Atlanta Conference Program Takes Shape in Eugene
Each year, more than 13,000 attendees and 5,000 industry representatives converge for the ISTE Conference and Expo. But if you think this conference happens by itself, think again.
In November, 15 volunteer program team members assembled at ISTE’s
Operations office in Eugene, Oregon, led by ISTE Program Chair Camilla
Gagliolo of Arlington Public Schools in Virginia. Using input from 300
more volunteer reviewers, the team sorted, read, and scored a record-breaking 2,572 session proposals.
The program team spent a week transforming the reviewers’ recommenda-
tions into the final program for ISTE 2014, which will be unveiled on February
11, 2014. Visit www.isteconference.org/program after that date for details about
sessions, workshops, speakers, and more.
Even More Wonderful Webinars
ISTE has made several changes to its webinar program to increase members’ access
to free and affordable professional learning on a wide variety of hot ed tech topics.
Members can now get hundreds of hours of free professional learning
through ISTE’s library of more than 100 archived webinars, plus many more
created by its special interest groups (SIGs). Just log in to the ISTE site to access
the free content ( iste.org/resources).
ISTE also provides free webinars in cooperation with corporate partners.
These hour-long sessions are presented by leaders in the ed tech community,
who are often ISTE members themselves.
The newest webinars are now organized into themed passes focusing on topics
such as mobile learning, ISTE Standards, and tech integration. Each pass grants ac-
cess to eight live webinars and a link to the archived recordings ( iste.org/webinars).
ISTE will be launching more free webinars and virtual content as part of
Member Appreciation Month. Visit iste.org/appreciation beginning February 1
for more information.
Moving E-Rate Forward
ISTE extends heartfelt thanks to all
who helped with the ongoing efforts to
modernize and increase funding for the
E-Rate program. In November, ISTE
submitted comments to the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC)
representing input from 600 educators
in 45 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and
Puerto Rico ( iste.org/erate).
ISTE Board member Betsy Goeltz,
the principal of Ellis Elementary
in Pocatello, Idaho, was among the
commenters. “I know that seamlessly
infusing digital learning through-
out the curriculum is a prerequisite
for students to graduate from high
school with the skills and knowl-
edge they need to succeed in today’s
global economy,” she wrote. “Access
to high-speed broadband is the key to
allowing modern teaching and learn-
ing to occur in all schools across the
country.”
ISTE made several recommenda-
tions in conjunction with the com-
ments submitted:
1. Increase funding to at least $5
billion annually, because E-Rate’s
funding levels have not kept pace
with demand.
2. Establish national bandwidth
goals and entity-appropriate targets for the program.
3. Continue to focus on broadband
connectivity while moving wireless LAN controllers and wireless
access points to Priority I.
4. Increase discounts for rural
schools and libraries for Priority
I and Priority II to ensure broadband goals are attained.
Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel
has stated that she’d like the FCC to
take final action by the end of June so
that changes to the E-Rate program
can be implemented in the 2014–15
school year.
(Left to right) Laurie Thornley, Julia Fuller, Kara Gann, Camilla Gagliolo, Kim Hammond,
Jo Williamson, Neal Strudler, and Shirley Campbell were among the committee members
who met in November to put the ISTE 2014 program together.
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