On Monday 3 April, Moodle HQ officially announced that this year there will be two MoodleMoots in USA.
One of them is MoodleMoot US 2017 – New Orleans, hosted by BbWorld, to be held from 25 – 27 July at New Orleans Ernst N. Morial Convention Centre.
Edtech innovators, educators, academics and industry leaders will have the chance to experience both a US MoodleMoot and BBworld at the one location in New Orleans from 25 – 27 July 2017.
Moodle – the world’s open source learning platform – and Blackboard – education’s partner in change – are working together to jointly host conferences for their users in New Orleans.
More information can be found in our press release and also on the MoodleMoot New Orleans website.
With so many MoodleMoots happening around the world in 2017 – Dubai, UK, Germany, Russia, Japan, Australia, USA and more to come – we recently published a blog post on what to expect when you attend a MoodleMoot – either as a presenter or participant!
But what about what to expect when you attend a MoodleMoot, hosted at BbWorld coming up in New Orleans in July? What other activities, events, and opportunities will you get when you attend a BbWorld event?
And how will joining these two edtech conferences look like, before you walk through the doors and during the conference days?
Well, luckily, we had the chance to get an insight from someone who has attended both BbWorlds and MoodleMoots, AND is on the event planning committee for the upcoming MoodleMoot US 2017 – New Orleans, hosted at BbWorld.
So, let’s take a journey with Phill Miller – Vice President of Teaching and Learning at Blackboard.
Phil also leads Moodlerooms – a Certified Moodle Partner, who is supporting this joint conference.
Together with Phil, let’s take a “look” inside MoodleMoot US 17 – New Orleans, hosted by BbWorld.
Moodle HQ: Phill, thanks for taking the time to chat to us about MoodleMoot US 17 – New Orleans.
Perhaps we can start with a bit about you, and your involvement with both edtech conferences?
Phill Miller: Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity. I’ve been involved in edtech for nearly two decades, holding various roles within a variety of companies, including ANGEL Learning, Moodlerooms and Blackboard.
I’ve been attending—and in some cases, helping to plan—Moodle Moots since 2009. When Moodle Partner, Moodlerooms, joined Blackboard in 2012, I began attending the annual BbWorld conference as well.
Every year since then, I’ve logged many miles of travel to attend MoodleMoots throughout the world as well as BbWorld in the US including Germany, Colombia, Brazil, Australia, and of course the United States.
Moodle HQ: So, our audience and Moodle community know about or have attended MoodleMoots previously around the world.
For those who have never been to BbWorld, can you provide some highlights of what participants can expect before they attend the conference and what is waiting for them at the conferences?
Phill Miller: In terms of what the Moodle community can expect, the first thing I think of is the hundreds of educators, administrators, technologists and developers that they’ve likely never met before.
BbWorld isn’t just about Blackboard products, it is easily one of the largest gatherings of education professionals in the world. There’s so many different breakout sessions, so I love that I’m always able to learn something new and leave the conference with a different perspective.
The keynote speakers are also a huge highlight. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to hear really inspiring talks from NASA Astronaut, Mark Kelley, educator and social activist, Geoffrey Canada, TED Speaker and professor, Sugata Mitra, and others. In fact, former Second Lady and educator, Dr. Jill Biden, will be keynoting this year, so attendees will definitely have that to look forward to.
Moodle HQ: From your perspective, having also presented and attended both a MoodleMoot and a BbWorld, what are some of the key benefits of being able to experience both conferences together, in one spot?
Phill Miller: Well, it’s definitely something new, so we don’t know exactly what will happen. But I can tell you my perspective: Any time that we get thoughtful educators together to talk about online learning, good things happen. And if we get MORE educators together, I expect MORE good ideas, research, friendships, and community.
This also gives attendees more options for sessions, keynotes and activities so they can “choose their own adventure”, which is a really positive thing.
That said, by hosting the Moot alongside BbWorld rather than just offering a track, there’s still that focus on all things Moodle and we can offer the kind of tight-knit experience that’s become synonymous with previous MoodleMoots. I’m really excited to see it all come together.
Moodle HQ: Last question, for anyone interested in being a part of this exciting conference, what are some of the opportunities to become involved?
Phill Miller: We just opened the call for proposals, so we welcome anyone to submit their ideas for sessions up until May 8th if they’d like to present.
Registration is now open as well. For more information about the event, you can visit moodlemoot.org or bbworld.com. For any other questions, email mootus@moodle.com. Thanks for the opportunity to talk about the event! We look forward to seeing everyone.
Thanks Phill for taking the time to talk to us and giving us an insight into BbWorld and MoodleMoots.
We are excited about the upcoming conference in New Orleans.
Now, call for proposals to present at MoodleMoot US 2017 – New Orleans, hosted by BbWorld is open and we welcome submissions for short presentations, pico format or posters. Submit yours today!
You can also register for your spot and enjoy both the networking, learning and development that you can receive from both a MoodleMoot and a BbWorld conference. Book your spot today!
If you are an organisation looking to support the conference and have a presence, please check out the many sponsorship opportunities available.
Lastly, If you cannot make it to MoodleMoot US 2017 in New Orleans, then we have some good news!! There is a second MoodleMoot in USA.
MoodleMoot US 2017 – Florida, organised by Moodle HQ, will be held in November 2017, with venue and exact dates to be confirmed.
To keep up to date with this US MoodleMoot in Florida, please sign up to updates from our website.
