ISTE Conference – Taylor Unger

I was lucky enough to attend the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference in Colorado this year. The ISTE conference is a great experience place to learn about the newest educational technology, discover creative and engaging ways to add to student’s learning, and network with educators around the world to add to your Personal Learning Network.

It was a fast paced four days. The conference moves as fast as technology, that is to say things move at a very brisk pace. I learned too much, too quickly. Even after the conference ended, it took several days to decompress and filter through all the notes, business cards, and pamphlets I had compiled.

At the conference, I saw a lot of things which have me hopeful and optimistic about the future of education with regards to empowering our students to be successful. I was able to hear great keynote speakers such as Michio Kaku. I met childhood heroes like Levar Burton, and experience first hand some of the cutting edge methods currently being used in the classroom.

While at the ISTE conference, I also developed concerns. The sheer volume of companies, products, and tools that are out on the market is overwhelming.