Attendee Guide
With a robust program that stretches over five days, the ASCD Annual Conference and Exhibit Show may initially seem daunting. This guide will serve as your orientation to the schedule, sessions, program guide, and meeting sites.
Conference Theme
Click the photo above to hear Paul Healey, our 2012–13 ASCD President, talk more about our Conference Theme.
Each ASCD Annual Conference and Exhibit Show is organized around a special theme that's designed to inspire both presenters and attendees. The theme for the 2012 Annual Conference is "A Collective Call to Action."
With this theme in mind, we organized conference sessions around specific strands that highlight important areas in education. Each of the sessions relates to one of the following three strands:
- Personalize Learning and Teaching
The learning environment has changed from one-size-fits-all to customization. We must empower all learners to find meaning, develop strengths, and pursue interests that enable them to choose their own paths to learning. How can we personalize tools, ideas, and strategies to support learning and teaching for both the learner's and educator's needs?
- Engage
In this crucially important time, it is imperative that we all engage as we collaborate to learn from each other, teach with value and voice, and lead through complex and powerful change. How do we actively reengage both educators and teachers to better support learning and teaching?
- Advocate
We continue to work in challenging educational times. Now we must seize opportunities that will allow us to develop and share our collective voice. We will make education the top priority around the world. How will we advocate for elevating education to the top global priority?
Various sessions within each strand will be geared toward educators with different job roles—teachers, administrators, or university professors. Sessions in each strand will also focus on different age levels, from preK to adult education.
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Schedule at a Glance
The Schedule at a Glance is a high-level overview of the Annual Conference and Exhibit Show. You can learn more about when and where the hot spots of conference are, as well as some you might not have known about. You can also use our conference planner, You Are Here, to help keep track of your sessions; the locations of the exhibitors you want to visit; governance meetings, such as the Annual Meeting and Meet the President Forum; and Constituent Service meetings like your local affiliate or professional interest community.
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On-Site Services
Need a luggage check or business center? Lost your phone? Need a wheelchair? ASCD has you covered with our on-site services at the Annual Conference and Exhibit Show. Click below to learn more about what we've provided to help your conference experience run smoothly, so that all you have to do is register, find your hotel, and join us at the Pennsylvania Convention Center to continue your journey of learning and teaching.
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Badges
Click the photo above to learn more about our new badge system from our Service Center Manager, Sandra Claxton.
All attendees who register by March 13, 2012, will receive an e-mail from ASCD containing a confirmation barcode that will admit you to the conference. This barcode will be good for your entire registration, whether you’re registered for a Pre-Conference Institute, the Annual Conference, or both.
Before conference, either print a copy of the barcode or save it where it is easily accessible in your mobile device. Once you’re on site, come to one of ASCD’s registration areas in either the Grand Hall or Broad Street foyer to scan your barcode, which will immediately generate a printed badge for you. You can pick up your badge holder, and you are ready to go. As always, our staff will be on hand onsite should you have any questions or you can e-mail us directly.
Planning on registering after March 13? Stop by one of our registration desks in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, First Level, Broad Street or the First Level, Grand Hall to pick up your barcode.
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Open Seating
2012 marks the first year ASCD will have open seating for all of our 500 concurrent sessions. As long as there is a chair available, you're welcome to attend. No tickets are required for attendance to any session.
Although we've tried to schedule popular topics in rooms large enough to accommodate potential crowding, we cannot always accurately anticipate attendance, not do all presenters wish to work with large crowds. We encourage you to choose at least two selections in case your first choice is full. Room monitors will be present at each session to ensure that no one is sitting on the floor. Plan your agenda at www.ascd.org/youarehere.
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Wireless Internet
Member and attendee actions have an effect at ASCD events. To support the goal of providing a positive experience for all participants, we ask that you consider your effect and make good choices when using shared resources at the conference.
With this in mind, we ask that all participants
- Be mindful of the parameters of shared bandwidth.
- When possible or in areas with high network traffic, use only one device at a time to access the web.
- Power or charge devices to their fullest before arriving on-site; do not “daisy-chain” power strips in public spaces or meeting rooms. This is prohibited by union jurisdiction at the PACC, and unapproved items may be removed by union or facility representatives.
- Avoiding downloading large files on-site; please download items overnight at your hotel or before you arrive on-site. You can download handouts beginning two weeks before the conference and for four weeks after the conference at www.ascd.org/achandouts.
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Exhibit Hall and ASCD Center
Exhibit Hall
ASCD is proud to host one of the most comprehensive Exhibit Halls in the education arena today. Exhibits by commercial producers of instructional material are an integral part of the conference. Texts, teaching aids, the latest in products for technology-enabled learning environments, computer hardware and software, professional development opportunities, and more are on display each year.
We encourage you to plan several visits to the Exhibit Hall and examine the wide variety of materials available. You can view the full Exhibit Hall here.
Exhibit Hall Hours
- Saturday, March 24 Ribbon Cutting, 8:00 a.m.
- Saturday, March 24 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
- Sunday, March 25 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
- Monday, March 26 8:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
ASCD Center
Anchoring the Exhibit Hall is the all-new, expanded ASCD Center where you can learn more about our latest resources, programs, our advocacy priorities, and more ways to support the whole child.
The ASCD Center will offer free demonstrations of ASCD's PD in Focus®, the interactive, web-based professional learning application, and ASCD EDge®, the social networking platform for professional educators.
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First Timers' Sessions
First-time attendees to ASCD's Annual Conference and Exhibit Show should plan to attend a first timers' session. This session will furnish you with the knowledge that you need to make the most of all the conference offerings. It includes insight into the program and tips on getting around the conference site. The first timers' sessions will be held at the following times:
- Friday, March 24, 4:00–5:00 p.m.
- Saturday, March 26, 8:30–9:30 a.m.
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Networking Events
- Welcome Reception: Kick off your conference experience with food, fun, a cash bar, and a chance to network with fellow educators from around the world. Join your colleagues on Friday, March 23, 2012, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Fourth Level, Terrace Ballroom.
- ASCD Networking Lounge: Catch up on e-mail or just take a few moments to relax at the ASCD Networking Lounge, sponsored by Jostens, located at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Second Level Escalator, outside of Exhibit Hall E.
- #ASCD12 Tweet Up: Break out of 140 characters at ASCD's 2012 Annual Conference Tweet Up, hosted by ASCD EDge, and sponsored by Scientific Learning with support from Edutopia at the Field House, attached to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, on Saturday, March 24, at 7:00 p.m. RSVP at www.twtvite.com/ASCD12tweetup.
Check back for more networking events as we get closer to conference.
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Governance Events
Click the photo above to hear our Governance Director, Becky DeRigge, talk more about Governance and ASCD.
ASCD encourages all attendees to attend the following governance events:
- ASCD Annual Meeting: Attend this meeting on Sunday, March 25, 3:00–4:00 p.m., in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, First Level, 116.
- Meet the President-Elect Candidates Forum: Attend this immediately after the annual meeting, held on Sunday, March 25, 4:15–5:15 p.m., in the Pennsylvania Convention Center, First Level, 117.
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Digital Program Guide and You Are Here
Back this year!
The digital program guide, available December 2011, and You Are Here, our conference planner, are your keys to success at conference. ASCD is committed to providing you with the most up-to-date information about our Annual Conference and Exhibit Show. That's why we're creating a digital program guide for the 2012 conference. This online program guide will allow you to search for specific speakers, content, and/or sessions; plan your schedule; share session information with your colleagues; and receive advance notice of program changes—all before you arrive in Philadelphia. Also, active links throughout the program guide will allow you to access additional information, such as products, exhibitors, ASCD programs, and much more.
Print copies of the program guide will be available to pick up when you arrive at the convention center, but all attendees who register by March 13, 2012 will have a link to the digital program guide e-mailed to them before they leave for Philadelphia. No program guides will be mailed.
Plan your experience digitally with the digital program guide and You Are Here!
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Academic Credit
As an Annual Conference participant, you may qualify for academic credit. You will find your conference certificate in the back of the program guide.
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Questions or Comments?
ASCD Service Center
Hours of operation: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m., eastern time
Phone: 1-800-933-2723 (press 1)
E-mail the Service Center.
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