The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) promotes the integration of technology into educational platforms around the world. Much of the work done by ISTE is achieved through a passionate group of educators from around the world who work tirelessly to achieve these ends. Through their efforts, members and educational communities at large can access practical guidance, ISTE standards, virtual networks, thought-provoking events, and evidence-based learning. In 2021, ISTE spent the entire year engaging, activating, and advocating for more technology in the classroom. In the early part of the year, ISTE led the 2021 EdTech Virtual Fly-in in collaboration with the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), and the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA). In February 2021, 100 education technology professionals from 35 states met with policymakers (senators and representatives) virtually to share their own stories and drive actionable policies to advance equitable and secure access to tech tools in the classroom. Discussions specifically centered around closing the homework gap by making technology accessible, protecting student data, and finding ways to transition students into the post-pandemic educational platform. In April of the same year, the annual summit provided educators and the educational community the chance to meet with the FCC and the Department of Education. This event also took place virtually.

1. Bryan Olkowski

2. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) promotes
the integration of technology into educational platforms around the world.
Much of the work done by ISTE is achieved through a passionate group
of educators from around the world who work tirelessly to achieve these
ends. Through their efforts, members and educational communities at
large can access practical guidance, ISTE standards, virtual networks,
thought-provoking events, and evidence-based learning.

3. In 2021, ISTE spent the entire year engaging, activating, and advocating
for more technology in the classroom. In the early part of the year, ISTE
led the 2021 EdTech Virtual Fly-in in collaboration with the Consortium
for School Networking (CoSN), the State Educational Technology
Directors Association (SETDA), and the Software & Information Industry
Association (SIIA).

4. In February 2021, 100 education technology professionals from 35 states
met with policymakers (senators and representatives) virtually to share
their own stories and drive actionable policies to advance equitable and
secure access to tech tools in the classroom. Discussions specifically
centered around closing the homework gap by making technology
accessible, protecting student data, and finding ways to transition
students into the post-pandemic educational platform.

5. In April of the same year, the annual summit provided educators and the
educational community the chance to meet with the FCC and the
Department of Education. This event also took place virtually.

6. The efforts of the ISTE did not stop there. In June 2021, ISTE in
conjunction with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and
the Council of Great City Schools (CGCS) launched the first cohort
comprised of school districts and state educational agencies organized to
address education data deficiencies. The cohort is representative of the
9.5 million students who comprise their districts, 70 percent of whom are
students of color and 60 percent of whom come from low-income
households.

7. In the backdrop of this group is the fact that educational programs
struggle in gathering accurate information on their students because of
fragmented data systems. As a result, educators spend way too much
time piecing information from incompatible systems or manually re-
entering data that might already exist somewhere else. Furthermore,
because most information today is stored digitally, school districts and
state agencies must make it a priority to not only maintain the security of
data but also maintain student privacy. Among the state agencies that will
participate in the cohort are the California Department of Education,
Nebraska Department of Education, and the Massachusetts Department
of Elementary and Secondary Education.

8. The Connecticut Department of Education is another state agency with
which the ISTE worked in 2021. In collaboration with the Connecticut
Commission for Educational Technology, the three entities provided free,
high-quality professional development to educators in the state. This
included offering the ISTE U’s Summer Learning Academy 2021 at no
cost.

9. This collaboration was born out of the desire to help teachers leverage
new ways of integrating technology into classroom curricula. The
Summer Learning Academy, for example, provides educators with 15
hours of education comprised of three micro-courses and six expert
webinars.

10. All of these activities are designed for teachers, librarians, media
specialists, and tech coaches and directors. Some of the topics covered
in the program include designing lessons for inclusion, advancing
student-driven learning, and supporting student well-being.