As the conference ends, I realize we have been so busy that we have not seen any of the Denver sites outside this conference center. Our time is limited so we have to decide how we will make the most of our last evening here. The experience that follows is awe inspiring and soul touching! No words can describe the beauty and majesty of God's handiwork. Please look past the novice movie quality and enjoy the view.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
ISTE 2010-DAY 4
This will be our last day of this conference, so I want to make the most of it. My first session is on Twitter and Virtual Environments. Unfortunately, after sitting in a packed room for a few minutes, they announce that the presenter for this session has not arrived. I run upstairs to visit a few exhibit booths before my next meeting.
Instructional Coaching and Technology is a panel discussion including Jim Knight who wrote the book on Instructional Coaching that we used in our co-op class this past year. Mr. Knight turns out to be skyped in from London! Another panel member is Jayne James, the Senior Director for Educational Leadership at ISTE. This session validates my view that as a curriculum technologist I am an instructional coach (or facilitator) just like the math coaches and literacy coaches. Various panel members describe their districts' technology instructional coaching programs. Work embedded professional development is said to be the key to keeping faculty members on target with using technology correctly. Videos are repeatedly mentioned as the most effective tool. They can be used for teacher reflection aides, professional development options, modeling instructional/technological strategies, etc. Once again, social networking is stressed for collaboration.
Implementing and Integrating NETS for Teachers: Moving Teachers toward Transformative Technology is the title of my next meeting. This meeting is led by three presenters. Again, one is skyed in; this time from Florida. The introductions are made using avatars. I love it!
The fact that not all teachers are on board with using technology in the classroom is said to be due to the fact that NETS (National Educational Technology Standards) has only given rational reasons that this is necessary to student achievement. They are adding an "emotional" or affective part that hopefully will help us all to reach for that highest level where we use technology in a flexible way with awareness of and mastery of a good number of technological tools that will lead to student achievement. Before the end of this session, these facilitators model examples of meeting each of the standards in the classroom. These model lessons include using wikis and virtual tools as means to engage learners.
Tammy Worcester presents my last meeting of this idea-packed conference. Tammy is a well known resource for teachers who use technology to teach. I learn effective blogging tips and ways to use blogging as a means to help students and parents.
The conference ends. I am physically tired from the fast-paced schedule, but I am also mentally and professionally challenged to put into action all the ideas learned during these past days.
Instructional Coaching and Technology is a panel discussion including Jim Knight who wrote the book on Instructional Coaching that we used in our co-op class this past year. Mr. Knight turns out to be skyped in from London! Another panel member is Jayne James, the Senior Director for Educational Leadership at ISTE. This session validates my view that as a curriculum technologist I am an instructional coach (or facilitator) just like the math coaches and literacy coaches. Various panel members describe their districts' technology instructional coaching programs. Work embedded professional development is said to be the key to keeping faculty members on target with using technology correctly. Videos are repeatedly mentioned as the most effective tool. They can be used for teacher reflection aides, professional development options, modeling instructional/technological strategies, etc. Once again, social networking is stressed for collaboration.
Implementing and Integrating NETS for Teachers: Moving Teachers toward Transformative Technology is the title of my next meeting. This meeting is led by three presenters. Again, one is skyed in; this time from Florida. The introductions are made using avatars. I love it!
The fact that not all teachers are on board with using technology in the classroom is said to be due to the fact that NETS (National Educational Technology Standards) has only given rational reasons that this is necessary to student achievement. They are adding an "emotional" or affective part that hopefully will help us all to reach for that highest level where we use technology in a flexible way with awareness of and mastery of a good number of technological tools that will lead to student achievement. Before the end of this session, these facilitators model examples of meeting each of the standards in the classroom. These model lessons include using wikis and virtual tools as means to engage learners.
Tammy Worcester presents my last meeting of this idea-packed conference. Tammy is a well known resource for teachers who use technology to teach. I learn effective blogging tips and ways to use blogging as a means to help students and parents.
The conference ends. I am physically tired from the fast-paced schedule, but I am also mentally and professionally challenged to put into action all the ideas learned during these past days.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
ISTE 2010-DAY 3
Today I am planning to spend time in the exhibit hall visiting with some vendors of software we use to teach our middle schoolers. Naively, I believe I will have sufficient time to get my needed information before my first scheduled meeting. As I enter the convention center, topics catch my eye, and I have to stop to learn what is being explained. There are many booths/tables set up in the front lobby. Each table has someone explaining an innovative idea or product for increasing student success, enjoyment of learning, cyber safety, etc. By the time I make it to the exhibits, I have to turn around and rush to hear Adam Bellow present 10 Web Tools to Make Learning Even Better. If you ever have the chance, please attend one of his professional developments. Besides being entertaining and having a well designed, digital presentation, he emphasizes the fact that social networking is definitely the present and future of technology in the classroom. I have heard this repeatedly in other sessions; I am now convinced. This blog is my first step. Next? Well, I have many choices from twittering to using virtual learning tools. This session is so packed with great ideas that I almost yell "encore" at the end.
My next session is Teaching Writing in the Digital Age. A middle school teacher promises to share the secret of getting students to write and to write well. I am so disappointed to learn that this is a veiled commercial for a product. I leave the presentation early and try to get to those vendors again.
The exhibit hall is packed with over 1000 different technology exhibitors. My list includes many to visit, but my first stop is SMART. I make it just in time to sit in on the presentation for a new tool called a Smart Stick. This fits into a USB drive and gives teachers access to hundreds of standards-based, highly developed SmartBoard activities for math, science and social studies. In conjunction with the activities are many resources for additional helps and practice pages. This was developed for Smart by IgniteLearning for middle schoolers. I want this for our school so badly, but the price is pretty steep.
The next presenter is Harvey, an internationally known, creative resource for teachers who use the Smartboard to engage their learners. He speaks so quickly that I can't catch his last name, but I have heard of him before and know I need to just pay attention and absorb. The next 30 minutes are spent learning tips and tricks for creating Smartboard lessons from this master.
Heather Lamb takes the stage as Harvey leaves. Heather will be with us in August so I want to stay and listen to her. Again, social networking is the focus. She suggests Twitter and Facebook as examples of tools to use in the classroom. I am getting more and more intrigued with this concept. Ms. Lamb finishes, and I finally pull myself away from the SMART exhibit to visit others.
I rejoin my MSD group at the end of this busy day. All of us are so excited about what we have learned today! However, the hectic schedule is catching up with us so we decide to eat at a restaurant we have seen at our transfer point on the light rail. The Buckhorn Exchange turns out to be a wonderful choice. It is Denver's oldest eating establishment built in the 1800's. The walls are lined with elk, buffalo, and pictures of the old west. We are seated in the garden balcony section. There is an old cook wagon sitting in one of the corners that turns out to be where they prepare our meals. Not only do elk and buffalo adorn this place, they show up on the menu! More choices include yak, ostrich, rattlesnake and alligator. Thankfully for this chicken, they also serve beef here! The food is delicious, and the conversation going on as we eat is centered on making social networking a viable choice for our district.
My next session is Teaching Writing in the Digital Age. A middle school teacher promises to share the secret of getting students to write and to write well. I am so disappointed to learn that this is a veiled commercial for a product. I leave the presentation early and try to get to those vendors again.
The exhibit hall is packed with over 1000 different technology exhibitors. My list includes many to visit, but my first stop is SMART. I make it just in time to sit in on the presentation for a new tool called a Smart Stick. This fits into a USB drive and gives teachers access to hundreds of standards-based, highly developed SmartBoard activities for math, science and social studies. In conjunction with the activities are many resources for additional helps and practice pages. This was developed for Smart by IgniteLearning for middle schoolers. I want this for our school so badly, but the price is pretty steep.
The next presenter is Harvey, an internationally known, creative resource for teachers who use the Smartboard to engage their learners. He speaks so quickly that I can't catch his last name, but I have heard of him before and know I need to just pay attention and absorb. The next 30 minutes are spent learning tips and tricks for creating Smartboard lessons from this master.
Heather Lamb takes the stage as Harvey leaves. Heather will be with us in August so I want to stay and listen to her. Again, social networking is the focus. She suggests Twitter and Facebook as examples of tools to use in the classroom. I am getting more and more intrigued with this concept. Ms. Lamb finishes, and I finally pull myself away from the SMART exhibit to visit others.
I rejoin my MSD group at the end of this busy day. All of us are so excited about what we have learned today! However, the hectic schedule is catching up with us so we decide to eat at a restaurant we have seen at our transfer point on the light rail. The Buckhorn Exchange turns out to be a wonderful choice. It is Denver's oldest eating establishment built in the 1800's. The walls are lined with elk, buffalo, and pictures of the old west. We are seated in the garden balcony section. There is an old cook wagon sitting in one of the corners that turns out to be where they prepare our meals. Not only do elk and buffalo adorn this place, they show up on the menu! More choices include yak, ostrich, rattlesnake and alligator. Thankfully for this chicken, they also serve beef here! The food is delicious, and the conversation going on as we eat is centered on making social networking a viable choice for our district.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
ISTE 2010-DAY 2
Monday, June 28, 2010
I awake early as usual and get ready for a full day. Little do I realize that I will walk 100 miles before I see my bed again!
Regional Transportation District is the preferred mode of transportation for us this week. The light rail stop is right beside where we are staying. Learning the color coded system is challenging, and I am so thankful one of us knows where he is going and how to get there safely. After a very short ride with only one transfer we arrive at the convention center's door.
Do you remember Alice in Wonderland going through the looking glass? I feel like I have entered a whole new world full of wonders and interesting things. I hit the floor running knowing that I have to make the most of every minute if I am to learn all I want.
My first session is Developing, Designing, and Delivering: The Case for Powerful and Productive Presentations. I have chosen this session to learn how to make my professional developments more interesting and successful. Tips on how to keep an audience's attention and how to deliver a message more effectively are shared and modeled. I am pleased as I head to my next meeting.
To reach Critical Thinking: Reaching Higher with Interactive Technology, I have to maneuver mazes of hallways and tens of thousands of people. It was certainly worth the effort. The presenter shares Smart Notebook Activities using critical thinking skills. I look forward to sharing these!
Now, on to Take this Book and Map it! Google Lit Trips are highlighted during this session. Talk about making a book come alive! Our students will love journeying through the pages of their novels this fall.
Games, Simulations and Virtual Environments is an ISTE Special Interest Group meeting. ISTE members collaborate on the popularity of using simulations, etc. to teach and assess. We discuss the roles, issues and barriers to using this type of technology in the classrooms. After all the pros and cons are weighed, we must accept that the students will drive this type of activity more and more. I am thankful since I love to play! :)
As I leave this session, I notice a HUGE number of people waiting to enter for the next presentation. Being curious, I ask about the topic. A lady tells me that one of Tuesday's sessions has been moved to today. Someone is really looking over me because I learn that it is Robert Marzano's meeting that has been rescheduled! Robert Marzano is an educational icon in the field of instructional strategies. I have read many of his books and cannot believe that I almost missed this opportunity! I turn right around and fall into the long line of educators piling into the same room I just left. I find a seat right in the front because I do not want to miss a second! Marzano's topic is research results his company has compiled after studying the use of interactive whiteboards in the classroom. One of his findings is that simply adding that instructional tool increases learning by 16-18%! WOW! That number goes higher as components such as teacher training, and using high level strategies with that whiteboard are added. I have the privilege of meeting Dr. Marzano and getting his autograph. After pulling myself up off the floor after I faint from this experience (figuratively speaking, of course), I rush to join the crowd moving towards our next meeting.
Designing the Learning Spaces of Tomorrow explored new physical spaces where our students can learn. Pictures of innovative designs include all glass walls, renovated warehouses turned into learning spaces, classrooms with access to outdoor learning centers. Students' were asked for their input in design ideas. Student desks that hover with retractable ipads attached was my favorite! I put that on my wish list. I wonder if I will get it!
After all the walking, collaborating and learning, I am exhausted and hungry! These sessions don't leave any time for sitting down for lunch. We decide to walk across the street to Bubba Gump's Shrimp Company. Reading the menu reminds me of the scene in Forrest Gump when Bubba was reciting how many different shrimp dishes were available. I highly recommend this restaurant. The food is delicious, and the staff is very attentive. Our waiter plays a Forrest Gump trivia game with our table. Our little group does very well until the bonus question. A free dessert is riding on our getting this answer correct. Well, unfortunately, we do not know what other roles Forrest's mother and Bubba play in the movie. Do you?
I awake early as usual and get ready for a full day. Little do I realize that I will walk 100 miles before I see my bed again!
Regional Transportation District is the preferred mode of transportation for us this week. The light rail stop is right beside where we are staying. Learning the color coded system is challenging, and I am so thankful one of us knows where he is going and how to get there safely. After a very short ride with only one transfer we arrive at the convention center's door.
Do you remember Alice in Wonderland going through the looking glass? I feel like I have entered a whole new world full of wonders and interesting things. I hit the floor running knowing that I have to make the most of every minute if I am to learn all I want.
My first session is Developing, Designing, and Delivering: The Case for Powerful and Productive Presentations. I have chosen this session to learn how to make my professional developments more interesting and successful. Tips on how to keep an audience's attention and how to deliver a message more effectively are shared and modeled. I am pleased as I head to my next meeting.
To reach Critical Thinking: Reaching Higher with Interactive Technology, I have to maneuver mazes of hallways and tens of thousands of people. It was certainly worth the effort. The presenter shares Smart Notebook Activities using critical thinking skills. I look forward to sharing these!
Now, on to Take this Book and Map it! Google Lit Trips are highlighted during this session. Talk about making a book come alive! Our students will love journeying through the pages of their novels this fall.
Games, Simulations and Virtual Environments is an ISTE Special Interest Group meeting. ISTE members collaborate on the popularity of using simulations, etc. to teach and assess. We discuss the roles, issues and barriers to using this type of technology in the classrooms. After all the pros and cons are weighed, we must accept that the students will drive this type of activity more and more. I am thankful since I love to play! :)
As I leave this session, I notice a HUGE number of people waiting to enter for the next presentation. Being curious, I ask about the topic. A lady tells me that one of Tuesday's sessions has been moved to today. Someone is really looking over me because I learn that it is Robert Marzano's meeting that has been rescheduled! Robert Marzano is an educational icon in the field of instructional strategies. I have read many of his books and cannot believe that I almost missed this opportunity! I turn right around and fall into the long line of educators piling into the same room I just left. I find a seat right in the front because I do not want to miss a second! Marzano's topic is research results his company has compiled after studying the use of interactive whiteboards in the classroom. One of his findings is that simply adding that instructional tool increases learning by 16-18%! WOW! That number goes higher as components such as teacher training, and using high level strategies with that whiteboard are added. I have the privilege of meeting Dr. Marzano and getting his autograph. After pulling myself up off the floor after I faint from this experience (figuratively speaking, of course), I rush to join the crowd moving towards our next meeting.
Designing the Learning Spaces of Tomorrow explored new physical spaces where our students can learn. Pictures of innovative designs include all glass walls, renovated warehouses turned into learning spaces, classrooms with access to outdoor learning centers. Students' were asked for their input in design ideas. Student desks that hover with retractable ipads attached was my favorite! I put that on my wish list. I wonder if I will get it!
After all the walking, collaborating and learning, I am exhausted and hungry! These sessions don't leave any time for sitting down for lunch. We decide to walk across the street to Bubba Gump's Shrimp Company. Reading the menu reminds me of the scene in Forrest Gump when Bubba was reciting how many different shrimp dishes were available. I highly recommend this restaurant. The food is delicious, and the staff is very attentive. Our waiter plays a Forrest Gump trivia game with our table. Our little group does very well until the bonus question. A free dessert is riding on our getting this answer correct. Well, unfortunately, we do not know what other roles Forrest's mother and Bubba play in the movie. Do you?
ISTE 2010-DAY 1
Sunday, June 27, 2010
I arrive at Memphis International Airport early Sunday morning ready for an exciting adventure in Denver, Colorado. I have never been to Colorado; I have lots of questions about what we will find. I love to fly! The whole experience is great! I love people-watching the other passengers as they board and get settled. Two little girls are sitting behind me with their parents. Their conversation with their parents show pure joy at this new memory in the making. It is contagious.
We arrive at Denver's airport, gather our luggage and pile into our rental van. The trip to our lodging is filled with chatter about what we are wanting to learn during this conference. The apartment complex where we are staying this week is designed for college students as an off campus dorm. It certainly is not like any dorm I stayed in during my college years all those many years ago. This place looks better than my first apartment!
Sunday afternoon and evening are spent around our table looking at the events being offered and trying to figure out how to whittle the 200 sessions I would like to attend down to a workable number. I have learned from past years that I had better have several options planned for each time period because so often those rooms fill quickly. Trying to rank those in the order of preference is nearly impossible.
We finally go to our separate bedrooms and fall asleep with visions of tech sugarplums dancing in our heads.
I arrive at Memphis International Airport early Sunday morning ready for an exciting adventure in Denver, Colorado. I have never been to Colorado; I have lots of questions about what we will find. I love to fly! The whole experience is great! I love people-watching the other passengers as they board and get settled. Two little girls are sitting behind me with their parents. Their conversation with their parents show pure joy at this new memory in the making. It is contagious.
We arrive at Denver's airport, gather our luggage and pile into our rental van. The trip to our lodging is filled with chatter about what we are wanting to learn during this conference. The apartment complex where we are staying this week is designed for college students as an off campus dorm. It certainly is not like any dorm I stayed in during my college years all those many years ago. This place looks better than my first apartment!
Sunday afternoon and evening are spent around our table looking at the events being offered and trying to figure out how to whittle the 200 sessions I would like to attend down to a workable number. I have learned from past years that I had better have several options planned for each time period because so often those rooms fill quickly. Trying to rank those in the order of preference is nearly impossible.
We finally go to our separate bedrooms and fall asleep with visions of tech sugarplums dancing in our heads.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)