A team of three students from Truett McConnell University’s (TMU) Peter and Gredel Walpot School of Education will be presenting at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference after their recent proposal was accepted by the non-profit’s organization board.

ISTE inspires educators worldwide to use technology to innovate teaching and learning, accelerate good practice and solve tough problems in education by providing community, knowledge and the ISTE Standards, a framework for rethinking education and empowering learners.

The conference, to be held this summer in Anaheim, California, allows the brightest minds in EdTech to network and share strategies with proven resources for transforming learning and teaching.

“This is an excellent opportunity for our students to showcase their talents in an international arena,” said Dr. Sheri Hardin, Assistant Professor of Education.

Explaining their research proposal, Hardin said, “Students in ED 304 Teaching Social Studies identified an issue in their placements, the lack of cultural diversity. Students then worked to provide a solution to the problem. Using Google Expedition, they created a virtual tour showcasing the culture of the area (Appalachia).”

“After the project was developed,” she said, “students partnered with a school in the Philippines and a school in Alaska, sharing their project and helping these schools develop their own Google Expeditions in a virtual cultural exchange.”

“During our ISTE session, Maritess Melber, Ashton Crowe, Madeline Hood, and I will demonstrate how to use Google Expedition to cultivate cultural diversity in schools that are not culturally diverse.”

“With the growth of technology integration in instruction,” said Dr. Julie Lutz, Dean and Associate Professor for the School of Education, “being able to present at an international technology conference not only recognizes our students’ achievements in the application of technology instruction but also highlights the School of Education’s commitment to producing qualified servant leaders in education.”

“I am most excited about this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn about how the education profession is implementing technology to empower all learners in an international scale,” said senior Education major and conference participant Maritess Melber.

“By presenting at the ISTE conference,” Melber added, “I hope to achieve how cultures like mine, Filipino-American, can be globally connected through education institutional partnership such as Kids with Purpose International and Truett McConnell University.”

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(Pictured l-r): Ashton Crowe, Madeline Hood, Dr. Sheri Hardin, Maritess Melber, Dr. Julie Lutz

Jenny Gregory is the Digital Content Specialist for the Marketing and Communications Dept. at TMU.

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