How to Reduce Your #FOMO when #NOTATISTE18

#FOMO

What is #FOMO? Fear of Missing Out! 
I have it bad right now since I think everyone I know is in Chicago for #ISTE18!
But that's okay... I have already learned so much just by using the online resources available during the conference.  This post is a guide to reducing your #FOMO and look at the positive side of things! 

Photo by @reinabej via Twitter

​1. No Lines

I've seen a lot of pictures on Twitter of people standing in line for hours. I'm not saying I wouldn't be one of those people if I was there. Remember, I'm just pointing out the positives! 
When #NOTATISTE, you can still join many sessions virtually or find their resources so you can still get the information.  You may even be able to "get to" more sessions without being there. 

2. Save Time & Money

For a minute yesterday, I actually started checking flight prices and single day pass prices since a friend of mine was staying in a hotel all by herself.  Really, I wanted to jump on a plane to go for at least one day.  Being that it was going to cost about $600+ to go, I decided I would just hang at home with my family and learn from afar. Not to mention the amount of time I'd have to spend traveling from South Carolina to Chicago. 

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3. Try These Online Resources!

Here's the best part!  SO many of the presenters are well aware that many people can't be there, so they share their resources for free! 

TweetDeck

This is the best way to keep up with Twitter chats and other things being shared at #ISTE18 and #NotAtISTE. As you can see in the GIF here, it's always moving. If you've never used it before, it can be a little overwhelming, but you'll get used to it! I just scan the feed and click on it when it's something I want to explore further.  I do suggest searching as I did with #ISTE18 OR #NotAtISTE18 so you can see both in one column. 

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On Monday night, Tara Martin @taramartinedu hosted the #TLAP twitter chat from #ISTE18 and this is how I kept up with the conversations.  It felt like being there even if just for an hour.  If you've never tried it, now's a good time! 

Google+ #NotAtISTE

I don't use Google+ all the time, but it's really useful for events like this! I'm a member of the group, so every year, I just pop into the group again to see what's going on at the ISTE conference.  Hopefully, they will come south again soon so I can drive there easily.  You can ask to join here. 
The #Hyperdoc ladies have been doing special events for the #NotAtISTE group this week.  I participated in a Hangout Live on Sunday to kick off the week.  You can find them at hyperdocs.co to check out their resources and connect with them online.  

Periscope

One way you can enjoy the sessions for free is by using Periscope. I didn't fully appreciate this site until Sunday when I started watching some of my Twitter friends recording presentations for the Twitterverse.   Love you guys BTW! 
PassTheScopeEDU is a site created to share some of the great periscopes from #ISTE18
You could also just search Periscope for ISTE sessions and watch them live or after they've ended.  Just make sure you search #ISTE18 to get the appropriate videos to populate, there are some weird ones out there! 

How Can I Get the Most of a Conference without Going? 

I started by creating a Google Keep list and titled it #ISTE18 so it would create a category.  I use Google Keep because it's easy to add quick links in a checkbox style list.  If I want to transfer my list to a Google Doc, I can open a new document and use the Keep Notepad (found under the Tools menu) and add it all in a quick second!
Next, I went to the ISTE website and looked at the Schedule at a Glance so I knew what I wanted to check out.  You could also use the program search by clicking the "attend" tab and add to a digital tote (if you are a member) or just save the links to the presentation resources.  It may take some time to scan through everything, but it will be worth it! 
The most important thing is look for the resources you want to learn more about.  You could get into information overload if you save everything just to have it.   

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Share, Share, Share! 

Whatever you get from your #NotAtISTE experience, share what you find! #SharingIsCaring 
Enjoy your PD in your PJ's! If you are still really sad about not going to ISTE18 you can start planning now to attend next year in Philadelphia!
​I'll get there one day, for now I'll see you on Twitter and Google+ sharing the goodies I find.  See you soon! 

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