For those of you who weren’t able to attend the Midwinter conference in Seattle hosted by the American Library Association (ALA) here is a FREE 60 minute webinar! This Friday, February 8th, an expert panel will analyze and discuss library technology trends from the conference. Click here to register.
Panelists: Jason Griffey, Marshall Breeding and Sue Polanka
The following was submitted by a CMLE scholarship recipient.
Submitted by: Nancy Lorentz, Becker High School Media Specialist
The first session I attended this year at the TIES Conference was entitled “Need More Tech Support? Enlist Some Students!” by Mary Klauk from Osseo Area Schools. I enlisted student help when we went to 1:1 at Becker High School. Mary had some good ideas for me to improve my program –I should have the students trained to run our new auditorium next year, and students who are able to help substitute teachers hook up projectors, etc. I also need to do a better job of training students to create videos for me — concerts, tutorials, etc. all take up quite a bit of my time. She also has a Tech Crew member who supports the Robotics Club–Becker is just starting one up this winter and I have JUST the right boy for the job!
Simon Sinek was the Keynote on Monday: “Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action.” So inspirational! My favorite quote was “Technology has to solve a human problem. If achievement goes up, it’s the teacher using the technology and not the technology itself.” This is so true–I believe the value in putting the technology in the hands of every student is that it forces people to become better teachers–and THAT’S when transformational teaching happens!
My last session may have ended up being the most valuable to me. Two teachers from South View Middle School in Edina work together on a Challenge-Based Learning project called “Combating Apathy.” I’m hoping one of my next steps at Becker High School is to create a Challenge-Based Learning project with a class or classes–and this session gave me some awesome ideas on how to get started!
Thanks so much for helping me to be able to attend TIES again this year!
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! Don’t delay! Fewer than 100 seats are available.
Library Technology Conference 2013
March 20-21, 2013
Macalester College, St. Paul, MN
Registration is limited to no more than 450 total participants. Once this level of participation is reached, registration will be CLOSED! Please register early in order to ensure your spot at the conference.
This year’s Library Technology Conference is again intended to provide an opportunity for library professionals and the technologists who support them to discuss the technologies that are affecting library services; to see examples of what libraries are doing with these technologies; and to provide a venue where participants can learn specific skills or knowledge that they can take back and adapt for use within their own libraries.
The two-day conference will also include more than 70 conference sessions – traditional lecture-style sessions, hands-on / workshop sessions, interactive technology dialogue sessions, and poster sessions. From APIs to GIS, iPads to e-books, and digital collections to digital literacy – a wide range of library technology-related topics are covered during Lib Tech 2013 sessions.
For more information, visit the conference website.
Not feeling so in touch with the terminology used in education these days? Ed Tech’s recent article 24 Ed-Tech Terms You Should Know 
takes the guesswork out of the tech-focused terminology currently used in schools. They’ve compiled a Ed-Tech Cheat Sheet highlighting the top 24 Ed-Tech terms to be aware of. Examples include: 1:1 technology, adaptive learning, electronic classroom, MOOCs, and learning platform. Are they missing any? They encourage comments and additional suggestions!
Celebrate the potential of technology in schools!
Digital Learning Day (DLD) will be on February 6, 2013, and is a great opportunity to highlight the school library program and its role in creating a digitally literate school community. Now is the time to start making plans for you and your students to participate in this nationwide celebration of great teaching and learning!
Participation in Digital Learning Day can be as simple or complex as you like. Some celebrations last one day; others continue all year. And, almost anyone can participate. As long as you are interested in learning about how digital learning is changing education, you can join in. The link below has materials broken out by specific audience type to keep things simple and direct.
Check out how you can get involved in Digital Learning Day by going to http://digitallearningday.org/participate/