Introduction: The Magic of ISTELive
For the first time in several years, I submitted a proposal to present at ISTELive, one of the biggest education conferences in the world. With over 16,000 educators attending from all across the globe, ISTELive is a powerhouse of learning and innovation. I'll admit that I had forgotten how amazing the experience could be—putting my thoughts together to create a session that would be useful for teachers, reconnecting with old friends, learning from others, and walking away with a whole new toolbox of ideas.
My favorite conference presentations come from folks actively coaching and leading in classrooms, buildings, and districts. The best part about conferences is learning from those in the trenches and experiencing the challenges and triumphs of education firsthand.
Sure, we need professional conference presenters and top experts in the field, but we also need voices from those living the reality of the education world. Recognizing that everyone has valuable insights to share is crucial, and there's no need to feel like an imposter. Whether you're an educator, leader, or coach, your experiences and successes are incredibly valuable. We all have something to learn from one another, and sharing our stories enriches the entire educational community.
While I've presented at numerous conferences throughout my career, I wouldn't say that writing a successful proposal and designing a meaningful presentation comes easily to me. In fact, it requires a significant effort to research, communicate, and create a conference presentation. A conference presentation is essentially a short form of professional development. As my colleague Dr. Gina Olabuenaga has expressed in her blog post, "High-Quality PD: Dive into Criteria & Effective Learning Strategies," it's important to do it well. I'd love to share how I constructed my ISTELive session to help others navigate this process. Here are my top tips!
Preparing for the Session: Creating an Engaging Experience
Tip # 1: Match your Experiences to Conference Goals
This spring, ISTE reopened their call for presentations, seeking sessions that would model teaching strategies and practices in a dynamic environment while bringing ISTE standards to life. ISTE's standards include those for students, teachers, leaders, and coaches. Within the teacher standards are seven different roles teachers play, with each being broken down further. I chose to focus on the Designer Role:
Design authentic learning activities that align with content area standards and use digital tools and resources to maximize active, deep learning. (2.5.b.)
Explore and apply instructional design principles to create innovative digital learning environments that engage and support learning. (2.5.c)
Two of my passions in teaching are inquiry and Project-Based Learning (PBL), so I knew I wanted to show teachers how to facilitate inquiry practices in a PBL setting. Integrating the latest tech tools was also a key focus. These passions were a perfect fit for the standards I selected since I love sequencing various activities, strategies, and tools to spark and cultivate curiosity for inquiry.
Tip # 2: Have a Story to Tell
I wanted to use a PBL project as the storyline of my ISTELive Model Lesson. To develop my project, I turned to Applied Coaching for Projects' proprietary AI-powered project building platform, the Project Builder. We incorporated performance expectations from the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) into the platform, choosing those from a traditional cell project, commonly known as the "Cell City." With the Project Builder, we reimagined a new way for students to learn the same standards in a more engaging and authentic way.
Enter "Cell Sleuths," a medical mystery project where students diagnose patients and advise treatment plans. Students need to understand parts of the cell and body systems to diagnose their patients properly. I wanted my ISTELive presentation to focus on the launch of this project, as I believe the launch is one of the most crucial parts of planning for PBL. Of course, this is also perfectly aligned with my first ISTE standard, "Design authentic learning activities that align with content area standards and use digital tools and resources to maximize active, deep learning. (2.5.b.)".
The Journey: Developing the "Cell Sleuths" Launch
When I am not supporting teachers through Applied Coaching for Projects, I sometimes coach teachers for OpenSciEd. One of the valuable insights I've gained from that experience is the importance of developing empathy for students through a concept called "Student Hat." When teachers wear the Student Hat, they are asked to think like a student, setting aside their understanding of the content to consider the perspectives of their students. It's an incredibly powerful thought experiment that helps teachers better understand the design of projects. I wanted teachers to experience PBL from the Student Hat perspective for my session, but I only had 60 minutes total. Time would be at a premium, and I had to ensure I was making the most of it for my participants' overall experience.
Tip # 3: Plan with your Participants' Needs in Mind
Planning my model lesson involved crafting an experience that would be both educational and captivating. As my colleague Eric White once wrote, "A quality entry event is an initiating experience that is carefully crafted for students to provide clarity, spark curiosity, and foster commitment toward the project." Therefore, I needed to ensure that my entry event would excite learners, clarify the project's direction, and instill a sense of urgency to solve the problem.
"Cell Sleuths" is a project designed for middle school students, but I planned to facilitate it with adults. Although I was asking the adults to wear a "Student Hat" during my model lesson, I recognized that they were attending my session with their own specific goals. It was essential to anticipate their needs and ensure the model lesson was relevant and helpful.
When planning learning experiences, I aim to balance the different ways people connect to learning. For an event like ISTELive, where I won't know my learners personally, I typically use the preferences outlined by Emergenetics: Conceptual, Analytical, Structural, and Relational. In other words, I ensure that everything I plan includes elements that appeal to each type of thinker.
With those thinking preferences in mind, here are some of the ways I tried to meet the needs of my participants:
Conceptual | Analytical |
-Providing the entire plan for the project - as opposed to just the single lesson. -Giving opportunities for participants to connect their learning to current practice. -Planning surprising twists in the story. | -Integrating the Slido platform to allow for questions. -Ensuring supporting research was accessible on the site. -Using the "Unveiling Stories" thinking routine to allow participants to understand the meaning of the model lesson. |
Structural | Relational |
-Starting with the session outcomes and the agenda (and making them easily referenced). -Creating an organized site for participants to find the session resources. -Building clean and legible slides and materials. | -Sharing my own story and "why" for PBL/inquiry. -Giving participants opportunities to connect with others through turn and talks and a thinking routine. -Sharing other opportunities and ways to connect. |
Tip # 4: Take This Chance to Expand Your Skills!
The Project Builder suggested an innovative idea for launching "Cell Sleuths": incorporating student exploration using virtual reality (VR) tours and simulated doctor's notes. Coincidentally, ISTE had 15 headsets available for my session, giving me the perfect opportunity to explore this immersive learning tool. Although I've experimented with VR headsets, I haven't used them in my teaching. Finding the proper application for the tours proved more challenging than expected. Through extensive research (which involved hours of sitting on my living room floor testing various tours and apps while my family and pets repeatedly crossed into the VR "boundaries"), I identified some viable options. My participants would use two 3D tour videos from YouTube to explore the cell and body systems.
My model lesson was ready! It was aligned with ISTE standards, included opportunities for all types of thinkers to engage with the learning, and showcased the use of educational technology to captivate and engage learners. This approach supports ISTE Standard 2.5.c, "Explore and apply instructional design principles to create innovative digital learning environments that engage and support learning."
This image outlines how I planned the overall flow of my launch to excite learners, clarify the project's direction, and instill a sense of urgency to solve the problem.
Tip # 5: Seek Out Support and Feedback
I've been blessed with an incredible network of friends who are both experts in their fields and generous with their time. I'm sure you also have a support system you trust to provide clear and honest feedback. Don't hesitate to reach out to them! I asked friends for feedback and support at every stage of this journey. My friend Kim LeClaire was a terrific sounding board for my proposal ideas. Alicia Peletz, the owner of ACP, helped me clarify what I wanted to share and checked the timing of my lesson sections (she also pointed out that I had initially planned three hours of content for a 60-minute session and helped me pare it down!). When I realized the session would have multiple types of stations, Suzie Boss joined me as a facilitation partner, supporting participants through the activities and offering her extensive wisdom on PBL. Finally, I was thrilled that Jeremiah Okal-Frink was able to drop in on the session. Jeremiah is a whiz with EduTech, and his expertise was invaluable when the VR headsets needed a few tweaks. None of us is as smart as all of us, so it's essential to reach out to friends and colleagues to help us improve!
The Session: Bringing It All Together
My session at ISTELive was fantastic! Suzie and I had a packed room filled with enthusiastic educators eager to put on the Student Hat and dive into learning. Their energy and willingness to engage made the session incredibly dynamic. They embraced the tools I introduced, such as the thinking routines, VR headsets, and chatbots, and were excited to try them out in their classrooms. The discussions were lively, with participants sharing their thoughts and ideas on implementing these strategies to enhance student inquiry and engagement. Seeing their genuine excitement and hearing their positive feedback was incredibly rewarding. You can explore our session and all of its resources here.
An EduConference Experience: A Wealth of Learning and Networking
When going to an event like ISTELive, you can get caught up In your own presentation, making It easy to forget that the entire experience is invaluable, offering a wealth of new ideas and access to prominent thought leaders in education. Personally, I'm so glad that I attended multiple sessions In a variety of formats. I walked away with new strategies and tools that I can't wait to implement. The sessions I attended were rich in content and gave me new insights and ideas to bring back to my professional practice. The opportunity to connect with like-minded educators and receive feedback on my work was gratifying.
Suggestions for Making the Most of the Conference Experience
Bring a Project: Trying to attend all the sessions and absorb as much as possible in a short amount of time can be overwhelming and make it difficult to retain anything. Instead, bring a specific project—whether it's a PBL project you want to improve or a professional learning plan for your school. During each session, focus on how your learning can enhance the project you brought.
Create a Balanced Schedule: Review the session schedule in advance and identify those that align with your interests and goals. Rather than filling your day with back-to-back sessions, plan dedicated time for reflection, journaling, and application. Use what you learn in each session to enhance the project you brought with you. Structure your days to include both sessions and separate periods for digesting and applying your new knowledge.
Network and Seek Feedback: Connect with other educators and seek feedback on your work. The people attending the same sessions likely share similar interests and experiences. I enjoy starting conversations by asking about their role and what resonates with them from the session. Then, I might say, "I'm working on something. Can I run an idea by you?" Some of my favorite thought partners and encouragers are fantastic people. I met them at ISTELive back in 2010, and our friendships have lasted for years!
Conclusion: Looking Forward to the Future
Closing Thoughts
Attending ISTELive this year was a revitalizing experience, and I am excited about its future possibilities. I encourage you to consider joining the next ISTELive conference, where you can bring your projects and ideas to life in a community that thrives on innovation and collaboration. Did you attend ISTELive this year? What were your favorite aspects?
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