Friday, March 7, 2014

FNED 346

Dr. Bogad

Pechakucha !

On Wednesday 3/26, I went to my first Pechakucha.  What an awesome evening!  I have wanted to attend this event for the last 3 years.  With it’s inception in Japan in 2003 this information sharing format has grown into a world wide sensation.  You must apply to present, and if accepted, each participant is allowed 20 slides, accompanied by a 20 second narration.  In Rhode Island it is monthly, and locations are never the same.   

On this particular evening, I met a good friend at “Fete” in Olneyville.  This venue was also new to me. The setting was magical.  The bar decor was an eclectic mix of bright color with rustic charm, and amazing lights.  It was perfectly artsy, and the crowd reflected the bar:  a room full of wild hearts.  It felt like home.  I wanted to live there.

Every Pechakucha event has a unique theme.  On this particular night, it was “Connect”.  And it was a pleasant surprise that the first presenter was a young teacher.  As it turned out he was one of 4 young teachers that took the stage over the course of the evening.  Everyone was supportive and there was much laughter.

The most interesting thing about this format was imagining how easily I could incorporate it into a classroom.  It would work well as a “get to know your students” scenario.  It would also work for presentations of group and individual projects.  The time and slide limit is stressed in order to keep presenters on task.  It eliminates extraneous rambling and maintains a direct transmission of information.  So it could also work as introductions and summarizations of lesson units as well.

Before I headed out, I had a chance to thank several of the presenters, and I did speak briefly to the organizers.  The next event has a date, but the theme has not been determined yet.  I am not done with this.  I will absolutely present one day, quite possibly this summer.  And it will involve my art, probably my community of 3D pieces. . . . 
If you are interested in more information as well as dates and locations, you can go to the following website:

http://www.pechakucha.org/cities/providence

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