In case you missed it, ISTE 2016 took place earlier this week. During the event, educators prepared themselves and their schools for the future of education. To highlight some of the insights gained from the conference, we’ve put together a recap.

The recurring themes at ISTE 2016 were messages of collaboration, empowerment and engagement.

Collaboration

Everyone is looking for tools and technology that help to facilitate a collaborative environment; in the classroom, at a local school level, all the way up to the district. The most disruptive technologies will be the ones that can impact the entire structure of the school system, not just in the individual classrooms. To make that happen, it requires the collaboration and participation of everyone involved. As Brad Currie, co-founder of #satchat, said during his session, “Students take risks when teachers take risks. Teachers take risks when school leaders take risks”.

Empowerment

The mission of ISTE 2016 itself is to “empower learners to flourish in a connected world by cultivating a passionate professional learning community, linking educators and partners, leveraging knowledge and expertise, advocating for strategic policies, and continually improving learning and teaching.”

In order to facilitate a true collaborative effort, teachers and students must be given the right tools, training and support to succeed. Organizations are focusing more on simple, yet impactful technologies that can be easily accessed and understood by end users.

Engagement

Though a blessing, technology is also a curse when it comes to keeping students engaged. Schools are looking to implement technologies that are going to help students remain engaged, instead of distracted. “Digital citizenship” is a huge buzzword that teachers are getting excited about, and it means that teachers, leaders and parents should be showing students how to use technology appropriately and responsibly.

The notion of "digital citizenship" is so messy. All the more reason educators have to be in on these conversations with students. #ISTE2016

— George Couros (@gcouros) June 28, 2016

Privacy

Though not mentioned in the above takeaways, it is still worth noting that educators are becoming increasingly concerned with privacy. All too often the DIY method of edtech leaves a huge gap where privacy is concerned. In a study by Fordham, they found that “less than 7 percent of the district-vendor contracts restricted the sale of student information by vendors”, which is a bit scary.

SnapStream is excited to be a part of this evolving industry. ISTE 2016 was truly an eye-opening experience into the world of how educators are using technologies in ways we never imaged. Be sure to check out our social recap from the event:

We can’t wait for next year, see you then!