Drenching rain Saturday may have made the trip to Philly a soggy one, but the atmosphere was anything but dreary Sunday when the sun came out and thousands of innovative educators descended on the Philadelphia Convention Center.

The sharing and learning began Sunday morning with Lead & Transform: An ISTE Town Hall. Education thought leaders — teachers, administrators, advocates and students — talked about their first-hand experiences with personalized, student-centered learning.

In the afternoon, the Communities Networking Fair offered a chance for members of ISTE Professional Learning Networks to gather and connect face to face. And during the first round of the ISTE Ignite sessions, inspiring educators offered sage advice and classroom philosophies, and some even sang to the roaring approval of the crowd. (Don’t miss the next three rounds of Ignites on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.)

Sunday evening, award-winning journalist, documentarian, news anchor and producer Soledad O’Brien took to the stage for the Opening Keynote. “Educators are on the front lines of a critical battle for access and equity in education,” O’Brien said. “It’s not a small opportunity. Do not give up on kids who need you.”

Opening day ended with the Welcome Celebration, where attendees mingled and checked out the Global Collaboration Posters.
Check out a sampling of photos from the day’s events in the slideshow below.