Ahead for ISTE 2014: Technology, Leadership and Grand Ideas
Thousands of K-12 educators will flock to the 2014 International Society for Technology in Education conference this month for a meeting of the minds.
From June 28 through July 1, ISTE 2014 will bring together 18,000 K-12 educators at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Together, they'll explore professional development techniques, resources and ways to build new skills. The more than 900 sessions will include talks from experts on cloud computing, BYOD/BYOT strategies, blended learning and dozens of other topics.
Teachers can interact with the latest classroom technologies in the expo hall, which is projected to have more than 500 exhibits and 4,500 industry representatives. With so much activity, it'll be easy to get lost in the mix, but ISTE's website offers an interactive floor plan of the huge facility.
Keynotes
Highlighting the ISTE experience are keynote speeches from Ashley Judd, Kevin Carroll and Jeff Charbonneau.
Judd, a human rights activist and Emmy-nominated actor, will kick off the conference June 28. She has been part of several grassroots programs promoting empowerment and equality around the world. She delivered the keynote at the 2008 General Assembly of the United Nations and has testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Carroll is a speaker for social change and author of The Red Rubber Ball at Work. His mission is to help people embrace the spirit of play and creativity to maximize their potential. As a consultant, Carroll has helped organizations like the National Basketball Association, ESPN, Nike, Starbucks and more.
Jeff Charbonneau, the 63rd national teacher of the year, will deliver the closing keynote July 1. The recipient of numerous teaching awards, Charbonneau also directs a Washington statewide robotics competition.
Planning Ahead
With more than 900 sessions to choose from, a planner may be in order. The ISTE website helps educators personalize their schedule by adding sessions they don't want to miss to their list of favorites.
Attendees also can download the official ISTE 2014 mobile app to help them get around the conference. The app keeps track of the event schedule, conference news and upcoming speakers, and it includes maps of the conference hall.
Educators interested in meeting up with colleagues or friends from around the country can connect online through the conference's social media outlets on Facebook and Twitter, where they can also contribute to the ISTE conversation by using the hashtag #ISTE2014.
Whether attendees are interested in seeing what's ahead for education or learning new strategies for teaching, there'll be something special at ISTE 2014.
EdTech will be providing constant coverage of the event, including video interviews, session information and tons of photos. Look forward to more content late this month. For a taste, check out EdTech's coverage of ISTE 2013.
Thinking of attending this year's conference? Let us know in the comments section.
