The grassroots spirit of the PLE Conference Barcelona 2010

I have just got back to Berlin from Barcelona and my mind is so full with different thoughts and memories that it will definitely take time to sort things out. At the moment I just have the need to share some most vivid memories and reflections.

The PLE Conference was an amazing experience for me as a member of the organizing committee and as a participant at the same time. What was most amazing when I think about it is the fact that this conference was completly based on personal initiative and engagement of people not only within the organizing committee but also everyone contributing before and during the conference. From the perspective of the organizing committe member it was extremly interesting and personally very enriching to experience the grassroots organisation of the conference. Everyone involved in organizing the conference, including the organizing committee, the academic committee and all people shaping the conference with their contributions & ideas, with multi media goodness as Graham Attwell called it,  spreading the word on social media, co-creating the UnKeynote in google docs, were volunteers  giving their time and “mental capacity” to co-create and support the conference! When I think about it how much work each of us put into it, its just amazing to realize the power of personal engagement for a cause. And it was so great to see people before and at the conference co-creating sessions, taking responsibility, taking initiative, grabbing the mike and shaping the proccess. I think there was simply “room” for everyone, for personal ideas, for known and unknown formats, for experiments, for different forms of participation, but also for not being absolutely perfect and flawless. There was “room” for improvisation and for spontaneity. And there were many different ways to connect with people in a meaningful way. It was empowering! It was great! The grassroots spirit of the PLE Conference may stay with us forever! 😉

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• PLE
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