ISTE 2010 is amazing! I have been having a great time learning about new software, new websites, and new gadgets. You almost have to see it to believe it! The crowds are outstanding. It is incredible to see the 17,000 attendees that come from all over the US and from foreign countries moving all over the Colorado Convention Center. Today started early with a journey on the light rail train to the Convention Center. My first conference session was “Backchannel: Let Everyone Speak.” The presenters were three teachers from Pennsylvania. It was very informative. I was interested in knowing more about backchannel since I have seen the word popping up in several technology publications. The presenters described backchannel as “a way to hear what’s in someones’s head during a lesson or presentation.” I can see where this will be used more and more since social networking is such a big part of the digital age. The presenters did stress the importance of using a moderator to deal with the backchannel side of things while the teaching/presenting is going on. They also pointed out that unlike twitter, backchannel should involve essential questions/structure to keep the comments and questions on target and dealing with the topic at hand.
Another cool event I attended was “How to Conduct a Student Webcast Program.” The presenter is a history teacher in Virginia. He explained the process and product of a summer program that he created with his technology coordinator. The end product was a digital story of the cemetaries and Civil War museums located in the community. I hope to use the skills I picked up to either implement some similar program or use the digital storytelling during the school year with students. It will take lots of planning, organizing, and commitment; but what an awesome 21st century project!
I also experienced a fantastic SMART session with Harvey Almarode, a SMART educator. He showed and shared extremely interactive SMART notebook lessons he created. He has the files for download on his website. What a great find!
One of my favorite presenters, Tammy Worcester, explained “Tammy’s Favorite Free Web Tools.” I am always amazed at the great websites, tools and tricks this lady shares with others; and I love the word FREE. I got lots of great ideas to use in my classes. I can’t wait to put it into action.
When I wasn’t in a “class,” I either visiting the Poster/Student Showcase area or taking a spin around the 500 (yes–500) vendors in the exhibit area. If it’s technology, it’s here. What an amazing day!
