Today’s technology-based learning environment can be complex. How are districts addressing the move to digital learning environments? What policy changes are underway? What do all of these changes mean for schools struggling with tight budgets?
Connecting the Dots allows attendees to learn from each other and further investigate some of the hot technology issues in education. This event will be offered free to the education community and features interactive group discussions. Event attendees will rotate through five to six roundtables and share challenges, information and best practices with their peers from around the region.
This event will also feature an interactive panel of education technologists who will highlight the technology initiatives at their respective districts.
This fast-paced session will convene K-12 district and Department of Education staff to discuss, reflect and prepare for what is to come.
You are invited to participate in roundtable group discussions on topics such as:
This completely interactive event will further examine these issues and explore new ways to align educational strategic planning, technology and available funding resources.
MORNING KEYNOTE:
Thomas Ryan, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Education
Tom Ryan is president of eMMERSION Learning and Education 360, a non-profit organization. He recently retired from Albuquerque Public Schools, NM, where he last served as CIO. He has worked for public education for over 31 years, and has a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Learning Technologies from NMSU.
Ryan is a national board member of the Consortium of School Network, a senior fellow with the Center for Digital Education and board member on Innovate + Educate. He is also a member of several New Mexico statewide boards, and has served as adjunct faculty for the University of New Mexico designing and teaching courses online. He works with several national committees such as iNACOL and the Council of Great City Schools.
HOST / CLOSING KEYNOTE:
John Halpin, Vice President Strategic Programs, Center for Digital Education
John Halpin serves as the Vice President Strategic Programs for the Center for Digital Education. He has worked in the public sector and information technology market for over 35 years. As a veteran K-12 teacher, curriculum coordinator and college professor, Halpin has consulted with industry and the public sector to help promote the use of technology in education. He has also led sales and marketing efforts for some of the largest technology companies. In addition, Halpin has contributed to industry and professional publications as a writer and speaker. He has written for various outlets, including the national Business Journal Group, the McClatchy Newspapers chain and various corporate industry publications. He speaks often on public sector technology issues before national professional associations, various state leadership councils and technology companies.
8:00 a.m. – Registration / Continental Breakfast
8:30 a.m. – Welcome
8:45 a.m. – Morning Keynote
The role of technology in school districts has become critical to the success of students and teachers. Blended learning, e-textbooks, online credit for graduation and online assessments are a few of the many factors leading to a transformation of our classrooms. Leadership and strategic planning is also critical to bridge the gap between instruction and operations. This session will highlight ways to transform the practice of education using digital resources.
Thomas Ryan, PhD, Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Education
9:30 a.m. – Roundtable Discussion Rotation Begins
Rotation 1: 9:35 to 10:05 a.m. – Discussion
10:05 to 10:10 a.m. – Audience Response
10:10 a.m. – Break
Rotation 2: 10:20 to 10:50 a.m. – Discussion
10:50 to 10:55 a.m. – Audience Response
Rotation 3: 10:55 to 11:25 a.m. – Discussion
11:25 to 11:30 a.m. – Audience Response
Rotation 4: 11:30 a.m. to Noon – Discussion
Noon to 12:05 p.m. – Audience Response
12:05 p.m. – Lunch
12:30 p.m. – Technology Leadership Panel
This panel discussion will feature technology leaders from some of the local area districts. Panelists will share both current and future technology initiatives, highlight successes and discuss pressing concerns in an interactive format.
Moderator
John Halpin, Vice President Strategic Programs, Center for Digital Education
Panel
Marisa Greenlee, Chief Information Officer, Fulton County Schools, GA
Dayton F. Hibbs, Assistant Superintendent, Operations, Technology & Assessment, Marietta City Schools, GA
Lisa Young, Director of Professional Learning and Instructional Technology, Clayton County Public Schools, GA
1:10 p.m. – Interactive Response Roll-up
1:15 p.m. – Roundtable Discussion Rotation Continues
Rotation 5: 1:15 to 1:45 p.m.
1:45 p.m. – Break
Rotation 6: 1:55 to 2:25 p.m.
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION TOPICS
Technology Professional Development for Teachers and Staff
This discussion will examine the changing roles of faculty and staff as we move into the digital learning environment. As schools and districts are implementing increasing amounts of technology, ongoing training becomes even more crucial. Continuous professional development is critical and, ultimately, will affect each student. This session will highlight best practices to train and support staff so they can ensure a high level of learning for all students. It will also explore ideas to overcome barriers to achieving this goal.
Facilitators: Lydia Conway, EdD, NBCT, NET-Q Program Coordinator / Professional Learning Facilitator, Fulton County Schools, GA
Lisa S. McDermott, Professional Learning Facilitator, Fulton County Schools, GA
The Mobile Device and Application Explosion in Education: How to Address the Dilemma and Simpli-Fi the Problem
Today, mobile devices and applications have become more and more prominent in the classroom, making high-speed wireless networking fundamental to learning and communication experiences. Schools have quickly become the forefront for the "all wireless access layer" with the influx of wireless devices though BYOD and 1-1 initiatives; making performance, reliability, security and cost paramount. This roundtable discussion will address this mobile device dilemma and discuss how to prepare your network’s architecture in terms of scalability, service survivability, integration, application control and simpli-fi-cation – how to do more with less.
Facilitator: Jess Ward, Regional Sales Manager, Aerohive Networks
Challenges and Best Practices in Starting and Growing an Online Learning Program
According to EdNET Insight, 75 percent of U.S. school districts now offer online courses, up significantly from 2010. For good reason, online learning presents a host of options for meeting the needs of a full range of student populations – from at-risk students to advanced learners. Dr. Michael Maslayak, an online education pioneer and former head of one of the first virtual schools in the U.S., will lead this roundtable discussion about best practices and lessons learned when starting an online program, and for deploying multiple online models across a school district to meet a broad spectrum of students’ needs.
Facilitator: Michael Maslayak, EdD, Vice President, K12
The Changing Classroom Environment – What You Need to Know
The traditional classroom is undergoing a major shift. Increased access to the Internet and mobile devices has allowed learning environments to become virtual and always available. Schools and districts are now increasingly incorporating new instructional methods such as hybrid learning environments, virtual schools, flipped classrooms and more. While these new models open the doors to flexible and more individualized instruction, they can also mean a new delivery frontier for many school districts. This discussion will highlight the latest trends and will investigate questions such as:
Facilitator: Ken Thomas, Senior Manager, Enterprise Sales, Comcast Business Class
The Digital Textbook Revolution
Students are increasingly trading overloaded backpacks for digital textbooks and media. But what are the benefits and implications? This session will investigate where schools and districts are in the shift to digital and will discuss best practices for managing this transition including:
Facilitator: Kevin Carman, Director Education Marketing, AT&T
Attaining Total School Transformation with Technology
Technology will play a major role in transforming our schools. In this discussion, participants will track the use of technology, data and instructional changes to attain school transformation in low-performing schools around the southeast. With a focus on 1-to-1 deployments, we will discuss tools and strategies to effectively implement these changes and foster school and district leadership to support transformation.
Facilitator Dr. Mike Hall, former principal of Houston County High School and retired deputy superintendent for technology for the Georgia Department of Education, combines years of classroom technology integration experience with proven instructional strategies from successful school turnarounds in Georgia, Florida and South Carolina utilizing this unique transformation model.
Facilitator: Dr. Mike Hall, Chief Business Development Officer, Information Transport Solutions, Inc.
2:25 p.m. – Table Discussion Wrap-up
2:35 p.m. – Closing Keynote: The Evolving Ed Tech Landscape
The closing keynote will “connect the dots” between some of the hot topics in education today and their impact on today’s students. This session will showcase some of the latest research and provide a national perspective on current and future trends. Topical issues include:
John Halpin, Vice President Strategic Programs, Center for Digital Education
3:00 p.m. – Adjourn
Room Reservations
Contact the hotel directly for reservations.
