Reflection of ISTE from a Newbie

This was my first time going to ISTE and Edubloggercon. So, what were my favorites and takeaways?

1. I found that Jackie Gerstein's session on the Flipped Classroom at Edubloggercon gave me incredible perspective. We were given snippets of information filled with examples, interspersed with discussion points as small groups and the whole group. Later in the day when I had a moment to ponder this, I realized the possibility of the Flipped Classroom was no longer something intangible to me that only districts with lots of money and high SES could do. It's something we can do despite the economy, having to close two schools, and all the other "Yeah, but..." excuses I could list here.

2. Blogging "N@ked" or Being Transparent in Our Relationships with Susan Davis, was another favorite from Edubloggercon. The discussion started with what it meant to be transparent by sharing celebrations as well as failures, because that's the reality of change and innovation, which evolved into the discussion of promoting transparent culture.

3. Edublogs hosted an ISTE Meet-up for a tour of Independence Hall.

I am in serious awe of everything Edublogs does for teachers. Their incredible commitment to building teachers up so they can create learning-centered classrooms is honorable. I am still very new to blogging, but through their Teacher Challenges, I've learned more than I ever anticipated, and it has trickled down into the classrooms of AJUSD to positively affect our learning culture. So, meeting Ronnie Burt and others from the Edublogs community was an epic event for me.

On screen is AJUSD  Superintendent.
Left-Right: Me, Shelee King George, Bartow, & Knight.

4. Peer Coaching. I was adopted by Shelee King George, Mary Knight, and Colet Bartow for the day and helped out with their Peer Coaching Poster and Birds of a Feather Sessions. It was an honor to give back a little that Peer Ed has given us, and with all the excitement over ISTE's NETS for Coaches, it was great fun talking to all the people curious about how to build 21st century pedagogy, technology integration, and learning community through peer coaching.

5. Suzie Boss' session on Ripped from the Headlines: Real Events Yield Relevant Projects was another highlight.  Be selective what news you choose for PBL. Use complex, relevant events students can empathize with, and will affect us for a long time. Paul Allison, part of the panel discussion, solidified that blogs are fabulous to share their PBL to a real audience.

5. What Does it mean to be a Tech Savvy Principal? Totally inspiring. This panel discussion with Lyn Hilt, Patrick Larkin, Eric Sheninger, George Couros, and Brian Nichols, was moderated by Scott McLeod. First off, I've learned so much from the Connected Principals Blog, that it was exciting to see the faces and hear their voices in person. My main takeaways from this (and I'm sorry, I don't have who said what):

• Principals need to model using the tech, but this doesn't mean they are experts at it.
• Build PLN within district and outside, and resources will come to you.
• Use ISTE's NETS for Admin to self assess where you are.
• Share your learning.
• Change policies, such as BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). 
• Allow teachers to self-choose own professional development. Allow those who are ready, to push ahead.
• Media waiver in AUP. Have the AUP guided by your vision.
• Blogging with students AUP. Have a parent night for blogging.

6. Kevin Honeycutt.  Even though I'm reserved, I thrive on fun and passionate educators. My favorite Honeycuttism: "Digital limbs can't be amputated at the front door of the school."

Taken from my iPhone

7. Chris Lehmann's Unlocking Potential. My notes are not as fabulously comprehensive as Moving at the Speed of Creativity, nor as visually amazing as David Warlick's, but are meaningful to me:

• Caring about and caring for are different things.
• It is okay to take risks to succeed. It's okay to fail as long as we are still learning.
• Help our students become 21st century citizens. 
• The most important thing is to become the best people they can be.
• The 4 things to instill in students are: 1) be thoughtful, 2) be wise, 3) be passionate, and 4) be kind.
• Help them find the humanity in the world around them.
• Write down your goals and your action plan.
• Question anyone who says they have all the answers. 
• Be one community and lead.
• Be the best version of yourself.

Ronnie Burt & me

8, 9, & 10. Relationships. My favorite place to go was the Blogger's Cafe, which was filled with camaraderie. I was excited to meet people who I've been learning with, visit with some I've met before, and create new friendships.

The genuine compassion towards helping and growing others that I experience online was felt here in person.

It was also quality time with my AJUSD peeps! Thanks so much guys for the awesome experience! I love our AJUSD family!

Final thoughts

Our AJUSD gang: Maryanne Galvan, Jon
Castelhano, Amber Moore, Elizabeth Francois,
Bethany Myers, Me, and Gina Fraher.

As I wrap my head around how to implement the next steps, I'm filled with encouragement knowing that there is a community supporting us! And we've met several of them at #ISTE11!

What were your favorites and takeaways from ISTE 2011?

Special thanks goes out to all who were involved in ISTE's Mission Possible! To sum it up in one word -- spectacular!

Visit ISTE Unplugged for more learning.