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ICE 2012 – R U Ready to Innovate, Collaborate & Educate?Judi Epcke and Scott Meech, Conference Co-Chairs

A l l o f t hese W e d n e s d a y opportuni t ies are offered for one low-cost flat registration rate.

ICE 2012 will also include the usual high-quality line up of full-day workshops and Administrator Academy sessions on Tuesday and half-day workshops during the two general conference days with non-stop learning on Thursday, March 1st, and Friday, March 2nd.

More information about the conference is available on the ICE web site, but you can use this link to go directly to the online registration site to register and build a conference experience to meet your needs and interests:

https://register.iceberg.org/?conference=ice_conference_2011

On behalf of the entire 2012 ICE Conference Committee, we look forward to a great week of innovation, collaboration, and inspiration.

Teachers today face many initiatives, pressures, and responsibilities. We hope Innovate, Collaborate, Educate, the theme of ICE 2012, will inspire, energize, and honor 21st Century educators and administrators. The ICE Conference prides itself on offering the best of the best – the best workshops, the best concurrent sessions, the best featured speakers, and the best interactive areas, and ICE 2012 will not disappoint.

The two sensational keynotes for ICE Conference 2012 both exemplify innovation and creativity. Renowned New York Times best-selling author and founder of FableVision educational multimedia company, Peter Reynolds will inspire attendees on Thursday, March 1st, and mobile learning innovator and associate professor at Abilene Christian University, Dr. William Rankin will share his expertise on Friday, March 2nd. ICE 2012 is also proud to present a special Thursday Luncheon Keynote which will feature Karen Cator, Director of the Office of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education.

Other conference highlights include a host of Spotlight Speakers from across North America, including: Barbara Barreda, Adam Bellow, Kathy Cassidy, Michelle Luhtala, and Katie Morrow. Two innovative ICE members, Jon Orech and Kim Zimmer, will also present as Spotlight Speakers.

Due to the popularity of last year’s “Build Your Own Conference” schedule, that option is back again on Wednesday, February 29. These three options allow attendees to create a personalized conference experience:

One full-day workshop

One half-day workshop and two 80 minute extended sessions

Four 80 minute extended sessions with guaranteed “ticketed” access to three popular and exciting speakers: Steve Dembo, Kevin Honeycutt, and Joe Morelock. Since these are all events that require pre-registration, seats are guaranteed at each session with no worries about falling out the door while trying to listen.

Chillin’ with ICEMarisa Burkhart, ICE Booth Co-Chair

At ICE 2012, Collaboration, Innovation, and Education will be front and center, but don’t forget to stop by the ICE booth for a little RELAXATION as well. Whether you are a new or seasoned attendee, we’re sure you know that connecting with colleagues and sharing ideas can be just as impactful as catching some of our high quality workshops and sessions. So please accept our invitation to “Chill with ICE” in our very own booth located at the back of the exhibit hall. Connect with colleagues, share what you have learned, listen to others, or just rest your feet with us. We’ll have fun games, prizes, and give-aways. We can’t wait to hear about your ICE 2012 experience, so don’t forget to warm up, wind down, and CHILL with ICE! See you there!

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Poster Sessions: The BEST Conference SecretCarol Broos, Poster Session Co-chair

ICE Workshops: In-Depth Learning - Fast and Fun!Donna Archibald, Workshop Chair

Hurry and register for a full-day or half-day workshop at the ICE Conference 2012 before they are full! Once again, we have a full range of dynamic full and half-day workshops conducted by awesome presenters. For example, Dr. Howie DiBlasi, a presenter at such conferences as NSBA and ISTE, will be here to do a full day workshop on Wednesday, February 29, Cultivating Creativity in the Classroom as Disney “Imagineers”. He will also be doing a Thursday half-day workshop, 39 Twitter Tips and Tricks, and a Friday half-day session, 17 Ways to Connect and Integrate Social Media Into Classrooms.

We have many other well known presenters such as Vinnie Vrotny, who will present Creating Collaborative Learning Environment Using Google Apps on Tuesday. Luke Allen is also on for Tuesday for Working with Windows 101: A Beginner’s Guide. Luke returns on Friday to present Keep it Clean! Helen Hoffenberg from Apple is presenting iPads for Administrators, Technology Leaders, and Instructional Facilitators on Tuesday and returns Wednesday for iPad in the Classroom. We also have many new workshop topics such as: App Inventor, Adobe InDesign, Wilmote Whiteboard, and several free resource and tool workshops. We also have workshops on our usual favorite topics such as Moodle, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Google Earth, Google Apps, and a wide variety of interactive whiteboard workshops.

Check out the registration site to look at all the available workshops: https://register.iceberg.org/default.aspx?conference=ice_conference_2012

Poster sessions are the best little secret at any conference. For the presenter, you can individualize the presentation to meet the needs of the attendee and develop a relationship with each individual person that attends your session. From the attendee’s perspective, you can connect with a presenter 1:1 and can ask questions you have concerning the topic. In addition, there are many presenters presenting all at the same time, so you can move quickly through many topics in a small amount of time.

One thing that’s so interesting is the mix of presenters that share their expertise at the poster sessions. You will find both seasoned presenters and first-timers. Terrific networking is a key feature of poster sessions. By developing a relationship through the presentation, many people

have remained connected after the conference due to the personal nature of poster session interactions. These interactions are something to watch; questions that are asked often help out others observing the presentations.

The presentation table at the poster sessions offers a variety of learning experiences. Along with short presentations, you can find paper handouts or links to materials, or maybe a presentation slide show. You will see a variety of innovative and creative ways that each table is set up and how each presenter showcases the content.

By having the poster sessions last for ninety minutes, you can spend quality time with a presenter and grasp the material at your own pace. It truly is a live demonstration of the 21st century skills of communication and collaboration. Again, personalization is the key ingredient at the poster sessions.

The Illinois Computing Conference has placed the poster sessions in a central location for a reason. The poster sessions are an easy way to network, interact, and possibly play with the topics and ideas.

So, plan to stop by the poster sessions and join in all the learning and networking. Be prepared to interact, ask questions and engage yourself to get the most out of your experience.

Innovate – Collaborate – Educate: There’s a Session for That!Alice Schmitz, Breakout Sessions Chair

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is the theme for the ICE 2012, and this conference theme will be carried throughout the sessions offered to you on Thursday, March 1, and Friday, March 2. During these two days, you will be able to take advantage of approximately 125 general and 40 poster sessions presented by educators, as well as 40 vendor sessions and 30 breakout sessions by Keynote and Spotlight speakers. The variety of sessions will allow you to return from the conference with a multitude of ideas to innovate, collaborate, and educate within your classroom, school building, and district. Here is just a sampling of what you have to look forward to:

- Want to learn more about iDevices, eReaders or tablets, using Google Apps with your students or flipping your classroom? Or maybe you are looking for a way to perk up professional development—how about sending teachers in your district on an “Amazing Race?” Maybe a paperless classroom has crossed your mind? Thought about setting up an online course, or maximizing your interactive whiteboard? ICE 2012 features sessions on all of these innovative topics.

- Want to learn how to better connect with authors, other educators, and classrooms across town or across the globe? Thought about allowing students to collaborate on research papers? Want to

Give a little.... Gain a lot! You may ask yourself, “What do I gain?”

How about helping others, directing others, assisting others? Sharing two to three hours of your time and energy can be REWARDING (and don’t forget the $75 reimbursement of your conference registration!)

If you attended ICE last year, you may remember gentlemen and ladies who had large smiles and a high level of energy waiting to greet you. What a warm feeling to know that you’re welcomed into an awesome learning environment. It’s kind of like students who enter a classroom being greeted at the door by a smiling teacher. Or maybe you remember the volunteers holding pink signs that read, “ASK ME”. Being lost isn’t fun. When you have a map available and someone to guide you, it can be a sense of relief. The Ask Me stations are like the resources we give students when they are trying to discover a new concept. All of us have the capability to volunteer. Now it’s your turn to give a little and gain a lot.

it’s a chance to have fun and work with a great group of people, and it is an opportunity to earn a $75 reimbursement of your paid General Conference fees. Don’t just sit there, give a little!

assist students in collaborating through a wiki, discussion board, Edmodo, or Moodle? How about starting a Personal Learning Network (PLN) with your colleagues? ICE 2012 presenters will discuss these topics, too.

– Want to learn more about 21st-century literacy, unit planning with technology or learning environments? Or maybe you want to integrate additional technology activities into your lessons or work to increase the authentic assessment in which you believe. How can technology activities support the Common Core Standards? How are others working to close learning gaps? There is at least one ICE session being offered on each of these topics. Additionally, a visit to the UDL Playground poster session could spark some ideas on linking classroom learning for students of special education with technology.

This list just scratches the surface. The ICE 2012 conference is certain to have something for you to help you in your classroom,

in a variety of ways as teacher-learners as you help students, and the students who are in the seats in your classroom each day!

We are all eager to see you in St. Charles!

Give a Little – Gain a Lot! Volunteer at the ICE ConferenceChris Sirianni & Amy Lamberti

Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/ICE2012volunteer.

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Education Media Roundtable Invites Chicago’s Top News Reporters and AnchorsDaniel Rezac

Seeking an Online Master of Education (M.Ed.) Degree? Check out American InterContinental University (AIU) at the 2012 ICE Conference

American InterContinental University (AIU) is proud to partner with Illinois Computing Educators for this year’s ICE Conference. If you are looking to advance your educational degree or interested in learning new skills in the educational arena, AIU has a range of options for you. As a new Bronze-Level Partner, AIU will be in Booth #305 in the Exhibit Hall and will offer a breakout session on each day of the General Conference.

During one of the breakout sessions, you will have the opportunity to learn from our academic team: Joy Richman, VP, Academics; Susan Malekpour, Education, University Dean, and Eileen Gallagher, Education, Program Chair, as they present on “How To Use Online Learning To Appeal To Students.”

Interested in enhancing your professional development? Eilleen Gallagher will also be presenting on AIU’s IACET certified Continuing Education Units (CEUs). IACET certification is the premier quality standard for continuing education and training

We are excited to meet ICE members and introduce our educational options for your specific career goals. For more information before the conference, please visit our website at: http://www.aiuniv.edu/Degree-Programs/School-of-Education.

Here’s a fun little game I like to play. It’s like Where’s Waldo, except it is seeking education in the news. Go to www.huffingtonpost.com and look for the education section. You can find the Education section, way over on the far right of the top menu bar under More, buried next to the “Weird News” category. At www.nytimes.com, you’ll find the (8-point-font) Education section on the left sidebar, right below the Crosswords/Games and above the Events section. I like to play a little trick on CNN.com. Just do a command-F or control-F on that site. Does the word education even come up once? It did not appear once on my recent search.

This is why so many educators have turned to Twitter and social networks. This is also why a few colleagues and I started EdReach.us; we wanted to seek out those positive stories. We also wanted to bring together some of the most talented educators in the world on one platform. I think it’s clear that educators want education news that’s positive. We know it exists.

True education news doesn’t bleed. It inspires.

For ICE this year, I’ve asked all of the major news outlets in Chicago to join me at ICE 2012 for a roundtable discussion entitled:

As of this writing, Darlene Hill from FOX Chicago, Dorothy Tucker of CBS, Rob Elgas of NBC-5, and Theresa Gutierrez from ABC-7 will join me on stage on Thursday morning, March 1st, to talk about the current state of education in the news. We’re going to highlight some of the stories that are currently playing in the headlines, deconstruct them, and talk about how those headlines get made. What feeds the education news machine? We’ll then open up our discussion and take questions we’ve harvested from online sources, as well as from the audience.

Can we work together to shape the discussion of education? Can we work together to give a positive momentum for education in the media? Education should always be a media event. I hope you’ll join us for this once in an ICE-time event.