How did it get so late so soon?
Dr. Seuss

How many times a week do you wish you had more time? Not just time away from work, but also time at work… to learn, explore, practice, share. Someone recently asked me how I stay current on technology. Do I travel to conferences? Take classes? Spend time researching?

The truth is I don’t always have the time (or money) to travel to conferences. There is so much to learn and so much to keep up with, finding good info on my own isn’t necessarily my best solution. So what is the solution? Tying into what others have learned and are sharing on the Internet is one tactic I’ve used successfully.

Webinars and Podcasts

Good and timely sources I have found for keeping current are webinars and podcasts. Webinars tend to be an hour in length and focused on a specific topic. Perfect! I can find an hour. That timeframe allows me to plan my time and concentrate on the things I want or need to know.  If I find the webinar or podcast is not what I expected, I exit; no embarrassment for me or the presenter!

If you are trying to be informed on technology especially in the classroom, here are some places to find webinars and podcasts focused on education:

Blackboard Learn – Webinars: http://www.blackboard.com/Platforms/Learn/Resources/Webinars/Events.aspx?categoryType=BITS

Podcasts according to Edudemic: http://www.edudemic.com/edtech-podcasts/

TedTalks Education: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/tedtalks-education/id470623037?mt=2

Moving at the Speed of Creativity: http://www.speedofcreativity.org/resources/socpodcast/

The Ed Tech Crew Podcast: http://edtechcrew.net/

House of #EdTech: http://mr.chrisnesi.com/search/label/House%20of%20%23EdTech

Instructional Tech Talk: http://instructionaltechtalk.com/category/podcasts/instructional-tech-talk/

District Administration: http://www.districtadministration.com/webseminars

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/02/taking-control-of-your-own-professional.html

The Center for Learning: http://www.centerforlearning.org/t-free-resources.aspx

ESchool News: http://www.eschoolnews.com/events/webinars/

Conferences

Get out of town! There are conferences that are worth the time and expense to attend. Some even have a virtual attendance option, others are fully online. That, I can find time for!

http://novemberlearning.com/blc-education-conference-2014/

I have heard Alan November speak a number of times and he never disappoints. He always challenges people to be more innovative in education.

https://isteconference.org/2014/

ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) Annual Conference is being held in Atlanta this year June 28^th through July 1^st. There is an option to attend virtually. Excellent conference!

Two conferences directed specifically toward teachers and with a practical application are held in Florida and Texas.

Florida Educational Technology Conference in Orlando

http://fetc.org/Events/Educational-Technology-Conference/Home.aspx

The Texas Computer Educators Conference in Austin

http://www.tceaconvention.org/2014/

Campus Technology holds two conferences each year, one in the spring and a second in the summer. Both conferences offer a wide variety of topics for educators in different institutional roles from CIO’s to instructors.

http://events.campustechnology.com/events/ct-forum-conference/home.aspx

And for even more opportunities, Leighanne’s Learning Notes blog has a listing of multiple conferences you may want to investigate.

http://ileighanne.wordpress.com/2014/01/20/plan-your-2014-conference-schedule/?goback=%2Egde_72496_member_5831339158395715584#%21
The University of Hawaii holds a conference every year, “Technology, Colleges and Community: Emerging Technologies for Open and Global Learning” The conference is worldwide and takes place completely online. The dates are April 22-24, 2014. Check it out at:

http://2014.tcconlineconference.org/

You can “attend” live presentations or view pre-recorded ones. I have participated in this conference a number of times; it is high quality and well worth your time. Promise!

Blogs

I have shared three blogs in a previous blog post, but here are a couple more you will want to check out.

http://www.christenseninstitute.org/

http://www.elearningonlinetrainingsoftware.com/

We are all time challenged. But… there are ways to stay informed with minimum effort. Make it a goal to check out some of the many opportunities to learn and share with others.