3 Pre #ISTE2016 Assumptions

This week, I’m attending my first ISTE Conference in Denver, Colorado. This annual mega-conference is geared toward all things educational technology, and is one edtech enthusiasts from all over the world look forward to each year. The website says over 16,000 participants will attend physically this year. Even those who aren’t here in Colorado can benefit from learning, sharing and networking building on the #NotAtISTE16 hashtag and numerous Voxer groups being constructed to “meet people where they are” understanding that for many, school is out and family vacations and summer obligations have begun. So here are the 3 that immediately come to mind for me. Special thanks to Randy, Glenn and Winston for pushing me to reflect before the opening sessions commence.

Assumption #1: I’m here representing the faculty of a University preparing school and district leaders in public and private schools and organizations around the world. I hope I’m wrong, but I do not anticipate meeting many higher education professors, Program Directors or Deans this week at ISTE. As a career-long K-12 practitioner until just two years ago, where are the teacher and leadership preparation professors building their own educational technology skills? So far, the only place I’ve seen dialogue is on the #iHED Voxer/Twitter and #HigherEd Twitter hashtag. We had a great EdCamp session on this topic at the east coast regional summit a few weeks back, but I don’t know that we’ve really had enough conversation on potential local and global synergies yet.

As a longtime tech geek, most of those I know in the edspace are surprised when I tell them I’ve never been to one of these uber-huge geek out events. Honestly, I probably would have attended one or more over the last couple years but the dates always overlapped with NAESP, my native leadership association. Our Program has built a nice two-way partnership over the last couple years with NAESP and a few other associations where our student and alumni leaders find support. A big portion of those efforts have been geared toward supporting elementary and middle level leaders attending the conference in facilitating an Innovations Lab (run by @MCDPEL students, alumni and PLN volunteers attending the conference). I facilitate the ongoing growth and development of the Innovations Lab or “@MCiLAB” on campus, and try to attend as many annual conferences as possible to learn, share, present, network, meet with students and alumni who are there to learn away from campus with colleagues.

Assumption #2: I will encounter many more isolated educators here at ISTE, who come to find/reconnect with their tribe. The number of organizational teams who are learning together proactively and collaboratively by design manner (i.e. study trip to #pennsv16) will be relatively low. Does it matter? What is the best approach for schools? For teachers? For EdLeaders? For kids? Does it matter if this or other professional learning opportunities are available in the summer months where the thought of having 20 subs in the building over multiple days wouldn’t be a concern for the school leader?

ISTE will be the first conference I’m attending that is fully focused on technology. The educational leadership conferences (i.e. ASCD, NAESP, NASSP, AASA, NAIS, NNSTOY) I typically attend are geared more toward all things leadership, with technology and innovation included in various ways.

Assumption #3: The physical conference spaces, room, common area and expo layout, as well as the pre and post organization of this conference will be one where the technology, as Chris Lehmann has always referred to as UBIQUITOUS exists. I am hoping to take pictures of how the conference was laid out here in Denver to bring back to our friends at NAESP and NASSP, as these two Associations partner together next summer in Philadelphia to put on the largest conference for school-based leaders ever. I will assume the empathy of the (various and unique) adult learning styles will be at the heart of the learning spaces and design.

#ISTE2016 attendees: Do you have any assumptions heading into ISTE? Regardless if this is your first time here or you are annual attendee, would you share one or two pre-conference ideas either below in the comments or on Twitter? I look forward to learning from you and hopefully meeting you over the next few days.