What is a conference like ISTE without great conversations with friends and colleagues – old and new!

Starting on Monday evening I had excellent conversations at a dinner with each of these folks.  Always something to learn through frank discussion, disagreement and fine-tuning ideas – beyond 140 characters!!

I had the opportunity to chat with the super smart and energetic Jennifer Corriero at a café in the conference centre. She proudly showed me her new book that she created and produced in celebration of her 30th birthday.

I met the following folks at their well-organized and informative conference session for beginning users of Twitter and other social media.

As always, David Thornburg is entertaining and forward-thinking. He truly has been one of our pioneers and continues to lead.  Am thrilled he is the Opening Keynote for the ECOO conference in Toronto, Ontario in November.

I had the pleasure also of bumping into Meg, whom I’ve known for a long time.  We always share lots of laughs and tease the daylights out of each other.  She introduced me to her friend Cindy Lane – another firecracker with lots to offer the educational world!

I was fortunate to meet Gavin Dykes and to listen to the great projects that he and his Futurelab colleagues have implemented.  We were on a panel together – along with Jeannette Weisschuh and Brenda Sherry.

Becky and I met over Twitter after we discovered that we had a history of knowing many folks in common – mostly from the Logo world and from the Lego Logo robotics world.  We took the opportunity to have a coffee together. A great hour.  Glad we connected!

Ontario Colleagues and Friends

Robert Martellacci organized a reception at the Canadian Consulate where corporate and education leaders could mingle.  Always fun! I wore a tie. A rare occasion!

Well, a real highlight for me was to have so much time to wander, and to chat, with colleagues and friends from Ontario.  One would think we’d had enough of each other – all living in the same region. But, in fact, we are scattered across Southern Ontario and so don’t get to see each other face to face that often.  I am honoured to call these awesome educators my friends.

…and from the ECOO conference committee…

There are quite a number of Ontario folks whose presence at the conference I missed and many folks at the conference whom I had wished to see, but didn’t.

Check these people out. You won’t be disappointed!