What to Expect at ISTE 2013
For more than 30 years, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has held its annual conference to celebrate education technology. As an organization, ISTE advocates the continued growth of innovation through collaboration, exchange and learning in K–12 education.
From June 23–26, educators and technologists will gather in San Antonio, Texas, for four days of technology fun and learning. In the past, the ISTE conference has attracted nearly 18,000 attendees from all over the world.
This year’s ISTE conference will feature close to 700 sessions, three keynote speakers and hundreds of exciting exhibitors. The expo hall will be a one-stop shop for trying out classroom gadgets and emerging technology.
The ISTE 2013 keynote speakers include Jane McGonigal, Steven Johnson and Adam Bellow.
Jane McGonigal, PhD, will be the opening keynote speaker on June 24. She is the author of Reality Is Broken. She also teamed up with Oprah Winfrey to create the Thank You Game.
Steven Johnson is the scheduled keynote speaker for June 25. He is the author of the best-selling book Everything Bad Is Good for You. His writing focuses on brain research and the effects of popular culture on intelligence.
Education technologist Adam Bellow will be the closing keynote speaker. He used to teach at The Churchill School in Manhattan, a school for students with language-based learning disabilities, and he is the founder of eduTecher and eduClipper, sites that provide access to curated educational resources and help connect the education community.
Play Along at ISTE 2013
ISTE 2013 takes classroom innovation and applies it to every aspect of the conference. Attendees can expect state-of-the-art digital resources, such as social media outreach, an online community and a mobile app.
The mobile app is available in the Apple App Store, from Google Play and via the mobile web. Attendees can play the ISTE 2013 game to earn points for attending events, tweeting and much more.
The app also facilitates educator networking by letting users search for fellow attendees. Every registered user is given a personal access code that allows for private messaging. Social media platforms, such as Twitter and Instagram, are also linked through the app.
And don’t miss out on the ISTEgram 2013 contest. Attendees can take photos from around the conference and submit them using the hashtag #ISTEgram13. Once a photo is submitted, attendees will be in the running for exciting prizes.
The ISTE 2013 Ning is the online conference community that lets attendees ask questions, join a group and contribute conference knowledge. The Ning is a go-to resource for FAQs and event information. Early buzz in the community is that the EdTech Karaoke party is a can't-miss event.
Keep in mind that the ISTE 2013 website is a great stand-alone resource that enables attendees to pre-plan daily conference activities. The website features an interactive floor plan, with an excellent search feature for locating exhibitors by name, keyword or booth number. It also has hover-over and zoom capabilities to see exhibitors at a glance.
Whether you are a teacher, a librarian or an administrator, ISTE 2013 is sure to leave a lasting impression.
Are you looking forward to attending this year’s ISTE conference? Let us know in the Comments section.
