Posts Tagged ‘ISTE’

Join us for a day of ‘Hard Fun’, Sunday in Philadelphia

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011

What are you doing on Sunday June 26, 2011? Not much, you say? Then why not have some Hard Fun (and some great food!)

Sunday is the day before ISTE starts in Philadelphia, but you don’t have to be attending ISTE to come to the Constructivist Celebration!

logo

For the fifth year in a row, this day-long workshop combines fun, creativity and computing. For a very reasonable $60, you will receive free creativity software worth hundreds of dollars from the world’s best school software companies, breakfast, snacks and lunch, and a full-day workshop led by Gary Stager and other members of the Constructivist Consortium. It’s always a sell-out, but right now there are still a few spaces left to join in the fun, so register today – you won’t regret it!

At the end of the day, I’ll moderate a conversation between Will Richardson (author and king of  the edubloggers) and Gary Stager on “Digging Deeper” which is sure to be fun and thought-provoking.

Hard Fun is one of the 8 Big Ideas of the Constructionist Learning Lab, and we’ll be having some this Sunday!

Hope to see you there -

Sylvia

Share

Tags: , ,
Posted in conferences, constructivism | 1 Comment »

ISTE Double Dream Ed Tech Flash Mob

Tuesday, June 21st, 2011

Going to ISTE in Philadelphia next week? Know what a flash mob is? C’mon down!

A flash mob is when a bunch of people start dancing in a public place. Not just at random, but a planned, rehearsed dance. It’s quite the happening.

Now for the first time, you too can be a part of a very special ed tech flash mob, a Double Dream Hands Flash mob. Don’t just meet your PLN, dance with them.

It doesn’t conflict with any of the exciting events I shared with you last week, so you have no excuses!

Check out the details and sign up. Really, just double dream do it.

Sylvia

Share

Tags: ,
Posted in conferences | 4 Comments »

ISTE 2011 – exciting events planned, will you be there?

Friday, June 10th, 2011

The International Society for Technology and Education conference (ISTE) is the largest international educational technology conference in the U.S. This year it will be in Philadelphia, PA June 26-29, 2011.

Generation YES will be there in full force with a booth in the exhibit hall (#2155) and other events. If you will be in Philadelphia, we hope you will come by and say hello. If you are a GenYES and TechYES teacher – meet Amber Carlson, your friendly customer support person in person! The CEO and founder of Generation YES, Dennis Harper will be there as well, along with Scott Perloff from the Alliance for College Ready Public Schools, our partner in the i3 federal grant project, College YES. And me, of course.

logoHave some “Hard Fun” on Sunday (the day before ISTE starts)
The Constructivist Celebration, June 26
For the fifth year in a row, this day-long workshop combines fun, creativity and computing. For a very reasonable $60, you will receive free creativity software worth hundreds of dollars from the world’s best school software companies, breakfast, snacks and lunch, and a full-day workshop led by Gary Stager and other members of the Constructivist Consortium. It’s always a sell-out, but right now there are still a few spaces left to join in the fun, so register today – you won’t regret it!

At the end of the day, I’ll moderate a conversation between Will Richardson (author and king of  the edubloggers) and Gary Stager on “Digging Deeper” which is sure to be fun and thought-provoking.

Can’t Miss Sessions!

  • One by One: Building Internal Capacity for Technology. Join Chris Champion, Marcia Hull, and Sylvia Martinez for a conversation about how to build strong support systems for technology using existing resources and personnel. Tuesday June 28 10:30AM in PACC Tech Infrastructure Pavilion (Exhibit Hall B) (Add to your ISTE planner)
  • Spotlight Session - The Best Educational Ideas in the World: High-Tech Learning Adventures. Join Gary Stager for a guided tour of the best education ideas in the world, including GenYES students teaching teachers technology. Lessons learned en route create the productive knowledge construction contexts required for a rewarding life. Tuesday June 28, 2:00pm in PACC 103BC (Add to your ISTE planner)
  • Spotlight Session - “We need more PD!” and other myths about technology integration. Sylvia Martinez will lead a discussion about the myths of technology integration and how to accomplish more with less. Tuesday June 28 3:45PM in PACC 122B (Add to your ISTE planner)

More fun in the Generation YES booth in the exhibit hall – #2155

  • Meet GenYES and TechYES teachers and students from nearby schools who will be in the booth sharing their projects and tech integration tips
  • We will have a YES WALL – a fun, collaborative and positive way to express your vision of student-centered technology education. It’s like a gigantic real-life Wallwisher!

I’ll also be at EdubloggerCon 2011 on Saturday, June 25. You don’t have to be a blogger to enjoy this unconference. It’s a great way to meet new people and have those “hallway” conversations all day long.

Hope to see you there!

Sylvia

Share

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in conferences, Generation YES | 1 Comment »

ISTE opening keynote – global issue networks

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

The final countdown to ISTE 2010, Denver, Colorado (June 27-30) has begun! Thousands of exhibitors and attendees will descend on Denver this weekend to learn about the newest applications, strategies, and issues surrounding technology education. The conference formally kicks off with the opening keynote Sunday night, June 27, at 5:45. This year’s opening keynote speaker is the former vice-president of the World Bank, Jean-Francois Rischard.

Wondering what he’s going to talk about and what the World Bank has to do with education?

Mr. Rischard is the author of High Noon: 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to Solve Them, a book that identifies urgent global issues and proposes better, alternative methodologies for developing solutions. According to Mr. Rischard, the effectiveness of any solution to a global problem hinges on technological innovation and student action. The presentation will conclude with a description of four kinds of strategic curriculum changes that will enable educators to help prepare students for these increasingly relevant challenges.

Many of Mr. Rischard’s solutions are centered on what are called Global Issue Networks. These networks vary in implementation, but one commonality is a focus on “user” driven solutions to problems; sort of Governance 2.0. Technological acumen and information literacy are going to be increasingly valued skills as the way we solve problems evolves in our inter-connected world. If you’d like to read something before Sunday,  here’s an article written by Mr. Rischard, called Global Issues Networks: Desperate Times Deserve Innovative Measures.

See you there!

The Generation YES team – Sylvia, Dennis, Megan & Steve

P.S. We’ll be in booth 855 during the conference, along with students from local schools who will show what they are doing to improve technology integration in their schools. They will also be printing out business cards for anyone who leaves theirs at home! Come by and say hi!

Share

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in conferences, Generation YES, global, In the news, technology literacy | Comments Off

Exciting events at the ISTE conference

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

ISTE (formerly known as NECC) is the largest national educational technology conference in the U.S. This year it will be in Denver, Colorado June 27-30.

Generation YES will be there in full force with a booth (#855) and other events. If you will be in Denver, we hope you will come by and say hello!

Pre-conference event - The Constructivist Celebration, Sunday June 27
Held once again the day before ISTE starts, this is a day-long workshop focusing on creativity and computing. For a very reasonable $60, you will receive free creativity software worth hundreds of dollars from the world’s best school-tool companies, breakfast, snacks and lunch, and a full-day workshop led by Gary Stager and other members of the Constructivist Consortium. Added bonuses: a free just-released “ImagineIt2″ DVD and a TechYES mini-kit. It’s always a sell-out, but right now there are still a few spaces left to join in the fun, so register today – you won’t regret it!

Sessions

  • Dennis Harper – Establishing Student Technology Leaders Programs for Districts, States, and Nations Wednesday, 6/30/2010, 8:30am-9:30am, CCC 605.  Discover how districts, states, and nations can establish effective student technology leaders organizations that meet integration, infrastructure support, and technology literacy goals.
  • Sylvia Martinez – Tinkering Toward Technology Literacy Wednesday, 6/30/2010, 10:30am-11:30am, CCC 605. Combine tinkering and technology and you have a time-honored tradition that allows imagination and creativity to lead the way to technology literacy.

Events in the Generation YES booth #855

  • Adora Svitak (12 year old author, blogger, and the youngest person to be invited to speak at TED) will be sharing her ideas for education from a youth’s point of view.
  • We will be sharing a new technology literacy study by a well-known researcher making the case for project-based technology literacy assessment. (more about this soon)
  • GenYES and TechYES teachers and students from nearby schools will be in the booth sharing their projects and tech integration tips.

Plus… we will be printing handy business cards for any teacher who forgot theirs at home!

Hope to see you there!

Sylvia

Share

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in conferences, fun/free stuff, Generation YES, professional development | Comments Off

Pre-ISTE2010 StoryKeepers Camp

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

If you are considering attending ISTE 2010 in Denver, CO this June, I hope you consider this great pre-conference experience, the Pre-ISTE 2010 StoryKeepers Camp. While ISTE is a large, sometimes overwhelming experience, an event like this offers personalized, hands-on learning within a supportive community. It’s a great way to ease into the conference, and get the widest range of professional development.

StoryKeepers camp is run by the fabulous Bernajean Porter. The camp is 3 days right before ISTE, June 24-26, 2010.

Pre-ISTE2010 StoryKeepers Camp is a a one-of-kind artistic, learning adventure meant to lift the spirits, imaginations and skills of educators. Participants will not only be ready to take the art of digital storytelling back to their students and other colleagues but also be prepared to guide the reading/writing of ANY multi-media communication.

Expect to make new friends, learn a lot, have fun and leave enchanted with new skills for creating future storytelling!

More info for StoryKeepers Camp

And if you decide to come to Denver for the StoryKeepers Camp, you can also come to another wonderful pre-conference event – The Constructivist Celebration. StoryKeepers Camp is Thursday-Saturday, the Celebration is Sunday and will be over in plenty of time to attend the opening events Sunday night at ISTE.

Enjoy them both!

Sylvia

Share

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in conferences, constructivism, professional development | 2 Comments »

Constructivist Celebration @ ISTE 2010

Saturday, April 17th, 2010

New announcement! Here we go again – the 4th annual Constructivist Celebration @ ISTE is open for registration. If you are going to ISTE (formerly known as NECC) this June in Denver, consider coming a day early for this very special event. It sells out every year, so don’t delay!

Constructivist Celebration @ ISTE – Sunday, June 27, 2010 8:30 – 3:30

The Constructivist Celebration is an opportunity for you to let your creativity run free with the world’s best open-ended software tools in a great setting with enthusiastic colleagues who share your commitment to children, computing, creativity and constructivism. You might think of this stimulating event as a spa day for your mind and soul!

Best of all, the Constructivist Celebration @ ISTE is being held within a few minute walk of the Denver Convention Center, home of the ISTE Conference.

Then you will enjoy five hours of creativity on your own laptop using open-ended creativity software provided by consortium members FableVision, Inspiration, LCSI, and Tech4Learning. Participants will also receive a TechYES Student Technology Certification Mini-kit from Generation YES and SchookIT folks will assist with project development.

Creative computer-using educators deserve to eat like an Italian prince. That’s why this year’s Constructivist Celebration includes continental breakfast, mid-morning refreshment, a three-course Italian lunch and afternoon snacks. This is in addition to the free creativity software and Imagine it2 DVD each participant will receive.

At $60 for the whole package, the Constructivist Celebration is an incredibly affordable event!

Sign up today for the Constructivist Celebration @ ISTE 2010.

I’m excited about this event, it’s always a fun, fabulous day with a creative community. Every year it’s different, and every year I learn something new. I can’t wait to see some of you there!

Sylvia

Share

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in conferences, constructivism, Generation YES, professional development | Comments Off

Free technology and education conference – C3 2010

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

CRSTE logoThe Capitol Region ISTE affiliate (CRSTE) is hosting a free online conference on education and technology called C3 – CRSTE Cyber Conference 2010 every evening from Feb 21 – March 5, 2010 . You don’t have to be from the mid-Atlantic region (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, DC, West Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, and Delaware) to participate in this conference, and you don’t even have to show up!

The conference is a combination of asynchronous and synchronous events, and everything will be archived so you can check back in at any time. I was honored to be asked to participate and I’ll be presenting a session live.

Student Leadership ‐ Building Authentic 21st Century Skills
Date: February 27, 2010 Saturday
Time: 5:00 PM EST

Session Description:  This session will present 4 models of student leadership focused on improving technology integration in real schools around the world. Having tech-savvy students help solve the authentic problems of 21st century education builds future leaders, learners, and citizens.

You can download the conference schedule here (PDF)

To register for the conference, you simply check off the sessions you are interested in. Online conferences are great ways to participate without a huge committment of time or money! And yes, although the sessions will be permanently archived, it’s more fun to be in the “action” online. You’ll be able to chat and interact as the session goes on.

Hope you’ll stop by!

Sylvia

Share

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in conferences, fun/free stuff, professional development | Comments Off

See you at NECC!

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

Well, here it is again – the big daddy of educational conferences here in the US. The National Educational Computer Conference (NECC), sponsored by ISTE will be in Washington DC from June 28- July 1, 2009. Actually, this is the last year I’ll be able to say that, since starting in 2010, ISTE is changing the name to The ISTE Conference. Not sure I love that, but hey, things change after 30 years!

Lots of exciting things going on at NECC this year!

On the Exhibit Floor - Come by booth 2918 and meet some local TechYES students who are going to be making some photo souvenirs for selected conference attendees right in our booth. If you love politics and technology, don’t miss the fun!

TechYES TLC – Making its nationwide debut at NECC is our new student Technology Literacy Curriculum, TechYES TLC. Completely online and up-to-date, this curriculum gives technology teachers options and guidance to create an engaging, student-centered, project-based learning experience. Access to some revolutionary project planning and classroom tools will be included in the permanent license.

I’ll be meeting with quite a few press and ed tech media folks to talk about what we’ve done with TechYES TLC.

Sessions

  • Digital Equity Symposium - one of the roundtable discussions will be led by Dr. Dennis Harper Monday, June 30 8:30AM
  • 30 Years Later: The Best Technology Professional Development - Sylvia Martinez, Tuesday, July 1 12:30PM
  • Classroom 2.0: What Is Web 2.0′s Role in Schools? ( Steve Hargadon, CoSN/EdTechLive with Darren Draper, David Jakes, Chris Lehman, Julie Lindsay and Sylvia Martinez) Wednesday July 2, 12:30PM

Pre-conference – And once again, the 3rd Annual Constructivist Celebration event on Sunday, June 19 is SOLD OUT! If you were lucky enough to get in when we announced this last month, we’ll see you there for a fabulous day of creativity and constructivism.

So if you are going to be at NECC, be sure to say hello!

Sylvia

Share

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in conferences, TechYES | Comments Off