Education Week - August 20, 2014 - Special Report - 6

Major Ed-Tech Convention Addresses Troubling Conduct
ISTE CODE OF CONDUCT UPGRADE
By Benjamin Herold
Following a groundswell of
concern around accusations of
sexism, sexual harassment, and
sexual assault in the educational
technology industry, the organizers
of the nation's largest ed-tech
conference recently overhauled
the event's written code of conduct.
The
policy changes made in
June by the International Society
for Technology in Education, or
ISTE, focus on explicitly outlining
unacceptable and harassing behaviors,
clearly delineating protocols
for addressing such behaviors
when they occur, and identifying
specific consequences for violations.
Such guidelines have been
adopted in recent years by other
conferences and events in the
broader U.S. technology sector,
where problems of sexism and
sexual harassment have been
widely reported and documented.
The extent to which such issues
are also present in the ed-tech
field is uncertain. Women are far
better represented in educational
technology than in most other
sectors of the technology industry.
But research on the prevalence of
sexual harassment in the ed-tech
sector is scant, and some prominent
female voices in educational
technology say that discussion of
such problems has, until recently,
been relegated primarily to private
conversations.
"I do think there are incidents
that happen all the time at conferences,"
said Audrey Watters,
a freelance writer and speaker
on ed-tech issues who maintains
the popular Hack Education blog.
"They're a huge issue we face
broadly in our society, and I don't
think ed tech is immune to it."
The suddenly public conversation
about the treatment of
women in the ed-tech field-and
the significant changes to ISTE's
code of conduct-were ignited in
large part by Ariel C. Norling, a
22-year-old graduate student and
entrepreneur.
Ms. Norling published online a
first-person account in which she
said she was raped and sexually
harassed while attending ISTE's
2013 annual gathering. Ms. Norling
has not publicly identified or
pressed charges against either of
the men allegedly involved in the
separate incidents, and her allegations
have not been independently
corroborated.
Nationally, 60 percent of sexual
assaults go unreported, according
to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National
Network, a sexual-assaultprevention
organization based in
Washington.
Impact Seen
Ms. Norling's account struck a
nerve for many in the ed-tech field.
"This was the first time that
someone laid all their cards on the
table and told the unfiltered story,
and I think that's had a huge impact
on people," said Margaret H.
Roth, who, along with Sehreen
NoorAli, founded EdTechWomen, a
professional-development network
based in Baltimore and New York
City.
"I've been harassed," Ms. Roth
said. "Someone got drunk and sent
me a bunch of inappropriate messages
on Twitter. Those are the
kinds of things that happen to many
people, all the time, that don't ever
get publicly talked about."
Opinions differ on the extent to
which such harassment occurs in
the ed-tech industry at large, and at
events such as the ISTE conference.
"I haven't personally witnessed
it," said Kecia Ray, the executive
director of learning technology for
the 81,000-student Metro Nashville
school system in Tennessee. "I
can say that, in general, any time
you mix groups of people with alcohol
and other events, things can
escalate." Ms. Ray is also the chair
of ISTE's board.
According to the Washingtonbased
group, roughly 65 percent of
its 19,000 members-who include
classroom educators, school and
district technology officials, and
entrepreneurs and industry representatives-are
female.
In an interview, ISTE CEO Brian
C. Lewis said an annual revision of
the organization's conference code
of conduct was already underway
when Ms. Norling posted her account.
Her allegations, and the resulting
explosion of online conversation,
much of which was harshly
critical of ISTE, "certainly informed"
the group's decision to overhaul its
A new code of conduct aimed at preventing and better
responding to harassing and offensive behaviors was in
effect for the 2014 conference of the International Society for
Technology in Education, held June 28-July 1 in Atlanta.
Key elements of the new code include:
I An explicit statement that "ISTE
does not tolerate harassment of
conference attendees or participants
in any form," with specific mention
of behaviors including "deliberate
intimidation, stalking, following,
harassing photography or recording,
sustained disruption of talks or other
events, and unwelcome physical
contact or sexual attention," as
well as any offensive behavior or
communication based upon an
individual's gender, age, sexual
orientation, race, or ethnicity.
I Statements that "sexual
language and imagery are not
appropriate for any conference
venue" and prohibitions
against creating a "sexualized
environment."
policy, Mr. Lewis said.
ISTE also convened a working
group of female ed-tech leaders,
chaired by Ms. Ray, to provide
advice and recommendations on
women's experiences and opportunities
in the field.
"Organizations like ISTE have
I Clear consequences for
"inappropriate, harassing,
abusive, or destructive behavior
or language," including warnings,
expulsion from the conference
without refunds, and bans from
future ISTE events.
I Specific instructions for reporting
incidents, including contacting
conference staff members or ISTE
officials at (404) 222-5800.
The full ISTE code of conduct is
available online.
Related resource:
Free, confidential help for victims
of sexual assault and their friends
and families is available from the
National Sexual Assault Hotline at
(800) 656-HOPE and online.
a heavy responsibility to address
these issues," Mr. Lewis said.
Airing Charges
Ms. Norling is now based in
Pittsburgh, where she is preparing
to pursue a master's degree in
PERSPECTIVE
PD Is Not a
4-Letter Word
By Jennie Magiera
W
hen people hear "PD" they often forget that
it's supposed to mean "professional development"
and instead think it stands for something
like "plain dull" or "pedagogy death."
But PD could be and should be so much
more.
In 2012 I attended a great PD event for the first time: the conference
of the International Society for Technology in Education.
It was like going through the looking glass. Here was a magical
land where we could meet our tribe, folks who got geeked up
about the same things we did, explore ideas, attend socials. Here
was a place we could ignite our passions.
But what about when we go home and ISTE is over? Where do
we find inspiration, connect with colleagues, and try new ideas?
What is fueling our passions and interests then?
I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. When I graduated from
college, I even made a list of things I wanted to do post-grad and
things that "were not an option." Nowhere on this list was what I
actually spent quite a lot of time doing in my first years of teaching:
sitting in mass staff meetings watching a presenter read bullets
off a PowerPoint. So I adapted and did what all smart teachers
do when they hear it's time for "PD": rush to grab papers to
grade, materials to cut, or emails to read. Anything to keep us
occupied during the next boring and a half hours.
After all, teachers are just big kids. So when it's time for us to
put our student hats on, why is it that frequently we're delivered
the worst pedagogy? In educational conferences around
the world, teachers learn about "best practices" like hands-on,
challenge-based experiential learning ... through "sit and get"
structures.
So what do teachers need? What is it they want when it comes
to professional learning and the development of their practice?
Teachers want authenticity. They don't want cheap crap. If
they're going to take time away from their classrooms, planning,
grading, and family, then they want the learning to be applicable
on Monday. A real-world idea that is road-tested and speaks to
students.
For example, teacher "playdates" were born out of the desire
to have hands-on learning with like-minded educators. Instead
of just hearing about a tool for an hour, teachers get to
play with the device or program, experience failure, and
rebound together in a safe space.
One of the things I love about a playdate is how egalitarian
it is. Anyone in the room can be a lead learner. Pods organically
emerge as someone has an "a-ha!" moment and people leave having
had real experiences and often a plan for how they'll use
these tools in class the next day.
Learning Based on Needs
Speaking of authenticity, what is more authentic than having
students present at an event about teaching and learning?
Students in my school network attend our conferences and livetweet
their learning and reactions from sessions so folks from
around the world can follow along.
But the kids like to take the driver's seat in PD as well. Our
students support teachers through app "speed dating" sessions-
an idea we got from friends in Auburn, Maine. Teachers move
through five-minute hands-on stations where students share
their favorite app and how they use it in class. Teachers ask
6 EDUCATION WEEK 2014 CALENDAR OF EVENTS & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORY www.edweek.org/go/calendar
questions, and the kids are open about providing answers and
solutions. It doesn't get more real than having 6th graders teach
you something you don't know.
Teachers also want differentiation. I was once on a plane sitting
next to a man with a newspaper. He was acting shiftily-
not turning pages, holding it close to his face. When he went to
the bathroom, since I'm nosy, I looked under the newspaper and
found ... Fifty Shades of Grey.
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Education Week - August 20, 2014 - Special Report

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