I am just back from ISTE in Chicago where I shared in some very interesting developments and experiences.

1. Following input and feedback from more than 1300 educators from the US and around the world, ISTE released its new Standards for Education Leaders, formerly known as the ISTE Standards for Administrators.

According to the official press release,

These standards target the competencies and mindset required for leaders to leverage technology to transform how we learn, teach and lead. The standards are focused on some of the most timely, yet enduring, topics in education today — equity, digital citizenship, team and systems building, continuous improvement and professional growth.

These new standard address the role of the educational leader as:

1. Equity and Citizenship Advocate: Leaders use technology to increase equity, inclusion and digital citizenship practices.
2. Visionary Planner: Leaders engage others in establishing a vision, strategic plan and ongoing evaluation cycle for transforming learning with technology.
3. Empowering Leader: Leaders create a culture where teachers and learners are empowered to use technology in innovative ways to enrich teaching and learning.
4. System Designer: Leaders build teams and systems to implement, sustain and continually improve the use of technology to support learning.
5. Connected Learner: Leaders model and promote continuous professional learning for themselves and others.

2. At the first Future Ready Librarian Leadership Summit, ISTE’s Chief Learning Officer Joseph South shared the news of ISTE’s Librarians are Transforming Learning website.

The site recognizes the role of the librarian and gathers such resources as the new Future Ready Librarians Framework/ ISTE Standards for Educators Crosswalk (see more on this below), the ISTE Standards for Educators, the ISTE Blog, links to librarian-relevant ISTE publications. a new ISTEU online course for librarians, and a link to the ISTE Librarians Network PLN official site.  Note: the actual home is this Weebly that shares a full schedule of the librarian events at the conference.

3. An updated version of the Future Ready Librarians Framework also launched at the Future Ready Summit.  The revised Framework replaces “Personalized Student Learning” with “Learner-Centered,” now positioned the middle of the gears. “Literacy” now appropriately surrounds all the wedges, in response to the absence of this essential part of our role in the original framework.

4. In my mind, the most important element of the new site is the Future Ready Librarians Framework/ ISTE Standards for Educators Crosswalk.  (A crosswalk aligning the ISTE Standards with the AASL Standards is due out shortly.) The document shares:

School librarians and library media specialists play a critical role, one that has only grown more important as information has dispersed and proliferated online. Librarians often serve as technology leads within their school building and they provide invaluable learning on how to find relevant resources, evaluate the credibility and usefulness of information, and be thoughtful digital citizens. Both ISTE and Future Ready LibrariansTM recognize the value of library professionals. Future Ready Schools® included librarians as part of their expansive FRS Framework, expanding the signature “gears” to include their work. When ISTE refreshed their teacher standards in 2017 they repositioned them as the ISTE Standards f or Educators to support those who educate children both in and out of the traditional classroom, with librarians and library media specialists being top-of-mind in that shift.

The new document clarifies our potential in the thoughtful technology integration and as valuable, forward-thinking instructional partners and leaders. It illustrates the value of ensuring librarians a seat at the table in planning, designing, decision-making, and evaluation.

 

5. In case you missed the fun on the ISTE Expo floor, here’s a taste of the Future Ready Librarian Feud At ISTE that was broadcast live on Facebook on Monday. (Turn the volume down a bit.

 

6. I was truly honored to deliver the keynote at the ISTE Librarians Network breakfast on Wednesday. Using NBC’s This is Us as a theme, I shared a look back at the history of our SIG/network and asked us all to consider the most resonant #TMW (that moment when) we recognized the power of technology for learning.

I am grateful for the generous contributions/reflections of several fabulous librarians–Kathy Schrock, Annette Lamb, Gwyneth Jones, Joquetta Johnson, Tiffany Whitehead and Matthew Winner. You can enjoy them on this Flipgrid.

 

I am also very grateful to Miguel Figueroa, director of ALA’s Center for the Future of Libraries, for his expert advice on how we might play with a

nd dream productively as we consider our futures with compelling visions toward positive future goals. (Both grids’ codes are “ValenzaFlipGrid” should you have trouble getting in.)

During the session, I asked participants to consider their own #TMWs and those memed moments appear both on this Padlet on in this Twitter stream. Please share your own!

If you are interested in our network’s past, present and exploring my own favorite futures, here are my slides.