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.…Read More

Last NSBA technology conference focuses on future of ed tech

The opening T+L keynote speaker said today's students should not have to 'power down' in school.
The opening T+L keynote speaker said today's students should not have to 'power down' in school.

Opening Oct. 19 with a flourish of red, white, and blue sails on the main stage, this year’s Technology and Learning (T+L) conference from the National School Boards Association will focus on “Innovation Delivery,” said NSBA President Earl Rickman. He also announced that this year’s technology conference would be the group’s last.

Reflecting the spirit found in schools across the nation of trying to do more with less, T+L no longer will exist as an annual stand-alone technology conference, Rickman said.

“We’re going to enhance our ed-tech programming,” he said. “We’ll still be around, providing you with the best resources and opportunities, but this is the last year of our [T+L] conference.”…Read More