■ Mobile is everywhere: This hardly comes as a surprise, but just about every session had something to do with mobile learning. BYO, 1:1, iPads, Androids, laptops, etc. You name it, there was a presentation for it.
■ Students as producers: This is a great trend in education that is aided by this mobile push. Many of the sessions focused more on the students taking control of their learning and publishing work to the world.
■ App madness: Yes, the masses are hungry for apps. It wasn’t unusual to see long lines outside any session with “app” in the title.
■ Smaller companies step up: Unlike most conferences, the exhibit floor seemed to feature many more up-and-coming companies and vendors. This is mainly due to the combination of mobile push and the fact that smaller companies seem to innovate at a quicker rate than their larger counterparts.
■ Informal space to collaborate: One of the best features of the conference was the “Digital Square.” This was a space where many presenters and attendees would gather to discuss ideas. Much of the furniture actually contained power supplies so you could recharge your device while recharging your mind.
