Monday, May 21, 2007

Innovations in learning conference

I recently asked my boss if I could go to the Brandon Hall Innovations in Learning conference. It costs no more than any other conference I might attend - half the price of some. The problem is that it takes place in Santa Clara, California. The cost of travel and accommodation add up to a lot more than the conference.

So my bosses said no.

I was bummed, but not astonished. I had an idea that the conference organisers could have made a plan to include those of us outside of the US with things like simulcast and I posted on my professional blog to say so.

Imagine my astonishment when one of the leading lights in the world of informal learning (in fact, the inventor of the term) offers to try and get me a complimentary ticket! It seems he is doing the closing keynote for the conference and expects to be able to pull some strings. Why me? No idea. It seems I am making some pretty influential friends in my field.

So John is trying to make the numbers work on the airfare and the hotels. I don't know what I did to deserve the man, but I'm glad I did it. I'm almost completely certain that (with already two other conferences, and a quarter of my MA to pay for this year), there is no way we can do it, but I'm flattered beyond reckoning at the offer of the comp from Jay, and touched to the bottom of my heart at John's attitude. I was and still am keen as mustard to go, but you know, even if I don't make it, the conference has already impacted my life!

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