Andy - My Blog

Going to the T+L Conference in Phoenix, Arizona was the first time I’ve travelled so far south in the United States, and the first ‘business trip’ I’ve attended on behalf of TIG!

Keeping my eyes and mind wide open, I departed on the plane with mixed feelings of excitement and nervousness. I did not know what to expect but looked forward to anything being possible. Upon landing in Phoenix the first thing I noticed was - wow, it was really warm! Which makes sense because Phoenix is situated in a desert, so I also saw a lot of palm trees, cacti, and plenty of sunshine. On our first day (Tuesday), we checked into our hotel and recovered from the early morning flight. Brian, whom I was travelling with, suggested hiking up Camelback Mountain. Without really understanding the terms ‘hiking’ and ‘mountain’, I eagerly agreed and next thing you know, we were climbing over rocks on the bumpy Camelback trail!

It was a tough hike for me, but I had ample time to reflect while on the trail, such as the fact that I needed to go to the gym. Once at the summit however, it was all worth it - spectacular view, cool breeze, and a great sense of accomplishment. Climbing Camelback mountain was more than just a climb for me.

The next day, we set up our booth at the convention centre, booth #111. We had three poster displays and a table filled with brochures, bookmarks, and a live demo of the TIGed platform on Brian’s laptop. I was very excited to talk to different educators and administrators, and rehearsed several times with Brian. This is one of those things that you can only get better at with practice, and I started to find my own way of approaching others, talking about TIG, and encouraging teachers to bring 21st century skills and global issues into their classrooms. All in all it was a fun experience and we met so many interesting professionals!

On our last day at T+L (Thursday), Jennifer Corriero came to visit us at the booth after her keynote presentation. Since the conference was coming to a close, it was fairly quiet in the exhibit hall. So we all went together to see one of the presentations, which was about incorporating art and creativity into traditional learning modules. Afterwards, Jennifer was very kind to buy a book for Brian and I at the book sale - I picked up a copy of Steven Johnson’s “Where Good Ideas Come From”, and even had it signed by none other than the author himself! It was a great pleasure meeting him and we had a mini impromptu interview on the mini camcorder we brought along. I can’t wait to delve deeper into this book to uncover the secret of coming up with the next Great Idea!

Finally, we ended off the day by attending the closing keynote, which was delivered by Steven Johnson. It was a truly inspirational talk, showing how innovation and creativity foster in environments of diversity and openness, and often creep up in unexpected ways. From the people you hang out with to the spaces you work in to the hobbies you take part in, all of these factor into the creation of a great idea that benefits all of humankind. After hearing his talk, I couldn’t help but think how perfectly TIG fits into this picture - it made me even more excited to return to Toronto and keep working on ideas to make TIG even greater!

After his talk, Brian and I went out for dinner with Jennifer at a local restaurant and engaged in some deep and though-provoking conversations about moving forward and learning from your past mistakes. That is one thing that I need to work on and I’m trying every day. Afterwards, we walked around the city a bit more before going back to the hotel to play some billiards, and then we boarded the plane back home.

All in all the conference was a wonderful learning experience, and inspirational in unexpected ways. I’m so happy and grateful that I was given the opportunity to attend, and am eager to put all my new ideas and energy into motion now that I'm back!

travel, conference, phoenix, adventure, learning, lessons, inspiration, tig

Wow, We Day was simply an -amazing- experience. I really felt like I was back in high school again being in the ACC along with over 30,000 others - everyone screaming, chanting, and swaying in unison to the performances on stage. Everyone listening to and applauding the deeply moving stories delivered by peace activists, authors, motivators, and musicians.

The day started with a Me to We Style breakfast and me along with Brian and Rucha met two others - a special ed teacher and the founder of My City Lives. They were very interested in the work of TIG and encouraged us to contact the TDSB and make connections there. In general the Me to We Style people were really friendly and energetic!

From 9am to 2pm the ACC was just packed with so much energy, it felt like it'd never end. There were performances from Down with Webster, Greyson Chance, K'Naan, and a few others. In between the songs we heard speeches delivered by celebrities like Hedley, previous UK First Lady Cherie Blair, and Olympic gold medalist (and Canadian hero) Alexandre Bilodeau. I was literally on the edge of my seat the entire time!

I'm so grateful to TIG for these opportunities to learn, motivate, and have a great time doing it.

weday, freethechildren, concert