In November of this year I was very fortunate, and at the same time very thankful.
I know what you're thinking, why is he talking about Thanksgiving? Haven't we read enough blog posts about Thanksgiving? And while I did have a fantastic Thanksgiving with family and friends, I'm actually talking about something completely different.
What I was fortunate enough to do, and am so thankful for was my time spent at Miami Device. If you've not heard of it, it is a fantastic EdTech conference put on by Felix Jacomino, the Director of Technology at St. Stephen's Episcopal Day School in Coconut Grove, Florida.
Miami Device is a conference unlike any other. I'm not sure if it's because it is in Coconut Grove (just 30 minutes from Miami), or what, but it is just "different" and that is such a good thing. The conference itself is hosted on the St. Stephen's campus and uses adjacent buildings and facilities to host the larger sessions and opening and closing keynotes. Every session was hosted in one of the classrooms on the St. Stephen's campus, and it was easy to see just how fun and engaging the learning in those classrooms must be. Hands down my favorite one was the "Fab Lab" and all I can say is that I would LOVE to have that room as my own! (Second only to the library of course)
If nothing else, the underlying theme behind Miami Device is collaboration. From the outdoor meals and gatherings (with Coconut Grove flair and culture), to the beautiful walks to and from the opening and closing daily keynotes. Everywhere I turned people were having conversations, usually with people they'd just met. More importantly they were collaborating, sharing ideas, and working towards the betterment of students. So many ideas were shared in those instances, it was just fun to watch, and of course be a part of! I got to reconnect with my pal Carl Hooker, and got to meet so many great folks like Richard Wells, Adam Bellows, Dean Shareski, George Couros, Todd Nelsoney, and SO MANY OTHERS, it was truly unbelievable.
Another thing to note is that people come from all over the world and all over the country to attend this conference. To me that speaks volumes about the quality of what a conference has to offer. I got the chance to meet and collaborate with some great Florida educators, and a couple of Kansas & Missouri folks I've heard great things about. There were plenty of fun, innovative sessions to attend, and I walked away with numerous ideas to take back to my district. Felix puts on an unbelievable conference, and it is hard to believe that this was only the second year! While there's no Miami Device next year, it will return in 2017. So if you've got the means, and want to experience one of the best conferences that brings together educators from everywhere, then you've got to check out Miami Device! If you don't believe me, just head to your Twitter tool of choice and check out the hashtag #MiamiDevice - you'll see what I mean.
