Karen Cator and Richard Culatta, director and deputy directory, respectively of the Office of Educational Technology, will lead discussions on the Obama Administration’s efforts to transform education through the smart use of technology, specifically on personalized learning and improving access to reliable data, and will announce August as Connected Educator Month at the 33rd annual International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conference next week in San Diego.
To strengthen K-12 education, the Obama Administration has launched new initiatives like Race to the Top, the Investing in Innovation fund, and the Promise Neighborhoods program, which encourage educators to use innovative solutions to enhance their classrooms instruction and accelerate student learning. These programs support the creative use of technology to increase equity and access to high quality education in order to close the achievement gap and raise the bar for all students.
On Sunday, June 24 at 5:30 p.m. PT, Cator will speak at the opening plenary session to help kick off the conference. On Monday, June 25, she will lead a discussion titled “Improving Access to Reliable Information about Educational Technology Products and Approaches.” She will discuss the information and tools that will support educators making informed decisions about new ed-tech products and approaches.
On Tuesday, June 26, Cator and Culatta will lead a session titled "What's Happening with the Office of Educational Technology". They will discuss the initiatives underway that are designed to support the advancement of powerful teaching and learning with technology.
On Wednesday, June 27, Cator and Culatta, will lead a discussion titled “It’s All About You: Next Steps for Personalized Learning.” They will discuss digital-age teaching and learning and innovative learning technologies and provide examples of effective personalized learning experiences and approaches to enabling customized learning for all students.
ISTE is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders in advancing excellence in learning and teaching through innovative and effective uses of technology. ISTE is the trusted source of education technology for professional development, knowledge generation, advocacy, and leadership for innovation. This annual conference is one of the world’s major education technology events.