Top 3 Takeaways from ISTE

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conference in Philadelphia has come and gone. In the aftermath, I’m left with conference takeaways and the anticipation of next year’s ISTE Conference in Anaheim, CA.

I loved having the chance to meet and greet so many amazing educators at the Boclips booth, at the Boclips teacher meet up, and at various sessions and workshops. Through attending keynotes and interacting with educators, I walked away with three solid themes that I wanted to share with you.

Social and Emotional Learning

The topic of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) was incredibly present at ISTE 2019. Whether in the expo hall, or the many participate and share, listen and learn, or explore and create sessions, SEL came up time and time again. Perhaps this topic has become more emphasized because it connects to character traits and soft skills that are often pushed out of the curriculum. Regardless, it was evident at ISTE 2019 that SEL is an important element that needs to be included in classroom and schools at nearly every level. Even at the Boclips booth, I heard some great feedback regarding the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning content that have been highlighted as a subject on the Boclips for Teacher platform.

Relevance

A common theme identified throughout ISTE was that of relevance. In looking at the topics discussed in many of the sessions, it became clear that the shiniest or newest items on the market are not always needed. In many sessions, being relevant to students came back to the central idea of metacognition and how students are thinking and learning, and more importantly, demonstrating what they are learning. While what students produce in response to what they are learning looks different for all, there was an emphasis on project based learning, STEM, and design thinking.

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Digital Citizenship

In an era of fake news and a global learning environment, it is essential that students learn how to be good digital citizens. This topic was touched upon in multiple listen and learn, explore and create, and participate and share sessions. Throughout each session, topics explored included media literacy, cyberbullying, and privacy concerns.

If you weren’t able to stop by the Boclips booth at ISTE, I’d love to encourage you to sign up for a FREE Boclips for Teachers account. If you sign up by October 1, 2019, you’ll have free access to the platform through December 31, 2019.

Additionally, I’ve found the ISTE Digital Tote Resources included with individual session notes and descriptions is one of my favorite places to find information from the sessions that I could not personally attend. However, I’d love to hear from you too! What are your favorite takeaways from ISTE 2019?