January 2008 — Press Releases

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Registrations, Exhibitors Reach Record Levels at FETC 2008

CHATSWORTH, Calif., January 14, 2008 -- FETC, a division of 1105 Media and one of the largest conferences in the nation devoted entirely to educational technology, announced today that attendee pre-registration for the 2008 conference, staging Jan. 22-25 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., is up 15 percent over 2007 numbers. Nearly 9,000 educators and administrators from all 50 states will be attending 200-plus conference sessions and workshops presenting the latest information and best practices in hot-button categories such as virtual learning, emerging technologies, security plus teaching and professional development and more.

Dynamic speakers, exhibitors and events have created a distinct “buzz” for FETC 2008 within the national education community, beginning with the highly anticipated Opening Keynote Address on Wednesday, Jan. 23. Jeff Corwin, nationally acclaimed naturalist and host of Animal Planet’s “The Jeff Corwin Experience” and “Corwin Quest” will speak on his experiences with Environmental Education in the Age of Technology. Also slated to address conference-goers are such recognized leaders in education and technology as Hall Davidson of the Discovery Educator Network, Jenelle Leonard of the U.S. Department of Education, and Closing Keynote speaker John Kuglin, Chief Information Officer of the Eagle-Vail School District.

The Exhibit Hall at FETC, a dedicated educators’ marketplace, enables attendees to see and purchase the latest innovations in classroom technology from nearly 500 companies, including leading education and technology companies like Discovery Education, Apple Inc., Harcourt Education, Pearson, Promethean and 8e6 Technologies. This hands-on, interactive environment is a key component of the FETC experience, allowing attendees access to the cutting-edge software and hardware that is shaping and reshaping today’s educational landscape.

One of the most anticipated components of FETC 2008 is the Tabula Digita Multiplayer Educational Video Game Tournament, which will give educators the chance to step into the roles of today’s Generation.NET students as they compete head-to-head for valuable prizes. By using their algebra skills in a video game format, educators will advance through qualifying rounds to the final championship match on Friday, Jan. 25. Additional FETC exclusive events also include a screening of the riveting new documentary, “Two Million Minutes: A Global Examination,” followed by a question-and-answer session with creator and executive producer of the film, Robert A. Compton.


“FETC offers an unparalleled opportunity for educators to experience the innovative technologies and educational tools available to them, in an interactive hands-on environment,” said Michael Eason, executive director of FETC. “Our attendees return to their schools and districts able to share this new knowledge—with their colleagues and their students—and make tangible contributions to their community. We are proud to be part of such a positive process.”