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ISTE certainly knows how to make people feel special!

Last month I attended my second ISTE conference and my first as an ISTE Certified Educator.

From a special registration line to a wonderful breakfast community event, the ISTE Certified Educator staff did an amazing job of celebrating us.

I definitely felt appreciated and am honored to be one of the 2,000 ISTE Certified Educators – #ISTEcert.

I became an #ISTEcert in 2020, but this was my first in person ISTE event since then, so I was also able to finally get my ISTE plaque. TSA did have questions about a large heavy stone object in my bag, but it was worth it!

This was also my first ISTE Conference as a presenter – definitely a highlight! While I’ll need another blog entry to talk about that, I need to mention it here. Being an #ISTEcert at an ISTE Conference was extra special. ISTE made sure to connect with us ahead of time and they identified our sessions in the program. I also loved having some #ISTEcert attend my session and attend those led by other #ISTEcert.

Another #ISTEcert highlight for me was finally meeting Carmelita Seitz! Carmelita is the ISTE Certification Director. I have been in MANY online meet-ups with her over the last four years and have always appreciated her enthusiasm and professionalism. Carmelita makes sure the #ISTEcert community is connected and supported. We’re given a chance to learn from each other: one of the many reasons it’s great to be an ISTE Certified Educator.

I also loved that we had specials purple lanyards that helped us find each other at the huge conference of over 16,000 people. I was able to connect with#ISTEcert I’d seen at other conferences like Debbie Tannebaum from VA. I also met many “new-to-me” #ISTEcert like Lauren Boucher from NC. Lauren and I stood in a long line together and had a chance to talk about what education and professional development look like in our different locations. I always walk away from these types of conversations with at least one “nugget” to ponder and consider bringing back to my work.

I am thankful that ISTE offers a certification focused on how educators can be their best for students. The initial training is collaborative and the portfolio is challenging. The ISTE Certification process isn’t easy, but it is worth it. The whole process made me incredibly reflective about the work I do and forced me (in a good way) to really dig into the ISTE Student Standards. If you’re interested in learning more, I encourage you to go to the ISTE Certification website or connect with an #ISTEcert (like me!).