9 Ways to Have Fun at Rebel U

Rebel U is not too far off!

Not too long ago, I read an article about the Podstock conference and one of the organizers, Ginger Lewman, wrote a blog post about "7 Ways to be a "Cool Kid" at Podstock 2014".  Coincidentally, the Podstock conference this year was also doing a superhero theme.  In following their Facebook page, I found they posted some neat things to prep people for their professional development conference.  I thought they had a great idea, so I thought I would share "9 Ways to Have Fun at Rebel U"!

9 Ways to Have Fun at Rebel U

1. Own the theme.  Have fun, dress up, and become involved throughout the day.
   
2. Talk to people outside your building. Sometimes, the conversations you have with others outside your building can provide an unique perspective and can add to the value of a session.
3. Be prepared. Wear comfortable shoes.  Bring your charged device (and charger).  Although the focus of Rebel U is technology, the technology of pencil and paper is also great to have on hand for quickly jotting down ideas and resources. 
4. Get your picture taken at the photo booth.  If you have ever stopped by the photo booth before, you know you are guaranteed a good time and many belly laughs!
   
5. Actively participate in sessions.  Much like students, when you have a hands-on experience and  are actively engaged in the learning process, you are more likely to remember what you have learned.
6. Engage in social media.  There were many great thoughts and moments captured across different social media platforms last year!  Use the #rebelu15 hashtag on social media to be part of the conversation!  Share thoughts, resources, pictures, and anything else!
7. Come with a positive attitude and an open mind.  You never know what you might take away from the day when you set aside "limitations" that mentally and/or physically keep you from trying something new.  It doesn't matter which devices or how many devices you have in your classroom, an open mind could open new ways of thinking or conversations for making things work for you.
8. Contribute.  Contribute to the day in some way.  This could be as simple as stepping outside of your comfort zone and contributing to conversation.  It could be donating something to the day (time, materials, photo booth props, etc.). Or something as simple as dragging a friend into the photo booth.  The more you contribute and participate actively in the day, the more you will take away from it.
   
9. Reflect.  We ask everyone to fill out an evaluation at the end of the day.  This is important to the Tech & Media Team for future planning, but also verifies your participation in the day.  Take notes or make a plan for how you would like to use ideas and tools you learned about today.  Think about what you liked about the sessions you attended and provide thoughtful and constructive responses on the evaluation.  Or take some time after the day of Rebel U to reflect by writing a guest post on the GLPS Tech & Media blog.