A New Endeavor (#TSETC)

So many exciting things have happened recently as a result of my own learning and growth in educational technology and leadership.  As a result, I have seen my own knowledge increase in these areas, participated in exciting professional development opportunities, presented at both my school and at other events on web 2.0, and begun to collaboratively change the culture of my school.  I have been so inspired and motivated as of late that I guess it was just a matter of time before I would be presented with an opportunity to really share with local educators what I have been experiencing on a global scale.

Forming partnerships are an extremely important aspect of educational leadership.  A few weeks ago Schoology, an educational technology company based in New York City, approached me and wanted to hear my views on technology.  After the conversation we threw around the idea about possibly collaborating in the future.  The end result has translated into an educational technology conference being held at New Milford High School, which is set for 10/2/10.  After throwing around numerous options we decided to call this event the Tri-State Educational Technology Conference (TSETC).  So why is this a big deal? Well, for starters we have a vision to host a free event for any teacher unlike anything they have ever experienced (at least that is our goal).  

It seems like my area in particular is saturated with traditional forms of professional development and that teachers are craving to learn about exciting, innovative practices that effectively integrate technology.   Here is a great example.  The other day I was talking to a friend of mine who teaches in another part of New Jersey.  I was telling him about how excited I was to co-host this conference with Schoology and proceeded to tell him about some of the potential presentations on web 2.0.  He had no idea what I was talking about, but was really eager to learn more.  Our conversation also validated my point made earlier that educators want fresh forms of professional development that are meaningful, multi-faceted, and cost-effective.  This is exactly what we are setting up to accomplish.

The event is still in the early development stages and there will eventually be a website for registration as well as an array of promotional materials.  Overall the objective is simple.  Provide any educator that wants to attend a variety of free learning experiences complete with applicable strategies and ideas that can be used either as a teacher, administrator, or parent.  We also want to make this event look and feel like a real conference, but without the cost!  The following are some strands for workshops and sessions we are currently throwing around: School Improvement, Digital Age Learning Experiences, Professional Growth & Leadership Best Practices, and Technical Support & Infrastructure.  It doesn’t get any better than this!  All I have to do now is keep my fingers crossed that this endeavor is a success and sustainable in the future.  We really hope that this conference becomes a yearly event attracting immense numbers of passionate educators.  I am also excited to announce that Project ABLE, a subsidiary of The Madison Institute, will be helping to sponsor the conference.  Here are some other little tidbits that we plan on including:

Keynote Speaker

Bloggers Café/Networking Lounge

Virtual Learning Lab: Attendees can experience and explore the latest tools in EdTech

Catered Lunch

Giveways

Bring Your Own Laptop (optional, not required): My school has a wireless infrastructure
Official Twitter hashtag: #TSETC
Live Video Feed: We plan to stream all major sessions on the internet for virtual attendees.

If you are a local educator who would be interested in presenting please let me know.  We are also looking for potential sponsors for the event to join those that have already pledged support and anyone else that has an interest in getting involved.  Please keep your eyes open for future updates and announcements. For more information on the evolution of the TSETC check out this post by Schoology.

In case I didn't mention, TSETC is FREE and will be open to ANY/ALL EDUCATORS!!!!! Mark your calendars now for Saturday October 2, 2010 and join us in New Milford, NJ.