The MassCUE Conference this November was phenominal!

Deneen Frazier Brown put on quite a show. We "nerds" aren't used to being entertained like this. She acted out the parts of kids and the ways in which they use technology today. She made some very good points. Learning doesn't mean you have to be sitting at a desk in a classroom the way it worked for us baby-boomers. She made it very clear that schools need to change to fit the needs of today's students. After all, these kids have grown up with technology. It just doesn't make sense to take it all away when they go to school and sit them behind a desk.

On Wednesday night I was awarded a Pathfinder Award along with Beth Kennedy of Andover, Mary Marotta of Nashoba Regional and Walter McKenzie of Northborough and Southborough Schools. It was quite an honor to be receiving this award along with these distinguished collegues. The award is given to those who have greatly enhanced the field of educational technology.

On Thursday David Warlick spoke about the need to provide our students with a wide range of experiences. He explained that the future we are preparing our students for will be governed by information and the importance of helping them to discern information in many ways and from many sources. He explained how the information of the 21st century will be much richer than the "3Rs of the one-room school house."

The workshops were very good. They ranged from digital books to podcasting to how to use a Smartboard. There was something for everyone.

Will Richardson was a guest speaker. I missed his talk as I had heard him speak in July at Alan November's Conference. But I did have the pleasure of having lunch with him in the courtyard. It was fun to talk to him one on one like that.