According to the producers, some 14,000 teachers, school administrators, vendors, and press gathered in Orlando Jan. 22 to 24 to attend hundreds of technology-focused sessions and workshops during this year's Florida Educational Technology Conference (FETC). Florida's annual state ed-tech conference enjoyed a large boost in attendance compared with other recent ed-tech trade shows.

In addition to high attendance, this year's FETC featured its largest exhibit hall ever. Approximately 430 companies showcased their latest products and services at the event, and we'll give you the highlights in a moment.

The show kicked off with a keynote speech by Linda Ellerbee, a long-time journalist and producer of "Nick News," a news program for kids on the Nickelodeon cable television network.

Ellerbee emphasized the importance of teaching kids media literacy. "If we are not careful, television will be their most important teacher," she said. "Media literacy can not be a luxury. It is essential."

Helen Soule, senior technology adviser for the Office of Postsecondary Education at the U.S. Department of Education (ED), praised FETC attendees for being school technology pioneers.

"FETC is the largest state technology conference," she said. "Here in Florida, you have a wonderful history of providing technology leadership."

Later, during a session entitled, "What's New at the Department of Education," Soule reminded conference attendees that they have until mid-March to submit comments and suggestions for the new National Education Technology Plan.

So far, ED has received 400 comments and suggestions through the plan's web site--and more than 210,000 students gave their input on the plan through NetDay's National Speak-Up Day, Soule said.

Also, ED has set up a web log, or blog, on the National Education Technology Plan web site for people to give their opinions about an analysis the Education Development Center did of technology over the past 20 years.

ED also will be hosting a few No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Technology Leadership Summits in the coming months. The first summit, which will focus on accountability and assessment through the use of technology, will be held in St. Louis, Mo., March 10 to 12. The next summit, on virtual learning, will take place this summer.

Product trends

With a growing number of school districts facing budget cuts or shortfalls, eSchool News editors who attended FETC saw an increasing movement toward products touting a provable return on investment (ROI).

One such product was ENCORE!, a web-based suite of special education management solutions from 4GL School Solutions in Towson, Md.

According to 4GL, ENCORE! helps districts increase the effectiveness of their special education programs by reducing the expensive, non-instructional costs of administration and compliance liabilities. 4GL has demonstrated that its system typically provides a 100-percent or greater financial return to districts over a three-year period, meaning that every dollar a district spends will result in a dollar of savings or increased funding over that three-year period, the company says.