedly adopted her message to support curiosity in our students and ourselves. She spoke/showed examples of art meeting tech, meeting education meeting service, that I can only hope to do with my own work! I also loved the breakout session “Through the Screens: Learning Through Visual Culture”. We had a great conversation about how visual literacy and narrative adapt as technology evolves. (I also loved how they incorporated twitter and #hastaging in the group discussion- something I cant’ wait to do during my own classes now).

The Ides Lab and Five Minutes of Fame events were awesome. It was refreshing to shift the presentation dynamic, and as a participant I didn’t know if it was good or bad to get “gong-ed”…. I’m already planning my five minutes of fame for next year- and now that I know how it works- I think I’ll go for the gong! I’d love to incorporate short presentations like this in my classes someday.

What new discovery did you make?

I turned over a lot of rocks at NMC! The entire conference was one great discovery after the next. The best discovery was the people I met and the incredible work they all did.

As an artist and animator, I know the typical uses of certain time based tools and technologies but discovered new applications for these tools- in archiving, in museum education, in online courses, in dance, in healthcare.  This was an unexpected discovery, realizing that I can use my own research, resources and talents to help people- whether they’re other NMCers, students, or communities.

Who became your coolest new friend from the conference?

I’ve always had a hard time picking my favorite color in the crayon box…I think the beauty of an event like this is in the diversity of the amazing people it brings close together for a small time in a small space.

That being said, if I had to pick, Tommy the Robot is about the coolest dude I’ve ever met. Even though he’s on twitter, he can be a little on the shy side in person…but once he gets going he’s the life of the party. He’s also a tai chi master which I think makes him the perfect candidate to be the “gong ringer” at next year’s Five Minutes Of Fame!

Bring on NMC16!

Absolutely fantastic opening day of NMC2015 with education futurist, researcher, and writer Bryan Alexander. Lots of information shared, but main take aways for the new academic year.

Education Trends (some of the main ones - there were lots):

Reform movements Rising student debt (1.3 trillion)

Alternative certification pilots (competency, badges)

International higher Ed systems building up

More international students heading to the U.S.

U.S. Campuses expanding overseas presence

Enrollment Declining Adjunctification rising

Interesting Questions:

In regard to the massive amount of information out there - We don't really know how much reading is being done? We also don't know how digital reading is different from traditional? And we don't know how this type of reading impacts literacy?

How to Identify Trends:

Conduct an environmental scan using services like Google News or RSS readers like Feedly. Keep sources updated and remove from the list if they’re no longer valuable. Hidden treasure - podcasts (specific plug to Digital Campus and JISC Podcasts)

Keep is broad with multiple perspectives - Social, Technology, Education, Environment, Politics (STEEP) Conduct observations of friends, non-immediate family, and colleagues.

Pick the trends you see as sustainable, valuable to you, and then wrap them together.