20 April 2009: Views from the Chair
When life gives you lemons . . . I didn’t count on planning two conferences this year. With contracts in hand for hotel, convention center, and catering, I was set to work with a wonderful group of folks to plan and implement this year’s conference in New Bern, N.C. I’m still working with a great group, but one of my favorite sayings came into play yet again: “Life happens.”
The NCDLA 2009 Virtual Conference is an exciting opportunity for us all to come together during under less than ideal economic situations, to participate in our professional growth and to make lemonade from the lemons we’ve been given by slim budgets. NCDLA President Kay Zimmerman reminded me of this saying on numerous occasions and I agreed with her. At a time when such a wonderful convergence of events is occurring, the economy not withstanding, we must seize the opportunity to move ahead and do what is best for our students and for our professional growth.
The months leading up to this conference have been filled with great excitement and discovery as we’ve brainstormed how we can create a K-20 virtual conference. Bill Randall shared with me how NCDLA did offer a virtual conference not too long ago. Bill, Kay, and Jeanne Whisnant, our treasurer, have been strong supporters of charging ahead to make it happens.
And now it is happening. I don’t mind sharing that I am both excited and a little anxious to see how it will all work. I’ve enjoyed working with Elluminate, Wimba, and my wonderful colleagues at LEARN NC to configure the technologies that will support our conference over the next two weeks. I’ll be honest . . . it hasn’t been easy. There will certainly be glitches and some frustration. Isn’t that to be expected? The concept of a virtual conference is relatively new to most of us. This reminds me of another of my favorite expressions, the Estonian proverb, “The work will teach you how to do it.”
On behalf of the NCDLA Board and Conference Program Committee, thank you for choosing to be a part of this event.
