Tech & Learning.com - ISTE Preview Guide - June 2023

JUNE 2023

TECHLEARNING.COM

ISTE PREVIEW GUIDE Make the Most of ISTELive 23

CREDIT: ISTE

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How to Make the Most of ISTE

By Matthew X. Joseph

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Cybersecurity Tips from CoSN’s CEO and a Digital Security Expert

By Gina Tesoriero

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ISTE Preview: It Is A Cybersecurity Takeover - Are You Ready?

By Erik Ofgang

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Using Tech Tools to Help Improve Student Focus

By Laurie Guyon

30 ISTE Live 2023 Product Preview Guide

Esports at ISTE Live 2023: The Impact on Schools, Live Competition, and More

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New York City Public Schools Beyond Access Forum

By Chris Aviles

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elcome to the June 2023 issue of Tech & Learning, your guide to ISTELive 2023, one of the world’s most comprehensive edtech events, attended by a global contingent of education leaders, teachers, coaches, librarians/media specialists, and more. With nearly 1,000 sessions presented by global experts, and a show floor featuring hundreds of edtech products and solutions, there’s something for every educator.

In addition to an exclusive preview of the event, we will delve into specific ISTE sessions with educators who share additional insight to their presentations.

All contents © 2023 Future US, Inc. or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press.

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CREDIT: ISTE

T PREVIEW HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF ISTE

By Matthew X. Joseph

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FIRST, SET CLEAR GOALS ake some time to explore their backgrounds, expertise, and areas of interest. This will help you engage more meaningfully during their sessions and potentially foster valuable connections.

Then come ready with questions and talking points related to what interests you the most.

Engaging in discussions and asking thoughtful questions enhances your learning and allows you to connect with speakers and fellow participants.

Finally, once you arrive in Philly, here are other strategies to support your time at ISTE. •

Network strategically: Edtech conferences are great opportunities to network with like-minded professionals and experts in the field. Take advantage of networking breaks, social events, and dedicated networking sessions to connect with others. Prepare your elevator pitch

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partnerships to benefit your edtech initiatives.

In your planning stage, familiarize yourself with the exhibition area.

and business cards to share your contact information. Approach individuals or groups with similar interests, and be open to meaningful conversations and collaborations.

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Attend relevant sessions and workshops: Choose sessions and workshops that are aligned with your interests and needs. Look for topics that address your challenges or provide insights into emerging trends and best practices in edtech. Take notes during sessions and follow up with the speakers afterward to ask further questions or continue the conversation.

Explore the exhibition area: Explore where companies and organizations showcase their edtech products and services. Engage with exhibitors, ask questions, and get demonstrations of their offerings. This can help you discover new tools, resources, and

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Leverage social media: Follow the conference’s social media channels (ISTE on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter) and official hashtags to stay updated on the latest announcements, discussions, and highlights. Engage in conversations online, share your insights and experiences, and connect with other attendees. This can extend your network beyond the physical conference and foster ongoing connections.

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Take notes and reflect: During Take notes and reflect: During and after the conference, take detailed notes on key insights, ideas, and contacts you make.

Review these notes and reflect on the learnings and actions you want to take after the conference. This will help you consolidate your knowledge and apply what you’ve learned in your edtech endeavors.

Remember, maximizing an edtech conference involves active engagement, strategic planning, and thoughtful follow-up. By implementing these strategies, you can make the most of the conference and leverage it for personal and professional growth.

Now that you have a plan, here’s an inside look at some can’t-miss sessions and solution providers.

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MAXIMIZING ISTE: LET THE LEARNING BEGIN STELive is kicking off Sunday, June 25th, with exciting mainstage speakers, including Joyce Abbott, a veteran educator and the inspiration behind the name for the hit TV show Abbott Elementary. Joining her is Tyler James Williams, the 2023 Golden Globe winner for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Abbott Elementary.

Also, hear from Richard Culatta, Chief Executive Officer of ASCD and ISTE, and Sharif El-Mekki, Founder and CEO of the Center for Black Education.

Beyond that main stage keynote sessions, make sure to see and learn from some of the most dynamic educators sharing their knowledge, ideas, and joy for edtech.

These are just a few “can’t-miss” sessions to push your thinking and build your instructional toolbox.

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Sunday, June 25 12:30 p.m: Lessons Learned from Putting Generative A.I. in the Hands of Students Presenter: Steve Dembo 2:00 p.m.: Magic of A.I. in the Classroom Presenter: Heather Brantley Monday, June 26 9:00 a.m.: 10+ Easy Ways to Spark Creativity in the Classroom With Microsoft Flip Presenters: Melisa Hayes, Prasseda Heredia 9:30 a.m.: 10-Minute Computer Science Activities for Any Classroom Presenters: Laurie Guyon 1:30 p.m: Collaboration Equals Innovation Presenters: Aimee Bloom, Julianne Ross-Kleinmann 1:30 p.m.: #FailFest: Using Improv and Embracing Failure to Open Up Creativity Presenter: Carl Hooker

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12:00 p.m: Creative Mindfulness: Interactive

SEL for any Classroom Presenter: Tim Needles

2:30 p.m.: Get Started With Augmented Reality

Presenter: Jaime Donally (@JaimeDonally)

Tuesday, June 27 10:00 a.m.: Taking Digital Learning Into the Future!

Presenters: Bill Bass, Carl Hooker, Adam Phyall, Shannon Miller 10:30 a.m.: Hop Aboard the Global Cultural Exchange Presenter: Yaritza Villalba

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Wednesday, June 28, 1:00 p.m.: Equity in Education: A Journey, Not a Destination Presenters: Sawsan Jaber, Sophia Mendoza, Ken Shelton, Jacob Wilson Others to look up and attend their sessions include: Mary Howard, Jed Stefanowicz, Heidi MacGregor, Kristen Brooks, Victoria Thompson, Laurel Aguilar-Kirchhoff, Shaina Glass, Stephanie Howell, Michelle E. Eckler, Nadine Ebri, Greta Sandler, and Danelle Brostrom.

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Explore the Floor On top of the excellent sessions and speakers, you can’t miss the ISTE Vendor Hall. This vast show floor is a vibrant and bustling marketplace that forms an integral part of the conference. It serves as a hub for technology companies, educational service providers, and industry leaders to showcase their latest products, solutions, and innovations in educational technology.

The Vendor Hall allows educators, administrators, and attendees to explore a diverse range of cuttingedge educational resources, software applications, hardware devices, digital tools, and services that can enhance teaching, learning, and school management. A few to visit to enhance hands-on learning, STEM, AI, and school safety are: Canva - Booth 228: Canva for Education makes

it easy to create, collaborate, and communicate visually in the classroom and beyond. It’s 100% free for K12 districts, teachers, and their students.

Set up your classroom space, invite students, and manage lessons, activities, or projects all in one place.

Everfi - Booth 704: Free lesson plans, quality

content, and the hottest swag AT ISTE! Check out EVERFI to get your hands on no-prep online lessons for financial capability, character education, and early literacy.

Teq - Booth 1114: Visit the Teq booth and be

assured they have something to fit your district’s needs. Solutions such as SMART, Flex Farm, Kibo, UBTECH, BirdBrain, UltiMaker, Formlabs,Veative,

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zSpace, iRobot, Ozobot, Copernicus, and Wonder Workshop all in one place Class VR - Booth 2540: ClassVR is an all-in-one

virtual reality solution that provides everything you need to ​easily implement immersive tech into your classroom.

Robotical - Booth 2561: Bringing learning alive

at school with MartytheRobot! This little robot teaches robotics and programming in a creative, hands-on way.

Lightspeed Alert - Booth 2642: Lightspeed

Alert brings more visibility than any other early threat detection tool in the market. This allows districts and administrators to get more context and make more effective decisions regarding helping and intervention.

ISTE Live 2023 provides an excellent platform to connect and network with like-minded professionals who are passionate about integrating technology into education. Building relationships with peers and experts can lead to collaborations, partnerships, and access to a broader professional network.

Attending ISTE can be highly inspiring and motivational. Interacting with passionate educators who are leading the way in educational technology can reignite your enthusiasm for teaching and learning. Hearing success stories and witnessing the impact of technology on student engagement and achievement can fuel your creativity and drive to improve your teaching practices.

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CYBERSECURITY TIPS FROM COSN’S CEO AND A DIGITAL SECURITY EXPERT The best interactive whiteboards can help make teaching far more engaging with some fantastic features

By Erik Ofgang

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eith Krueger, CEO of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), and Amy McLaughlin, CoSN’s cybersecurity subject matter expert, recently shared tips for school leaders around cybersecurity in advance of “Don’t Go Alone: The Power of Partnerships for Cybersecurity Success,” a panel appearance Krueger will make at ISTE Live 2023.

During the session, Krueger will draw on CoSN’s recent 2023 State of EdTech Leadership survey, which found that cybersecurity is the most pressing concern for school leaders.

“For the last five years, cybersecurity has been the number one concern, and it’s increasing in anxiety each year,” Krueger says. “School districts 10 | JUN E 2 02 3

are the number one target for ransomware.”

Fortunately, there is plenty of help for school districts in the form of resources, potential collaboration, and little changes that can have a big impact.

1. School Cybersecurity Tips: Backup Information Offline and Offsite The 2023 State of EdTech Leadership survey found 65 percent of school districts are backing up all their data on an offsite location that is not connected to the internet.

Krueger believes this is a good start but he also sees “the cup is almost half empty” side of that stat. “[It] means that a third of school districts aren’t doing that most essential kind of a backup,” he says.

2. PATCH EVERYTHING The first step McLaughlin says every district

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should take is to patch everything in a timely manner. “I can’t believe I’ve been doing this for 20 years and I have to say this, people still don’t patch their stuff timely,” she says. “This is one of the simplest things to do. Patch every month, every device on time, and don’t forget the stuff that you’re not working with, every minute.

Things like routers, switches, and firewalls also need patches and firmware upgrades.”

3. Utilize Two-Factor Authentication McLaughlin’s next piece of advice for a security measure that can pay immediate cybersecurity dividends is to install two-factor authentication.

“It is not the silver bullet, but it is a significant increase in security,” she says. “It makes it so much harder for somebody to compromise your account when they phish credentials on it.”

Sixty-one percent of respondents to the CoSN survey said they require two-factor authentication. While McLaughlin would like to see that number rise, the trend is moving in the right direction. Last year only 40 percent of respondents required two-factor authentication.

you of what to do if you’re not doing all those things,” says McLaughlin.

5. Change the Culture “The tendency is to think that well, cybersecurity is only the responsibility of the people who have technology in their title, and that’s not the case,” Krueger says.

The culture around cybersecurity needs to change so that all school leaders are thinking about it and it becomes a priority for superintendents and school boards.

“They have to understand that cybersecurity isn’t a technical problem that you dump on the IT department. It’s an organizational challenge for the whole organization, and it needs funding,” McLaughlin says. “Implementing multifactor authentication isn’t difficult, technically. None of this is horribly difficult, technically. But the hard part is getting the organizational culture to not just accept but to embrace that this is an important element for taking care of the organization.”

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4. Don’t Reinvent The Wheel State education departments have resources available and Homeland Security tracks and publishes information about cybersecurity attacks on schools. CoSN also offers a primer for schools looking to ensure they are following cybersecurity best practices.

“It’s probably the kind of thing that most school districts will read it and say, ‘Yeah, we’re doing almost all those things,’ but it reminds

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USING TECH TOOLS TO HELP IMPROVE STUDENT FOCUS Best practices and advice to help students improve their focus

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t ISTE, Dr. Michael Gaskell, author and principal of Hammarskjold Middle School in East Brunswick, New Jersey, will be presenting Three Cool Scientifically Proven Tech Tools to Achieve Full Focus. During this session, participants will learn practical, scientifically proven approaches to prime learners toward better focus, including how to optimize binaural beats, improve focus, and reduce anxiety through short guided practices.

Gaskell has discussed numerous approaches and practices to help students focus in recent Tech & Learning articles: REVERSING DIGITAL DISRUPTION FOR STUDENTS Students struggle with digital disruptions affecting everything from their health to sleep to school performance. Schools can help families understand that there are solutions to these problems.

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Students want to focus but the temptations interrupt their best intentions. Accessing these digital strategies affords teachers ways to show students alternatives that work.

• Reversing Digital Disruption Strategy 1: Binaural Beats - Binaural beats allow students to wear headphones, and within minutes, access their high cognitive potential, focus, and engagement. This is a powerful reversal of the digital disruption that teachers and parents groan about, throwing their hands in the air in frustration.

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• Reversing Digital Disruption Strategy 2: Blue Light Screen Protectors - The overexposure to blue light from devices can alter circadian rhythm in ways that throw off a child’s natural resting state. This confuses the brain as blue light mimics the brightness of the sun, causing the brain to stop producing melatonin, a hormone that gives your body cues to sleep. There is evidence that reducing blue light exposure helps bring the body to a normal chronology, providing the rest necessary for young minds to be better primed for the next day.

By implementing these two remedies, we can help bolster student focus and energy. It is worth the time and effort to share, teach, and reinforce these as ways to remedy the disruptions caused by digital exposure.

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HOW DEEP WORK SUPPORTS STUDENT WELLNESS Deep work is defined as activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limits.

Employing techniques that support deep work will help students become more successful, motivated, and well adjusted.

Coffee Talk - Listening to tonal sounds, such as coffeehouse sounds, can bring about an intensely focused state; one that sets the stage for finding that sweet spot that distracts one away just enough from the unimportant external stimuli (i.e. phone pinging) and toward brain waves (alpha and theta) concentration that strike a perfect equilibrium for high focus and deep learning. Tonal sounds are a quick and effective solution to in-class options that promote the

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There’s Still Time to Register for the Edtech Event of the Year!

You can still register for ISTELive 23, June 25-28 in Philadelphia and online!

REGISTER NOW

From global collaboration projects to exciting new technologies, you’ll get ideas that will make students crave school — while making your job easier.

Choose from 900+ practical sessions, browse the massive expo hall, connect with educators from around the world and hear from dozens of inspiring Featured Voices!!

Sign up at iste.org/Conference

kind of motivation perfect for learning and pushing above a current level of understanding.

Breathing for Optimal Learning - Since anxiety is the enemy of optimal learning states, reducing stress and the effects of trauma are the ideal counterpoint. When we breathe deeply and systematically, we activate stretch receptors around the diaphragm linked to the parasympathetic nervous system; this is especially true with the 4-7-8 method because we pause for 7 seconds in the slightly stretched position for a stronger rest-and-digest effect.

Managing Social Media - It’s critical to help students understand that negative feedback loops in social media are detrimental to concentration levels that induce deep work, and satisfaction.

Teach students that social media can act as a support network in certain ways, such as an Instagram study demonstrated, helping young women properly discriminate between fantasy highlight reel images and the reality that others share with their own imperfections.

This is empowering, and allows learners to step away from the powerful negative narratives that tax their minds beyond their sense of accomplishment and success.

In an era when we are surrounded by distractors that tap our most primal and destructive thought processes, helping students find deep work matters even more. See students succeed due to technology support, not in spite of it!

HOW TO QUIET THE HYPERACTIVE HIVE MIND IN SCHOOLS Reinforcing ways to fight online misinformation 16 | JUN E 2 02 3

begins with a recognition of the damage caused, and formulating strategic ways to address panic and anxiety. These challenges disrupt school communities, so we must find ways to make schools restorative sanctuaries for learning.

Consider two interconnected paths to provide protective solutions: internal (within school) and external (beyond school walls).

Internal: Shield learners and staff within schools in ways that allow them to engage the frontal lobe for higher thinking while protected at school. The climate leaders commit to cause a lasting impact on a child’s experience. Fortifying a school community with the structures to nurture the kind of learning that creates engaging interactive experiences is the answer.

External: Focus on teaching students and families about outside traps we are prone to, and how to find escapes. A best practice is to teach self-regulation strategies. Our work assisting students and families in managing the constant distractions and alarming news cycles includes a strong commitment to simplify this information.

Also highlight for families reliable, evidencebased truths. Teach students and families alternative habits.

TEACHING FOCUSED EMPOWERMENT IN A DISTRACTED WORLD Consolidating these ideas into a framework and implementing these practices can result in groupthink being shifted into productive flow rather than a hyperactive hive mindset.

The Benign Disinhibition Effect - Use social media to initiate positive social media

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experiences, something referred to as the benign disinhibition effect. Positive, supportive, and monitored groups who aid one another anonymously offer a safe and confidential place to seek support.

Diminish Comparison Effects - Many wellknown figures address comparison traps by exposing the real version of themselves online.

They are closing the fantasy gap of a perfect persona who students feel they cannot compare to. It is wonderful to see famous individuals share their vulnerabilities to empower others to feel okay about their own imperfections.

Inhibit Bad Online Behavior - Teach children the damaging effects of misbehavior online.

Online history is easily uncovered by colleges and potential employers through searchable, archived databases. Helping learners recognize

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that behaving badly online is never kept secret enables them to avoid going down that path before it’s too late.

Remember Online Feedback Loops Make Us Less Intelligent - Help students see that

negative social media engagement has an adverse effect on their wellness. In fact, it drives them to be less intelligent, which has a harmful, and potentially long-term damaging effect on their aspirations and dreams.

Students and families need to understand the benefits of solitude and a tranquil absence from the relentless echoes of online rants. Learning to harness this time instead in more constructive ways yields productivity dividends that are remarkably more positive. This enables whole schools to empower themselves to thrive, rather than suffer.

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to make sure we kept students at the center of esports,” says Kersch. “I’m so excited to know that PSEL and Garden State Esports (GSE) students will be competing, sitting on panels, and serving as speakers. We also wanted to ensure that we provided content that would be beneficial regardless of where you as an educator are in your esports journey.”

Examining how the impact of scholastic esports continues to grow

GAME UPGRADE The ISTE competition between PSEL and GSE is representative of the maturing esports space. In previous iterations of esports at ISTE, games that were featured were all rated “E for Everyone”.

The exhibition match between PSEL and GSE will feature the “T for Teen” rated game, League of Legends.

Playing a teen-rated game, such as League of Legends, on the main stage at ISTE is a step away from the debunked belief held by some that “violent video games make violent kids,” and a step toward helping increase the diversity of games

By Chris Aviles

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he scholastic esports scene is still new to many, but early adopters are noticing a growing maturity in the space. The for-profit grip on scholastic esports has loosened, and organized esports in schools is moving toward a traditional sports model: educator-run, locallyfocused, and student-centered.

Esports will be back on the main stage at ISTE Live 2023! On Monday, June 26, attendees will hear from a diverse set of voices about the impact esports is having in their schools.

The main stage experience, designed by the esports planning committee, will be less “what is esports” and more “here’s how esports is making a difference.”

Kammas Kersch, STEM Services Coordinator and the Director of the Pennsylvania Scholastic Esports League (PSEL), who served as a member of the ISTE esports committee, had a couple of specific goals this year. “I really wanted

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ESPORTS AT ISTE LIVE 2023: THE IMPACT ON SCHOOLS, LIVE COMPETITION, AND MORE

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that schools allow students to play, which directly impact their post-secondary opportunities. The high level of skill required to succeed at League of Legends, along with the game’s immense popularity, is why it has one of the clearest paths for scholastic-athletes to play at the collegiate or professional level.

Attendees may be watching future college or pro superstars.

The top level of competition on the main stage should make for an exciting event. The Old Tappan Golden Knights, the New Jersey state champions from the GSE league, will take on the Parkland High School Trojans, the PSEL champions. The skill level of the competitors for this match, most of whom are in the top 5% of the game, with the teams defeating scores of school to get to the ISTE main stage, will show just how intense and skill-testing elite scholastic esports can be. These two teams have already exchanged rosters and have been game planning for a month.

The action on the stage will be intense, but potentially confusing for attendees who aren’t familiar with League of Legends. To help make sense of the action, there will be a shoutcasting team composed of teachers and students. The shoutcasters, the esports version of broadcasters, will explain to the audience what they’re seeing and why it matters.

The addition of a broadcasting team will also show that there are more career pathways in esports than just players. Production, broadcasting, and many other STEM and traditional vocations are in high-demand in the gaming world.

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ESPORTS EXTRAS In addition to the main stage, there will also be a number of other opportunities to learn about scholastic esports during ISTE Live 2023.

Innovating Education with Esports:

A Forum for Sharing Ideas is a freeto-attend event Sunday morning that will bring together the best and brightest minds in scholastic esports for a brainstorming session around taking esports to the next level.

School Community Engagement — An Esports Primer

will offer different perspectives on how the Tabernacle and Lenape school districts have launched a cohesive, successful program across their districts.

Growing a Global Scholastic Esports Community will provide an opportunity for The

Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federations (NASEF) to discuss how scholastic esports is growing nationally, internationally, and has even created a pathway for scholarathletes to compete in the Olympics.

Esports Connections for College and Career Readiness is a joint talk between

the Pennsylvania Scholastic Esports League and Harrisburg University of Science and Technology that will address the building of a college and career pipeline for esports coaches.

Over the course of ISTE Live 2023, “There will truly be something for everyone, regardless of if you’re just getting started or have been involved for quite awhile,” says Kersch.

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MINDFUL TECH INTEGRATION: UNPLUG TO RECONNECT Tips for implementing education technology into your classroom, designed in collaboration with highschoolers

By Gina Tesoriero

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ike other districts around the world, the pandemic resulted in New York City bridging the digital divide by providing all students with access to technology.

However, we know that using technology comes with risks. For example, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an urgent and extraordinary public warning that social media poses “a profound risk of harm” to young people.

To help ensure technology is being used in ways that benefit them, students actively codesigned resources to support tech wellness. This student-driven, mindful tech integration is being implemented in classrooms across the city.

On June 26th at 3 pm at ISTE Live 2023, educators from around the world will have the opportunity to learn how these tips, designed in collaboration with highschoolers, can be implemented during Mindful Tech Integration: Unplug to Reconnect.

Here is some of what they’ll learn.

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TIPS FOR MINDFUL TECH INTEGRATION Energizing Activities

• Body tapping involves gently tapping or patting different areas of the body with the intention of stimulating energy flow, promoting relaxation, and relieving tension.

• Seated or standing twists are yoga postures that involve rotating the upper body while keeping the lower body stable.

Calming Activities

• Mindful breathing involves paying attention to the breath in a deliberate and non-judgmental way.

• Body scan is a mindfulness practice that involves directing attention to different parts of the body to bring awareness to bodily sensations, release tension, and promote relaxation.

Connection Building

• Contemplate strengths is a practice that encourages reflecting on one’s personal strengths, qualities, and positive attributes.

• Meta meditation, also known as lovingkindness meditation, involves generating feelings of goodwill, compassion, and love toward oneself and others.

Discuss Healthy Technology Habits

Discuss device addiction with students and how to “break up” with their device.

Discuss emotional connections to tech use and some risks of using a device to self soothe.

Mindful Tech Practice Integration

This work was implemented with educators across New York City. Educators explored research

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around digital health and their students’ device use habits. Educators worked in partnership with students to design a classroom environment that supported strong digital health practices.

From Consuming to Creating

One observation made by teachers was that students primarily used their devices for consuming media or playing video games, rather than creating content. To encourage creativity, an elementary teacher initiated a Minecraft club, which not only inspired students but also resulted in their victory in the borough championship.

Another elementary teacher established technology stations, such as the STEAM Station, School News, and Virtual Cozy Corner, to provide students with new avenues for using their devices creatively to create videos or solve problems.

Peer mentorship

The teachers also discovered that students themselves had concerns about their device use and the device use of their peers.

To address these concerns, students took the initiative to create podcasts. In one elementary classroom, students created a podcast focused on teaching their classmates about taking care of their eyes in a high-tech world. In another elementary class, students created a podcast discussing

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AI and its applications in the classroom, as well as their concerns about its use.

Optimizing time on/off devices

Educators found that while students were aware of the negative effects of excessive screen time, they struggled to identify alternative activities to engage in when they were off their devices. In a District 75 special education classroom, students organized a hobby fair to generate interest among their peers in off-device activities. In a middle school classroom, a teacher integrated mindfulness practices and brain breaks to help students optimize their time on and off devices. Additionally, a high school teacher established shared norms about device use and guided students on how to make productive use of their time away from screens.

Overall, this professional learning series fostered mindful tech integration driven by student voice. Educators collaborated with students to design a classroom environment that supported healthy device use habits, encouraged creativity, addressed concerns, and provided support for optimizing time both on and off devices. By involving students in these processes, educators empowered them to become active participants in their digital lives and develop a balanced relationship with technology.

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Preparing your classroom to be more secure from cyber threats

By Laurie Guyon

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ith the ever-increasing presence of technology in our classrooms and our daily lives, it is more important than ever for teachers to be aware of the risks associated with using technology with students. We need to understand the potential perils as well as the safeguards and what to do if there is a security breach.

These essential topics can open opportunities to support critical thinkers and problem solvers.

Fortunately, there are tremendous resources available to you online.

One of the best sites for educators is Common Sense Education, which offers many free resources to support us as teachers, students, and the community.

Before diving into any other site, it would be worth reviewing their research, lessons, and other resources.

Many aspects of cybersecurity need to be considered, however, there are three significant areas worth focusing on for your classroom.

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PASSWORD PROTECTION One of the most important things you can do to protect yourself from cybersecurity threats is to create strong passwords that are at least 12 characters long and include a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. In addition, you should create unique passwords for each account you have. To keep your passwords safe, you can use a password manager or write them down in a safe place.

There are excellent resources to support teaching about password safety: Sphero lessons teach the fundamentals of password creation while using the Sphero BOLT. Minimal coding knowledge is needed to create robust opportunities for students to explore password safety and other aspects of cybersecurity.

Cyber.Org has ways to test our password strength and many lessons to enrich our understanding of cybersecurity.

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ISTE PREVIEW: IT IS A CYBERSECURITY TAKEOVER - ARE YOU READY?

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THINK BEFORE YOU CLICK Phishing scams are a common way for hackers to steal personal information. Phishing emails often look as if they are from legitimate companies. Still, these are designed to trick you into clicking on a malicious link or downloading a virus. A simple pause and examination before we click can help keep us safe.

There are so many fun ways to help our students practice these skills, including: Be Internet Awesome offers excellent activities, slide decks, and games for your upper elementary students. The games are fun and engaging enough that students will be excited to share what they learn with one another.

EverFi has an entire unit on digital wellness that will take your students through every aspect of their digital wellness. Lesson 4 explores identifying threats and helps them learn more about passwords.

CIAS uses CyBear characters and card games to teach all about cybersecurity. Request your free classroom pack of cards and print these tremendous offline activities to teach about cyber attacks and safety.

USING TECHNOLOGY FOR GOOD Students need strong support when engaging online with others. As we teach character education, SEL, and DEI, we must support students’ social media use.

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highlight all aspects of digital literacy, including password protection.

as bystander, upstander, and ally. While much teaching in the past has focused on what not to do online, we have the opportunity to help students see the potential that our online presence can do to bring social good.

Exploring our online world in the classroom can seem daunting, but there are so many incredible resources available, including: StopBullying.gov is a great place to help us understand the warning signs and give us a toolkit to share with students to help protect them.

DigCit Institute offers month-long celebrations during which students and teachers share all the great ways they use technology for good. Check out their month-long #GlobalStudentShowcase recordings from April 2023 and follow them on social media for more opportunities to learn and participate.

Butter is a movie that your students will be on the edge of their seats while watching. It tackles mental health, suicide, and bullying in an engaging film. Then, check out the free curriculum created

by Lisa Highfill, one of the Hyperdocs creators, to engage your students on these complex topics.

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ISTE LIVE 2023 PRODUCT PREVIEW GUIDE GOREACT (Booth 1566) With a proven combination of video and feedback, GoReact supports teacher growth.

Common use cases include induction, sharing best practices, reflection, mentoring and coaching, observation, and professional

development, but it can be used to support all types of teacher growth. Teachers use GoReact to practice, record, and share videos with their mentors or colleagues. Mentors then give personalized feedback using text, audio or video comments, markers, and customizable progressions. All feedback is time-coded, making it easy for teachers to see, understand, and put into practice. Many mentors record and share best practice videos demonstrating teaching strategies aligned with district goals, focused on common language and practice.

LEGO EDUCATION (Booth 2928) - Embark on hands-on learning adventures with LEGO Education and the playful, standards-aligned STEAM learning solutions in the LEGO Learning System. Experience each interconnected solution, follow lesson plans, build with LEGO bricks, and bring creations to life through coding. In workshops and panels, hear from educators about how you can easily implement playful hands-on STEAM learning in your own classroom to help ignite student engagement. Hands-on learning is proven to build student confidence, encourage creativity and problem-solving skills to set the foundation for lifelong success. Afterall, when learning is joyful, it’s more engaging, meaningful, and motivating for teachers and students.

CLASSIN (Booth 1412) - A world leader in hybrid, blended, and remote learning, the ClassIn platform has been purpose-built for education and based on nearly a decade of research, development, and in-market experience.

Through its software and hardware solutions, ClassIn provides the digital infrastructure for the hybrid future of education by building classrooms in both the virtual and physical worlds. ClassIn is the only end-to-end education platform with a full suite of innovative tools and features, all designed with hybrid-first pedagogy at its core.

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VIEWSONIC (Booth 2801) - ViewSonic will showcase a number of solutions for nextgeneration hybrid teaching and learning, including myViewBoard software, ViewBoard interactive displays, UNIVERSE by ViewSonic, a mobile direct view video wall solution, and so much more. ViewSonic education solutions transform learning spaces and classrooms into immersive and collaborative environments with next-

generation technologies. The company will also host several expert speakers and specialists who can provide guidance on hardware and software solutions for the classroom, as well as esports related topics, including equipment needs, team organization, paths to graduation and scholarship opportunities. ViewSonic also unveils its new teacher community and will have an adjacent booth dedicated to esports.

POWERSCHOOL (Booth 2918) PowerSchool is excited to announce a collaboration with Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to embed OpenAI’s large language model within PowerSchool’s Performance Matters and LearningNav solutions. The implementation of generative AI within these products will dramatically improve educators’ ability to deliver

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WACOM (Booth 2057) - Wacom will be unveiling its newest pen tablets for education use (both teachers and students) as well as brand new customizable product bundles for schools. During the conference, special guest speakers, including Sam Kary of New EdTech Classroom and famous cartoonist Joe Wos, will be presenting at the booth to help educate attendees on the benefits of pen tablets in the classroom for art education to math, science, and beyond.

personalized learning to students by enabling the implementation of personalized assessments and learning pathways designed for individual students based on their needs and learning goals. Stop by the PowerSchool booth to learn more about how PowerSchool can support educators and students to reach new heights with generative AI and the PowerSchool Clouds.

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NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS BEYOND ACCESS FORUM

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n June 8, 2023, the New York City Department of Education hosted Beyond Access Forum, one of the largest cross-divisional NYC DOE professional learning opportunities. This interactive virtual event offered sessions to leverage culturally responsive and sustaining practices to support social emotional and academic learning, literacy, digital accessibility and fluency, inclusion, and equity for historically marginalized students, including students with disabilities and multilingual learners.

The virtual PD event drew more than 15,000 attendees, and featured 6 concurrent tracks, and 20+ virtual exhibitors...the largest virtual conference to date!

The event became even more critical after the Chancellor of New York City closed schools because of hazardous air conditions, postponing

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the in-person professional development events throughout the city and leaving thousands of teachers without the opportunity to participate in crucial in-person professional development events.

“I feel confident in saying that we truly may be the heroes today,” wrote Laura Ogando, Deputy Technology Director at New York City Public Schools. “For so many, this virtual conference has allowed PD to continue on a day that went remote on a dime.”

Tech & Learning also donated the $20,000 in lunches that were to be served at the Assistive Technology Expo to the Bowery Mission in an effort to support the local community in this time of need.

Thank you to the companies on the following pages for supporting this event!

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