Global Innovator Forum Nov 7-11 in Washington DC

I am excited to be preparing for the Global Innovative Educator Forum in Washington DC. Over 700 educators representing over 75 countries will be there to present, observe, teach, learn, share, participate, and judge presentations by some of the most innovative teachers in the world. I and ten of my colleagues, who won awards at our national event in July, will represent the United States during the week of Nov 7 -11. We’ll spent that time partnering with our international comrades as we work together, travel around together, discuss and debate together, eat and drink together, and learn about our respective cultures and countries. What a great concept: to bring some of the most creative, energetic, and innovative educator minds together. Who knows what might come out of that?

The preparation for this global event has been one of the most intense I’ve been involved with in my professional career. If you’ve ever presented at a local or regional conferences, you know how hard you worked….but when the event is an international, you have to bring your “A+++” game in every aspect of everything that you prepare, do, bring , say, ask, and present. While your presentation might be a good one, it will be next to one of the best presentation & demonstrations from an entire country…It better be amazing and you better BRING IT. I am incredibly honored that in addition to having been one of the individual award winners at the national forum in July(see a short video about it), another group of four fellow teachers and myself were also selected in an Educator’s Choice format to present about another project. While it has been twice the work, it has also been twice the fun, and it also gives us a chance to meet twice as many people, and have another chance at being judged as one of the international award winners.

The Categories for the Global Forum are:
• Extending Learning beyond the Classroom
• Collaboration
• Knowledge Building & Critical Thinking
• Innovation in Challenging Contexts
• Cutting Edge Use of Microsoft Technology for Learning

It will be so exciting to wonder around this room full of lively, engaging, eager, happy, passionate, and down-right GREAT teachers. Any person in there you can walk up to, introduce yourself, start a conversation, and you know you are going to see and hear something amazing. What an opportunity!

Being part of this experience for the last 6 months of my life has been one of the most rewarding, helpful, engaging, worthwhile, productive, challenging, and fun experiences in my life. The people I’ve met at Microsoft are the reason why Microsoft is one of the greatest companies on the planet. The peers that I interact with on a regular basis are some of the best teachers I’ve worked with ever. It gives me faith that: education is in fact, NOT BROKEN. It is not our government that will make education great. It will be the teachers, administrators, students, and parents who, quite frankly, see a different way forward.

About Doug Bergman

Professional Educator
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