At the MIC, Outside of the Sessions

Most of our postings about the MERLOT International Conference have been about sessions that we attended. I think it is also worth mentioning the value of time spent outside of the formal sessions. During breaks we had a chance to discuss the sessions we'd attended and other various things with colleagues from other universities, which is always one of the nice things about conferences. Because the MIC is a cross-displinary conference, I suspect that some more diverse connections were made than can be at many events.

It was nice having a large group of NMU colleagues at the conference. We were able to cover multiple sessions during each time slot, to share notes afterwards, and to discuss how things might be applied at our institution. Friday and Saturday evenings, and Sunday afternoon, we got a chance to get out to see a few sites and enjoy some local food. Dinner conversation wasn't strictly limited to the conference (I discovered that not everyone in the group agrees with my choice of favorite NFL team), but often veered back to it. I appreciate the enthusiasm that my colleagues had for the event and am looking forward to continuing to work with them as CTIP proceeds throughout the year.

Top row: Lisa (left) and Julie (right) chat with a fellow conference attendee after the Sunday keynote; Matt (left), Kenn (center), and Jim at San Jose's Alum Rock Park.
Middle row: Team photo in the hotel lobby--from left to right Jim, Diane, Julie, Lisa, Deb, Matt, Kenn
Bottom row: Jim and a colleague enjoy continental breakfast; Saturday dinner at Original Joe's in downtown San Jose.
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