7 Thinking Back, Looking Forward

I was recently asked to write a follow up blog post on my experience at ISTE13 highlighting the most compelling ideas that I took away from my time in San Antonio.  By far, the ideas that have impacted me the most are the role of Design Thinking and Gaming in Educational Technology.  These two themes were certainly supported through the keynote speakers, Steven B. Johnson and Jane McGonigal, who spoke passionately about their respective topics.  Their passion clearly inspired me as I wasn't back for more than 2 weeks that I've already implemented many ideas based on what they Begdiscussed!

In the weeks since the conference we've:

• Sponsored a Kickstarter project on 3D printing to support our fledgling Design Thinking curriculum
• Began our first Innovation and Design Thinking Unit with our 9th grade students by exploring where Good Ideas Come From by Steven B. Johnson
• Held our first Imagine It! Post It challenge to kick off our innovation unit
• Purchased an educational mod for Minecraft to explore the use of gaming in educational technology

Each of the links or pieces of information above were shared with me while I was at the conference through keynotes, workshops, and one on one meetings with other attendees.  While these are only small actions, they are huge leaps forward in getting the vision of Design Thinking and Gaming in Educational Technology noticed in my school and in our area.  With so many valuable ideas at my fingertips during the conference, it was hard to decide which ones to share and implement first!

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In hindsight, I am amazed at how much change we've been able to make in a short time.  I think it is a clear testament to the impact that ISTE has as a valuable professional develpment resource.  Typically the implementation rate after a conference is relatively low once the excitement is over; however, with ISTE it seems like it is reversed.  The longer I am away from the conference, the more I end up implementing through my ISTE twitter contacts and Diigo resources!

With this rate of return, of course I am looking forward to what ISTE14 has to offer! I hope that I will find more information and resources on Innovation and Design Thinking as I firmly believe they are the future in how we can best combine technology, curriculum, and problem based learning.  I would be thrilled to learn more from schools like the Nueva School who are implementing curricular approaches simliar to Stanford's DSchool.  I was also struck by how many attendees were talking about Makerspaces in conjunction with Innovation and Design Thinking and would enjoy exploring a similar type of space as a playground in the ISTE exploration areas.  Ultimately, if there was a spotlight on how to combine makerspaces and gaming, through innovative tools like Makey Makey, I would be first in line at ISTE14!

What were some of the lasting ideas that you have implemented from your time at ISTE13?  Have you found it easy to implement them since your return?  What are you going to be searching for at ISTE14?

Looking forward to your thoughts,

Jessica :)

Photo Sources:  Flickr CC mag3737, Seth1492, Tricia Wang 王圣捷, Designed in PhotoVisi