Last summer I hacked the
ISTE conference in San Antonio. Now before you send the federal agents, windbreakers and all to seize my Macbook Air, let me explain what I mean by "hacked".
I didn't hack into any computer system or manipulate any records. I would have no idea where to even start that process other than with some eleven-year-old's instruction video on YouTube. Just think of my "hacking" as attending the massive educational technology conference in a non-traditional way to meet my own personal needs.
San Antonio was my third ISTE but I never did register for the 2013 conference. I still learned as much, if not more than I did in Denver and in San Diego. I saved between $300 - $450 and had an amazing learning experience. Here is how.
ISTE has gotten so big that I liken it to the Super Bowl. The game or in this case the conference sessions are just one piece of the overall circus. At the Super Bowl there is the NFL Experience which is an interactive fan zone of displays and activities. There are often celebrities and players signing autographs as well as countless other ways to have fun. The NFL's corporate sponsors also descend on the host city and put on tons of parties and promotions open to anyone and not just ticket holders for the game. ISTE is the same way now. The exhibit hall is easily the biggest single gathering of edtech resources anywhere in the United States and free evening receptions will keep anyone stuffed all week. Just don't check your cholesterol for a couple of weeks. Other user-organized, non-affiliated events like the Apple Distinguished Educator photo walks also abound. The 2012 walk in San Diego was my single favorite part of the trip.
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invaluable learning time with Rushton Hurley and Dr. Courtney Steffens[/caption]
ISTE does charge $50 for exhibit hall passes but comped ones can be found quite easily by checking vendor websites. Thanks to the great people at
Spelling City for the two days of passes they sent me last year. By camping out at some of the bigger booths like Google's and Adobe's I caught session after session from people like Kyle Pace and Leslie Fisher, all of which were of the same quality state conferences run up as featured classes.
Most valuable though at ISTE is the chance to spend face-to-face time with some of the most incredible people in the world of education. During the previous two conferences I attended very few sessions because the social area conversations and networking opportunities were too compelling to leave. In San Antonio I didn't have that dilemma. Lunch with Rushton Hurley and Ken Shelton (yep...name dropping) was worth the hassle of flying through O'Hare on a stormy day.
Let me state for the record that I truly appreciate all ISTE does for education in general and all the organization puts into their annual epic nerdfest. Without such a tremendous conference program, all of the ancillary benefits I am describing wouldn't exist. That goes also for all who give presentations. These people still endure a significant amount of cost and give their time to make the event what it is. For thousands upon thousands of educators every year the conference provides exactly what they need and if you have never been I highly recommend doing the full boat. I should also add to that record that I was careful in San Antonio to respect physical conference boundaries accessible to full-paying registrants. There was no sneaking past or "just acting like I belong".
I have gotten some kickback from a few people in the edtech world who state that I am missing the "intent" of the conference. To me the intent of ISTE is to bring educators together and help them grow professionally. That is exactly what I get from it. The irony lies in the fact that most of us, including the critics take great joy in mastering a digital tool and then McGyvering it to meet our own needs in a special way. Isn't that all I am doing by attending ISTE this way?
Right now I have a few factors up in the air and may or may not make it to Atlanta. I am hopeful a few pieces will fall into place and I can spend a few days with all who will be on their own learning adventures. Make the most of your ISTE experience, however you choose to do so.
