Reflections on ISTE's conference

Without further delay, here’s my informal assessment of ISTE’s national education computing conference (NECC), which took place last week in San Diego. (Yes, I know, it’s not officially called that anymore, but I’ll refrain from wasting your time about the insignificance of the name change.) This year’s exposition did not disappoint, with a full showing of enthusiastic vendors, countless sessions and, of course, mediocre wireless connectivity. 

Mobile learning has arrived. Like past trends, it took about five years to reach the level of awareness it has now.  By my estimate, a third of all exhibitors were related to mobile learning, whether that by offering accessories (e.g., charging carts, cases, keyboard overlays, camera mounts), instructional or productivity applications (“apps”), or management solutions and services.  Some vendors not specifically in the mobile space tried hard to attract the attention of attendees by offering some form of iPad or iTunes gift card giveaway. From what I observed, most of these probably weren’t in compliance with Apple’s own Guidelines for using Apple Trademarks and Copyrights. Lucky for those vendors, Apple’s lawyers weren’t present.

The mobile theme was pervasive in the sessions as well.  Several sessions made this clear in their title, with at least two sessions including the phrase, “there’s an app for that” (a total of 95 sessions mention “apps” in the title or description). Some sessions were very opened end, like a “show and tell”, whereas others were organized around apps specific to a content area. The common thread across all of these sessions was that apps belong to one of two categories: structured learning experiences vs. open-ended instructional tools. The other take away from mobile related session confirms what we already knew: that it’s ultimately up to the classroom educator to determine which apps and how best to use them for each student.

Even ISTE (the organization) was on the mobile bandwagon, with not one, but two apps! The more useful app was easier to use, produced independently by a third-party, and provided for 80% of what conference attendees needed (it was also the only with the ISTE conference logo). The other app was more like a digital PDF of their program, which given the overwhelmed wireless infrastructure at the convention center (and area hotels), made for a painfully slow download and user experience.  It was unclear to most attendees I asked why there were two apps (if they even knew about the second one). Oh but the confusion doesn’t end there: ISTE also has published an “ISTE Mobile” app, but that one hadn’t been updated since 2010. Clearly there’s some need for mobile marketing and strategy expertise at ISTE (please, let us help!).

One piece that I think needs to be addressed is the wireless connectivity. It’s no longer acceptable to simply say “oh well, let’s hope for the best” when it comes to providing this to attendees. WiFi (the technology) is more than a decade old, and schools are relying on it to support an increasing number of devices in their buildings. If ISTE (the organization) is to be a leader in educational technology, then it should make the investment to provide robust wireless connectivity, and (as a service to its membership) share those best practices on what it takes to do this successfully at such a large scale (estimates of attendance varied between 18,000 and 20,000).  [See Donella's feedback below about ISTE's investment in wifi.  --Thor.]

Last, but certainly not least, congratulations to Anita McAnear, who held multiple positions over the years at ISTE (and who I’ve known personally since 1989!), on her retirement this month. It’s been a wild ride Anita, but ISTE couldn’t have done it without you! Your wisdom and expertise will be missed.