I just returned from the ISTE conference last night and wanted to sit down and reflect on the experience while it is still fresh in my mind...
I made the trip to Atlanta with 30+ other educators from across D214, and while there were some frustrations (long lines, closed out sessions and weather-related flight delays) there were some very powerful takeaways from the experience. Many of the sessions reaffirmed that great things are already happening across D214! It was great to expand upon my knowledge of topics such as the SAMR model (presented by Dr. Puenteduera) and Flipped Learning (Presented by Aaron Sams and Jon Bergman) To learn about these ed tech topics from their originators was both unique and engaging!
I was able to stretch my thinking about race, class and gender during a session about breaking down the barriers to college and careers, although the session didn't stay as focused as I would have liked, my Twitter exchange with one of the panelists (@chrislehmann) was engaging.
But the best part of the trip was the conversations with new colleagues from across the district. These gatherings, both formal and informal allowed us to process new learning, discuss ideas, share philosophies and plan for the future. We covered everything from Twitter 101, to effective ed tech integration strategies, to instructional coaching, to leadership, to standards based grading and learning to planning effective professional development. Finally, we built the connections and relationships as a team to continue the conversations once the school year begins! This, I think, will be the key - how do we maintain the momentum for what we started over the summer? How do we communicate and engage colleagues who were not at ISTE? What structures can we put into place to share information, best practices and successes across buildings? Often, we used the #D214PLN hashtag to track our learning. Check it out!
I was very glad to be a part of the D214 team that went to ISTE this year and look forward to continuing the conversation over the summer and throughout the school year!
