Howdy from ISTE 2013
Sunday, June 23, 2013 at 01:38PM 
ISTE conference bag. On left what I immediately tossed. On right what I kept. Keepin' the paper industry in bidness.
Greetings from the Days Inn Alamo/Riverwalk (described by one reviewer on TripAdvisor as "like sleeping in a crack den." BLOODY FINGER PRINTS ON BATHROOM DOOR. Hey, it's $55 a night and a 10 minute walk to the conference center. Looks OK to me, but I did check the bathroom door.
This ISTE conference - the Great Lovefest to All Things That Go Beep - is a little different for me - I don't have a single obligation except to show up for the free events where I promised to drink copiously and eat free food. (But only from vendors who do not bid on E-ratable services, Mary.) I was in the mountains of Luzon when the session proposals were due and I just plain messed up not getting one in. Sort of nice in a way.
Good trashing of ISTE's increasingly commercial-oriented mindset by Hack Education - On (Not) Missing ISTE 2013. Yup, Audrey, these are my concerns as well. However it didn't keep me from picking up my "free" Microsoft tablet. It'll go on check-out in the district when I get back. The buzz is that Microsoft must be desperate to give away 10,000 of these $500 tablets. Hmmm, you mean everyone doesn't already have an iPad?
Already saw some old friends at the Making It Happen luncheon, so off to a good start. Dinner with Scott, Miguel, and Wes after the keynote, then on to past board member reception. Friends are why I come, to be perfectly honest.
Going to feed my ISTE App on my iPhone with programs so I don't have to even drag the booklet with me.
I'll let you know if I hear about any really good stuff.
