The best event planners are the ones who have taken the challenges of our times in stride and in fact leverage them to create unique experiences we never thought of. We have two such guests with us today: Dr. Nance Wilson from SUNY Cortland and Dr. Thomas Wolsey of the American University in Cairo.They are the co-creators of Beyond the App: Cause and Conference, which strives to support teachers’ professional development and coach literacy experts in one of the most creative ways possible in response to COVID, and their model may just change the game. I’m looking forward to hearing them go more in-depth about what they do and how to leverage technology to give a face-to-face experience.[00:01 - 04:37] Opening SegmentI welcome and introduce Dr. Nance Wilson and Dr. Thomas WolseyBeyond the APPDr. Wilson and Dr. Wolsey gives background about the appThe why good professional development Global connection Not just a conference Connecting people all over the world 

[04:38 - 17:44] How to Leverage Technology to Give a Face to Face ExperienceDr. Nance talks about the event’s goal and outcomesAs close to face to face as could beRepresenting many nations How they achieved the effect Limiting the number of attendees per session 30 to 40 Allowing for informal conversationsSeparating by grades and professions Addressing the issue of people tuning out Experts creating value for specific areas Engagement experts teaching engagementFinding the right people based on need Attacking the problem of providing individual feedbackUsing breakout rooms Using the right tools in conjunction with understandingLeveraging technology 

[26:23 - 27:47] Beyond the App: Digital Tools and Strategies for Teachers and StudentsFeedback from practitionersExamples of email feedback from guestsDr. Wolsey’s and Dr. Wilson’s perspective on going back to the old waysGreater use of online technology and awarenessKeep exploring online Using technology to leverage individual reviewThe importance of digital literacy Now more than ever students need to know how to use technologyHow technology connects to literacy and operating effectively How Beyond the App is giving the tools and resources to teachers to adapt

[27:48 - 33:25] Closing SegmentTrying to get digital literacy into mainstream thinking The next event and how it’s supported Another conference coming up Looking for sponsors How to reach out to Dr. Wilson and Dr. Wolsey Links below Final words

Tweetable Quotes:“We wanted them to know that they weren’t alone in the things that were causing them to struggle and we wanted them to know that people whose books they read… are also people they can talk and work together with.” - Dr. Thomas Wolsey“It’s about leveraging the technology that’s out there to think about, ‘Well, what could this do for me that would be better and or different and would allow me to have similar quality practices that I had in the face to face?’” - Dr. Nance Wilson“To function in the current world, students need digital literacy skills and strategies.” - Dr. Nance Wilson

You can learn more about Dr. Nance and Dr. Thomas and what they do by visiting https://www.beyondtheappliteracy.com/ (https://www.beyondtheappliteracy.com/). Reach out to Dr. Wolsey thomas.wolsey@egypt.edu and Dr. Wilson nance.wilson@cortland.edu. 

You can connect with me, Michael Kranitz, on https://www.linkedin.com/in/kranitz/ (LinkedIn) or by emailing me at michael@kranitz.com. This show is brought to you by https://learnabout.eventsquid.com/ (Eventsquid). Visit the website and contact us so we can help you never worry about your event software ever again by tailoring our work to your specific needs. Eventsquid: thinks like you works like eight of you. 

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