Just back from the Crescent City, the LTC team had a blast at ISTELive 22 in New Orleans. Some took in the local sights and flavors, while others met up and made the most of this year’s jam-packed schedule. A lucky handful even had the chance to present, allowing them to share their unmatched passion and skill with a national audience of edtech peers.
Regardless of what sessions they attended or how many beignets they ate, all of our ISTELive 22 attendees walked away with a wealth of wisdom and insights into the state of educational technology.
Take a peek to see how our team spent their time in the Big Easy, including their favorite parts about this year’s gathering and their post-conference plans:
“I made a lot of connections with representatives from many of the apps and platforms that my teachers use regularly – Book Creator, Nearpod, TinkerCad, and Quizizz, just to name a few. I’m excited to learn more about these platforms and use those discoveries to help my teachers get even more out of their favorite tech tools.”
“I also sat in on a great coaching session hosted by Italy Wallace, a Chicago native, that I got a lot from – especially when it came to using feedback to expand my coaching reach. Her idea to increase visibility and approachability by ‘walking the park’ at school each morning, like Walt Disney used to at his theme parks, is absolutely becoming part of my new before-school routine.”
In addition to attending ISTELive 22, Elizabeth (along with LTC tech coach Brian Krause) also presented a session on Google’s new “smart chips” as part of the Google for Education Teaching Theater.
“If I had to choose a favorite, I’d have to go with this year’s Google sessions – especially the live demos of the new ‘professional Chromebooks’ and Chrome OS’ new screencasting function. The main stage events were pretty impressive, too, and I don’t consider myself a big keynote guy. Oh, and that Scrappy Circuits session, too! I am definitely bringing that back for my region’s elementary teachers.”
In addition to attending ISTELive 22, Eric also presented a session on “Google’s Secret Menu” as part of the Google for Education Teaching Theater.
“Almost every day of the conference, I had a really constructive conversation or two with ‘the right people’ – someone with the knowledge and drive to turn our quick chat into real action. I walked away from all of them feeling like I’d met someone who really cares and wants to help us up our PD game right here, right now.”
“There was one student panel that really stuck with me, too. One student from Kentucky kept mentioning ‘STLP,’ which led me down the rabbit hole to learning about that state’s Student Technology Leadership Program. I’ve only just started reading about its mission, but I already think it would make a great addition to Illinois’ edtech community.”
“I couldn’t believe how many resources for teaching media literacy were on display throughout the conference. That session ‘Abraham Lincoln was a Woman and Other Fake News’ was the best of the best.”
In addition to attending ISTELive 22, Sarah presented a session on making movie trailers using Google Slides as part of the Google for Education Teaching Theater.
Throughout the year, the LTC team attends a wide variety of edtech conferences, both as presenters and attendees. Check out our 2022 conference guide to learn more about upcoming opportunities to gather together and learn, both here in Illinois and across the US. We’ll see you there!
We are also hosting two major conferences this fall that you won’t want to miss. Mark your calendars now for the virtual Digital Literacy Conference (DigLitCon) on September 16, 2022, and the much-anticipated Illinois Education & Technology Conference, taking place at the BOS Center in Springfield from November 2-4, 2022.
Registration is now open for both conferences, so explore both schedules and get ready to learn from Illinois’ best and brightest in the coming months.
Virtual and in-person ISTE attendees can now watch full recordings of all sessions, including those presented by LTC team members. Visit ISTE’s website for more information on accessing these recordings.
The Learning Technology Center provides free and low-cost edtech professional learning, services, and support to all K-12 districts in Illinois.
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