If it were up to me I wouldn’t make a choice...I would belong to both organizations and attend both national conferences. Unfortunately, life requires choice. I attend both state level conferences (MASL, MSET) but attending both national conferences usually requires significantly higher travel expenditures.
Why did I choose ISTE? Various reasons but mostly it is about connections. The 2012 conference theme was “Expanding Horizons” which is something so many of us constantly strive to do. In conjunction with increasing our knowledge base, skills sets, and global connections with colleagues.
Public School Library Teachers are called upon to collaborate with teachers, parents, administrators, public librarians and more. ISTE gathers those interested in education technology use and integration into one conference. Attending SIGMS sessions and activities allows me to interact with fellow media specialists. However, opportunities to network with non-librarian educators also abound.
See you in San Antonio! Or maybe Chicago?
Acronym Round Up
ALA - American Library Association
ISTE - International Society for Technology in Education
MASL - Maryland Association for School Librarians
MSET - Maryland Society for Educational Technology
SIGMS - Special Interest Group Media Specialists
