ISTE Certification is a new competency-based, vendor-agnostic educator certification based on the ISTE Standards for Educators. This digital credential recognizes educators who understand how to use edtech for learning in meaningful and transformative ways. Illinois Digital Educators Alliance has been selected by ISTE to be an authorized provider of the ISTE Certification for Educators because of their commitment to high quality edtech professional learning and the ISTE Standards as a guide for transforming teaching and learning.

BirdBrain Technologies’ mission is to inspire deep and joyful learning in all students through creative robotics. BirdBrain cultivates creativity and computational thinking by providing flexible and inspiring products: the Finch Robot and the Hummingbird Robotics Kit.

Founded at the CREATE Lab at Carnegie Mellon University in 2010, BirdBrain is a research-based company that promotes gender equality and diversity in engineering and robotics. Our products have been used by thousands of teachers around the world to bring creative design and robotics fun into the classroom!

IDEA alongside the Chicago Zoological Society have partnered together to create some incredibly immersive summer learning experiences for teachers. These hands on, professional development courses are rooted in the NGSS science standards as well as the ISTE standards. Classes are co-taught and immerse teachers in a unique experience in which the Zoo becomes the classroom.

Whether it is STEAM, engineering or connecting with other educators at the CZS Mini Con, this unique experience is one you won't want to miss.