ISTE Expands Global Reach at ISTE 2010

DENVER, June 29 /PRNewswire/ -- From the opening keynote by former World Bank Vice President Jean-Francois Rischard to panel discussions about the integration of technology in other countries, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE®) continues to expand its global reach at ISTE 2010. The conference for education professionals from around the world is being held through June 30 at the Colorado Convention Center.

"This past year has been an enlightening one for ISTE, as we've been traveling the globe, exploring the excellence that is out there in education, and supporting those who need a boost to bring their ideas and vision to fruition," said ISTE President Helen Padgett.  

Representatives from 78 countries are in attendance at this year's conference and ISTE now boasts 81 affiliates around the world with the recent addition of the United Kingdom, India and Australia. Some of the conference highlights have included a Technology en Espanol session to give educators an opportunity to share ideas, strategies, and technology-based assignments for teaching in Spanish and a session on Mexico's partnership with ISTE to adopt its own set of education technology standards.

The array of international attendees at ISTE 2010 includes study groups from several countries. The Kennisnet Foundation sponsored a 23-member group of educators from the Netherlands, who came looking for ideas to implement in 7,500 primary schools, 800 secondary schools and 50 vocational schools.

"We hope to return (to the Netherlands) with a plan to make these possibilities real," said program manager Frank Evers.

As the U.S. looks at ways to improve its education technology programs, educators and administrators can learn a lot from other countries, said  ISTE CEO Don Knezek. In order to be competitive in a global society, no one country or organization can exist within a vacuum, he explained.

"When we go somewhere outside the U.S. or when representatives come to us, we both learn from them and with them," Knezek said. "It's a (matter of) learning from and with the global community rather than isolating and benchmarking yourself only locally."

About ISTE

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE®) is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving teaching and learning by advancing the effective use of technology in PK-12 and teacher education. www.iste.org.

SOURCE International Society for Technology in Education