ISTE Re-cap

This was my first year at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference, and it was amazing. Here's a quick re-cap of the events

by bri_huang July 1, 2016 10:45 pm UTC 0

• Education
• Event

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This was my first year at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference and the first year that SparkFun had a real strong presence at this conference. During the three days of ISTE, our team designed, delivered, and setup a brand new booth; presented at 3 workshops; and spoke at 3 different talks. We're all very excited about the new friendships and contacts we made this year. We can't wait for next year in San Antonio!

Here's a quick re-cap of this year's event:

The New Booth

This year, the events and marketing team at SparkFun did a fantastic job working with folks at Skyline to design a stunning new booth for ISTE 2016. The graphics of the booth are stunning and the design is the perfect balance between the roughness of a DIY Workshop and the polish of a mature company. This show was the debut of the booth to the public.

This was the initial design concept:

And, we couldn't be happier with the actual results:

ISTE 1-in-3 Sessions -- Round 2

Each presenter will share their best technology integration moment in just three minutes.

1. Create Virtual Reality, Without Breaking the Bank All in 3 Minutes!, Debra Atchison
2. Visual Math - Use the Camera, Not the Copier!, April Holloway
3. It's a Mystery: Skyping Connects Classrooms & Content, Nikole Blanchard
4. Approaching Digital Diversity Through Student Engagement, Robert Miller
5. Nurturing the Neglected C, Lisa Johnson
6. Libraries Transform Learning, Kristina Holzweiss
7. Don't Teach Proficiency. Challenge GAFE Proficiency!, John Salerno
8. Augmented Storytelling thru Student Collaboration, Suzette Mirabal
9. The Importance Of Teaching Kids How To Use A Screwdriver, Jeff Richardson
10. Ten Inexpensive Reasons Not to Buy a 3D Printer, Beverly Ball
11. Connecting Field Trips to the Classroom, Jennifer Pociecha
12. Teaching the Machines: Coding Lessons from a Humanities Viewpoint, Jeff Branson
13. Let's Write on Our Desks!, Robert Pronovost
14. Teacher Spin: Take Control of Your Classroom PR, Danielle Sloan
15. Using Photospheres to create Expeditions, James McCrary

ISTE Ignite Sessions -- Round 2

This was the second round in the series of ISTE Ignite sessions. Eleven presenters will have just five minutes and 20 slides each to share their passions in a continuous rapid-fire presentation.

1. Why Good Teachers Make Good DJs, Carl Hooker
2. Messy Making' with Paint & Pixels: Seamless Technology Integration & Hands-On Creative Classrooms, cathy hunt
3. Super enrichment program to explore what are outside classroom, Kunta Hutabarat
4. Cultivating Creativity in the Classroom, Melinda Kolk
5. Learning to Fail, Caitlin McLemore
6. From Basic to ACES: Access, Curate, Engage and Share with #ScannableTech, Monica Burns
7. What If We Could Really Be A Part of Global Learning, Debra Atchison
8. Empowerment through Making: Physical Computing and STEAM Education, Brian Huang
9. Classrooms should look and feel like coffee shops., Jaime Chanter
10. Because They Need More than the Single-Story, Katharine Hale
11. iWonder. (Do you?), Michelle Bourgeois

Create Digital Art with the Processing Programming Language

Where do you go after the Hour of Code? Processing is a free programming environment created with artists, students and designers in mind. Learn this versatile language through hands-on participation, then discover how your students can use it as a creative medium for making digital art.

In this workshop we present materials we developed that are ready for classroom use as well as material that eventually became the basis for the SparkFun Guide to Processing book by Derek Runberg.

Art-duino: Connect Computer Science, Art and Technology With Project-Based Learning

Arduino is the go-to programmable hardware choice for artists, makers and hobbyists. In this workshop, you'll learn all about this low-cost microcontroller and use it to build your own light sculpture in a creative, open-ended, project-based learning environment.

Here were some Twitter highlights / examples from the class:

I made an Arduino monster! Thanks to the awesome folks at @SparkFunEDU @isteconnects #ISTE2016 pic.twitter.com/bdHFO8GHIJ

— Lauren Roy (@iTeacherFlorida) June 27, 2016

I DID IT! All thanks to @SparkFunEDU & @bri_huang #ISTE2016 pic.twitter.com/waqSA2Y02Q

— Jessica Buckley (@BuckleyMethod) June 27, 2016

Potentiometer control high/low LED; RGB LED; & view in #processing #Arduino #artduino #ISTE2016 https://t.co/MZJqSutNf3 @bri_huang #sparkfun

— Sarah Sutter (@edueyeview) June 27, 2016

Convert Recycled Materials Into STEM Robots With Arduino

Popularity and excitement around robotics and engineering continues to grow in schools across the country, but many platforms are very cost prohibitive. We will show you how to build your own robotics platform using cardboard, recycled cans and found materials using Arduino, a low-cost, open-source microcontroller.

Here were some Twitter highlights / examples from our class:

STEM robots created using #Arduino in a fantastic workshop presented by @bri_huang & @SparkFunEDU at #ISTE2016 pic.twitter.com/d2Btw21etp

— Autumn DeGroot (@ms_degroot) June 30, 2016

Thanks @bri_huang & @SparkFunEDU for a fun workshop, creating STEM robots with #Arduino & recyclables! #ISTE2016 pic.twitter.com/uFvDRYXS7w

— Autumn DeGroot (@ms_degroot) June 30, 2016

@SparkFunEDU @bri_huang #ISTE2016 #arduino #robotdanceparty pic.twitter.com/SfGKU7FREC

— Allison Levine (@edtechalev) June 29, 2016

Feeling so great about the convert recycled material into STEM robot with #arduino session @bri_huang #ISTE2016 pic.twitter.com/q4uLXtBsDM

— Fanny Passeport (@fanny_passeport) June 29, 2016