F.I.T. ~ Fun Integrating Technology ~: Preparing for ISTE 2015

Only seven days away and I am super excited...it is time for ISTE 2015. This is my second ISTE conference and my first trip to Philadelphia! I am uber excited to learn new technology tips, tools, and strategies...and explore the city.

I've spent a few weeks planning everything out...

I love the Exhibition Hall, so I started planning which vendors I wanted to visit. I used ISTE's interactive exhibit hall and the ISTE app to research and save all my vendor Favorites!

Remember when visiting exhibitors and vendors, take what you need! If there is some things you want, see if the vendor or exhibitor will ship it to you at the end of the conference. You can also ship it yourself, but if you are like me I like to save my coins!

Have fun...this is my favorite place to visit. You learn so much from the Exhibition Hall!

Things to Learn:

Come back to visit as I share my Google Docs Notes on everything I learned.

Places to Explore:

1. Philadelphia's Hop On Hop Off Tours is a great way to see all the great Philly sites. The tour is 1 hr and 45 minutes of Philadelphia's 100 most popular attractions. A one day pass is $27 and a two day pass is $30. I opted for the two day pass just in case I don't have enough time or want to see the city again. With 27 stops and attractions, they is a great bang for you buck. Tours begin at 10:00 am and the last pickup is at 4:30 pm. Since I am arriving earlier than my school district, this will be my first adventure on Sunday!

2. The Reading Terminal Market is the city's cultural culinary jewel. It will be my spot for my Taste of Philadelphia. This is right across the street from the Convention Center, so I have a chance of visiting it every day for lunch to try different Philadelphia food. The Reading Terminal Market has over one hundred merchants offering fresh produce, meats, fish, baked goods, crafts, ethnic foods, and more. Check out the 21 Best Things to Eat at The Reading Terminal Market.

3. Phillies vs The Brewers Baseball game is on Monday night at 7:05. I was just in time to purchase a few tickets from someone on Twitter. It will be my first MLB game... Ready for the experience!

4. Wanted to have a great atmosphere to unwind after a long day of learning....Since we are staying at the Sheraton University, I decided to end my evening on that side of the town. I am thinking of trying out the Pod and maybe White Dog. If my days are long...it may be ordering in a pizza or just something from room service.

ISTE Events:

ISTE 5K - Monday 6:30 am at the corner of Arch and 12th. We will run to the Rocky Steps and return to the starting point.

EdTech Karaoke - Tuesday 7 PM

Conference Bag Essentials

I like to take a small backpack because it prevents me from just collecting any and everything from vendors. Small enough for my essentials and big enough to grab a few goodies.

1. Sweater

2. Water bottle

3. Snacks and Chewing Gum

4. Business Cards

5. Pens

6. Phone Charger

Now how to pack light. My husband is my traveling companion and we are only taking one carry-on for the both of us. He's always been a great packer...check out how I packed for the trip! Don't forget your portable charger, and good shoes!