The opportunities that opened up the moment I accepted the EdTech role were immediate and almost overwhelming. I was told that our team would be traveling to Atlanta to take part in the ISTE conference, I should be on the lookout for invites to various curriculum meetings moving forward, I needed to begin thinking about what to include in a 2 day training that would take place in August, I was given an abundance of information about the new school I would soon call home and I would be knee-deep in chromebooks for the first few weeks. The thought of the opportunities/change were exhilarating and terrifying at the same time.
ISTE
ISTE was an amazing experience. After spending 3 days at the conference I walked away with so many ideas, knowledge, excitement and exhaustion! To be a part of a group of 18,000 people, from around the world, that joined together to discuss and collaborate about technology was empowering. A few of my favorite takeaways were the student leaders that shared their ideas, all Google sessions, especially the playgrounds and the poster sessions that were available each day.
Chris and I are hoping to present at ISTE 2015. I am looking forward to playing a bigger role in something so amazing!
I could share so many things about ISTE, but I would rather give you a few tips….
- If there are sessions that have a free preregistration, jump on it quick! Several coworkers of mine were unable to get into these sessions because they were full.
- Several of the paid sessions are cool, but there are so many “free” ones to choose from that you really don’t need to pay for additional workshops/sessions.
- Make sure you have a quick QR code scanner. I learned quickly that you gather most of your information through QR codes. Here is the one I used - QR reader
- If there is a session that you are really hoping to attend, stand in line about 20 minutes early to guarantee a spot. After the first day, I realized the best way to maximize my time while waiting was to scan some QR codes from the poster sessions and then review some of the information while I was waiting.
- Make sure to download the conference’s app and be ready to tweet a ton! It’s a great way to connect and collaborate while at the conference.
- Bring about 100 pre-addressed labels with your name, position, address and phone number. There are several opportunities to win things and you do not want to waste your time filling out each ticket.
As part of the new role, I found myself sitting on several curriculum meetings even BEFORE officially becoming an EdTech. Instruction is my heart and passion. Playing an active role in the curriculum from the start was exciting. With that said, learning all of the curriculum is tricky. I began taking notes on all curriculum meetings. These meetings are at the district level and content area team levels. I can confidently say that at this point, I have a pretty good grasp of what is happening in the curricular areas. I am looking forward to continuously learning more about each curriculum while working with the teachers and enhancing the curriculum with the help of technology.
Training Sessions
The final opportunity that occurred while going from teacher to EdTech would have to be the training sessions. Chris and I worked all summer on the 2 day training that occurred at the beginning of the school year. To be honest, it was a lot of work! We spent hours upon hours pulling stuff together. We needed to have a shared vision and really figure out how to make the 12 hours of training engaging, informative and not too overwhelming for the teachers. I was extremely nervous about the trainings. As a result I prepared and prepared and prepared. Ultimately, it was a success! Showing the teachers different tools and making the trainings interactive was what made things run smoothly. I introduced myself with a Kahoot (great icebreaker!) and teachers walked away with forms, sheets and the start of a Haiku page. I think several of them were overwhelmed, but they had a foundation and knew that we were there for support. Upon reflection, the things to keep in mind when putting together trainings are: make it fun (Kid President is always great!), keep it light yet informative and pay attention to your crowd. We will be adding copies of our training presentations in the toolbox.
Knee-deep
Need I say more?