Spurred on from a comment in the BbWorld session "Taming the Internal Documentation Monster", I'd like to suggest the Bb community maintain a living document (think wiki) defining all the terms, abbreviations, and other lexicon used in our daily lives.

Summary of basics of keynote:
Seth Godin is the substitute speaker for Sir Ken who was taken ill. He says people in this room on cutting edge and making a difference.  Talking about Ideas about how education is today and where it wants to go.

He is talking about those that lead a tribe. Talking about Henry Ford building a system that told people how to do things over and over again.  Schools train folks to be consumers, aka organized brainwashing.

Marketplace is demanding higher education step up to something different.  Compliance does not work to create value.  Asking who is going to lead us in education.

Argues tribal behavior is the tool to change education.  Tribes are formed because we want to be with other people like us.  We like to be insiders and being connected.

How do I create a tribe of people that want to see change?  He says he wants to sell us on being a lead.  Decide to lead, that is how you start a tribe.

You cannot manage your way to make this work.  Does not work well with tenured professors.  What works is the network.  You cannot buy folks attention.

Making change is now called tribal leadership. He says we are the first generation of positive deviants.  This is one that goes to the edge and figures out how to do something different.  Who are the positive deviants in your institution?  How do you give them a platform?  You do not need to convert everyone, just start with a few fans who care so much that they will spread the word.

The opportunity is to lead a tribe.  We are waiting for someone to show up and lead us. Every successful tribe has been run by a heretic who is someone willing to stand up and do something different.

The risk is you will try to promote change but not enough. Every institution needs someone willing to lead change and not follow the rules.
Marketing equals leadership says Godin.

Challenge- challenge people
Change- change the culture
Curiosity – about new things
Charisma – leading gets you charisma
Communicate – communicate to the side
Connect – want to matter and be missed if you do not show up

Godin’s last word is 4v2 if you do it to people you fail, if you do it for people it works.

Seth Godin argues that what you do for a living is Making Change. Before your job: technology was old, e-Learning was non-existent, servers were antiquated. You got there: you updated things, you created a tribe of people focused on e-Learning, you got new technology necessary to make things run.

Movements don't start with everyone, they start with the committed and then they grow. Godin is pretty entertaining because he states a lot of 'movements' of tribes. Examples include: Twitter followers, Weightlifters who all work out in the garage, Hari Krishnas, triatheletes (who don't even like to swim, they just want to be part of a group!), Roller Derby Women, Deadheads (Grateful Dead followers), people who are wearing uniforms or hats so they can see who else is an insider. . . we're even doing the same thing here at BbWorld here with the ribbons. Which tribe are you in? Vista SWAT? The BIE? Are you in a user group? You even got a ribbon for taking part of the volunteer activity yesterday!

You don't need to convert everyone. You just need to have 1000 true fans. Like the Deadheads, let those Deadheads spread the word.

We are the first generation of Positive Deviants. Positive Deviant is someone without instruction figures out how to do something a little better. Example: villages in Vietnam and nutrition had to be improved. The people who came and watched these villages noticed the 1 or 2 families who were healthy. These watchers then found these people and put them on a soapbox and amplified them, so everyone else could learn from them. Then everyone else who is malnourished can learn the 'positive deviant' behavior and learn from that person who is held up to the rest.

A little background on Seth: Godin is author of ten books that have been bestsellers around the world and changed the way people think about marketing, change and work. His books have been translated into more than 20 languages, and his ebooks are among the most popular ever published. He is responsible for many words in the marketer's vocabulary, including permission marketing, ideaviruses, purple cows, the dip and sneezers. His irrepressible speaking style and no-holds-barred blog have helped him create a large following around the world. Seth's latest book, Tribes, is a nationwide bestseller, appearing on the Amazon, New York Times, BusinessWeek and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. It's about the most powerful form of marketing--leadership--and how anyone can now become a leader, creating movements that matter.

Eric Kunnen and Santo Nucifora have created an incredible building block for Blackboard that gives you the tools you need to evaluate the use of your blackboard system, tools, and users.  I saw a sneak peak of it today at the BIE steering committee meeting.  Incredible.  You should check it out at their session on Wednesday morning 9:30 AM in Harbor 4/5.

I have seen lots of requests on the list serves for such a tool. They have built it, so check it out.   

I am sitting on the plane composing what will be my first blog post at BB World 09.  I am wondering what the announcement will be at the keynote Tuesday morning.  There was some speculation on Twitter earlier Monday as to what the news will be. 

How can anything be bigger than the announcement earlier this year of the Angel Blackboard merger?  

I am reflecting this year on how long I have been coming to LMS system conferences and how many transitions I have been through.  Starting in 1998 I first worked on a homegrown LMS called Speakeasy Studio and Café.  I have been through the end of two different homegrown LMS systems, a transition from WebCT 4 to WebCT6, the WebCT Blackboard merger and moving to Blackboard CE8.  This year brought additional change learning about Blackboard Learn 9, then Moodle and at the same time a move from Blackboard to Angel with both in production now.  Given this change I feel I am becoming expert in LMS transition and in retraining faculty and technical staff to adjust to change in the LMS world. 

I am excited to see this year how other schools are handling the transition to Blackboard Learn 9.  I will be interested as well as how schools that have both Angel and Blackboard will proceed in the next year.  I am looking forward to a great conference.

BbWorld'09 begins for me today with a BIE meeting in the afternoon... and the conference is already day #2 for many of the preconference session presenters and participants.

It's great weather here in DC and the conference facilities are very nice.  I've already ran into many of my friends and contacts and it's great to see all of the enthusiasm and excitement.

For those of you unable to make it, several of us are doing what we can to share and capture our experiences here at the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center.

Be sure to stay tuned for podcasts, tweets, blogs, etc.

Here are a just a few of the sites with updates:

• Twitter Updates via #bbworld09
• BbWorld '09 Discussion Group via Connections
• Bb's Blog via blackboard.com
• Bb Connections via Connections

And finally if you are around this evening... join in on the volunteer event in which Blackboard has committed to donate $10,000 to support the Greater DC Cares’s ongoing educational efforts in DC public schools. 

See you at the conference... either face to face or virtually!

As I get ready to take off for Bb World 09 I am very excited!  Already this year seems to be much more focused on online learning best practices, effective collaboration, excellent teaching and learning experiences and curriculum innovation - not just tools (not just Bb!, no offense Bb!).  There are so many opportunities in front of us to network, share and collaborate - which is so fantastic as we continue to build and strengthen our community.  I am fortunate this year to be traveling with colleagues from instructional design, project management, course production, development and system administration.  Knowing that this mix of expertise areas will be soaking in the 'stuff' at BbWorld09, means that we will be experiencing everything we can from all sides.  I can’t wait to connect with colleagues I have seen and meet new faces too!  See you tomorrow in DC!

One of the things we've heard from clients is that you'd like more time to meet with each other - networking, birds of a feather, informal and formal meeting times. 

So we're trying something new this year!  BbWorld Meet-Up! 

More after the jump.....

Woo hoo!  (As they say).  I'm very excited to report that the BbWorld 2009 client-led program is posted at http://www.bbworld.com/. 

No matter what your organizational role is, or how many hats your wear, there are BbWorld sessions to provide you with the guidance you need. 

Newbie.  Freshman.   First-timer.  Whatever the name for it, there is always a first time for everyone and everything.  Are you a first-time BbWorld attendee?  Are you wondering how best to take advantage of all the resources and opportunitites at BbWorld?  How can you make the most of it?

Here are 10 tips for first-time BbWorld attendees: