With more than 120 sessions, special strands for new teachers and future schools, and more tweets than you could ever read, NTAC has a lot going on. It’s just impossible to do it all. But through the magical power of the interwebs and moving pictures, we can bring the best of the conference right to you! That’s the inspiration for “NTAC Live” – our video interview series designed to deepen, extend and share the 2012 New Tech Annual Conference experience. 

NTAC Live has a little something for everyone: an extended interview with our keynote speaker, conversations with award winning teachers and leaders, insights on NTN’s new initiatives, and - of course - smart, creative, articulate students. It’s the next best thing to being in Grand Rapids with us! So bookmark this page and share it with friends, because these videos are dripping with innovation and inspiration.

Here’s the line-up…

Dennis Littky from Big Picture Learning discusses the power of personalized learning, the importance of passion, and other topics related to his conference keynote.

Tyler Millsap shares the details on the “America at War” project from Da Vinci Charter Academy, the 2012 Best in Network project.

Lydia Dobyns gives the inside scoop on a number of new initiatives underway at NTN designed to expand and deepen our impact.

Amanda Amick and Savannah Barber from Scottsburg New Tech HS discuss their winning video from this year’s New Tech Student Video Challenge.

Mansoureh Tehrani, this year’s Susan Shilling Award Winner, shares her insights on how to build a strong school culture and the importance of the Network.

Darrin Chambliss discusses how Danville New Tech students collaborated with a documentary film maker and some of his favorite takeaways from the conference.

Jude Garnier and Steve Zipkes discuss new the new work that New Tech is doing at the district level, including a training program modeled after Manor ISD’s Think Forward Institute.

Michael Kaechele from Kent Innovation HS shares his thoughts on the types of things really should standardize, highlights from his amazing Ignite Talk entitled “#StandardizeThat”.

Hunter, Marissa and Anna from Kent Innovation HS share the student perspective on what it’s like in a year one New Tech school.

Christian Quintero describes the way students collaborate with local community groups at LA School of Global Studies, this year’s Chad P. Wick Social Justice Award winner.

Brian Ross shares how KnowledgeWorks empowers innovations in teaching and learning that prepare students for college, careers, and life.

Cathi Cox-Bonial and Tom Bonial share their insights on the amazing culture at Ruston New Tech HS.

Bailey, Simone and Mollie from Niles New Tech Entrepreneurial Academy talk about why they chose to attend a New Tech school and their experiences with project based learning.

Erika Neilson Andrew and Allison Rowland take a deep dive into the importance of performance-based assessment, and NTN’s efforts to ramp it up.

Mike Reed talks about Columbus Signature Academy which graduated their first class of New Tech students this year.

Devon Katzner, Andrea Pereira, Ashkey Emery and Cindy Arteaga chat about their New Tech experience and how it has impacted their college experience.

Whatever you do – don’t just sit back and watch these videos. This is not an afternoon matinee.  This is a lean forward experience. These are amazing conversations with amazing people that are doing amazing things in the New Tech universe. So go deep. Engage with these folks as if you’re in the chair next to them and ask yourself three questions:

1. What do I relate to?
2. What inspires me to try something new?
3. And what are my specific “next steps?”

As Coach Wooden once said, "The most important key to achieving great success is to decide upon your goal and launch, get started, take action, move." So lean forward, learn, and start moving. And then next year, you too can share your amazing stories on NTAC Live.

P.S. Can’t get enough NTAC goodness? Check out all the other resources related to the 2012 conference!