Unlocking Potential at ISTE 2011

So, here I am at ISTE 2011. I am going to take an idea from a blog post idea list and use it here. I am going to interview myself about my ISTE experience so far. So away we go. . .

Me: So, Dr. Fowler, how have you enjoyed ISTE this year?
Dr. Fowler: I have really enjoyed getting to attend sessions, learn new things, and present on infographics.
Me: What session has been the best so far?
Dr. Fowler: I would have to give a hat tip to Brandon Lutz for his 60 in 60 session this morning. He did a great job of going through 60 web tools in just one hour. I really liked his “guests” that he had via video to tell us about the different tools.
Me: What new things have you learned so far?
Dr. Fowler: I definitely learned new sites from Brandon. Of his 60 I already knew about 31 of them, but the other 29 are new to me. I have already started a daily journal on Oh Life. And I recommended Sumo Paint and Aviary in my infographics model classroom this afternoon.
Me: Speaking of your presentation, how did it go?
Dr. Fowler: I think it went well. My colleague (Dr. Katie Kinney from UNA) and I worked to present a model lesson on how to introduce, use, and create infographics to encourage digital age literacies. We had 20 “students” (including Kathy Schrock)at the computers in the model “classroom” and then about 50 or so observers.
Me: How did that format work for you?
Dr. Fowler: I loved teaching the lesson, but I really could NOT ignore the observers and only pay attention to the “students” at the provided computers. I am going to recommend that ISTE rethink this presentation model and maybe change the format. I have to figure out to whom I should send that information.
Me: So what other ideas have you gotten from ISTE this year?
Dr. Fowler: I am very interested in starting a new blog about a passion of mine, YA Books for Adults. Hat tip to Steve Hardagon for making me say this outloud in the Teacher 2.0 session yesterday so now I am going to create a Weebly site for this and try to review some YA books I have read over the past year. I also want to explore getting guest bloggers for that and for my Fresh Fowlers blog. I also need to reach out to some of my blogger friends and offer to be a guest blogger on their sites, too. I had a really good time doing that on Pam Shoemaker’s blog during a blog challenge.
Me: So what else is on your horizon?
Dr. Fowler: Well, I am off to relax for a while and then go to the EdTech Karaoke Tweetup@ISTE 2011.
Me: I hope you enjoy the rest of the conference.
Dr. Fowler: Thank you! I hope to learn more tomorrow and use some of the tools I learned about today with my classes and colleagues when I get home.