Thoughts from TEDx Philadelphia

Last Friday I had the pleasure of volunteering for the TEDx Philadelphia conference at the Temple Performance Arts Center.  This was my first true TED experience.  I had briefly attended a couple of talks at TEDx Penn about 2 years ago, but last Friday I really got the full experience from beginning to (almost) end.

The very recognizable "X" from the TEDx Philadelphia Conference

These TED conferences are packaged nicely.  Everything feels specially crafted, from the programs to the name badges.  And then of course there are the actual talks.  The trademark "small, intimate setting to share large ideas" platform is really cool.  I saw 4 talks and the two that really blew me away were Nikki Adeli from Science Leadership Academy, and Simran Sadhu from Youth Build Charter School.  Nikki, a 17 year old student, did an awesome job talking about how adults need to invest in and trust the youth of today.  Simran, the Executive Director of YouthBuild, was full of energy while describing some of the amazing projects the charter school had completed.

I had a great time volunteering and got to meet some great people who also took their time to help the cause.  I hope all of us stay in touch at least every now and then; it's so important for us "millennials" or whatever we're called to encourage each other as we try to contribute to Philly. 

There were some great energy at this conference that I hope we can emulate in our ReThink Philly EdTech conference that I'm co-organizing and hosting (April 10!  Be there!).  Indeed, the TED experience was very impressive, and I hope that our city can carry the enthusiasm into the rest of the year and beyond.

Soooo I'm About to Hit Send...

I have been thinking about and working on this Master's paper for almost 3 years.

Three years!

And now I am just a couple of hours away from sending it off in an email to my program manager.

What an odd feeling.  I mean, don't get me wrong, it feels great.  But like I said, I have been at least thinking about this paper for quite some time.  It's the longest I've ever had to work on single project.  So to let it go will be...bittersweet?

My pastor today, out of the blue, prayed for me that I would be able to let this paper go.  I think he knows the type of person I am... I will check and recheck and recheck something I write until the cows come home.  But it's time to let go.  It's time to put this work out into the world and hope that I communicated the message I tried to communicate.

So with that I say goodbye Master's paper.  Combining this with the fact that I picked up my regalia this past Friday and it's starting to hit me -

My time as a student in GSE is almost over.

But there is still some time to go.  So thank you for being here along the way, and I hope you enjoy as I - or actually, we - head to the finish line.

Getting the Most out of Your Graduate School Experience

Perhaps the biggest piece of advice I can give to prospective GSE students:

Penn GSE is a terrific school.  No doubt about it.  One of the great things about the school is the platform it gives you to explore your interests and desires.  I feel like whatever you want to do, whatever project you want to start or whatever other ideas you may have, as a Penn GSE student you can probably make it happen.  With world-renowned faculty and brilliant, energetic students, if you can envision yourself doing something, you can do it.  It's just a matter of researching what's out there, and reaching out to the right people.

Graduate School is about more than getting to this hat.

But please keep in mind: you have to make it happen.  You have to decide what you want to get out of the graduate experience, think of what you need to do to make it happen, and then try to make it happen. So if you are on your way to Penn GSE, make sure you take some time to figure out what you really want from graduate school; especially if you're joining one of our programs that only last a year.  Taking time to figure out what you want from graduate school before the first day of classes will give you a head start towards a fulfilling graduate experience. 

So ask yourself: What experiences do you want to have?  What skills do you want to gain?  What kind of projects do you want to get involved in?

I've been a lucky guy.  Penn GSE has given me a tremendous platform and I have been able to explore my interests in educational technology for the past 3 years (but a lot more the past year or so).  In just the past 2 weeks I've:

Presented at a conference in Baltimore on MOOCs
Taught a seminar about 21st Century learning environment design to Penn undergraduates
Participated in an education conference and led a roundtable discussion about online learning

In the next month or so, I'll:

Observe a classroom as part of a Penn GSE research project
Teach a seminar to Penn GSE students regarding maximizing their internships
Organize a conference in April for Philly Tech Week, ReThink Philly EdTech (not a Penn thing but I got involved based on my studies at Penn)

I've truly been able to get involved in a lot of great things, stemming from my standing as a Penn GSE student.  But it took me some time to "figure it all out."  As a part-time student, I had the luxury of being here for a little while, so I figured things out during my time here.  But you can do it before you step foot on campus!  What do you like to do, and how can you envision it happening at Penn GSE?  Because if you can envision it, I truly believe at Penn GSE, you can make it happen.



Photo from http://latinopm.com/opinion/voices/pocho-keen/the-graduate-14090