“Write what you know" Sam had read in a book about writing.
This is an excerpt from one of my favorite children’s books. If you’ve not read “Library Mouse” (or any of the sequels, though the first is the best) by Daniel Kirk you should.
So I’m going to take my cue from Sam the Library Mouse, and write what I know, and that is iPadpalooza. Of course I can't write about iPadpalooza without mentioning Carl Hooker, the founder, Felix Jacomino, a likeminded inspirational educator, and of course Richard Wells, my favorite New Zealander who got his blog post about iPadpalooza out before I did! Kudos mate. I blame the airport wifi....
I KNOW six years ago, a man named Carl Hooker had a dream. That dream was simple, re-imagine the typical educational technology conference. If you’re teacher, let alone a teacher who uses technology in the classroom, you know as well as I do that there is “good” tech PD, and then there is “not good” tech PD. The “not good” was what Carl set out to change, and he achieved it in iPadpalooza. If you ever go to Austin, you get a different feeling in that city. Having lived there for 10 years, I’ll confirm this. If you were fortunate enough to go to iPadpalooza the same can be said, it just “feels” different than anything you’ve been to.
I KNOW that “It’s not a conference, it’s a Learning Festival” is the tagline that used to adorn the iPadpalooza advertisements. Headquartered near Austin, deep in the heart of Texas, Eanes ISD (the district that Carl and his “iVengers” call home) has been the home of this festival for 6 years. I would say that being near Austin with its many festivals, had a direct influence on the “feel” of iPadpalooza. And I’m sure if Carl reads this, he’s nodding his head in agreement.
I KNOW that I count myself fortunate when it comes to iPadpalooza. I’ve had the means and/or opportunity to attend it for numerous years, and it is by far one of my favorite summer learning opportunities. By my count I’ve been to all of them but two, the first inaugural year, and one in the middle, as far as I can tell. Every year I walked away with something different. I always left feeling energized, engaged, and connected. iPadpalooza is a great way to get tons of ideas to bring back to your school, district, classroom, or library. It draws innovative educators from across the globe to present, and the knowledge and mindsets they bring with them are game changing. But for me it has always been about the connections that I make at iPadpalooza that have served me the best, and the reason that I made it a priority to attend as often as I could.
I KNOW that iPadpalooza has become a bit of a “juggernaut” in the years since its creation. It has spawned numerous other “Paloozas” as Carl is always one to share his passion for quality learning, and the need to shake up the learning status quo. He’s quick to offer help, and as the questions came in from other districts about “How can we do this?” Carl saw an opportunity, and a way to share. He excels in these things, and we’re all better for it. This past year iPadpalooza even went international, as the first ever iPadpalooza Gold Coast was held in Australia.
If you haven’t grasped it yet, iPadpalooza, the environment it fosters, and the founding “Godfather” Carl Hooker, are all “kind of a big deal” in their own way. In addition to the other “Paloozas” that are a direct result of the original, numerous other conferences and learning opportunities have been modeled after it. My own district modeled our “Little Apple Tech Fest” after we took a group of educators to the event, and I’m pretty sure if you were to ask Felix Jacomino, his own learning experience/festival, known as “Miami Device” was his own take on Carl’s dream. I believe that this is why the two are such good friends, and such a powerful force in the realm of learning and educational technology integration.
I KNOW that educators who have been fortunate enough to attend iPadpalooza walk away changed individuals. Over the years, if one does the math, between the original iPadPalooza, all of the offshoots, and the countless other professional development opportunities inspired by it, Carl Hooker’s dream has made an impact on education on global scale. Let that settle in for a minute. Very few educators can claim that, but Carl most definitely can. I can also guarantee that if you’re an educator fortunate enough to get to go to iPadpalooza, you can’t wait to go back. The relationships that you forge there are lasting, and those people will influence the way you approach education and how you teach, and you will influence them as well.
I KNOW that this all sounds fantastic, and it is. And I will sing the praises of iPadpalooza for many years to come. If you’ve not heard yet, or you weren’t in the audience last week, this marked the last official “iPadpalooza” that is going to be held in Eanes ISD. I know that I wasn’t the only one in the audience that made an audible noise when Carl made the announcement. And now, a full four days later, after letting it settle into my brain, I am okay with that, and I hope that others are too. That may sound a little defeatist, but hear me out.
iPadpalooza was founded on the idea of change. So if one follows that line of thought, then iPadpalooza too must change. Carl Hooker, and those that he surrounds himself with are visionaries, and it takes that type of person to realize that change is necessary.
I count myself lucky to have attended, presented, and most recently “keynoted” at iPadpalooza. Those opportunities don’t come along that often, and I know I’m a better person, better educator for it. From the lessons learned to the connections made, I’m a better individual because of that learning festival.
So I’m going to end with this.
For all of us that had the opportunity to attend, we were lucky that we got to see and learn everything that we could from the educators that came together to make iPadpalooza what it was. I will say that we all did our best to share everything that we took away from it. I feel a bit sad that others won’t get to experience the “original” iPadpalooza moving forward, because it was truly unique.
However, if iPadpalooza was that great, just imagine how promising the next adventure will be that comes from Carl Hooker, and the collective talent and knowledge of his EdTech “dream team” that he’s assembled over the past 6 years via iPadpalooza.
I will always look back at iPadpalooza fondly, but personally, I can’t wait to see what happens next.
