ISTE2019 - Day 2

The excitement in the Expo Hall was palpable.
My mission today was to visit the people whose products I already use to say thank you, as well as check out new products that colleagues in the tech field were talking about with enthusiasm.
I was not disappointed.
The theme this year was STEM and all it was all around us:  robotics, drones, electronics, circuits, and LEGOs -- Oh, My!!
I played with LEGO Mindstorm robots (I co-coach a FLL LEGO League  team) and Little Bits circuits before stopping at the MackinMaker booth to see  Dena O (@MissTechQueen) present on
STEAM in the classroom.

Little Bits circuits

After checking out new toys, I took advantage of the mini sessions at various Booths.  First up was a game of Kahoot - a game based online platform for quizzes.  We actually played a combination of online & paper version on general knowledge -- great fun for us and I'm sure the kids will love it for interactive reviews.

KAHOOT game

Next up was the FlipGrid booth where I took advantage of the flexible seating (an inflatable unicorn) to watch a #FLIPHUNT presentation by Kathi Kersznowski (@KathiKerz). FlipGrid is a website platform where teachers create "grids" that pose questions to students who respond in video form.   A Fliphunt is "a digital scavenger hunt that takes place on Flipgrid. You create the Tasks to engage your students and challenge them to show what they know with video Responses."
So many possibilities for the classroom!

Flipgrid booth

ISTE2019 - Day 1

This is absolutely my most favorite time -- ISTE! It is a time when I can be with my Tribe, those kindred spirits who speak my language, and relish in the most incredible sharing of ideas. It is also held in my hometown of Philadelphia - and I love going home. It is my nirvana.

First up today was a session on Merge Cubes. When I first saw these items about a year ago, I thought they were cool stress balls in a cube form.  They are so much more. Using an app, the cube transforms into a 3D virtual object spanning topics on solar systems, body systems, ecosystems, and even some games.  There is even an app (Merge Object Viewer) that allows you to inspect your very own 3D design files before printing them! They are definitely being added to my STEM toolkit this year!

Learn more about the Merge company here.

I took a little time before my next session to visit the Poster Sessions. This morning the theme was Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality (VR/AR) and it was exciting to see what educators are doing in their classrooms with it. I love the Poster Sessions at ISTE because it shows real world classroom applications for a lot of the things happening in EdTech.  (Some of the sessions have students showcasing their work!!)

The most exciting of the poster presenters was Kaitlyn Stenson, aka KinderNuggets, and her work with the littles using VR/AR, robots, and coding in her kinder classroom. She was so enthusiastic, and easily explained how she used the various tools -- a great display, too!

I followed this up with a session with one of my favorite EdTech leaders, Kasey Bell of Shake Up Learning. I love Kasey for her extensive resources in Google as well as her E-Books and new podcast with Matt Miller. She is generous and positive with her knowledge.

Today was about Learning Menus (Choice Boards). I love the idea of this resource and wanted to know more about implementing them in the classroom (as well as sharing with my colleagues).  I wasn't disappointed! You can see what they are all about here.

Monday will be about checking out the Expo Hall, Posters & a few more Sessions-- always a good time.
Til tomorrow...Safe Surfing!
Suzanne