Take aways from #miflip

This weekend I had the privilege to help plan/host/present at a conference that is all about flipped classrooms.  The conference was on a Saturday...in the middle of January...for free.  Did I mention that almost 150 teachers showed up!  Crazy!  I wanted to share a few of my take-aways from the conference:

#1 Brian Bennett (@bennettscience) is an excellent keynote speaker!  He managed to weave an elephant into his keynote and leave everyone motivated and excited.

#2 Karl (@kls4711) has an infectious laugh, and I am pretty sure he was the life of the party in college.

#3 There are some AMAZING teachers in Michigan!

#4 I got to meet Erin Klein...enough said.

#5 I got to present with Brian Bennett...enough said.

#6 Most importantly, this is what PD needs to be.  We managed to weave some directed sessions (where attendees had a choice of where they wanted to go) and Edcamp sessions (where teachers signed up for what they were interested in talking/learning about) together.  Everyone left energized and motivated.

So I ask the question...why?  Why can't district PD be like this?  It was useful, energizing, and dare I say it...fun!

I hope that I am asked to help again next year...if there is a next year.  What do you think, was it worth your while?

I'll wrap up this post with some of my favorite tweets of the day.