[pn] Chicago trip report

[Mark Warschauer]

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In the spirit of a hallowed Papryus News tradition, allow me to share 
my Chicago trip report.

First, a few  brief words about the city.  Unfortunately, I spent 
most of my time either in, or shuffling between, the two main 
conference hotels. (I especially liked the 2nd floor of the downtown 
Hyatt, with its skylights, walkways, and bar.)  However, I was 
outdoors enough, if only for shuffling, that I came to experience  a 
bit of Chicago's real spring charm.  I'd been to Chicago a few times 
previously, but those experiences were tinged by biting wind, 
bone-chilling rain or snow, or stifling summer heat.  This time, with 
mostly sunny and clear skies together with that crisp cool air that 
must be common here in April, Chicago was really spectacular.  A 
gorgeous skyline, lots of attractive water, an exciting multiethnic 
population, and a fantastic and diverse choice of restaurants (I can 
personally recommend deep dish pizza at Pizzeria Due and Armenian 
cuisine at Sayat Nova!)  I recommend a stroll on the Navy Pier, which 
extends out over the lake, and especially a ride on its huge slow 
ferris wheel.

I was surprised not to find high-speed Internet offered in the room 
at the Sheraton.  (Usually offered in US business hotels for $10-12 a 
day.)  Since I had been planning on using that, I hadn't bothered to 
set up dial-up information on my laptop, which I had to re-set up 
since I've installed a new operating syste).  So I had to stand in 
line at the business center to use Web-based e-mail there for some 
$36 an hour.  Yugghhh. I would have liked to forgone the whole thing 
for the week, but unfortunately had some pressing matters to take 
care of.  Speaking of service, did you know that US airlines (even 
major airles--I flew United)  don't serve real meals any more on 
domestic flights?    Bring your own sandwich next time you fly across 
the US.

AERA (American Educational Research Association) conference is huge, 
highly diverse, and chaotic.  There are a zillion different types of 
sessions, and sessions seem to go of virtually any length.   Sessions 
are defined either by Division (a few major ones, divided into lots 
of sub-sections) or by Special Interest Group (the number of which 
again total in the zillions).  The latter are highly duplicative and 
include, for example, in the technology area, "Advanced Technologies 
for Learning," "Computer Applications in Education," "Design and 
Technology," "Education and WWW," "Education in Science and 
Technology," "Instructional Technology," "Media, Culture, and 
Curriculum," "Structual Learning, Instructional Systems, and 
Intelligent Tutors," and  the ambitiously named "Technology as an 
Agent of Change in Teaching in Learning."  (Note that I am NOT 
referring to the names of sessions or colloquia, but rather to the 
names of Special Interest Groups that bring together people of the 
same interest; each of these SIGs itself organizes multiple 
sessions).  One tip for those of you who choose to submit papers to 
AERA, or attend its conferences: this multiplicity of small and 
diverse Special Interest Groups stands in contrast to the more 
mainstream AERA divisions (focused on topics such as Learning and 
Instruction, Social Context of Education, etc.)  Your chances of 
getting a paper accepted will usually be greater if you submit it to 
a Special Interest Group, but you'll tap into a larger and more 
established crowd if you tap into a Division.

I've noticed that there are three broad categories of people who 
attend AERA and other academic and educational conferences (at least 
according to this very primitive categorization scheme, which leaves 
out people who attend primarily for job-hunting or amusement). 
First, there are the people who love to go to sessions, and pack in 
as many sessions as they can.  These people are looking for new 
IDEAS. Second, there are the people who spend much of their time at 
the publisher's exhibits, looking in detail at all the new books or 
software.  These people are looking for RESOURCES.  Third, there are 
the people who spend most of their time schmoozing, making 
appointments with individuals, meeting for a coffee or a diet coke in 
lobbies, restaurants, or hallways.  These people are looking for 
NETWORKS.  What kind of conference person are you?  And, just for 
fun, what kind do you think I am?  (Hint--I can tell you over coffee 
at the next conference :-)).

AERA has a similarity to most other academic conferences, but a 
difference to the language education (e.g., TESOL) or language 
research (e.g., AAAL) conferences I usually go to.  At AERA, as in 
other academic disciplines, conference attendees are expected to 
produce an actual paper for the conference.  This paper is then 
commented on by one or more discussants, pre-selected by the chair of 
the session, at the end of the session.  Indeed, the paper is mailed 
in (well, now e-mailed) a week or more ahead of time so the 
discussant can prepare their remarks.  In contrast, at TESOL and 
AAAL, the presentation itself is the paper, i.e., no actual paper 
need be produced.  At the same time, AERA presentations also tend to 
me much shorter, usually lasting about 15 minutes, as presenters are 
expected to summarize a longer paper, rather than present it in full. 
This is the first time I presented at AERA and it was a somewhat 
jarring genre for me (though one that I had experienced once before 
at an International Studies Association conference).  At TESOL or 
AAAL, most people put a good deal of time and effort into preparing 
the presentation, since that is what will be heard and judged and 
others. In contrast at AERA, people have the dual task of preparing 
the paper AND the presentation, and the former takes precedence since 
it must be done first, and since it will be publicly critiqued by a 
learned discussant.  Sometimes the presentation suffers from this 
secondary focus.  In my own case, when I prepare a presentation-only, 
e.g., at TESOL or AAAL, I often never write a paper or text to read, 
or at least I certainly don't start that way.  Rather I start with 
the visual display (usually in PowerPoint, occasionally in 
transparencies), and build my oral talk around that.  For AERA, I 
must start with a paper, and then think  how to re-translate that to 
an oral genre--but, not exactly an oral presentation of  the paper, 
but a presentation ABOUT the paper.   Not my preferred genre, but I 
suppose I'll get used to it.

Finally, this was my first academic conference as a parent.  I found 
myself paying special attention to the attendees who brought their 
babies along (one brave soul brought twins--I can't even imagine 
getting twins out to the grocery store, much less a 5-day 
conference!), and I often approached those babies and cooed to them 
in the high-pitched voice that all parents and caregivers use, but 
which I had never used  prior to being a parent (nor did I previously 
approach random babies at conferences).  Much of my talk with old 
colleagues this time was focused on baby and child stuff rather than 
our newest papers or departmental gossip (and that was a welcome 
change :-)).  So, if you want to make me smile next time you run into 
me at a conference, ask to see a picture of Mikey!!

Next trip: WorldCALL, Banff, Canada, May 7-10 (http://www.worldcall.org/).

cheers,
Mark