ISTE10- Through My Lens

So, by now, almost a week after the final keynote, there have been lots and lots (and LOTS!) of ISTE10 blog posts. I still have an #iste10 search column in Tweetdeck, and, although it is starting to wind down, there are still quite a few tweets. I will process them slowly, over time. We've all heard the apt analogy that learning at a conference like ISTE is like taking a drink of water from a fire hydrant.

Last year was my first time attending NECC (now known as ISTE). I was overwhelmed and spent way too much time wandering aimlessly, afraid to miss something good. This time, I knew that I would barely scratch the surface of possibility, and I made my peace with that before leaving home. My strategy was not to worry, to enjoy what came my way, to make the most of each moment and every conversation and to take time to recharge my batteries, literally and figuratively.

As I wrote in an earlier post, I had the exciting opportunity this year to attend ISTE as a tweeter/blogger for my favorite software company, Tech4Learning. One of the best things about this was that it imposed a filter for the conference. Rather than making me feel confined, having a focus helped me to not feel so overwhelmed. The theme for ISTE this year was "Exploring Excellence." Tech4Learning is a company that strives for excellence in what they do. I appreciate their strong alignment with what works in education and their genuine desire to provide the best tools for students to "engage, create and share."

I tried to "mix it up" in terms of finding different ways to view the conference through the Tech4Learning lens. I had a lot of fun videotaping people at the T4L booth and events. A big thank you to everyone who spoke to me on-camera!

To read more about information overload and filters, including some excellent graphics, check out this post.

image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zaneselvans/3908076784/

Top 10 Components of Effective Technology Leadership

Chris O'Neal- trains principals at University of Virginia

chris.wikispaces.com

italics are my thoughts...

the room is PACKED. We are packed in so tight I can't drink my coffee...

skoodad....(introducing guy works for them)???

He is apologizing for not having paper handouts, this is the first time he hasn't made paper handouts. That, alone, is making me question whether I am in the right place.

Equity of Access- we can't solve the equity of access issue in students' homes, but we MUST solve the issue during the school day. (Covey-- area of influence, area of control. work on those things that are within your control)

In 2010 kids using technology as a reward for finishing work is educational malpractice.

Every kid in every class must have the same access, not just to the equipment, but to the experiences.

Understanding and Using Data-

Lots of schools make (expensive) decisions based on superficial data (ie: student survey "strongly agree....strongly disagree). need to dig deeper into the data before making decisions.

Effective Professional Development-

What is effective professional development? (good question, even at ISTE, not all sessions are created equal!) He is talking about customizing pd for different grade levels. (I don't think that's necessarily the right approach. I agree about differentiating, but I don't know that just focusing on different grade levels is the answer. I personally, after Educon and EdubloggerCon and my learning style which thrives on interaction, have a hard time sitting in a 100 degree lecture and just listening.....I guess that is the point of blogging and twittering for me.)

"Walk the walk~Talk the talk"-- Model what you want

Leaders use the technology themselves, make it look easy

Vision

http://tinyurl.com/istelead

for vision prioritizing

then paste into wordle, very quick way to bring everyone's ideas together to reshape the vision

Reward Growth- recognize and reward when people are trying to move out of their comfort zones.

Genuine Reflection- most education professionals do not reflect in meaningful ways. We need to reflect after professional development, not just ooh, I want that cool thing. Allow time for refection and encourage others to reflect. What is the one thing I am pulling from this session that I am going to DO? (again, the power of blogging....it is a good start, no?)

Student-driven technology - let the kids do the tech stuff. takes some of the pressure off the teachers.

PLN- get one.

It appears that I missed one of the 10 components of effective technology leadership; I only recorded nine. What do you think #10 should be?

Postcards from ISTE

I'm getting so excited for ISTE.

This year, I will be wearing a new hat at the conference- that of ISTE2010 blogger/tweeter for Tech4Learning. It is a wonderful opportunity on so many levels. I only hope I can do justice to the task of sharing all the amazing things that will be happening.

In the old days (when I was a kid), people sent postcards. I remember when my parents or grandparents would travel. They usually arrived home about a week before the postcard arrived.

Tech4Learning has recently introduced a web-based version of Pixie called (what else?) Wixie.

You can use Wixie to create a digital postcard from ISTE that can be shared immediately. Here is mine:

If you're going to be at ISTE, stop by booth #526 to make yours.