More than Cool: FETC's Discussions on EdTech with Leading Educators

January 12, Girls (and Boys) and STEM with Sylvia Martinez

Sylvia Martinez will guide us as we explore how to make sure STEM opportunities are open for all.

• What assumptions are we all making that inhibit girls from pursuing and thriving in STEM careers?
• How can we take advantage of the differences between male and female approaches, skills, and aptitudes in STEM?
• How do we strengthen the STEM <–> Playfulness connection?
• What gender-inclusive practices can we all embrace?

You can download the slides here.

January 11, Future Ready Schools with Thomas C. Murray

Tom discussed tactics educators and administrators are using to personalize student learning and prepare students for the future. Learn about resources that will help you maximize the learning in your classrooms.

December 21. Finding and Evaluating Great Digital Resources with SETDA's Tracy Weeks.

The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) is talking to educators around the country about shared models to find, evaluate, and deploy EdTech resources in classrooms. Listen to a conversation with Tracy Weeks, Executive Director, to hear what different educators and states are doing, and also to share your ideas and concerns. You can download the slides here.

December 6, We All Vary, Why Universal Design for Learning is for All of US with Luis Perez

We are all on a continuum when it comes to our abilities. This challenges the labels (“special needs,” “gifted”) we have placed on learners based on their divergence from the mythical average learner. In this session, Luis explored the key assumptions and beliefs about learning that make Universal Design for Learning (UDL) a much needed framework for designing education to meet the needs of today’s diverse learners. You can download the slides here.

November 30, Technologies and Literacy in Early Learning with Gail Lovely

They can't read yet, can they be purposeful tech users? Gail leads an exploration of the potential and possibilities of using technologies with early learners ages 3-7 with a focus on Literacy. She discussed tips, trick and tools to share ideas and best practices from the field. You can download her presentation here.

November 16, Managing Digital Resources in the Classroom with Houston ISD's Beatriz Arnillas

Beatriz led a discussion on how schools and districts can make it easier for teachers to find and use digital resources that engage students and promote learning. Tips included models for finding, curating, accessing, and creating content. You can download the slides.

November 10, Leading Change in Challenging Times with Ann McMullan

Educators are change agents. The opportunity and responsibility of leading others falls on every educator's life every single day. Ann McMullan led a discussion of five basic principles that will help all of us lead people through change. Ann is a featured speaker at FETC, a long time educator, and co-author of Life Lessons in Leadership: The Way of The Wallaby.

November 2, Intentional Use of Technology to Meet the Needs of All Learners in an Inclusive Classroom with Mary Schillinger

Looking for guidelines to help you intentionally and selectively use tech to achieve your desired curriculum goals and student achievement outcomes? Mary Schillinger discusses how to plan for, select, and deploy educational technology tools to realize their potential to help all students across all subjects. Her handout is here, and you can download her slides here.

October 4, Your Role in the Privacy, Security, and Innovation Discussion with Robert Dillon

Fear should not be the driving force behind EdTech Policy. Decision making around privacy and security is too often fear-based, “if you don’t do this, something bad is going to happen”. You can also download the slides.

This session is for both teachers and administrators, and will cover

1. Policies, where do we use rules and where wisdom
2. Everyday routines you bake into the system,
3. Systems that protect like firewalls and antivirus, and
4. Responses, how do you build a culture where things are responded to the right way.

September 21, FETC's Jenn Womble on EdTech Trends

Jennifer Womble reviews 1500 speaker presentations for the FETC conference in January. What do the speaker presentations say about EdTech trends? What tips can Jennifer offer you on submitting to speak? Jennifer opened up the series More than Cool: FETC's Discussions on EdTech with Leading Educators with a bang. You can view her slides here.