Sorry that this didn’t post last night, to be totally honest I fell asleep typing and watching the Men’s College World Series. Here’s my recap from Day 2. My day 2 was a totally different kind of day than day 1.
EdTech Bites Podcast
I started out the day with Gabriel Carillo from the EdTech Bites podcast as he interviewed Jennifer Mitchell and I about our experience as first-timers at ISTELive. We had a blast, and Jen and I determined she is my (much shorter) spirit animal. Gabriel has an amazing podcast all about Ed Tech and food, an he was so much fun to talk with.
Accelerating Digital Equity & Transformation in EPPs
After the EdTech Bites fun, I ran across the convention center to go to a session about the Digital Pledge that my university has signed and got to talk to some pretty cool people about how we are training teachers to utilizeeducational technology to engage learners and enhance learning. It was great (and a little intimidating) and we really got to dig in to some of the things we are doing well and collaborate on ways to meet the 5 pledge principles. I also had the amazing fun of talking to Kristina Ishmael, the Deputy Director of the Office of Educational Technology for the US Department of Education, and Christine Terry, the director of professional development for the Division of Research at the University of Missouri and the Co-Secretary for the ISTE Board. Before you ask, yes, that was intimidating. These women are amazing and have contributed so much to the field of Educational Technology.
Expo Hall Time
After the EPP Session, I ran back across the convention center to check out the Expo Hall. I was able to talk to a few people about the EAGLE Technology Lab that I am trying to create, get some swag and stickers to take back to my students, enter lots of giveaways, and I MET AMY from Wakelet!!!!!! I also got to meet Erik from Curipod, but I didn’t get a picture.
Meeting with a Mentor
After the Expo Hall, I went to meet with a very nice gentleman that gave me some great advice about the funding that I am trying to find for my EAGLE Tech Lab. The advice he gave me will stretch me, but I am very thankful that he found time to meet with me and that I was able to share my vision for the Lab. He really liked my vision and gave me great tips.
ISTE Awards Luncheon
Back across the convention center I went to go to the ISTE Awards Luncheon. It was a lovely luncheon, and I was proud to receive a Bronze Level Community Service Award. I was also so happy for some of my friends that got some of the big deal awards like the 20 to watch award.
Back to the Expo Hall
Yep, went back across the convention center to the expo hall and was able to talk to some more people, specifically Adobe, about a some solutions for my students. So nice to have everyone in one space to be able to take care of things or answer questions.
ISTECert Meetup
Okay, If you are an ISTE Certified Educator, then you know how much work goes into obtaining that certification. Because of that, ISTE has a meetup for those who have achieved ISTE Certification, and it was lots of fun. We got some great swag, had cookies and cupcakes, and also did a Murder Mystery Scavenger Hunt that took us all over the convention center in teams of 4. My team PaCaTn didn’t win, but we had a lot of fun (and should have lost like 10 pounds each from running everywhere). It was just a fun thing to do and nice to see people that you had worked with previously in person and in a way that wasn’t necessarily geared towards work.
Back to the Hotel
After all of that (and everything from the day before) I decided that instead of going to a social event, I would just go back to the hotel and doordash some food, so I hopped on the bus back to the hotel, made a few new friends that I invited to the Higher Ed Collaborative Meetup on Tuesday, and tried not to go to sleep on the ride. Once I got back to the room, it took me almost an hour to decide what I wanted to eat (this is what happens when an introvert has had an overload of people for 3 days straight). I ended up not getting anything accomplished last night since I fell asleep, but I guess I needed the sleep more than I needed to accomplish things. I’ll be sure to get Day 3 posted more quickly, but until then, remain calm in your perfect chaos.
