Program

By Tech & Learning
published

Below is a recap of the day's sessions and events, complete with handouts and other materials submitted by presenters.

7:30am - 8:15am

Registration & Refreshments

8:15am - 9:30am

Welcome and Opening Keynote

Innovation Learning for a Flat World

Bernie Trilling
What is the one learning formula that will give every student a chance to succeed in the 21st century? What are three words that summarize the entire history of educational technology in the U.S.? Are "Boomers" and "Zoomers" really different animals? Why do old learning approaches fail once the world is flattened and connected? You too can participate in finding answers to these and other questions in this dynamic interactive presentation, sure to get you thinking, feeling, and acting in new ways. Come explore what leadership, learning, and ICT look like in a flat world. The real transformation in education and technology is what happens between your two ears and your heart.

9:30am - 9:45am

Refreshment & Networking Break

9:45am - 11:00am

Breakout Sessions

Leading the Way with Help From Data

Kim Carter (moderator); Frank V. Auriemma, Terry Trigg-Scales
The concept of data-driven decision making is not a new one to schools, but only a few pioneering districts have been at it long enough to offer us a retrospective on what can be gained through a sustained commitment to continuous improvement guided by data. We have invited administrators from two such districts to share their perspective — complete with descriptions of their philosophy and approach, information on tools used for data management and analysis, evidence regarding impact, and advice for other districts based on lessons learned from years of experience.

Virtual Schools, Real Learning

Gwen Solomon (moderator); Bruce Friend, Earl Grier, Tony Payne
This panel will explore issues, logistics and realities in the area of e-schooling. Panelists include a former assistant superintendent who runs a virtual charter school, a former course designer and instructor who is chief administrative officer of a virtual course program, and an intermediate unit director who will report on virtual learning programs in his state. Whether you're looking for individual online courses to supplement a school's curriculum or a total education package to serve as an alternative to your district's brick and mortar schools, this session offers you a real-world look at some of the options.

See also: Shaping E-Learning Policy by Gwen Solomon

Video Conferencing and High-Bandwidth Connectivity

Jeffrey Branzburg (moderator); Stan Silverman, Maria Fico, John O'Brien, Maria Narciso
Once only possible with the addition of rare and expensive special-purpose equipment, interactive video conferencing now requires little more than a high-speed Internet connection and an inexpensive camera. As bandwidth increases and schools hook up with initiatives such as Internet2, the possibilities are limitless. Come learn what educators and students are doing when given the opportunity to collaborate and communicate globally, in real time, with help from video.

Games for Education

Susan McLester (moderator); Eric Klopfer, Ben Sawyer; Bill MacKenty
Harvard, MIT, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and others are currently funding broad research on the power of games to teach. This panel will look at the various “serious games” initiatives now in progress across the country and examine evidence supporting the idea that integrating video and computer games into the curriculum directly impacts student achievement. Discussion will also focus on how learning games in the classroom are being tied to assessment, standards and other curriculum objectives.

11:00am - 11:15am

Refreshment & Networking Break

11:15am - 12:15pm

Industry Spotlights

Hear from the companies that are sponsoring this event and shaping the future of educational technology.

12:15pm - 12:45pm

Lunch

12:45pm - 1:15pm

Dessert Reception

1:15pm - 2:00pm

Roundtable Discussions

These discussions, on topics suggested by attendees when you register, provide a great opportunity for you to network with fellow technology leaders.

2:10pm - 3:40pm

Mini-workshops

These workshops allow our attendees to explore key topics in greater depth.

Facilitating Change

Kim Carter
We all know that preparing students for their future demands change, but how can instructional technology leaders best facilitate the change process in educational settings? This workshop offers structures and strategies for administrators and IT leaders who want to improve their effectiveness as change agents.

Digital Storytelling, Visual Literacy and 21st Century Skills

Joe Brennan and David Jakes
In today's world, literacy goes far beyond learning how to read and write. Knowing how to convey information using multiple media and how to tell a compelling story are both crucial communication skills for tomorrow's graduates. Come explore the process of digital storytelling and see how this meaningful learning experience supports the skills required for 21st Century learning. We’ll show examples of digital stories and, with the help of the audience, create a digital story. Finally, our collaborative discussion will focus on extending the key elements of the digital storytelling process to other technology experiences to create a new vision of learning with technology.

Blogs and RSS: Tapping Into the Global Conversation

David Warlick
Weblogs have given voice to millions, and dramatically leveled the playing field in terms of who writes and whom we read. The surprising success of blogging comes from two factors: the creation of a human network in which people read, respond, re-blog, and contribute their knowledge and perspective, and the powerful but subtle RSS technology that underlies blogs and serves to aggregate these conversations in potent ways. Learn how educators can employ these factors to promote basic literacy skills, help students develop new relationships with content, and harness the emerging capabilities of RSS for their own professional use.

Classrooms, Content and Kids

Pete Reilly
Join LHRIC’s Pete Reilly for an in-depth session examining how educational technology leaders are addressing the instructional content/software issues that are so important in transforming teaching and learning. In this interactive session, Pete will help us refocus on the needs of teachers and students, provide an opportunity to experience a wide variety of educational software, discuss successful strategies for bringing more attention and resources to non-hardware, content and professional development needs, and share a “Structured Content Planning” model that results in a 3-5 year Instructional Software Plan.

3:45pm - 4:30pm

Sponsor-Hosted Reception

Tech & Learning