January 2008 — News
Print this article | Email this articleClick here to receive your FREE subscription to T.H.E. Journal
FETC 2008: It's All About Community
Education technology took center stage in Florida last week as teachers, administrators and district technology experts gathered at FETC 2008 in Orlando. Podcasting, digital collaboration and Web 2.0 dominated much of the discussion, but security, new and emerging technologies, and environmental education were also major themes.
With 200 concurrent sessions, a wide range of speakers--including the opening keynote address by The Discovery Channel's Jeff Corwin--and the first ever State Multiplayer Educational Game tournament and more than 480 exhibiting companies, this year's conference provided a bit of everything and set some show records to boot.
Jeff Corwin Speaks about the Environment, Education
The conference opened Wednesday with a keynote address by Emmy award-winning television host Jeff Corwin, who spoke about the importance of educators during what he called "a critical time for the environment."
"I can't think of a time in the history of our species," he said, "that the role of the educator has been just so critically important."
Jeff Corwin speaks at the opening keynote address Wednesday at the FETC 2008 show in Florida.
Corwin spoke at length about environmental stewardship and the importance of building awareness through education and instructional technologies. He called on teachers to empower young minds to build a sense of passion and urgency, encouraging them to be conscious, active citizens. "Education isn't about a single person," he said. "It's about a community."
Corwin concluded by insisting that what educators do is the most important mission on our planet, closing with the thought that, despite the many challenges that lay ahead, "there is still hope."
200 Concurrent Sessions, Something for Everyone
This year's FETC offered a wide range of session topics, focusing on everything from how Web 2.0 is reshaping the education landscape to the importance of Internet safety in our homes and schools to using podcasting and other new technologies to augment the learning experience.
Thursday, presenters from the University of South Florida's (USF) College of Education shared their insights on the use of podcasts, powered by Apple's platform, iTunes U, to enhance classroom instruction and widen university reach.
According to the speakers, the podcasting program has provided a variety of benefits to the college, such as allowing faculty members to serve as "virtual guest speakers," enhancing the use of related instructional technologies, as well as creating a general buzz around the university.
Chris Dede, Timothy E. Wirth professor in Learning Technologies at Harvard's Graduate School of Education, spoke about the implications of Web 2.0 on the classical understanding of "learning" and "knowledge."
