ISTE 2014

Updated Itinerary

Flight info:

Depart: +June 27( +Friday)

LV: Denver at 11:10A ARR: Atlanta at 4:05P (non stop)

Return: +July 2 ( +Wednesday)

LV: Atlanta at 9:35A ARR: Denver at 10:55A

Friday, June 27:

• Depart from West HS parking lot (2 vans) no later than 4:45 AM.
• Rest stop at Big Springs at truck stop.
• Arrive Denver airport approximately 9 AM MDT.
• Arrive Atlanta 4:05 PM EDT
• Check in to hotel, attend conference registration (closes at 6 PM), return to hotel for manager social, group meal TBD.

Saturday:

• If you haven't already, please sign up for a workshop for Saturday morning or afternoon (or all day).  Technology will pay the workshop fees.
• Please take notes, pictures, etc. and be prepared to share your workshop & conference experiences and resources with other staff when we return!
• Breakfast 6 AM - 8 AM  provided by the hotel.  We don't set a time, but usually we all see each other at breakfast.  Great time to coordinate and plan the day
• Most sessions end at 5:15, though there are evening sessions for some SIGs as well.  We will meet at the manager's social for cocktails and snacks.  This is when we'll plan our evening activities.

Sunday - Tuesday:

• Breakfast 6 AM - 7:30 AM  This is a good time to coordinate with your grade/building level cohorts in terms of the sessions you plan to attend.
• Meet at the manager's social to relax, reflect, and enjoy the group camaraderie.  We will plan our evening activities at this time.

Wednesday:

• We'll arrange group transportation to the airport.  We'll need to leave the hotel by 7:30 AM, so take advantage of the hotel breakfast and be packed and ready by this time.
• We'll arrive in Denver around 11 AM MDT (Noon, Cozad time).  We'll grab lunch somewhere on the way home, plan on being back in Cozad by 5 or 6 PM.

Post-Conference:

• We ask that each attendee post a reflection or summary of their conference experience here as a way to share thoughts and resources with others.  Please have this done by Friday, July 11.  Links to other resources are welcome!

ISTE 2014 Conference Program

We are excited to have 15 staff members attending the ISTE conference in Atlanta!  Those attending the conference are:

Administration

• Joel Applegate
• Bill Beckenhauer
• Cory Spotaski

Elementary

• Karen Berreckman
• Anngie Love

Middle School

• Barry Mraz
• Patty Margritz

High School

• Nick Auwerda
• Alisa Favinger
• Kyle Vincent
• Dustin Favinger
• Chris Tvrdy
• Keely Reinert

Tech

• Patty Wolfe
• Dave Evertson

Information for Attendees

ISTE is a large conference and there will thousands of attendees from all across the world.  We will be staying at the Embassy Suites Atlanta - at Centennial Olympic Park.  Contact information is:

267 Marietta Street,  Atlanta,  Georgia,  30313,  USA
TEL: 1-404-223-2300
FAX: 1-404-223-0925

Pre-Conference

• ALL attendees, please complete this contact & travel plans form by Friday, June 13th!

Departure & Return

• We will depart at approximately 4:45 AM from the West parking lot of the High School on Friday, June 27.  We will be traveling as a group in two large school vans.  You may arrange your own travel to the Denver airport if you wish, but the district will not reimburse travel expenses.
• We will return the day after the conference ends (flight departs Atlanta at 9:35 AM EDT) on Wednesday, July 2.  We should arrive back in Cozad by 5 or 6 PM.

Meals

• All attendees will receive a $120 cash meal per Diem at departure time.  That probably won't cover all of your meals, so you may want to bring some extra cash.  No other meal expenses will be covered by the district.
• For those traveling with the group in school vehicles, we will stop in Big Springs for a restroom break on the way to Denver.  You will be able to grab a bite for breakfast at this time.  
• Embassy Suites provides a very good complimentary breakfast.  We usually try to gather in the commons for breakfast together.  Early risers (before 7 AM) generally get through the lines pretty quickly.  This is a full breakfast with a wide selection.  I try to eat a large breakfast and then skip lunch.  The food is very good.  Hint:  fill your coffee here for free, you will have to pay for coffee and other snacks in the conference center.
• Lunch - There are many options available in the convention center or you may leave to find some place close for lunch.
• At the end of the day Embassy Suites hosts a manager's social from 4 to 6 PM with complimentary hors d' oeuvres and cocktails.  Please join us in the common area for socializing!
• Dinner - We will go to dinner together as a group each evening (optional).  All are welcome!  We will not be stopping for a formal dinner on the return trip, but will likely stop for gas some place where you can get a meal or snack.  

Dress

• While you will see some people dressed in jeans and shorts at the conference, we ask that you dress professionally, as you would at school.  Please remember that you are representing our entire school district.
• While the weather in Atlanta will likely be warm and muggy, it will be cool in the convention center, and sometimes downright cold!  You may want to carry a light jacket.
• Evening activities are very casual, feel free to pack shorts and t-shirts.  You may also dress casually but tastefully for travel days.

Keynotes and sessions

• Conference Schedule.  A map of the convention center will be included in your registration packet.
• Saturday you will attend the workshop you signed up for, followed by the opening keynote at 5:45.  They keynote fills up fast so be early!
• There is an optional keynote presentation on Monday morning at 9 AM.  The closing keynote is on Tuesday at 2:45.  We ask that everyone attend the closing keynote.
• ISTE provides an on-line planner called My Favorites where you can save the sessions you are interested in and build your schedule.  
• Please look over the session descriptions ahead of time and plan which you might like to attend.  This conference is large and can be overwhelming at first, so take the time ahead of time to look at the program and plan ahead!

Expo

• The vendor expo is huge and you can attend vendor sessions there as well.  This is also a good place to grab a snack or refreshment.  Many vendors give freebies and hold drawings for prizes.  Visiting the expo is well worth your time.

Technology

•  You may bring your iPad, computer, phone or all three.  You will receive a bag during registration with the conference guide and many other flyers and goodies, but I usually carry a backpack.  Note that charging a device during the day is difficult, so you may want to leave your computer at home.
• Some prefer paper and pen for notes.  If you are looking for good note-taking apps, I personally recommend Evernote, but there are many others.  Whatever your preference, you should plan on being able to take notes without a WiFi connection (so a google doc is probably not the best choice).
• WiFi is available in the common area of the Embassy Suites but it is not provided in the rooms.  If you need WiFi in your room, you will have to pay for it.  WiFi is available in the conference center all day, but there are thousands of people connecting multiple devices, so don't plan on speedy internet!
• Etiquette dictates that each person limit the number of devices they connect to the WiFi.  Please stick with just a single device on the WiFi network.

Post-conference

• We ask that each attendee post a reflection or summary of their conference experience here as a way to share thoughts and resources with others.  Please have this done by Friday, July 11th.  
• We expect all of our ISTE attendees to share their experiences and ideas with other staff through various channels.  This may include PLCs, staff meetings, or by helping to provide leadership through various staff groups and organizations.  

We look forward to spending an exciting and educational week together!