HighEdWebDev Conference: Special Free Webinar Series, HEE-Collegewebeditor.com Meet-Up Dinner, Guest Blogging & Workshop 2.0

So, I’ve played a bit with Photoshop and added a few Higher Ed Experts’ little guys to the logo of HighEdWebDev, the great conference for higher ed web folks taking place on October 14-17 in Rochester, NY.

Why would I do that?

Well, first because I don’t get a chance to play with Photoshop so much anymore. More seriously, I thought it would be a neat way to announce something I’m very excited about: the HighEdWebDev Webinar Series.

Back in July, I suggested the idea to Doug Tschopp, HighEdWebDev’s Conference Program Chair I interview every year about the conference. Doug talked to the conference committee and after exchanging a few more emails with Steven Lewis, HighEdWebDev Conference Chair, this series became a reality.

The goal of this FREE 3-webinar series is to allow people who didn’t get the budget to go to still experience some of the conference. To make it easy on the presenters, the organizers and yours truly (who will also be presenting, blogging and networking at the conference), we’ve decided to offer 2 on-demand recorded sessions made available to you on the Monday or Tuesday and a live webinar the following week with the winner of the best HighEdWebDev presentation, an award given at the end of the conference.

This live session will have limited seating, but will then be available on-demand as well for free.

Now, if you go to Rochester in 2 weeks, you’ll get a chance to win a free pass for a future or an on-demand HEE series to be drawn at the end of the conference among the participants.

Some of you suggested that we try to schedule a meet-up dinner for this blog’s readers and the HEE members to get together on Monday night (it’s a dinner-on-your-own night). I don’t know if any of you would be interested (post a comment to this post or send me an email at karine@collegewebeditor.com, if you’re game), but we can try.
I have never been in Rochester, so I would definitely need suggestions from people leaving around. If you’re already “taken” for this night, I guess we can try to connect on Tuesday between 6pm and 7pm as there is a slot reserved for “Networking /Special Interest Groups” in the conference program.

One of the reasons I’ve decided to go to Rochester this year is to meet with potential speakers for Higher Ed Experts’ webinar series, so feel free to introduce yourself if I cross your path (I’ve got dark hair and red-frame glasses) and you have a webinar idea that could work for HEE.

You should also consider guest blogging the conference (hey, it’s a tradition now), basically sharing your notes about 1 or 2 sessions you attend. Three readers have already offered to help, but the more the merrier. If you’d like to give it a try just send me a quick note at karine@collegewebeditor.com.

Last but not least, readers Jeff Keaton and Dimitri Glazkov have asked me to take part as a panelist in the workshop they will give on the Wednesday afternoon: Workshop 2.0. While I’m not sure yet I’ll be able to join them, the workshop sounds like fun if you have the budget.

Here’s the description Jeff sent this afternoon:

The workshop will have three acts, the first will just be a brief over-view of Web 2.0 and what we did with that on the UAB in Antarctica Web site. Then we will have our experts panel. Robert French from Auburn University and micro formats guru Chris Messina will be participating among others. Finally, we will spend the majority of the workshop doing an actual project, from defining goals and audiences to planning which Web 2.0 to use and creating wireframes.

…and here is how Dimitri introduced it in a follow up email:

Be warned, this is going to be unlike any workshop you’ve ever been to. Whether you are a techie or marketing type, a seasoned Web 2.0 junkie, or someone who doesn’t know what tumbleblog means, this workshop is for you. Why? Because this is going to be the most fun you’d had in a while. And because learning should not mean sitting quietly while scanning through emails.

The original title of this workshop was “Achieving Success in Web 2.0”, which we now realize was, well … we could’ve called it “Beat a Dead Horse In 12 Easy Steps”. So we had to change a few things. What would you expect? It’s beta. Now, after having a few massages and lolcats sufficiently hax0ring its warez, the new, improved rendition is ready for your attention […].

Told you, sounds like fun.

Geez… that was a long post. Hope to see you in Rochester.