A Full Mind is a Happy Mind

“I like to be in locations that I kind of feel are very creative, that stimulate me in a creative process” ~ Marc Benioff

When I walk away from an event like ISTE I hope that I’ve gained at least one new insight, learned one new thing, or have gained one idea for use in my classroom. Even better is when I leave filled to the brim with the creative and inspirational. Today was my last day at ISTE and thanks to the many people I interacted with, I am filled.

The morning started with an early breakfast with representatives of every ISTE PLN and the people they selected as their outstanding member of the year. We celebrated those who received the President’s Service Award and shared an appreciation for the fantastic work done by the volunteers who make ISTE tick.

The Teacher Education Network had one of its biggest events Tuesday morning with its Playground. There were stations representing each of the ISTE Standards for Educators and these were represented by over 40 volunteers who shared exemplars of each standard. The Playground was packed and the information shared were helpful to all involved. Visitors saw demonstrations of such things as Swivl and the audiences’ creative representations of the designer standard.

The final presentation on Tuesday  by members of the ISTE Teacher Education Network occurred after lunch to a nice crowd of higher ed folk eager to learn about what others were doing to integrate technology into their classrooms. The team shared information about mentoring, collaborations, augmented reality and more.

For me, the last session of the day was a great way to end my conference. I was able to get a ticket to attend the Apple workshop titled, “Unleash Student Expression through Video, Photography, Music, and Drawing.” Apple has announced a new curriculum that is to be released this fall and it is exciting! We worked through some of the lessons using apps like Clips and GarageBand and they were fun, well thought out, and incredibly engaging. I’m looking forward to the curriculum guide’s release this fall.

A perfect ending to any trip to Chicago has to include pizza. Julie and I were joined by our colleagues Sam and Peter as we tried out another new restaurant – Flo and Santos. It was definitley worth it as their thin crust pizza was delicious and the company fantastic. Just as members of the TEN leadership team always do, we came up with some very cool collaborative lesson ideas over dinner. 

So, another conference comes to a close. Thanks to my friends who work with me on the TEN leadership team for making this a home away from home. Thanks to all of the inspiring educators who come to this event to share and learn. A special thanks to Dr, Torrey Trust as she ends an amazing term as the TEN president. Your leadership has been energetic, uplifting,and impactful. Well everyone, it’s been fun. See you next year.