MountainMoot 2024

Why this conference?

In 2011 we started this conference with the stated goal of expanding the knowledge of our Moodle instance on campus. While it has been a big Moodle conference for the past 13 years (the longest running Moodle conference in the US) we realize that instructional design, engagement and best practices apply to all Learning Management Systems. At our core, we focus on the how and why to use certain tools to create the best learning environment. Attendees come from all walks of higher education, business, and government. Our presenters are some of the top names in the industry with years of experience training, teaching or creating engaging and unique ways to use an LMS. It doesn't matter if you use Canvas, Moodle, D2L or some other LMS you will find an open community of instructional designers, educators and training specialists to help you on your journey. This conference is for folks that are brand new to the LMS world and also those that have been in it for years. We promise that this conference will be engaging, fun and a bit different than your traditional conference. Many of our attendees come back year after year. Please join us!

Location: The brand new Corette Library and Simperman Learning Commons

Located on the Campus of Carroll College in Helena, Montana. Helena has direct flights from Denver, Seattle and Salt Lake, so it is fairly easy to get to. Last year we had to move the location of the conference due to construction, but now the renovation is done and the brand new library will be an amazing place to host this conference. Having it here helps to foster the sense of community that makes the moot what it is. We have an amazing open area for those casual conversations, a fireside room for quick talks with the vendors and interactive classrooms for all of those great sessions. It has been a long time coming but we are very excited for this years moot in this brand new space. Plus we have a light-board studio, a new podcasting studio and maker-space to show off - pretty cool!

Mootbucks and MootCoin

MootBucks have become one of the core values of the MountainMoot. Whether it’s a universal passion for gamification, a deep spiritual commitment to active community, or a simple love of prizes that binds us together in Mootbucks, we can’t say. What we do know is that MootBucks are universally beloved by all of our attendees. If you’ve never been to a MountainMoot, you may wonder what MootBucks are. Simply put, Mootbucks are a currency that you can earn through good participation in MountainMoot activities. For example, a presenter might give you MootBucks for asking a good question in their session, or for tweeting a good note from their panel. Mootineers might give you MootBucks for helping out with conference activities, being nice or just helping others. However you earn them, hang on to those MootBucks, because even though they have no cash value, they can be used to purchase very real prizes during the Thursday night MootBucks party.

Moot Coin is a whole new level of engagement that we tested out over the past few years. We offer four different kinds of Moot cryptocurrency. Just like the real cryptocurrencies, the value of these fluctuate wildly durning the moot. You get a variety of coins throughout the conference which can then then be traded with others, traded at "the bank" or converted into Moot Bucks. Timing is everything here and the market can easily create a run on the bank. Think you have what it takes to beat the market and get rich - bring it!

Which brings us to the MootBucks party. A happy-go-lucky event where anything can happen, the MootBucks party features games of chance and skill that help you earn (or lose) MootBucks in advance of the live and silent auctions for thousands of dollars worth of prizes. In the past we have given away Kindles, iPads, document cameras, Bluetooth Speakers, Computers, Raspberry Pi's and tons of other great items you may need (or just want) in your everyday life. Even if you aren’t a winner of any of the auctions, food and drinks are provided with every conference registration, so the party is worth your time even if you aren’t a MootBuck Millionaire. Besides, there are plenty of great silent auction items that are very affordable.

Parking at the Moot

Carroll is a traditional campus in that we have students on campus August through May, and during the summer months the campus is pretty quiet (except for the construction going on). So.. you can park in any standard student parking area for free and not have to worry about decals or stickers. There is NO parking patrol on campus during the summer and parking is open and free on campus.

Things to do in Montana

So you are making the trek to Montana and are maybe looking for a few other items to do or see either before or after the Moot. While we can't list all of the goings on in Montana we can point out a few of our favortires that just happen to be going on around the Moot timeframe. In addition there are always an amazing brewery, mountain bike ride, hiking trails, or just an evening scenic drive that is always an option. Summers are one of the many reasons that we love to live here, the sun doesn't go down until around 9:30pm and the evenings cool off considerably from the daytime highs.

Links to things to do in Montana around the Moot Timeframe.
• The Montana Symphony under the stars (site has not been updated for 2024 yet) will take place on Saturday night (right after the Moot) on the lawn right outside the Library where the moot takes place. It is free and open to all. This year will feature the music of TINA TURNER!
• Visit Montana Always a great place to start for all things Montana!
• The Montana Folk Festival happening the weekend right before the Moot. Four stages, 2 days of amazing music, FREE (donations requested) in the great town of Butte, MT - (1 hour drive from Helena).
• Red Ants Pants Music Festival the weekend after the moot, kicks in outside of White Sulfur Springs Montana, (about 1.5 hours away from Helena).
• Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park are both about 4 hours away from Helena. Great parks but can get busy during the summer.
• Virginia City is a great place to visit if you are looking for more Montana History.
• The Art Park in Lincoln Montana (about 1 hour away) is an amazing outdoor walk amongst art installations
• Crystal Park outside of Dillion Montana (2 hours away) is a great way to spend a day with kids digging in the dirt to find crystals!
• Chico Hot Springs is always at the top of our list for a nice getaway, amazing meal and a great soak (and a few beverages as well).
• The Charlie Russell Chew Choo - Dinner Train is kind of a fun way to spend an evening with friends on a train with a robby reenactment and dinner.

Scholarships

We want the conference to be accessible to all! We started this on a shoestring with the sole intention of getting our College faculty trained on how to use Moodle for better learning outcomes and practices. Our end goal and the goal of almost everyone at the conference is to make the learning experience better from a engaged constructivist pedagogical standpoint. When we teach folks better, it helps everyone.

If you want to come to the moot but can't because of money, we can help! Every year we set aside a number of registrations for those that are interested and engaged but need financial help (in terms of reduced or free conference fees and or lodging). Especially if you are an educator (we have a soft spot for education). Please just reach out on the contact form and let us know your situation and we will try to make it work.