Where would we be without our smartphones and tablets? Even our watches are smarter than a fifth grader.

When you come to the International Literacy Association 2015 Conference, use this year’s app to plan your days, find out about last-minute changes, and network with fellow attendees. The link will take you to the app for the device you are using at the time. You can also find the app by going to your device’s app store and searching “ILA 2015.”

When you open the app, you’ll be taken to your dashboard. From there, select anything you’d like to see in more detail. At the top right corner, tap the gear icon to get to your profile. To download anything from the iPlanner, log in with your iPlanner username and password and voila! Your schedule will upload into the app.

In this same section, create your profile. When made public, other app users will be able to see your vitals, and anyone on the app will be able to request you to be their friend. Then you’ll be able to communicate directly to network.

If the attendee you want to connect with hasn’t made their profile public, you can still request a friend connection via e-mail using a unique code for each request.

You can even stay in touch with your friends between conferences with the app all year long.

Hitting the Exhibit Hall

The Exhibit Hall at conference is undoubtedly a favorite destination, but it can be overwhelming. Two features make it easier to navigate the passages and crowds.

First, tour the list of exhibits through the app and mark each booth you’d like to visit. The Quick List feature will make a plan for the most convenient and efficient path to take to make every stop.

If you should find yourself in the Exhibit Hall and not know where you are or where you need to go, have no fear. Go to Locate Me. By entering what booth is closest to you, the app will locate you and show you on a map of the Exhibit Hall floor. You can zoom in or out to orientate yourself and get back on track.

Users will also be able to impact next year’s conference by giving feedback on the sessions you attend. After the session is over, click or tap the clipboard icon in the left menu to rate it.

Also, if the session has a handout under the "Resources" tab, you can click and download it. The PDF will appear in "Downloads" on the main dashboard. The Clock Hours Tracking Form, Council Award Winners, and Shuttle Bus Schedule, are found in "Show Documents" on the main dashboard.

Explore the dashboard further to get to classic features:

• Maps of the convention center
• The list of exhibitors
• Event list with search
• Speaker list
• Photo gallery
• Social media (what people are saying using #ILA15)
• Alerts (last-minute room and schedule changes, shuttle changes, etc.)
• Messages
• Daily updates
• Local places (via the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Bureau)

The ILA 2015 Conference will be held July 18–20 in St. Louis, MO, with more than 6,000 educators ready to transform their practice. Key topics affecting literacy featured at the conference include content literacy, children’s literature, classroom engagement, and professional development. In addition to conference favorites, including a revamped Teaching Edge series and the Putting Books to Work panels, more than 120 exhibitors will be on hand with new tools and technologies for all manners of literacy education.

Learn more about the conference programs at ilaconference.org. Register today!

April Hall is editor of Literacy Daily. A journalist for about 20 years, she has specialized in education, writing and editing for newspapers, websites, and magazines.