This was my 2nd NECC as well. It is always incredible to make virtual connections of my PLN truly personal. It also is incredible to me how diverse some of our PLN’s are – even within our EdTech group. There were a lot of us there from our area that see each other from time-to-time face-to-face – yet we were constantly connecting one another to new people.

That was incredible….

Melanie- I’m really enjoying watching your photography learning take place. Isn’t it incredible that we now have the capacity to share photos so easily?

Ken- I’d love to stay connected. If there’s any value I could add to a panel in the future, count me in.

Barb in Nebraska- Sorry for not using the hashtag as much as I should have. I’d really encourage you to consider attending an event like NECC in the future. It’s quite a tremendous opportunity for learning through discussions. And I can certainly say that I can entirely recommend each person listed above as someone to follow and pay attention to on Twitter.

Chris- Looking forward to meeting you next year or sooner. I was telling my wife how cool it is that conversations were happening all over DC and beyond simultaneously, regardless of geographical inhibitions. That’s pretty astounding when I stop and really give it thought.

Judi- Likewise on all accounts. We’ve quite a year of learning ahead of us, and I’ve a feeling we’re all going to need plenty of support along the way. I’ll provide the poor humor, and you can provide all the wherewithall and knowledge.

Concretekax- Thanks for prompting such a great conversation. The whole notion of “top” edubloggers is quite fascinating to me. I need to continue ruminating on it before I write an entire post about it, but truly, people only have as much value as that which we ascribe to them. I’m not in what many would consider the “top” edublogger classification, but I can say with relative certainty that most of them started exactly where you and I did. With a desire to engage in meaningful conversations. Each did so, and as a result, the breadth of their conversations grew. I truly believe that’s the natural progression. Be yourself and engage. The audience and connections will then follow in due time. Don’t press to make it happen prematurely, but rather, continue adding your authentic voice, and the connections will happen.

iJohn- We will be yelling. Oh, and nice emoticon. I see you made it in your likeness.

Kelly- That’s one of the great things about making connections online. When you “meet” someone in person for the first time, you can fall right into meaningful conversations without all the awkward, “What do you do for a living?” “Where are you from?” “Will you give me $5?” ice breaker questions.

Jeremy- Excellent comment. I agree entirely that you have to engage. There are no shortage of “why I don’t follow everyone who follows me” posts floating around, and I do have to agree with most of them. Just following someone doesn’t a conversation make. You have to engage. Personally, I enjoy it when someone doesn’t automatically follow me back. I want to have to earn it. I’m sure there’s a song in there somewhere, but I’ll leave it be.

Ann- The only rule of engagement is to engage. Jump into conversations. Be a willing and active learner along with those who are learning next to you. We’re all here for that. Be about the conversations and the learning, not about self-promotion or preservation, and you’ll be invested in and involved in the community very quickly.

Andrew- You are absolutely correct that the PLN, in its current iteration, is still very much emerging. Many teachers have yet to see the value in investing their time and resources into such a concept. I don’t think they realize how much return on their investment they can actualize. I was certainly there once myself, so I can say that the feeling of being an island of one should become a thing of the past. It’s simply too easy and too important to get connected with others. I also agree that we’ll start to see more regional tweet-ups and flexibility in the organization of future conferences.

Michelle- I’d like to see the opportunities for “Unplugged” sessions grow and expand as well. Perhaps a few embedded bar camp experiences throughout the week to get more organic conversations to occur. How’d you like the ketchup chips? I found them much better than I thought they would be.

Hadass- Your comment has now been printed, framed, and placed in a prominent place in my office. To be mentioned with Dean and Alec is an honor I certainly don’t deserve. I do believe many of the perceived “top” edubloggers got to be there because they engaged in the first place. I don’t see many people in such position who aren’t engaging.

Mark- It was truly my pleasure. You were one of the first people I started following on Twitter last year, so the honor was entirely mine in meeting you. Thanks for the kind words about my son. Yes, he has no lack of personality already.

Joe- You’re correct; there are a few less Cubs fans in northern Chicago then there are in Southern Milwaukee. We’ll keep you updated on a midwest get-together.

Kristin- Yes, meeting face to face rather brings it all together. At least, that’s been the case for me.

Paula- It was great meeting you, and you are entirely correct. At some point, you have to jump into the conversations and become part of the community. I look forward to staying connected and being part of your community.

Lee- Great suggestions. That is a most excellent list of ways to get involved. I know I was reticent to do so in the beginning because I felt that I really didn’t have anything unique to add to the conversations. Once I realized that it wasn’t necessarily about me, it was more about what we are all learning together, that’s when I really started to see my investment in this community pay back 10 fold. I also really like your last sentence. It is a truth that I wish we all could accept.

Sylvia- I agree entirely. It’s the serendipity and opportunities that are so fascinating about this space we’re all in together.

Mrs. Durff- I never forget you. I wished that you were there so I could have finally met you in person. Hopefully the chance will present itself at some point in the near future, and should that happen, I promise not to use any of Jon Becker’s inappropriate language.

Scott- Entirely likewise on the enjoyment of the blog comment. It would be an honor to meet you. I promise I won’t ask you to sign my tote bag. But I might have to have you sign my “I heart Scott McLeod” t-shirt that Jon gave me. Seriously, thanks for the kind words, and I’ve heard no shortage of great things about you from many as well.

I also received a few links from Ryan Bregag and Jon Becker on similar posts they’ve written in the past. I’d encourage you to give them a read.

http://edinsanity.com/2008/04/10/reflections-of-a-new-ish-blogger/
http://www.ryanbretag.com/blog/?p=356
http://www.ryanbretag.com/blog/?p=779

Thanks for an excellent NECC wrap-up post and for providing a space for others to reflect on their experiences too. Keep up the great work. I’m a big fan!

It’s exciting to meet people and have an instant connection with them! Like you say, the opportunities to grow are endless, and the serendipity of it all is part of the fun.

When I attended NECC08 in San Antonio I was totally on my own. I could speak the Web 2.0 language and navigate my way to the sessions I needed to extend my learning. But I was lonely. I left San Antonio more knowledgable, but certainly not more connected.

This past school year (08-09) was my breakout year. I finally had a class blog and a website. I embedded many Web 2.0 tools into my lessons. I presented technology workshops in my building both formally and informally So now I had a local PLN but I wanted to grow my group to beyond my district. I joined many online communities through various Nings and then started a Ning for teachers in my district. That’s when I decided to check out Twitter. I joined in February but just “listened in” for the first two months. In April I took the plunge and became an active participant. I was truly amazed with the connections I was able to build on Twitter and extend into the backchannel of the many online sessions I attended in May and June.

What a difference a PLN can make. I arrived late to EduBloggerCon on Saturday because of attending a DEN gathering in Silver Springs on the same day. Since I’m not the shy type I walked right up to several people I follow on Twitter and introduced myself. We had a conversation. They talked to me. I couldn’t quite believe I was connected to these people. And that was just the beginning of what was to be an incredible week in Washington, D.C. Yes, I attended sessions, but I spent more time each day at the Bloggers’ Cafe and NECC Unplugged areas. Why? Because this is where the people from my PLN were. The exchange of ideas in the face to face environment was powerful. I came away from NECC09 having had conversations with so many of the ” “top’ edu-bloggers” as @concretekax calls them. They were so willing to talk to me (a fourth grade classroom teacher) and listen to what I had to offer to the conversation. I haven’t yet stopped telling everyone back home what it was like to meet my PLN.

I think ISTE10 will need a different look to it. I know there is a great conversation going on among many of this year’s attendees as to what next year’s conference should look like. All I know for sure at this point is that I will be attending.

Thanks for your post Ben. It was great meeting and talking to you at NECC09 and thanks for the follow on Twitter. I look forward to extending our connection.