ISTE14

The ISTE14 conference had so much to offer teachers, technology enthuiasts, technology specialists, administrators….pretty much everyone involved in education or technology!

Here are a few of the take-aways:

1. Technology in and of itself does NOT increase learning, motivation, and it doesn’t make a difference. For example, an app that is created to do all the work for someone does not increase that person’s learning or make him/her grow. Granted, the creator of the app did use skill.

2. Technology holds the potential to truly make a difference in people’s lives if activities/ tasks/ the technology tools are aligned properly. Taken together, the usefulness of technology as a learning tool is relative to its ability to engage the student creatively, into thinking deeper, or to add something him or herself.

There are a few of the amazing talents I am hoping to research further:

Alan November offers a very insightful perspective on this concept of leveraging technology to spark interest, inspire curiosity, and authenticate real world learning. http://novemberlearning.com/

Angela Maiers’ passion is to unleash the potential of each individual to make a difference in the world, become part of a community, enact social change, whatever you want to call it. I would say to unlock one’s God-given passion. She offers advice on how to do this with classrooms as young as elementary-school age! http://choose2matter.org/