How to get the most from your conference experience
Published: December 1, 2011
Attending CSBA’s Annual Education Conference and Trade Show is a significant investment of time and resources for board members and district staff. Now that it’s over, how can you and your colleagues ensure a good return on your investment?
Ideally, your board already has a meeting scheduled after your return from AEC to discuss with your fellow board members what you learned and share the benefits with your community. It’ll help refresh your mind and build on your understanding of the issues.
As you discuss what you’ve learned, think about questions such as: Is this approach within the scope of the board’s authority? How does this align with the board’s goals? Discuss the implications of using your new knowledge and make appropriate decisions about implementation.
As individuals, you can use social media to continue what you started at conference:
- Share news and information with other board members via CSBA’s Facebook and Twitter channels. Click the “Like” button at www.facebook.com/CSBAFans to have new activity show up on your Facebook feed. Follow CSBA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CSBA_Now.
- Connect with presenters and other board members by following their blogs and commenting to continue discussions begun at conference. See presenters’ handouts for their Internet addresses.
- Stay connected by asking and responding to questions and creating networks with other board members on LinkedIn discussion forums. Search for “California School Boards Association” and join our group page at www.linkedin.com.
- Download the session handouts you missed at http://aec.csba.org.
Finally, watch for coverage of this year’s AEC in next month’s California School News.