This document provides information about professional development resources available through the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). It summarizes details about ISTE's annual conference including sessions on creating digital escape rooms and blended learning lessons. It also lists references used in the document about the use of technology in education.

1. PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
PRESENTATION
KALA L BALL
EDUC 630

2. WHAT IS A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION AND
WHY SHOULD I JOIN?
• A professional organization is an organization that requires annual dues, has an
elected leadership body, and provides resources for professional development and
other materials for certain subject areas and related fields.
• For example, ISTE is a professional organization that helps teachers integrate
technology into the classroom in effective and cutting edge ways. They offer a wide
range of resources for educators.
• Joining a professional organization allows you to grow as an educator and better
serve your students. You become part of a community that is committed to helping
each other better themselves professionally.
( International Society for Technology in Education, 2022)

3. REASONS WHY EDUCATORS SHOULD JOIN
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
• Professional organizations make it possible for educators to network with other
educators.
• They also allow educators to gain access to research in the education field. Often
times, this is cutting edge research that can positively impact classrooms.
• Educators have a chance to improve their leadership skills and to practice those
skills.
• Many professional organizations offer fellowships, grants, and awards to
educators.
• By joining professional organizations, educators can prioritize their own growth.
(National Society of High School Scholars, 2019)

4. EXAMPLES OF HOW ISTE SERVES
TEACHERS
ISTE offers up a plethora of resources for educators. Some of these resources include
blogs, journal articles, books, and podcasts. They cover a multitude of topics and are
beneficial to both the general education and special education teacher.

5. TIPS FOR MAKING DOCUMENTS ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL
STUDENTS
• This blog post focuses on how educators can make sure their documents and presentations are
accessible to students who may be visually impaired.
• It explains how to organize, format, and present so that all students can benefit from the
document/presentation.
• It also provides resources to check how your presentation or document holds up to current ADA
standards.
• As a special education teacher, this resource is very important to me as I am always trying to be
inclusive to all students and accommodate different disabilities. Having a resource that goes into detail
about how to best serve visually impaired students is incredibly useful.
• This resource is especially beneficial to the special education population, but can also be useful to
general education teachers who may have students who are visually impaired.
(Snelling, 2022)

6. HOW TABLETS ARE UTILIZED IN THE CLASSROOM
• This journal article investigates how tablets are integrated into the classroom.
• The article asked both teachers and students how they felt about the use of tablets in the
classroom and explained how the tablets were used for instruction and activities.
• Teachers can use this resource to gage how beneficial it would be to add tablets to their
instruction.
• As educators, it is important for us to stay up to date with technology and to continuously
learn about what tools we can utilize in our classrooms.
• The use of tablets in our classrooms is beneficial for both special education teachers and
general education teachers. Tablets are a great way to deliver instruction and for students to
demonstrate what they have learned. Both young students and older students can benefit
from this technology.
(Ditzler et al., 2016)

7. PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS OF
LEARNING ANALYTICS RESEARCH FOR STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES
• This article provides an in-depth look into the use of learning analytics in special education.
• Learning analytics can be used to detect learning disabilities and provide early intervention,
promote learning, address accessibility issues, and improve educational technologies for
students with disabilities.
• Because learning analytics can be used as tools to record and interpret data on students, this
resource was very informational to me as a special education teacher. Data collection is at the
helm of my instruction and I am always trying to incorporate new technology into how I
collect data.
• Since this can be used for students with disabilities, this resource is especially beneficial to both
special education teachers and general education teachers who work with these students.
(Baek & Aguilar, 2022)

8. WHY DO WE NEED TECHNOLOGY IN
EDUCATION?
• This article explores the reasons why technology is an important part of education.
• Technology can engage students and prepare them for careers that will use technology, but the
most important reason why technology should be used in education is that it can offer teaching and
learning experiences that would not be possible without the use of technology.
• Technology allows us to transform and redefine learning.
• As an educator, I am always trying to find new ways to make my instruction better. Technology is a
resource that allows us to do things that white boards and paper and pencil cannot. This article
offered insight into why technology is important in our classrooms and what it means to integrate it.
• This resource is important for students as a general population. They can all benefit from the
integration of technology.
(Trust, 2018)

9. ISTE LIVE 22
• Each year, ISTE offers an EdTech conference. This is a multi-day event full of
presentations, speakers, labs, ed talks, etc. It is a fun and engaging event that
offers multiple opportunities for professional development and growth.

10. ISTE LIVE 22
• One of the creation labs offered at this year’s conference is Creating Digital Escape
Rooms (with Google Apps). This is being presented by Amanda Dills and will show
educators how to combine Google Slides, Google Forms, and Google Sites into a
digital escape room. I think this creation lab sounds very interesting and I would love
to learn more about creating a digital escape room for my students.
• One of the interactive sessions being offered is The Perfect Blended Lesson. Presented
by Holly Clark and Ken Shelton, this interactive session shows educators how to
deliver the perfect blended lesson with a focus on inclusion and equity. They will use
Flipgrid, Book Creator, HyperDocs, and Canva. This session sounds incredibly
informative and I would love the chance to learn more about creating blended lessons
that are inclusive to all students.

11. ISTE LIVE 22
• Letonya Brown and Francina Hollingsworth will be delivering an Ed Talk called
“Whoa! It’s the PD for Me.” This talk will show administrators how to make PD
sessions engaging and innovative. I love the idea of something more than the PD
that most of us are used to. Give me something fun and I’m in!
(International Society for Technology in Education, 2022)

12. REFERENCES
• Baek, C., & Aguilar, S. J. (2022). Past, present, and future directions of learning analytics research for students with
disabilities. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2022.2067796
• Ditzler, C., Hong, E., & Strudler, N. (2016). How tablets are utilized in the classroom. Journal of Research on
Technology in Education, 48(3), 181–193. https://doi.org/10.1080/15391523.2016.1172444
• National Society of High School Scholars. (2019, November 4). 5 reasons why it's important for educators to join
professional organizations. National Society of High School Scholars. Retrieved May 28, 2022, from
https://www.nshss.org/blog/5-reasons-why-it-s-important-for-educators-to-join-professional-organizations-1/
• Snelling, J. (2022, February 2). Tips for making document accessible for all students. ISTE. Retrieved May 28, 2022,
from https://www.iste.org/explore/professional-development/tips-making-documents-accessible-all-students
• Trust, T. (2018). Why do we need technology in education? Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 34(2),
54–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/21532974.2018.1442073
• We are iste. ISTE. (n.d.). Retrieved May 28, 2022, from https://www.iste.org/