Last year was my first ISTE. I came home wide eyed and full of passion. I told my boss that his one mistake in sending me was that I wanted to go back. He told me that he would see what I did with what I learned.
I brought passion projects into my lab. Passion projects were amazing! I learned my kids in a way that I never got to know them before. I developed deeper relationships with my kids than ever before. The pinnacle moment was an 8th grade special needs student who presented her project on restoring antique cars. She went 2 minutes over the maximum time, and I wasn't about to stop her. When the kids gave her feedback, there was a respect for her in their eyes. This is a child who stuttered and struggled to speak in front of others. The children told her how much they learned from her, and they told her that they were amazed at what she had done.
I helped teachers participate in mystery calls. We had experts Google Hangout Live with our class to discuss various topics. We did a Google Hangout on Air with NASA. My students were so excited when one of their tweets was answered live. These are just a few of the new things we tried.
This year, I knew what to expect from ISTE so I was fully prepared. Hack Ed is still a major part of ISTE for me. I love the Edcamp experience. It was another day full of learning and connecting for me.
My number one tip to someone attending ISTE is to get there a day early to be part of Hack Ed.
Last year, I spent time in both the Newbie (Welcome) Lounge and the Blogger's Cafe. It is amazing to sit with others and share ideas. I was disappointed in the location of the Welcome Lounge this year. It did not lend itself to hanging out there and sharing like the one in San Antonio did. The one keynote that I watched was from the Blogger's Cafe surrounded by PLN members.
I purposely spent very little time in the Exhibition Hall this year. Last year, I wandered through it wide eyed. I spent way too much time there. This year, I purposely visited vendors to continue relationships or learn about specific products. I did not wander through the whole thing. Here is where I had an upsetting moment. As I was striding to a particular booth, a vendor standing in the middle of the aisle handed me a bag. I took it and kept moving. It remained in my hand unnoticed for a while. Finally when I sat down later, I opened the bag. Inside was a sample technology curriculum book. It was badged as meeting ISTE standards. While it may meet ISTE standards, it was exactly the way we shouldn't be teaching kids. It bothered me that products like this are viewed as acceptable. For way too many teachers, the ideas discussed at ISTE are scary because they reflect a change in the way we educate kids. What this vendor was peddling is more of the same old, same old. It is past time to start moving forward.
Last year before ISTE, there was much discussion of "rock stars". I did not find that to be a dominant issue this year. However, I had a moment on the floor that smacked of this type of thought. I had marked a particular vendor that I use in the app. You see I just downgraded brand new laptops because their software is not yet compatible after over a year. I have tried to get answers of when to no avail. I have been told "SOON" for almost a year. I went to their booth with the express purpose of trying to find someone who could answer my question since phone calls and emails never got an answer. I went up to a gentleman with the shirt and badge of the vendor. He was very kind. I quickly explained my issue. He had me email him and assured me that he would get an answer for me. The problem came when a woman for the vendor walked up, caught the end of the conversation, and asked me, "Do you know who he is?" Frankly my dear, I don't care. (I had to use that reference!) I just stammered out no. She proceeded to tell me that he developed the new app / program they were rolling out. The truth of the matter is that I didn't care who he was. I expect a vendor that my school has invested a lot of money in to be responsive to their customers. She left me feeling annoyed. Reality - I have not heard anything from anyone with information about my issue.
Some of my favorite areas were the playgrounds and poster sessions. I did not like the space for the poster sessions this year. It was entirely too crowded. I hope that Philly has a better space for them. I also hope some of the playgrounds will get a little more space. I enjoyed the Google Playground, but it was very crowded if you wanted to get by the tables. I also learned a lot and made connections at the 3D printing / maker playground. These gave me information about implementing #GAFE this year and using my brand new 3D printer.
The most powerful part of ISTE is the people. I am blessed with some wonderful PLN members who have brought other wonderful people into my PLN. We shared multiple meals, experiences, and advice. You know who you are, and you made my conference amazing.
I was also extremely proud of the teacher from my school that I brought to ISTE. It was her first time. She was not really a connected educator yet. I told her that if she did not tweet I would jump on her bed and not let her sleep. I meant that too! Her first tweet at ISTE included a hashtag, handle, and a picture. She went big. Even better was a few days later watching her help another teacher use Twitter before a session. She has new PLN members who are already sharing ideas and advice. She understands what it means now to be a connected educator. Tonight, she joined and participated in her first Twitter chat. For me, that is what it is all about. Her connections will make her a better educator which will benefit her kids. It is all about the kids!
My best advice to anyone going to ISTE is to go to the things that you want to learn about and bring back to your school next year. Focus on the people around you! There are so many amazing people willing to share. I am still processing the ideas I learned about. Those will be future blog posts.
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