Two weeks ago, ISTE was deep into its annual conference, what seemingly will be the organization’s final meeting as a stand-alone event.
I wasn’t in Denver to see what was happening and, with the implosion of social media, it has become difficult to follow along with events like this from a distance in something akin to real time.
In the fall of 2022, ISTE and ASCD announced they would be merging. At the time, I ranted that it seemed like an odd combination.
Eighteen months later, it still does.
Reminders this week that ISTE is not the only – or even the largest – over-stuffed, vendor-centric, edtech conference in the world.
Over in London, the BETT UK Show (formerly the British Educational Training and Technology Show) is wrapping up their four-day run. In the past they’ve attracted more than 30,000 attendees but it’s hard to tell what’s happening this year since very few of my European contacts are still posting on social media.
It is very much too early on a Monday morning.
I’m currently at our state edtech conference and, as part of the team running this show, I don’t get much time to write about, much less reflect on, what’s happening here in real time.
So, just a few quick observations before the day kicks into high gear.
Back in the fall of 2022, ISTE announced to its members that the organization would be merging with ASCD.
It didn’t make a lot of sense to me then, and a year later, the feeling hasn’t really changed.