Program: Tech Forum Northeast

8:00am - 9:15am

Welcome and Opening Keynote

Chris Lehmann
Building School 2.0: Creating the Schools We Need

What is School 2.0? What are the pedagogical ideas that form it? Examine ideas of constructivist pedagogy and the use of 21st Century tools to create schools that are engaging, caring, and relevant places of learning for everyone involved. The history of the formation of the Science Leadership Academy will form the backdrop for this conversation.

9:30am - 10:45am

Breakout Sessions

In these practical and thought-provoking panel sessions exemplary education leaders share success stories, advice, and lessons learned from their own experiences:

Social Networking in the Classroom: Tools for Teaching the Facebook Generation

Gwen Solomon (moderator); Peggy Sheehy; Cathy Swan and Kristine Goldhawk; Tim Best
We will hear from three districts that are safely and effectively using social networking tools to further educational goals.

Cathy Swan and Kristine Goldhawk

Walking the Walk

Judy Salpeter (moderator); Chris Lehmann; Alisa Berger and Mary Moss; Kim Carter
What does it look like when technology is embedded into the daily life of schools and playing an integral role in turning educational vision into reality? Presenters from several groundbreaking schools will share examples and experiences.

Alisa Berger and Mary Moss

Kim Carter

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Making the Case for Technology in Cash-Strapped Times: The District Administrator's Perspective

Kevin Hogan (moderator); Dr. Robert MacNaughton; Dr. Kathleen Monks; Terrence Clark; Bruce Lai
We've invited some visionary district leaders who have a commitment to educational technology to explain why they're staying the course and how they're maintaining support for technology in spite of the current financial crisis.

Terrence Clark

Bruce Lai

Open Source in Education

Christine Weiser (moderator); Bill Stites; Aaron Grill; Robert Miller
A look at the ins and outs, do's and don'ts of open source in K-12 schools, the differences between "free" and "open" resources, and how IT leaders can chart the most effective course.

11:00am - 11:45pm

Roundtable Discussions

11:50am - 12:45am

Industry Spotlights

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

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1:50pm - 3:10pm

Mini-workshops

Here's the chance to delve deeper into topics of particular interest in K-12 ed tech decision-makers.

Making It Happen: How Our Imaginations Can Give Us the Schools We Want

Patrick Higgins
When will the term computer lab sound as silly as the term pencil lab sounds to us now? When will the boundaries of academic disciplines become more permeable, so teachers see themselves not as English, science or math teachers, but as leaders of thought, solution, and growth? Technology is no longer the next thing or the latest thing in education. It just is, and it has the ability to transform good teaching into great teaching. Building on the ideas set out by Chris Lehmann in his opening keynote, Patrick Higgins will help you bring your ideas about change to the forefront and aid you in articulating your vision for your classroom, school, or district.

Building Literacy for a Visually Rich World

Marianne Malmstrom and Sarah Rolle
As educators, much of our focus is on teaching students to encode and decode written language. Shouldn't we be applying the same rigor to helping them analyze, interpret and critically navigate the imagery that dominates communication today? This interactive workshop will focus on the skills necessary for understanding and communicating in a visually rich world. Test your own visual savvy, learn to identify some of the ways in which images and video are manipulated to persuade or trick the viewer, and see several examples of multimedia projects in which students have put these skills into practice. You'll leave the workshop with resources to help you start or enhance your own visual literacy program.

Students as Writers, Researchers and Collaborators

Jon Orech
Writing is hard work, and an essential skill, so how do we ignite interest and improve achievement in student writing? This workshop will focus on audience, purpose, developing learning targets, tools and approaches for collaborative writing, and new research strategies involving blogs, RSS, social bookmarking and more. We will also look at ways of assessing students as the writing experience is transformed.

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The Life-Long-Learning Toolbelt: An Approach to Professional Development

Scott Meech
Most newcomers to the power of technology for education talk about a sense of being overwhelmed, the difficulty of determining where to start, and a steep learning curve once they decide to learn more.; Instead of focusing professional development experiences on the "cool" new tool or "buzz" word, this workshop introduces an approach that emphasizes "learning how to learn" via technology. Scott Meech will walk you through a five-step process for helping educators in your schools put together a "Life-Long-Learning Toolbelt" including research tools, social bookmarking, blogging, social networking and more.

3:15pm - 4:00pm

Closing Session/Spotlights

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