Global Reach of ISTE on Display at NECC

SAN ANTONIO, July 2 /PRNewswire/ -- With attendees from all 50 states and nearly 50 countries, the 29th annual National Educational Computing Conference (NECC) showcases the increasingly global focus of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE(R)).

"Using technology will necessarily transform learning because it transforms the classroom into a global learning portal," ISTE CEO Don Knezek said. "This is no longer the world of the 1990s and schools can't continue as if it were."

Several offerings at NECC reflect ISTE's efforts to expand their international reach.

UNESCO's ICT Competency Framework for Teachers (CFT)

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) presented its recently released global Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Competency Framework for Teachers (CFT) at several sessions at NECC.

The CFT project's goal is to improve teacher performance worldwide by providing professional development opportunities to teachers who want to use ICT skills to improve as educators. ISTE joined Cisco, Microsoft and Intel to assist UNESCO in developing the global ICT CFT.

UNESCO will also roll out an Endorsement Program this fall and has selected ISTE as a partner for program implementation because of its proven expertise in carrying out standards-based evaluations for its National Educational Technology Standards (NETS).

International Application of NETS

A collaborative session culled expertise on international standards for education technology from teachers representing a variety of different countries.

ISTE's International Ambassadors

Members of ISTE's pilot International Ambassadors program were on site discussing the global state of education technology, including: Julie Lindsay, Doha, Qatar; Ralph Leonard,South Australia; Joseph Codde, professor at Michigan State University, who works on education technology programs in the Middle East; and Camilla Gagliolo, originally fromSweden, who works for Arlington County Public Schools inVirginia.

Global Connections

An international reception at the opening of the conference, several panel discussions on international education, a global poster gallery and the global connections international lounge offered opportunities for all attendees to network and collaborate on the challenges of using new technologies on a global level.

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.

SOURCE International Society for Technology in Education

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