We are 26 days away from our very first virtual event, Ed-Fi Exchange Live and the response has been overwhelming. I knew we were on to something when we had members of the Ed-Fi Community spontaneously hosting their own virtual Happy Hours (looking at you INSITE team)!
So if you’ve already registered you may be wondering, “How will this virtual event be different than the 27 other virtual events I’ve put on my calendar”?
Basically, we’re producing a TV show for you.
We’re starting with live keynote sessions; on Day One, we’ll hear from Sal Khan and Day Two will feature a live conversation with four leaders from state and local education agencies (stay tuned for the big speaker reveal).
Also, we were careful to schedule the event to fit into your already super busy schedule. We’ll have live Q&A with our session presenters and fantastic content with practical advice that you can use right away, as well as some loftier predications on the future of our industry.
Plus, we’re actually sending you a pretty cool package in the mail (yes, that still happens from time to time)! You’ll receive a Provision Kit with the famous Ed-Fi t-shirt and other fun goodies!
Oh, also, Game Night.
Don’t miss Game Night.
On Day One at 4:30pm CT you’ll log into the event website and get to choose which game you want to participate in (hint: brush up on your Jeopardy, Family Feud, and WofF skills now) and you’ll be directed to that “room” where you’ll be randomly placed on a team. Knowing our Community this is going to be hilarious.
Sounds good so far?
So what do you need to do now to prepare and, what do you do on the day of the event?
For now, select your sessions and add to your calendar:
- Go to the event website and navigate to the Agenda tab on the top menu.
- Make sure you are logged in. The website will display your picture in the top right if you are logged in already.
- On the Agenda page, select the “Star” icon for each session you want to attend.
- Be sure to scroll all the way down the page to the footer, to add the event times to your calendar (Google, iCal, Outlook, Yahoo)
For the day of the event:
- Go to the event website on Wednesday, Nov. 11 anytime before 10:30am CT.
- Log in and make sure your picture is displayed in the top right corner.
- Navigate to the Agenda page.
- Click into the first session you want to attend.
FYI: A Conversation with Sal Khan starts on Wed, Nov. 11 at 10:30am CT
- The sessions will have a countdown screen before they start so you’ll know you’re in the right place.
Here are answers to a few other questions you may be thinking about.
Q: How can I ask a question during the live Q&A?
A: Type questions in the chat box within the session. This avoids people talking on top of one another. The Ed-Fi staff that is responsible for that session will read it out load to the speaker(s).
Q: How do I interact with the sponsoring companies?
A: Click on their logo from the website and they can be in touch. Don’t be shy to use the community page and search for a sponsor by their name.
Q: How should I interact with the Community tab?
A: Click the community tab at the top of the page and browse through everyone attending the event! You can click on their profile to find out more information about them and their company and even ping them for a private conversation.
Q: Will my video be on the entire time if I’m a participant?
A: You have the capability to turn your camera on and off when you need, just like any video conference meeting.
Q: How do I look awesome on a video call?
A: Lighting! It’s all about good lighting. If you can, position your laptop or video camera in front of a window or light source, so that the light is in front of you. Look fun and comfortable in your space, knowing that people are looking forward to seeing you! 😊
If you haven’t registered yet, today is the day. We are ordering and shipping the Provision Kits and we want to include you! Register now, like right now.
And of course, we want to make sure you have a great experience at Exchange Live, so please feel free to reach out to our event team at anytime if you need help along the way; Ed-Fi Events edfievents@innovatx.com.
From our newcomers to our veterans, the entire Ed-Fi team appreciates you and is looking forward to seeing you at Exchange Live!
