How HIVE 2020 Will Reflect Our New Normal

In the last few weeks, our world has changed considerably. The students who filled school classrooms are now home adjusting to remote learning, teachers are working overtime to plan engaging and meaningful activities that meet student needs, and all of us are trying to find a new sense of normalcy in a time of worldwide crisis.

Though the mission of Open Up Resources remains steadfast, my team’s work looks different. Just a few weeks ago, we were preparing for our 2nd Annual HIVE conference and helping districts plan for the 2020-21 school year. These past few weeks have been full of hosting virtual town halls and building resources to try and help educators adjust to their new learning environments. 

Personally, I spent the first few days convincing myself that this would all be short-lived, that my kids would be back in school soon, and HIVE 2020 would continue as planned. The announcement of district travel bans, long-term school closures, and state-wide shutdowns have made it clear that an in-person HIVE just won’t be in the cards this year. 

I wish I could say I took that realization well, but that is pretty far from the truth. I wrote about how much HIVE meant to me on a couple of occasions last year, and I couldn’t wait to bring that same feeling to New Orleans with 600 of my favorite Open Up Resources educators. In short, it hurt to know I wouldn’t be spending time with you all in person this year.

After a few days of feeling sorry for myself, it hit me—teachers and leaders had hours to completely reimagine their classrooms and schools. They didn’t sit around complaining about it. They jumped in and got to work. 

In the same way teachers are being asked to rethink the rest of their school years, we will be reimagining HIVE as a completely virtual Professional Learning Event. HIVE might look a little different in 2020, but it can still meet the needs of teachers and leaders across the country in a virtual format—just like they are meeting their students’ needs every day. 

Thanks to our keynote speaker, Dr. Kristopher Childs, the theme for HIVE was set to be “Reimagining Education” before the decision was made to go virtual. Maybe it was destiny that we had already chosen this theme, because I don’t believe there has ever been a time in modern history that has required more "re-imagination" in education than the one we are in right now. 

Rest assured, we are hard at work thinking through every moment of the conference to make sure that your favorite parts of HIVE aren’t lost in our “new normal.” From virtual coffee chats to swag bags delivered to your door, I think HIVE 2020 is going to be exactly what you need to fill your bucket, dive deeper into the curriculum, and get ready for an amazing school year. We may have to take our selfies via screen capture on Zoom, but we will still be getting better together.

You can get the full details about HIVE here including: 

• How to receive a refund if you’ve already registered (although I hope you will still join us virtually)
• Registration info
• Keynote speaker announcements

Even more to be added soon! I hope you’ll be able to join us (from an acceptable social distance!) as we get even better together.