What’s the last thing you learned that made you better at your job?
Got it? OK, now hold on to it for a minute and think: how did you learn it?
Did you hear it on a podcast? Or read it in a book? Or follow a link on Twitter? Or watch a video tutorial? Or find it in an online community, like maybe one that rhymes with Snack Blovergrow?
Any or all of those might be the right answer, but the real true answer is: you learned it from a person. A fellow Earthling took time from their day to put a piece of their knowledge out into the universe so that you could come along and scoop it up at exactly the right moment. We learn from people.
And that’s what is so great about HighEdWeb — it’s made of people.
Take a look at the HighEdWeb annual conference program for this year, and you’ll see what I mean. There you will find more than 100 delightful humans, each ready to put their piece of knowledge out into the universe. And when it comes to the web in higher ed, it takes all kinds of people: developers, designers, students, strategists, leaders, librarians, teachers, technologists, coders, collaborators. HighEdWeb is a conference that recognizes that the web gets done right when the people who build it are collaborating with each other.
The conference program is arranged into six themed tracks: Applications, Integration and Mobile (AIM); Development, Programming and Architecture (DPA); Marketing, Content and Social Strategy (MCS); Management and Professional Development (MPD); Technology in Education (TIE); and Usability, Accessibility and Design (UAD). Some are more focused on the technology, some are more focused on the content, and some are more focused on the strategy. And all recognize that the people who build the web in higher need each other to get the job done.
During the conference, attendees can either focus on the sessions in one single track or — even better — jump around between tracks to find a new angle on an old problem. Learn about social media from Lougan, or Erin, or Melissa. Get up-to-date on your data with Liz, or Chris, or Alan. Sharpen your front-end development skills with Casey, Jenny, and David. From WordPress and Angular to wordsmithing and analytics, if it builds the web, then it’s at HighEdWeb.
At the conference poster session, you can stop by for a quick chat with each of the more than 20 presenters showcasing a recent project from their institution. It’s like a science fair, but for grown-ups. And before and after the conference, half-day workshops offer a deep dive into topics from governance to content strategy to web writing and CSS. Add in lightning talks and the conference keynote speakers, and the program is full to bursting with the power of people willing to share and learn from each other. I hope you’ll join us.