Like a Tupperware Party for techies, right? – SCN Encourager 6/18/2013

Now here’s the perfect golf tournament for me!

Except that a HACKATHON has nothing to do with sports. (Rats!)

It doesn’t have anything to do with fake sports, either. (Like Wrestle-Mania…)

It has everything to do with learning.

That’s fine, too. And having a cool name makes it even better.

HACKATHON. The Event. Be there.

It sounds exciting just to say it. You almost expect Vin Diesel or Russell Crowe to be in attendance. Or at least a couple of Freddy Kreuger impersonators…

But as you probably already know, a Hackathon isn’t a Hollywood thing. (Like Wrestle Mania…)

It’s a meet-up of talented tech savvy types and other real-world teachers who have come together to improve their knowledge and skills with the grand purpose of “paying it forward.”

A Hackathon is big on creativity, projects, technology, collaborating about the best ways to provide instructional support, and how to more fully engage everyone in the broader learning community.

A Hackathon is short on formal agendas, main speakers, lectures, set methods, and what worked great back in January.

Anthony DiLaura offers his insider’s look into what a Hackathon is all about. It’s happening right now. Give it a look. You really didn’t think I’d leave you hanging with just my ramblings, did you?

His article tells how Hackathons (and I don’t know why I keep capitalizing this word, btw…) began in the domain of tech education and integration, and have now expanded their reach to bring people from different specialties together.

In reading Anthony’s article, I wasn’t sure if school communicators actually were well suited for a Hackathon kind of event. Not to be a snobby school communicator, but don’t these events seem… well, so below us?

It’s called a Hackathon, for crying out loud!

But down in his next to last paragraph, however, Anthony points out all of the great food and snacks that are on site.

OK. That quells any lingering doubts I had.

Hackathons are ideal for school communicators. We’d love them.

So I can hardly wait to be invited to my very first School Communicators Hackathon.

I know I’d make an outstanding impression.

I’ve been called a “hack” so many times over the years, how could I miss?

Tom Page, SCN