Tech Forum NY Provides Insight, PD, & Networking Opportunities for Innovative Leaders

Tech Forum New York, Tech & Learning magazine's annual event is a terrific professional development opportunity for innovative educational leaders. This high-powered, one-day event provides K-12 decision makers with thought-provoking content on the hottest topics of the day in education technology.

Unlike some larger conferences, what I enjoy about Tech Forum is it provides an engaging experience in an intimate setting, with expert presentations and plenty of networking opportunities that ensure participants leave with practical tools and key contacts for continued rich communities of practice.

Kathy Schrock Keynotes
The event is featuring one of my personal favorite experts as the conference keynote, the iconic Kathy Schrock who is known in the education field as the creator of Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators (http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide). Schrock, who’s a personal favorite of mine is someone I’ve looked up to when I began my career as a library media specialist, a title she held early in her career as well. Schrock is Extremely interested in information literacy, search strategies, copyright issues, the role of emerging technologies to support teaching and learning, and critical Web site evaluation, receiving her MLS from Rutgers Graduate School of Library and Information Studies in 1981. I was thrilled last year when she listed me in her compilation of recommended blogs.

Schrock will be discussing ideas for, “Connecting the Classroom to the Future: Predictions and Predicaments” where she’ll look at technological predictions and predicaments that have informed the direction of current instruction, and ponder a few questions about teaching for the future. How can teachers design curriculum that embeds technology in a meaningful way? What tools should the classroom technology toolbox contain? And what are the management strategies to facilitate this connected classroom?

At the conference I'll be co-facilitating a session on a five-step plan to harness the power of cells in education even in districts where they are banned. I will also be participating in a panel that looks at the value of something called innovation field trips which enables schools and visitors to celebrate success and engage in reflective practice focusing on a problem of practice.

Who Should Attend:
District and Building-Level Administrators; Technology Directors; Technology Coordinators; Librarians and Media Specialists; Mentor Teachers; Board of Education Members & other education staff involved in Technology planning.

Event Details:
The event takes place on Friday, October 22. Registration and breakfast (included) are served from 7:00 - 8:00. The opening keynote begins at 8:00 a.m. Readers of The Innovative Educator blog can register at the special discounted rate of $185 per person by visiting http://www.techlearning.com/events/techforum/newyork10/register and using promo code NY10FT. The conference takes place at the Westchester Marriott | Tarrytown, NY. There will be transportation from the Tarrytown train station to the Forum. For more details visit http://www.techlearning.com/events/techforum/newyork10/index.