I've arrived at the hotel, and have already had a nice chat over coffee with Karen Peterson, who has been part of the ITEST community for many years. I'm looking forward to hearing about legislative visits--particularly from my home home state of MA (shout out to Mike Barnett for organizing the visits!)

Don't forget to check the Summit website for materials and information.

This blog will record notes, observations, and items of interest while at and/or related to ISTE in Denver. #itest

I will also be tweeting from ISTE: follow me at @suzanne_ra.

Spencer Niles was the ITEST & Career Development Synthesizer.

Margaret Tucker was the synthesizer for the Pathways Strand. She noted that interventions need to occur before the middle grades. She also noted that internships are important.

Travis Southworth-Newmeyer was a synthesizer who attended the ITEST Orientation. He encourages other projects to use the resources the LRC has to offer! He also attended the Editor's panel. All of the journals are looking for articles as well as reviewers. Questions from that panel:
* how do we publish in a way that impacts the field?

Janice Cuny from NSF is the first speaker. Since 2004, Jan Cuny has been a Program Officer at the National Science Foundation, heading the Broadening Participation in Computing Initiative. Before coming to NSF, she was a faculty member in Computer Science at Purdue University, the University of Massachusetts, and the University of Oregon.

Read her bio at: webpages.uncc.edu/~neclarke/forms/Jan-Bio-Shortbio.doc

Some notes from session:

Website www.stem-ict-3d.org
Presenters: Nita Matzen and Sean Williams

Students learn how to build virtual worlds, based on a teacher's needs. The teacher later uses that in the classroom.

Educational gains included engagement, efficacy, achievement.

Teleplace is the vehicle for the 3D world. It enables real-time synchronous collaboration.

Three themes: 1) recruiting students and teachers 2) delivering workshops 3) implementation in schools.

Some bullet points and comments:

Comment: Push for the term "Design Thinking."

Jeanette Wing's definition useful.

Need for a definition that describes the thinking that happens in youth who use technology. Or, we may not agree on terms, but should try to achieve a common foundation.

Comment: Emphasize that students need to work with "explicit representations."

Computational thinking=problem-solving.

"Computational thinking is foundational."

Dr. Joyce Malyn-Smith is providing an update on the Computational Thinking Small Group:

A white paper on computational thinking has been drafted.

Put together a proposal to the CPATH program. Will be putting together another one this year.

Tony Streit reported on the Afterschool Small Group:

Purpose description: "Supports identifying and researching replicable strategies for STEM workforce development in the afterschool environment, as well as the factors and features that make for an effective program."

Dr. Carrie Parker, Research Scientist in the ITEST LRC, is speaking about the recently-launched MIS system that collects common data across all ITEST projects.

Some bullet points:

Many projects are collecting pre- and post-youth attitude measures.

29% of projects are using embedded assessments.

Surveys most common form of data collection.

92% collect demographic data; 68% collect info. to do follow-ups.

PIs are asked to read the current draft and post or email comments.

We hope ALL PIs will complete the MIS next fall!

Innovation is the theme not only of this event, but a theme of the current administration and for the nation as a whole!

How do we enhance the well-being of our nation and the rest of the world as a whole through innovation?

She commends the ITEST Community for its contributions.

The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson is a member of the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education.

Some notes, quotes and comments:

"We have lost the edge, and we need to regain it."

We must motivate and direct our youth into areas that interest them.

We do not want our nation to lose its competitive edge. We must engage in our kids in STEM and the sciences!

"For children to believe (they can succeed in the sciences) they must see someone first."

"We must educate as rapidly as the changes we are seeing."