Tuesday, July 6, 2010

ISTE10- Through My Lens

So, by now, almost a week after the final keynote, there have been lots and lots (and LOTS!) of ISTE10 blog posts. I still have an #iste10 search column in Tweetdeck, and, although it is starting to wind down, there are still quite a few tweets. I will process them slowly, over time. We've all heard the apt analogy that learning at a conference like ISTE is like taking a drink of water from a fire hydrant.

Last year was my first time attending NECC (now known as ISTE). I was overwhelmed and spent way too much time wandering aimlessly, afraid to miss something good. This time, I knew that I would barely scratch the surface of possibility, and I made my peace with that before leaving home. My strategy was not to worry, to enjoy what came my way, to make the most of each moment and every conversation and to take time to recharge my batteries, literally and figuratively.

As I wrote in an earlier post, I had the exciting opportunity this year to attend ISTE as a tweeter/blogger for my favorite software company, Tech4Learning. One of the best things about this was that it imposed a filter for the conference. Rather than making me feel confined, having a focus helped me to not feel so overwhelmed. The theme for ISTE this year was "Exploring Excellence." Tech4Learning is a company that strives for excellence in what they do. I appreciate their strong alignment with what works in education and their genuine desire to provide the best tools for students to "engage, create and share."
I tried to "mix it up" in terms of finding different ways to view the conference through the Tech4Learning lens. I had a lot of fun videotaping people at the T4L booth and events. A big thank you to everyone who spoke to me on-camera!


To read more about information overload and filters, including some excellent graphics, check out this post.


image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zaneselvans/3908076784/

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