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FETC 2011 will turn to the ‘Eye of the Storm’

Thousands of educators throughout Florida and the nation will have an opportunity to journey into the eye of the storm when FETC 2011, one of the largest conferences in the nation devoted entirely to educational technology, opens with keynote speaker Reed Timmer, lead meteorologist and professional storm chaser on Discovery Channel’s award-winning series Storm Chasers.

As FETC’s opening-session speaker on Feb. 1, Timmer is expected to discuss his experiences in the field of severe weather coverage. He became the first person in history to capture high-definition video from inside a tornado. Because of his experience with a vast assortment of hazardous weather and natural disasters as well as his extensive education in the science of meteorology, Timmer has become a strong advocate for extreme weather and disaster education.

Timmer leads an array of distinguished featured speakers, including Karen Cator, director of the Office of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education, who will discuss how to transform American education through technology. Cator will focus on the “highly-connected teacher” and online communities of practice that support effective teaching.

FETC’s 31st annual education technology conference takes place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., Jan. 31 through Feb. 3, and features dynamic speakers, exhibitors, and events designed to give K-12 educators and administrators an unparalleled opportunity to explore different technologies across the curriculum, while increasing their familiarity with the latest hardware, software, and successful strategies on student technology use.

The technology conference will present more than 200 concurrent sessions and more than 70 workshops focusing on topic areas such as digital content, future and emerging technologies, mobile learning, social media, administration, and accountability.

The FETC Exhibit Hall, a dedicated educators’ marketplace, will enable attendees to see and purchase the latest innovations in classroom technology from more than 500 companies, including education and technology powerhouses like Discovery Education, Epson, Earthwalk, Promethean and SMART. This hands-on, interactive environment is a key component of the FETC experience, allowing conference attendees access to the cutting-edge software and hardware transforming today’s educational landscape.