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A gathering of big thinkers with a passion for accelerating innovation in education, Big Ideas Fest turns the usual education conference on its head and asks “why not” to all kinds of new ideas. Stakeholders from all levels of education converge on the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Half Moon Bay, CA for three days of brainstorming, designing, learning, and sharing.
Feedback from 2011 Participants
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"It was that transformation of creating order out of chaos that struck me as one of the more useful practices and techniques that could be applied to day to day level of an institution, even a smaller level such as a a department. In a sense, it is about letting people talk, vent, and having confidence that no matter how varied their background, there are things we share as educators, and it is very likely that we will come to some broader consensus."
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"Big Ideas Fest was whirlwind of creative envisioning and collaboration - my favorite things. The best conference I've ever attended!"
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"Wow, what an immersive experience! Unique, intense, powerful, and ultimately rewarding."
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"In my 30+ years of teaching I have never learned so much, done so much, and enjoyed as much…any form of educational gathering as I experienced at Big Ideas Fest 2011. The caliber of every aspect of the gathering seemed orchestrated to support the attendees in our efforts in collaboration, creating and learning. Being treated in this manner was profound and inspiring."
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"Thank you again for inviting South City to be a part of the Big Ideas Fest. We are grateful on all sides, and the kids went home saying that it "changed their lives." We'll never forget it!"
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"I always feel so lucky to be around you and your teams awesome energy. Thanks for being such awesome shining lights, your intention and mindfullness is seriously inspiring. You guys are the best." |
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"I met so many wonderful people (still in touch with a few of them) and the action collab session you let was awesome. I am already using the process to design a couple new programs for the Naturalist Center."
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"This was indeed a very positive experience for me. Our cohort was especially committed to thoughtfully engaging with our challenge and respecting each other's perspectives."
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"Believe it or not, I still get a shot of juice every time I think about my experience from BIF. Not since my work at Outward Bound had I participated in a creative group experience that has all of your neurons firing. BIF did this for me." |
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Feedback from 2010 Participants
| "I thought the part of the Action Collab where we prototyped and literally built a system from scratch was particularly meaningful and inspiring - I'd never seen myself as someone who "makes" things, and for the first time, I saw myself conceptualizing and making a solution. It was really eye-opening." |
| "It was by far the most dynamic, engaging, and action-oriented conference I have ever attended." |
"[I had an] unbelievable, mind-numbing, breathtaking experience in all levels of the Fest." |
| "The [Action Collab] process implemented during the conference is something that could be applied in our local context to get educators thinking afresh about their problems. Engagement is difficult as educators are generally in a bit of a rut and this distinctly different and collaborative approach is likely to help shake things up enough to get them focused on a problem rather than their problems." |
| "[Big Ideas Fest was useful to my work because] I have plenty of ideas for my work, but not many opportunities to make collaborative plans with people outside of my immediate organization which I need to be more effective in my field." |
"This was an education conference that actually applied what we know about how people learn, offering an abundance of different learning opportunities for different types of learners." |
| "As a result of attending Big Ideas Fest, I changed the way I teach. I used to start class by writing "Today's Goals" on the board but after hearing Dr. Mitra speak and then talking with him at dinner, I decided to start class with "Today's Question". This is helping me to think more closely about what I want my students to get smarter about and helps me build skills in the art of asking questions." |
| "Hearing success stories from the trenches showed be real world failures and their successful rebounds in action. Success is built on the courage to fail." |
"I really appreciated being exposed to a variety of education thinkers' and leaders' thoughts about their projects, including actionable insights." |
| "It helped expand my view, taking me out of my day-to-day and mixing it up with so many interesting people from different fields. Also the exposure to innovative technology and innovative uses of technology was great!" |
| "[Big Ideas Fest] was a very interesting and awe-inspiring conference. Many of my personal limits were stretched (in a good way) regarding how I think (or thought) I work best to solve problems." |
"The Big Ideas Fest stimulated me to take a fresh look at the entire field of education; to set aside my long-standing assumptions and question my old paradigms." |
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Feedback from 2009 Participants
| "It's not just about inspiring people to think big but it’s also about designing a professional learning experience...The fact that you have teachers and policy makers and technologists and business people all in the same room. It’s been a fascinating experience." |
| "The culture that was created by this structure: egalitarian, spontaneous, team-oriented, and process-focused." |
"The vulnerability was a challenge, but it was also a strength and provided the opportunity for growth." |
| "The Big Ideas Fest provided me the opportunity to both give and receive feedback about educational reform ideas that have been brewing in my mind for the past twenty years." |
| "It's not just about inspiring people to think big but it’s also about designing a professional learning experience...The fact that you have teachers and policy makers and technologists and business people all in the same room. It’s been a fascinating experience." |
| "The culture that was created by this structure: egalitarian, spontaneous, team-oriented, and process-focused." |
"The vulnerability was a challenge, but it was also a strength and provided the opportunity for growth." |
| "The Big Ideas Fest provided me the opportunity to both give and receive feedback about educational reform ideas that have been brewing in my mind for the past twenty years." |
| "Ensuring that thinking outside the box continues even when outside the box becomes the new inside the box." |
"Bringing a diverse set of folks with a common interest together to experiment with the creative process" |
| "When people come together and generate ideas without obstacles or barriers - the outcome is fresh, free and phenomenal!" |
| "Using what you know to learn what you don't know" |
"I expanded my mind and rejuvenated my soul" |
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