Cheers and hope you enjoyed the conference. Perhaps you can share what you’ve seen.

James

My interest in going to MESH is largely motivated by the fact that this conference is NOT a traditional education conference. I attend my share of those already. MESH’s audience is Canadian community of innovators, leaders and entrepreneurs. I am really interested in tapping into and talking to this community that is driving innovation in Canada and the world. Where did they learn their skills? What role did their K-12 experience play in getting them to the place they are today? Where was it lacking? How can I as a “traditional” educator prepare my students with the types of skills they are looking for when they hire. While I know that education should never be a protracted process of the” job hunt”, it is important to keep on the pulse of what our society demands in its workforce.

I also found it refreshing that sessions like “Using Social Media for Good” and a keynote from Jessica Jackley co-founder of Kiva.org are on the schedule. These are authentic examples of people creating positive change on a global scale. It is my job as the “educator” to distill this down to the “enduring understandings” that I can then bring back and share with my staff.

Sometime we can learn a lot by leaving our “boxes” and seeking out new avenues for PD. We never know what we will find until we get there.