The National Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC) coming up January 24-27, 2017, gives you the opportunity to spend several days filling up on loads of professional development hours that actually give you real-world examples of strategies and tools you can implement once you get back home. Whether you want to evaluate new technologies and services to determine whether they’re right for your school or to learn from others’ mistakes and avoid common technology pitfalls, FETC has what you need to fulfill your professional development goals.
J’aime Settle, an instructional technology coordinator at Oxbridge Academy, attended FETC 2016 and was blown away by the breadth and depth of the learning opportunities available: “All I can say is WOW! FETC was very informative, providing a lot of ed tech strategies I can take back to my school. There were so many interesting sessions, next time I’ll bring a colleague so we can cover even more!”
This type of feedback is common from FETC attendees, as they recognize the unique professional development opportunities FETC provides. Not only are there more than 550 expert-led sessions and hands-on workshops devoted to teaching you how to solve your biggest technology challenges, but there are also countless opportunities for informal networking with your educational peers. Plus, the Expo Hall’s more than 400 technology providers give you the chance to try out solutions you didn’t even know you needed, like 3D printing and robotics.
“FETC is a huge blessing for our school,” says Deb Slater, school technologist at Blessed Trinity Catholic School. “I go to learn what other schools are doing, what’s working, what isn’t working and what are the best practices for tech integration in K-12 classrooms. The Exhibit Hall offers insights into exciting new technologies, and the workshops help me get started on new ventures or update existing practices.”
One of the primary reasons that ed tech professionals keep coming back to FETC year after year is that they not only gain new skills and competencies, but they also get credit for them. Through VerAttend, FETC’s program attendance certification system, you can verify your participation in the many professional development activities available at the conference. Depending on the number and length of workshops and sessions you take part in, you can earn up to 30 hours of continuing education units.
Instead of spending your time and resources on multiple, time-wasting events, you’ll want to make plans to attend the one-and-only FETC 2017. It’s like one-stop-shopping for your professional development needs. Find out more at FETC.org.
