On the Friday before the 2012 ASCD Annual Conference, ASCD Emerging Leaders and Student Chapters enlightened us, and they made it quick.

And how did they do it? By using the Ignite presentation format, which is simultaneously entertaining for the audience and potentially terrifying for the presenter. 

You see, each presentation is five minutes long. No more, no less. Because each presentation is 20 slides long, and each slide advances every 15 seconds no matter what. 

Different? Yes. Intense? Yes. Awesome? You bet.

The following brave souls stepped out of their comfort zones to give their Ignite presentations on a variety of fascinating topics:

Jason Flom, 2010 Emerging Leader: Jason emphasized the importance of a whole child education using clear examples of how the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Educating students encompasses transformational learning opportunities and Jason gave some valuable insight based on his experience in the classroom.

Western Kentucky University (group 1):  The first group of students from WKU shared their experience using real-world technology applications for the classroom. These free applications included Prezi, Museum Box, Animoto, and Make Beliefs. Each has its own specialty and ability to help students learn more effectively, not to mention that they’re user friendly for teachers to learn quickly.

Christina Yuknis, 2011 Emerging Leader: Life in a deaf world is a very different experience for millions of Americans. Christina shared her experience as a professor at Gallaudet University in Washington DC and how she lives her life as a hearing person while living largely in a deaf person’s world. It was fascinating to hear how the little things in life, like an alarm clock or a doorbell function in a deaf world.

Western Kentucky University (group 2): Western Kentucky University students continued to share ways to use technology to ignite student learning. The second group of students gave quick overviews of WallWisher, Study Blue, Google Docs, and Go! Animate and how they can be used in classrooms. These tools could be used anywhere as web based applications, and in some cases the tools are available on mobile devices. 

Amy Vanden Boogart, 2011 Emerging Leader: Amy shared her experiences in the real world of teaching. While there can be horror stories to share, the rewards of teaching help to erase the tough times. Amy’s blend of humor and truth gave an insight that is hard to imagine coming from any pre-service education course. In the end, “the kids make it all worth it.”

Patricia Dickenson, 2011 Emerging Leader: Using technology is enticing to all learners, but English Language Learners are perhaps the most responsive to technology in the classroom. Patricia shared some great resources including Popplet, Xtranormal, Makebeliefs Comix, and Voicethread which she has seen work effectively with ELL students. 

Matt Mingle, 2011 Emerging Leader: The final presentation by New Jersey native Matt Mingle gave a different insight into the state that is often the punch line of many jokes. Going beyond Jersey Shore stereotypes is an uphill battle, and Matt was able to share some of the gems as a history buff and social studies curriculum director for his district, sharing his perspective on the paradox of New Jersey’s history and current perceptions. His presentation was a great way to wrap up the Ignite session.

After giving their presentations, the presenters and audience members had the chance to connect through informal and structured networking activities.

“We listened to the feedback from prior annual conferences and tried to create a unique opportunity for ASCD Student Chapters and Emerging Leaders to network," said Kevin Scott, ASCD Director for Constituent Services, who hosted the event with other ASCD Staff. "The Ignite session allowed the two groups to share experiences in a way that was fun, informative, and different than any other conference experiences.”

Learn more about ASCD Student Chapters.

Learn more about ASCD Emerging Leaders.

View the 2012 ASCD Annual Conference Daily Archive.