What's new at the SC EdTech Conference

image of conference exhibit hall

From our Educator Guest Blogger Series

This fall, the SC EdTech Conference is returning to the Greenville Convention Center in Greenville, S.C., November 6-8, 2019.

The 22nd annual conference has a refreshed concurrent session schedule, all new special events, and exciting additions to the exhibit hall, making this an EdTech you don’t want to miss. These additional events and learning opportunities will offer attendees a more enriched experience during EdTech.

 

EdTech allows educational staff at all levels to come together in one place to learn, network, and collaborate. Teaching staff have the opportunity to learn from other teachers and instructional leaders about what they’re doing in their classrooms and buildings that works for their students and teachers. Technical staff and those in higher education will also find excellent learning resources during the conference. With session tracks such as Assistive Technology, IT Security, Technical Support, PowerSchool, Professional Development, Instructional Technology, One to One Initiatives, Devices, and more, there truly is something for everyone who works in any area of educational technology.

New this year, EdTech is including two-day Web Accessibility In Mind (WebAIM) training, Certification Central with a variety of free/low cost proctored certification tests available, and the Blue Print for Student Data Security and Privacy, a series of sessions presented by the US Department of Education.

Keynote speaker Mike Soskil, Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year in 2017, will explore ways to inspire students to shape a peaceful and prosperous world in their unknown future during his session. And don’t miss the fun of Goosechase, a virtual scavenger hunt where participants can win high-value prizes. 

The Exhibit Hall offers a wide variety of both hardware and software for attendees to evaluate through hands-on participation and demonstrations. This is the perfect place to find online assessment tools and group collaborative activities.

New Exhibit Hall events this year include the Vendor Classroom, which allows vendors to provide specific product demonstrations, sessions, and Q&As for attendees in three-hour time slots. The Assistive Technology (AT) MEGAShare is an opportunity for attendees to experience a walkthrough “safari” that will deliver a showcase of interactive, hands-on AT featured by various exhibitors.

Come to EdTech 2019 to learn about the latest technology, instructional applications, and the trending topics in educational technology. And leave the conference with innovative ways to utilize technology to make your job more efficient and education more engaging for South Carolina’s students. Being able to implement the information learned during the three days of sessions and events is a vital and valuable take-away from the conference. Please visit www.edtech.scaet.org to learn about all of the events mentioned, as well as the full conference schedule and session descriptions. 

Bios:

Tina Leitzsey has been the Director of Technology for the School District of Newberry County for 8 years. While in this position, the Technology Department has grown from a staff of 4 to a staff of 11 managing over 6,000 Dell devices and 1,500 iPads. Tina is an active member of WPEC (Western Piedmont Educational Consortium), SC Association of School Administrators (Co-Chair 2019-2020), SC ITAG (SC Information Technology Advisory Group) and SCAET (SC Association for Educational Technology).

Jami Boone is the Director of the SC EdTech Conference and the Business Manager for the SC Association for Educational Technology (SCAET), the organization that hosts EdTech. She became involved with EdTech nearly 20 years ago while employed at the SC Department of Education during college and loves working with an event that helps bring the latest in technology to South Carolina's educators and students.

 

Note: This guest blog does not necessarily reflect the views of ETV Education.