Calgary Teachers Conference

Today I presented a keynote address and a follow-up workshop on teacher portfolios at the Calgary Teachers Conference. Here are some tweets from the participants:

• That's my mom! RT @geekteacher Barrett is brilliant! @eportfolios #CCTCA #CCTCA2011
• @eportfolios Thanks for two great sessions, and our chat over lunch! I hope we stay in touch! Safe Travels! -Monti
• "I stopped following RSS feeds, and began following people!" @eportfolios (Dr.Barrett) re: #twitter #CCTC2011
• @CCTCA2011: It's a shame @marcprensky and @eportfolios were running at the same time! Don't make us choose!! :) #CCTC2011
• RT @geekteacher: I'm shocked & disappointed that so few people are attending @eportfolios keynote. #CCTC2011 / It's a small dedicated group!
• #CCTC2011 @eportfolios is presenting on different types of portfolios; showcase, mobile, presentation, expressive, blogging.
• Barrett is brilliant! @eportfolios #CCTCA #CCTCA2011
• What, so what, and now what - Q's to ask in the process of eP development. @eportfolios @CCTCA2011
• Key to learning from an ePorfolio is dialogue - need for collaboration @eportfolios @CCTCA2011
• eP's can help students explore life purpose & goals, personal & prof identity @eportfolios @CCTCA2011
• The power of a portfolio is personal! @eportfolios @CCTC
• Much to learn about how students approach their eP's - @helenbarret @eportfolios @CCTCA2011
• I'm shocked & disappointed that so few people are attending @eportfolios keynote. #CCTCA #CCTCA2011
• Looking forward to @eportfolios (Helen Barrett) keynote. #CCTCA #CCTCA2011

 It was interesting to look at the program and see the number of presentations for up to 11,000 teachers, although I'm not sure all of them were there. Reminds me of the in-services I used to do in Fairbanks in the 80s, putting on a conference for teachers who often don't get to attend big national conferences. Now I am spending an unexpected night near Calgary airport due to canceled flight home. Travel on this trip has been weird: a two hour flight, but I had to take my passport! It is also interesting to hear concerns about storing data on U.S. computers (something about Patriot Act???). I encouraged use of mobile tools and reflection, of course.

Based on feedback, I'd like to put together a resource to support scaffolding reflection in K-12 schools, especially elementary, focusing on past, present and future tense:

• Past: Looking back over a collection of work and find the themes/stories (retrospective)
• Present: Reflection in real time (capturing the moment, using a variety of tools to capture text, image, audio, video)
• Future: Goal-setting (from reviewing work, what are goals for future learning?)

I am suggesting that a group of teachers gather together virtually to brainstorm and share strategies for guiding student reflection; it was a question that came up at the end of my keynote. This process would be tool-neutral, although I am exploring how to use mobile devices to "capture the moment" or reflect in real time, which will be the focus on my ISTE workshop in Philadelphia in June.