The Power of Networking - My #ISTE11 Reflection

ISTE 11 was memorable in a number of ways. It was the first time I've ever experienced travel issues. Granted I don't travel much. But a Sunday night thunderstorm cancelled my Monday morning plane...blah, blah...so I ended up in Philly 5 hours later than expected.

Me (green shirt on right) with many of the people I got to meet
in person for the first time, although we chat everyday.
Thanks to Michelle for the pic!

My first ISTE conference was San Antonio in 2008. I planned and planned and planned out my  time and rushed from session to session. This year, someone asked me on Twitter if I wanted them to take any notes from any sessions while I was traveling Monday morning. I had to laugh. I had barely even looked at the session list. This trip was different in that my main goal was to put faces and handshakes to the many people I interact with daily on Twitter. And it was successful. I still went to some sessions that I was interested in, even helped conduct a panel session (click here for link). But the interactions I had on couches and bar stools in the Newbie Lounge were just as powerful, and more meaningful, than being talked to in a session. I knew few people in 2008. And the ones I knew were from Nebraska. Great people, but I have more opportunities to interact with them throughout the year.
Twitter continues to amaze me. The ability to connect with people around the world at any time and develop relationships...really, friendships...is incredible. I cannot stress to teachers how valuable a local/national/global personal learning network can be. Whether you use Twitter, Ning, or Facebook (or whatever else!), investing time to get started saves you time later.
A couple other great posts that share experiences similar to mine. I will try to add more as I come across them.:

• Missing Something by Kristina Peters
• The Session I Attended by Dean Shareski