Breakouts
Conversations in district offices, administrative meetings, and boardrooms revolve around a few central themes, one of them being technology integration. However, despite the emphasis on adding technology, most schools and classrooms look no different than they did 100 years ago, and we have little data to show any significant gains in student achievement to justify the billions of dollars spent. The problem is clear: People think simply adding a SmartBoard to the classroom or using PowerPoint with their lecture is the silver bullet. I promise you it is not. This session will focus on why this moment in time might be the most important and potentially transformative period in our history, especially for educators. Technology, when leveraged with effective learning and teaching theory, can increase engagement, redesign instructional practice, and break down classroom walls. This session will be divided into three sections. The first will focus on the recent technology boom and its impact on our lives and work. The second will focus on utilizing exceptional systems to drive technology integration. The third will be a discussion of best practices and specific examples of the realized potential of powering learning and teaching with technology.