Creating Conducive Learning Environments Last week you read “The Conference Manifesto” and were asked to share additional agreements that you would add to the list in order to create conference environments conducive to learning. Here’s what you added:

As a Conference Organizer:

• I will be honest about the content and subject of the presentation in the conference schedule and catalog so that attendees are not mislead to a presentation which may not be of interest to them.

• I will review our past post-conference surveys and think twice about inviting a speaker that received low marks.

• I will make sure the session descriptions truly reflect what the session will be about and are very clear about what attendees will learn from the session.

• I will make sure the environment is neither too warm nor too cold. • I will give opportunities for breaks if it is a really long conference. • I commit to explore a virtual symposium in order to reduce travel and to provide a process for

attendees to attend only those topics which interest them....and from which they can check out if it's as bad as some can be.

As a Participant:

• I will speak about my original thoughts and learning (rather than spend time talking about what I think someone else said).

• I will engage at least one presenter informally about his/her work--that is, outside of the formal session/Q&A--to connect and relate personally.

• If I have a task involved in the conference, I will clearly define the objective and dialogue with members in the audience.

• I would like to strive for more interaction and connection with the group. • I will close my computer and be fully present. • I will not pretend to be asking a question, so that I can state my opinion or knowledge of the topic.

As a Facilitator:

• I will ask the learners what they know or expect to learn from the conference prior to attending using an online survey tool.

• I would like to connect in a more personal way to the audience so that they can feel that I truly care about this topic and thus making it more much more engaging and interesting to hear the content from me rather than reading it elsewhere.

• Create a "Non-PowerPoint" learning experience • I will be mindful of the time allotted in preparing my talk and PowerPoint/media (so that I do not

skip through PowerPoint and video during my presentation).

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• I will not, under any circumstances, do a canned presentation without at least learning who the room is, what they know and what they'd like to know from me.

• I will attempt, in some way that suits my personality and presentation style, to be engaging. • I will provide time and space for participants to learn from each other. • I will speak with passion about topics that I have interest, education and experience. • I will be available for attendees (rather than spending my time kibitzing with friends). • I will conduct myself with honesty and integrity (not empty promises or politics). • I will engage the audience in some shape or form in meaningful learning. Not, "ice breakers" or

something set up to show how smart I am (or worse, how much they don't know). • I will make sure that all audio/visual equipment is in working order and if I do not know how to run

it, I will have a competent person there who will. • I will be enthusiastic about my topic and willing to display the passion I have for it; hopefully ignited

interest in my audience. • In breaking into working groups, I will stay present and advise the class groups (rather than focus on

my friends). • I will speak from my experience and knowledge (rather than continually talking in questions in the

name of Socratic teaching). • I will define acronyms when I first use them. • I will arrive early to make sure all the technology is up and working and have time to settle into to

Plan B if necessary. • I will prepare, prepare, prepare. • I will ask the participants at least one provocative question that encourages them to reflect upon,

then relate the content I am offering to their own work environments. • I will at least once ask a question to deepen participants' learning, have them share answers with a

partner, then facilitate sharing those answers with the whole group. • I will remove/silence any and all distractions that might interfere with my presentation, ie. cell

phones, email pop ups, etc. • I will make sure all my stories relate back to the context of the conference and make a clear and

valid point. • I will not attempt to make clever jokes at the expense of others. • I commit to create activity based events that provide just what the attendee/learner needs: as

opposed to everything the presenter knows about the topic. • I agree to find a creative way to identify and acknowledge the individuals in the room for the

purposes of 1 -relating the topic to the individuals in attendance and 2- To ensure that individuals in attendance get a sense of what they hold in common or not.

• When taking questions from the audience I will repeat the question so the rest of the room can 1) avoid having to guess the question based on my response and 2) not feel like I'm suddenly eavesdropping on a private conversation.

• I will endeavor to contact probable participants in my session to do a learning needs and resources of sorts or some other pre-conference prep.

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