sessions

If you’re into presenting at conferences and conventions, you know that the first step is the proposal or submission of your presentation, session, or workshop. An important part of the “Call for Presenters” process is pitching your session with a title and short and long description (among other things). Not only do the title and descriptions influence those making the selections, but they also highly impact attendance. Let’s talk about how to write amazing titles that lead people to read your description. And then, let’s take a look at how to write a concise but also interesting and informative description so that attendees don’t want to miss your session.

Four Tips for Writing “Attention-Grabbing” Titles

Did you know that only about two out of 10 people will move on to read your description after seeing your title or headline? It’s true. That’s one reason why writing a fantastic title is so important. You want to make the reader think, “That sounds interesting– like it could directly benefit me. I want to know more!” Here are some tips:

1. Keep it short. Six to 10 words or less with a maximum of 70 characters (ideally 50 characters or less) will do the trick for your title.

2. Use proper writing style. At TCEA, we use AP Style. So you can use a tool like this one to help you with title case capitalization rules. Another important rule for TCEA’s style guide (and many other conferences) is spelling out the word “and” instead of using the ampersand (&). Additionally, we do not capitalize “to” or “with” in a title. And we write out numbers one through nine unless you’re referring to grade levels (grade 1, 1st grade, etc.).

3. It’s all about the details! In the title, include information about what tool(s) will be explored or highlighted (e.g., Jamboard), what the result of the session will be (e.g., successful differentiation), and what attendees can expect to walk away with (e.g., templates, tips, and tricks). So, an example would be “Jamboard Templates and Tricks for Differentiation Domination.” The reader gets so much information from just a few words. If you can highlight the targeted audience in the title, that’s great, too (e.g., K-5 Jamboard Templates for Differentiation Domination).

4. Make it stand out. Use power verbs and adjectives, make it funny (or punny, if appropriate), and incorporate unique words to make it pop. Saying “Jamboard Templates and Tricks for Differentiation Domination” is more interesting and gives more information than saying “Using Jamboard for Differentiation,” for example.

Four Tips for Writing “Must-Attend” Session Descriptions

Ok, so your title is written, and you’re feeling great (as you should). Now you’re ready to tackle the descriptions. The big attendee question to answer with your descriptions is, “What’s in it for me?” Essentially, the reader should know how attending your session, presentation, or workshop will directly benefit them. These tips are similar to the title tips, but they are expanded a bit. Here we go!

1. Keep it short. For TCEA, short descriptions should be 30 words maximum, and long descriptions should be 75 words maximum. It’s not easy to get everything in these descriptions. But you can definitely get those important details in there to leave readers wanting to attend your session.

2. Use proper writing style. The style guide information listed in the title tips above also applies to descriptions. Read, reread, edit, and revise your descriptions– then repeat. We follow AP style, and if you’re not sure of a rule, Google it! I’d also recommend using a grammar and spell check tool.

3. Focus on the benefits. Target your audience by calling them out in the description or title if you can (e.g., Five Comprehension Strategies Proven to Boost K-5 Reading Outcomes). Focus on the results and explain outright what attendees will be able to do after the session and how that will directly and positively impact their work/life. Also, describe what attendees will do during the sessions, and be honest about your presentation. Set clear expectations.

4. Make it interesting. Attendees and reviewers will be looking at lots of descriptions, so make yours stand out by using action verbs, active voice, and good adjectives. Skip out on phrases like “In this session” and “Come to this session.” Use your words to describe and hook instead. The reader knows this is a presentation/session/workshop, so no need to mention that. Talk directly to the reader in a personal way by using “your” and “you” instead of using “attendees” and “participants.”

TCEA Calls for Presenters

Do you have expertise to share and a passion for helping others grow? TCEA is always looking for dynamic presenters for our professional learning events. Whether you’re an educator, coach, librarian, or IT professional, there’s an opportunity for you to inspire others.

Here are the events you can present at:

TCEA Convention & Exposition
Join one of the largest ed tech events, bringing together educators from around the world. Share innovative practices, tools, and ideas that enhance teaching and learning.

Elementary Technology Conference (ETC)
Focused on PreK-5 educators, this event is the perfect place to share engaging ways to integrate technology in elementary classrooms.

AI for Educators Conference
Dive into the world of AI in education. If you’re exploring cutting-edge tools and strategies to enhance teaching and learning, this is the place to share your expertise.

Conference for Educational Coaching (CEC)
Designed for those in digital learning, coaching, and technology integration roles, this event is perfect for sharing your approaches to supporting educators.

Librarian Conference
Focused on the evolving role of libraries, this event welcomes presenters who can inspire with innovative strategies, tools, and resources for library professionals.

System Administrator and Technical Support Conference (SysAdmin)
Tailored for IT professionals supporting PreK-16 settings, this event is ideal for sharing your knowledge of hardware, software, networks, and infrastructure.

TCEA events happen throughout the year, and we welcome presentation submissions year-round. Many of these events are held in Austin, TX, at the TCEA Conference Center. As a bonus, primary presenters of two or more sessions may qualify for free registration!

Ready to share your expertise? Submit your presentation ideas anytime, and help make our events unforgettable. Have questions or tips to share? Comment below—we’d love to hear from you!

Submit your ideas now!

The 2020 TCEA Convention & Exposition is almost here and it’s time to get serious about planning out your experience. With more than 1,000 sessions and a wide variety of learning activities, you can’t just walk in without some preparation. So here are a few tips to make sure that you get every ounce of personal learning you can during the week.

Your Focus

First-timers to the convention are always overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choices that are available. So I recommend that you make a plan before you go. Now is the time to decide on your learning goals for the event.

What two or three main topics do you want to focus on? What are the biggest needs that your classroom or district is facing? What is the latest ed tech trend that you want to get up to speed on? What new teaching strategy or tool do you need? If you can articulate the answers to these questions, then you have a direction to focus on during the convention.

Your TCEA Convention Planner Tool

TCEA Convention

Download the free TCEA Convention app (available for Android and iOS). Log in to the app using your attendee service center log in (included in your convention email confirmation) and you’ll be able to create your personal calendar of learning events during the week. The app will also have the most updated sessions and any changes made.

Find the Topics You Need at the TCEA Convention

Once you know your focus, it’s time to take a look at the learning opportunities being offered and create your schedule. (By the way, we recommend that you do this on the convention website instead of the app as the search feature there is more robust. Then you can simply access your schedule on the app.)

Is there a keynote or featured speaker that you simply don’t want to miss? Add that to your schedule first.
Curated session lists on a variety of topics have been created to help you narrow down the offerings. Whether you are looking for Future Ready, Google, STEAM, or other topics or you want to browse sessions by job role (like CTO, principal, teacher, librarian, etc.), there’s a list for you. In addition, each of our SIGs (Special Interest Groups) has hand-selected sessions that you don’t want to miss.
Do you need hands-on practice with a new tool? If so, you might want to attend a workshop or a playground (go to the Session List and select “playground” in the Time/Format box). (By the way, if you want to make sure that you get a seat in a workshop, you should volunteer to be a hands-on workshop facilitator. It’s a very simple job, just checking people in, and you get the only guaranteed seat in the workshop.)
Are there specific exhibitors that you want to talk with? Locate their booth and make a plan on when you will visit them. (Note: This year, we will have dedicated exhibitor time when there will be no other sessions going on. That will happen on Wednesday, February 4 and Thursday, February 5 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Central.)

New this year, we also have another great way to design your learning. After picking up your badge at registration, step across the aisle and visit the “Design Your Experience” booth. Here, veteran TCEA convention attendees will help you create the perfect, personalized schedule to maximize your time.

Your “Free” Time at the TCEA Convention

Learning can continue during your non-session time at the convention as well. As you’re standing in line for a coffee or a presentation, be sure to put away your phone and talk with those around you. You can grow your personal learning community and pick up another ed tech tidbit or two. Here are a few situational questions to get you started.

Waiting for a Session to Start

It took me (however long) to get over here. I just came from (insert session here). Where are you coming from?
My session ran long because ….. (or short because). I wish they would have explored _____ more. How did your session go? What did they talk about?
What are you hoping to learn in this session?
How has your district implemented (whatever the session topic is about)?
I’m always looking for the next great web tool. Have you learned about a new one this week that you could share with me?

Waiting in a Concession Line or at a Restaurant

I’m glad they have ____ available. Usually, I just have _____ at work (or where I’m from). Are you from here?
What’s been your favorite session so far?
I was thinking of heading to ____ session, but ___ session is a little closer. What sessions have you attended already?

Train Twitter to Help Network for You

Twitter can be a powerful ally for any convention attendee. But it can work even harder and smarter for you if you combine it with IFTTT (IF This Then That). All you have to do is create an “if this happens – then that happens” scenario between Twitter and IFTTT. From there, the tool will make sure that every “this” action triggers a “that” action to happen. Here are a few that you might find useful at convention:

Save the tweets you like on Google Sheet (If you want to do an event recap, it’d be great to feature your favorite tweets).
Track event hashtags or general event searches mentioned on Twitter
Thank someone for mentioning you in their tweet (really useful if you’re a presenter)

And, of course, be sure to follow the official convention hashtag of #TCEA. That way, you won’t miss out on any of the great learning posted online.

Share the Wealth by Sharing Your Notes

There is so much going on at a TCEA convention that you cannot possibly attend all of the sessions you want to. That’s why it’s so important for attendees to share their notes with others.

Take notes from each session you attend using a Google Doc; be sure to include the session title and presenter’s name, email, and Twitter handle. Then share your notes publicly for anyone to view. You can notify people via Twitter that your notes are available. Besides just being a nice thing to do, it will also increase your visibility and position you as a thought leader. You can even consolidate all of your Tweets that contain session recaps by saving them as a Twitter Moment. You can share this moment at the end of the conference so attendees won’t have to scour through dozens of tweets to find your notes.

Finally, to make your TCEA 2020 convention experience the very best it can possibly be, be sure to stop by the TCEA Lounge on the fourth floor. Here you can listen to live discussions, discover ways to extend your learning 365 days a year at no additional cost to you, and grab some cool TCEA swag. Happy learning!

How to Write Call for Presenter Titles and Descriptions