Sheila B. Robinson on #eval13 – Learning from Post-Conference Reflections

Hi! I’m Sheila B. Robinson, aea365’s Lead Curator and once monthly Saturday contributor.

With Evaluation 2013 a mere one week in the past, evaluation bloggers are all over it recounting, recapturing, reliving, and reflecting on conference courses and confabulations.

Whether you made it to Washington, DC to experience the conference live, or watched your #eval13 Twitter feed from the comforts of home, you can enjoy our evaluation community bloggers and microbloggers who have united to bring the conference experience to you from a wealth of diverse perspectives.

Lesson Learned: Learning is socially constructed, and the digital age has brought us to new frontiers of learning with and from each other. After all, “we become ourselves through others” according to eminent psychologist Lev Vygotsky.

Hot Tip: Check out evaluation blogs to read accounts of variety of conference sessions from plenaries to professional development workshops by both novice and experienced evaluation bloggers.

Sure, you can read the conference catalog, and attendees, you can study your own notes, but for a truly fresh perspective, check out someone else’s notes! And while you’re at it, add your perspective to the mix by engaging bloggers in discussion with comments or questions. Bloggers love to write, but even more, they like to be engaged in thoughtful discussions with their readers that enhance the experience for all.

Rad Resources: The blogosphere is replete with Evaluation 2013 reflections. Here are just a few: Ann K Emery, Chris Lysy, John Gargani, Chi Yan Lam, James Pann, Ann Price, Brownyn Mauldin, and Mary S Nash. Oh, and there’s one from me, too, Sheila B. Robinson. If you or someone you know has also blogged about Evaluation 2013, please add names and links in the comments section of this post so we can all enjoy them.

Rad Resources: Michael Quinn Patton (the only evaluator I know with his own hash tag, #omgmqp) advised exploring the conference catalog and AEA Public e-Library here (it’s now filling up fast with new material!) and Susan Kistler introduced us to some #eval13 live tweeters here (and they’re still at it, even post-conference!).

Rad Resource: To relive (or see for the first time) some of Evaluation 2013’s hottest moments (read: Ignite presentations), check out our Youtube Ignite channel. You can even subscribe via email to get updates as new videos are added.

Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org . aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators.