TechCon is hosted and sponsored by three of the best associations for professional development and technology in the state of Illinois. These groups have pooled their resources to ensure a conference that will provide education for all attendees.
8:00 am – 9:00 am Registration and Refreshments
9:00 am – 10:00 am Welcome and Opening General Session
Meg is passionate about transforming teaching and learning through the power of digital tools. Meg is constantly researching and exploring applications and power of technology to reach all learners. Meg travels nationally and internationally empowering educators through her powerful presentations focused on change.
She is an author of two books, retired school board member, adjunct professor, blogger, consultant, keynote speaker, successful grant development specialist, and contributes to a number of Personal Learning Communities.
She is high energy, truly motivational, but also very practical. Her current research is focused on how curriculum can be delivered through the use of visual images, simulations and multimedia coupled with real time assessment to check for comprehension.
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10:15 am – 11:15 am Breakout Sessions
Essential Tools to Enhance Professional Learning
Nadine Norris
Instead of providing colleagues or students a laundry list of Web sites, use a tool that actually allows you to "present" Web content as an online screencast. Instead of attempting to explain how to use a specific software application, use screen capture software tools to show them. Facilitate professional learning opportunities for faculty members using free Web 2.0 software. Explore free tools that will allow you to take sharing resources and providing professional development opportunities, support to a whole new level.
Geek to Great: Getting School IT Leadership Right
Keith Gillette & Curt Lieneck
What do school leaders need to know about IT leadership in the flat, interconnected world of the 21st century? More than ever, marrying technology to our K-12 mission demands strong leaders with a clear role and a broad skill set. We’ll share our take on the essential management and leadership skills this special breed of IT professional needs to succeed by examining what the worlds of business and higher education have to teach us, and what these perspectives add to the K-12 IT leadership resources currently available.
11:25 am – 12:25 pm Breakout Sessions
Applications for Schools to Succeed in the 2.0 World
Paul Lacey
In tough economic times, school leaders must continue to create learning environments that will allow students to succeed and excel in the 21st Century. Shrinking budgets and increasing fiscal demands make it increasingly difficult for schools to provide current, high quality computer applications to students and faculty. This session will introduce you to a variety of free and powerful resources for schools including Web 2.0 Apps, Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) and Google Tools. We will discuss what benefits these applications offer, reasons for selecting and using one application over another, and ways to use these tools to develop a collaborative educational environment in which every student succeeds - without breaking the bank.
Developing Digital Learning Spaces: From Vision to Reality
David Jakes
Yes, emerging technologies have great potential. But how do we make them work in our schools today? This session explores the implementation of a multi-dimensional digital space with three components—a course space, a student-content creation space, and a knowledge commons that supports both—and examines how they support the development of learning literacy. Come prepared to evaluate these three spaces and discuss the organizational readiness that was required to take them from conversation to implementation.
1:30 pm – 2:30 pm Breakout Sessions
Staff Development for the 21st Century: Free Online Resources for Professional Learning are Just a “Click" Away!
Charlene Chausis
The Internet can be used to enhance, deepen, and transform learning opportunities through powerful and engaging platforms that many school administrators and educators have never heard about or experienced. Explore the multifaceted world of “Web 2.0” and the many free resources, such as wikis, podcasts, and blogs that can be used as a foundation for a staff professional learning program.
2:40 pm – 3:30 pm Closing General Session