FETC Conference in Orlando

I went with a group from my school to a conference whose mission is to keep educators informed of the latest technology resources and strategies for working with our students. It is always held at the Orlando Conference Center, which is HUGE. So huge that people may use Segway type vehicles to get around inside.

 

It was a great conference and I learned a lot. Amazingly, the best presenter I heard was a young girl of only thirteen, Adora Svitak. She was poised, informative, and funny while doing a fast-paced hour-long plus presentation that incorporated the Promethean Board shown in this photo. Notice the toolbar down the right side. This commands this board by the use of a special pen. We in her class also used handheld devices that looked similar to TV remotes with keys for texting our answers which were then shown on the board. Sometimes her questions were multiple choice and then the a, b, c, and d would appear on our screens and we simply selected and it would again show the totals on the big screen, sometimes in graphs. Video clips were imbedded in her presentation and were streamed onto the same screen.

Thanks to our wonderful PTA, our school is in the process of obtaining these incredible teaching tools that I have, no doubt, described  poorly. Some of our teachers have already begun their training and I will in the near future. From the conference, I learned just how important it is to use some of the new technology to get and hold the attention of kids who have been accustomed to it since the crib. It will still be much of the same content but the presentation will be the difference.