What a week! Our team had a blast at ISTE 2019. Here are a few highlights from our time in Philadelphia:
We were thrilled to see conversations about global learning and collaboration advanced at sessions like Beyond These Walls: Making Global Connections Elevate Learning and the IVC/Global Collaborations PLN Playground Event. At Beyond These Walls, Empatico Fellow Jamie Antoun from York, Pennsylvania, shared her experience expanding learning beyond the classroom by connecting virtually with partner teacher, Leny Castro, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. At the playground we heard about the TeachSDGs movement from colleague and friend Jen Williams. If you haven’t had a chance to already, check out how several Empatico activities align to TeachSDGs goals.
We also caught up with author Tamara Letter, who mentions Empatico in her recent book – A Passion for Kindness: Making the World a Better Place to Lead, Love, and Learn. We can’t wait to dive in and learn more ways we can cultivate kindness in the classroom and make a positive difference in the lives of friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, and even strangers.
As if all the learning and inspiring conversations weren’t enough, we were honored to be named a Best Website for Teaching and Learning by the American Association of School Librarians and highlighted as an Essential Innovation Tool for Teachers and Administrators! Both lists share some amazing tools for sparking global connections and integrating tech into your classroom in meaningful ways.
Last but certainly not least, we enjoyed catching up with Empatico educators from all over the world! While we love using technology to make the world smaller, it’s even better to have the chance to connect in person with passionate educators who are working hard to spread empathy in their classrooms. Thank you to everyone who visited our booth to chat about Empatico and share your questions and feedback. And special thanks to educators Angela Harvala, Kathi Kersznowski, Mike Soskil, Dyane Smokorowski, Manda Stiegel, and Marialice Curran for spreading the word about Empatico!
These were just a few of our favorite moments from the conference. What was your favorite part of #ISTE19? We can’t wait to continue these conversations and more at next year’s conference in Anaheim!
Click here to learn more about how Empatico activities align with ISTE digital literacy standards.
