FETC Virtual Conference & Expo Program Sessions
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Live Q&A following presentation
Virtual Manipulatives: What Are the Advantages for Teaching Math Concepts
Ted Hasselbring, Professor, Peabody College of Vanderbilt University
Given the recommendations of both the National Council of Mathematics (NCTM) and the National Mathematics Advisory Panel (NMAP), educators are searching to find more efficient and more effective ways to teach students mathematical concepts in the upper elementary and middle grades. Numerous researchers and practitioners advocate for the use of manipulatives during instruction. Unfortunately, physical manipulatives are both practically and pedagogically difficult to implement in classrooms, and as a result, teachers tend to underuse manipulatives. This session will discuss a new project to develop virtual manipulatives that have demonstrated advantages over traditional physical manipulatives.
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Keynote and Live Q&A following presentation
The New Kinds of Tools for New Kinds of Learners: Assess this!
Hall Davidson, Director, Discovery Educator Network (DEN)
We know effective assessment can be more powerful than class size reduction for raising achievement. Take a deeper look at how technology tools (mostly free) can check for understanding. Projects previously requiring a semester can be accomplished in a period. Mobile phones, MovieMaker, iMovie, and a host of Web 2.0 sites can do the job. Even PowerPoint and Google can be tapped. The digital age produced spectacular tools that match the learning style of students native to the touch screen, who create videos for the web, texts on a mobile, and stream media everywhere. These skills and tools, often free, should be adapted for assessment. Fire up your iPads, laptops, and cellphones for interactive examples from a leader in the field."
2:15 pm - 3:15 pm Live Q&A following presentation
Tech for Tots: Using Technologies to Enhance Early Learning
Gail Lovely, Independent Educator, LovelyLearning.com
Using technologies with little learners requires patience, strategy, and excellent technological resources. This session will share management ideas, technological tools, and online resources that will make powerful learning with technology and children under 8 years old do-able and even fun! Selection of resources, management of tools and tots, and some silly little tricks will all be included.
3:45 pm - 4:45 pm Live Q&A following presentation
Playing School or Preparing for Life
Meg Ormiston, Professional Development Specialist, Tech Teachers
Playing school means sitting still quietly, listening to the teacher, and completing paperwork. If the purpose of education is to prepare students to be successful when they graduate, we need to look at how different the real world is outside of schools. Today people are hired to Twitter on behalf of their employers, utilize social networking tools to spread the company message, and multitask online. Most schools today are blocking and filtering the very experiences our students will have when they enter the workforce. Investigate how to bring these collaborative tools into the classroom to better prepare students for the world beyond the classroom.
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm Live Q&A following presentation
Hands Around the World: Projects to Explore, Engage, Enrich, and Empower
Howie DiBlasi, CEO, Digital Journey
Learn about six "Global" projects using "free" software to connect school communities with "Hands Around the World." Projects can be integrated into several curriculum areas and support teaching and learning while improving digital literacy to make a "Global Connection." Projects allow students to learn 21st Century skills and prepare them to meet the demands of the global community and master core curriculum skills. You can transform educational institutions into model learning environments.
ALL times are EST.
All presentations will be available on demand after 10/27/11
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