January 2008 — News
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FETC 2008: It's All About Community
Closing Session: Educators Encouraged to SWIM into the 21st Century
The conference closed Friday with an interactive address by John Kuglin, where participants used handheld, infrared voting devices to respond to questions, projected on the two large screens that flanked either side of the stage.
CIO at Eagle County School District, in Vail, Colorado, Kuglin used the acronym "SWIM" to describe the elements for building a 21st century learning environment. Short for "Space, Web, Infrastructure, and Media," these key components, according to Kuglin, are vitally necessary in a world where information is becoming increasingly visualized.
John Kuglin delivers the closing address Friday at the FETC 2008 show in Florida.
"We need to transform our classrooms because of these things," he said, "and not just tinker with the technology."
Kuglin's presentation included a demonstration of the power and capability of Google Earth, as well as audio and video that was both intriguing and fun. Kuglin closed by insisting that 21st century learning begins with creative teachers and urged the audience to "be different ... teach different," and, of course, to attend FETC 2009.
FETC's Numbers Grow
By all accounts, this year's FETC was a resounding success, with all numbers up from a year ago. General attendance figures topped 8,000, with workshop attendance doubling last year's numbers, at more than 1,800. The number of exhibiting companies was also up, at more than 480.
A Look Forward to FETC 2009
With FETC 2008 having come to a close, many educators and administrators have already begun to look forward to FETC 2009. With technology advancing at breakneck speeds, educators continue to be faced with challenges on how to relate to--and teach--the digital generation. It will indeed be interesting to witness the variety of changes that will undoubtedly come in the next 12 months and the ways educators and technology experts use their creativity and innovation to address them.
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About the author: Chris Riedel is a freelance writer based in Florida. He can be reached at criedel2@cfl.rr.com.
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