Because apparently I only post things during SXSW.
Happy SXSW 2015, everyone.
This year I’m doing the whole shebang – Edu, Film, Interactive, and Music. I fully anticipate collapsing in an exhausted heap at some point.
I am excited to attend Edu for the first time. I’m a legit badge holder thanks to my newish job. Thanks, job! I’m volunteering for the rest but will still be going to a bunch of stuff.
As usual, I will be armed with my SXSW survival kit. I went to HEB yesterday and got the most amazing collection of packaged snacks. It’s the stuff I always wanted for my lunchbox but wasn’t allowed to have. Redemption 25 years later! Last night I arranged it in a Rubbermaid basket like a Pinterest Mom. I’m pretty proud of it (lack of sleep). I’ll post a picture tonight.
My Edu Plan
The new job is in educational technology aka ed tech or instructional technology. I am working with our university’s learning management system as the training coordinator and supervisor to the student-worker team. It’s been about six months, and I’m really enjoying it. So, this SXSW I will be attending a lot of tech showcases, meeting with the company that made the software we use, talking about teaching in higher ed, and of course popping into a few sessions on libraries.
Right now I have a bursting schedule. I usually just do a first round of curating – marking anything that looks interesting and then looking over the options the day of and going wherever feels right.
I volunteer for SXSW Film and was able to do quality control checking for two Edu films before the festival, both of which play today and both are worth checking out. The weather today is pretty gross, and settling down into a theater for a couple hours sounds pretty nice – especially since it’s the Alamo Ritz.
Big Dream – Monday, March 9th 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
- A documentary that takes a look into the lives of seven young women with a dream to work in STEM. Covering seven people is a big task for a 90-minute film, and the subjects do not interact with each other so it can feel a bit disjointed at time, but the people profiled are all endearing and inspiring. I would definitely recommend this feel-good documentary that discusses the difficulties for girls/women in STEM but focuses on the next generation of female pioneers. The panel looks pretty great, so if you’re like me and have read/seen a 100 things about girls/women in STEM and are still on the fence about whether it’s worth your time – the panel alone looks worth it.
Rane Johnson-Stempson
Microsoft Research – Principal Research DirTricia Berry
The University of Texas at Austin – Dir
The Homestretch – Monday, March 9th 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
This one had me crying alone in the screening room. The Homestretch is a powerful documentary about homeless youth in Chicago Public Schools. The statistics are staggering and the stories are heartbreaking. I didn’t go into it ignorant about homeless youth/teens, but I’d never seen such an intimate portrait. You need to go to this then you need to go home and seek out ways to help homeless youth in your town.