Attending a conference is a great way to network and learn about what’s going on in the education industry, especially when it comes to edtech. By attending an event, or sending your teachers to one, you’ll also see a huge return on investment in terms of professional development.
Conferences give educators the opportunity to speak with and compare edtech vendors, learn and share best practices for using technology in the classroom, and more. In addition, the skills and techniques learned at the conference are something you can bring back and share with other educators in your school or district. But if you haven’t had a chance to attend one of this year’s conferences, don’t fret! There’s still time to attend one of the many education conferences happening across the country.
Here are ten upcoming edtech events you won’t want to miss:
Distance Teaching and Learning Conference
August 11 – 13, 2015 | Madison, Wisconsin
In distance education, keeping up means staying far ahead. At the Distance Teaching & Learning Conference you will discover innovative ways to teach and support online learners. Choose from more than 140 sessions to build the skills you need and learn best strategies, practices, and solutions. Connect with experts in online education and engage with eLearning colleagues from around the world.
Source: “Distance Teaching & Learning Annual Conference.” Distance Teaching Learning Annual Conference. Accessed July 17, 2015. https://dtlconference.wisc.edu/.
Online Learning Consortium International Conference 2015
October 14 – 16, 2015 | Orlando, Florida
This year’s conference promises outstanding keynotes, feature sessions, and workshops. In addition, Technology Test Kitchen and Discovery sessions will once again provide you with the opportunity to interact with experts in new and emerging technologies and topics, reinforcing why this is a premiere conference in online learning.
The variety of conference tracks and exhibits promise to offer something for everyone involved with ensuring the twenty-first century of online learning provides the highest quality educational experience.
Source: “Online Learning Consortium International Conference 2015.” Online Learning Consortium. Accessed July 16, 2015. http://olc.onlinelearningconsortium.org/conference/2015/aln/welcome.
E-Learn World Conference on E-Learning
October 19 – 22, 2015 | Kona, Hawaii
E-Learn 2015 World Conference on E-Learning is an international conference organized by the Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE) and co-sponsored by the International Journal on E-Learning.
E-Learn provides a unique forum for government, healthcare, education, and business professionals to discuss the latest research, development, applications, issues, and strategies, to explore new technologies, and to identify solutions for today’s challenges related to online learning.
A variety of opportunities and venues are designed to enable participants to actively learn from and collaborate with a multinational, cross-industry expert faculty and peers on the research, development, diverse learning experiences, implementation, and technology needed to improve e-learning.
Source: “E-Learn 2015 World Conference on E-Learning.” Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. Accessed July 17, 2015. http://www.aace.org/conf/elearn/.
EdTech 2015
October 21 – 23, 2015 | North Charleston, South Carolina
SC EdTech offers content and activities that span all areas of educational technology with diverse workshops, presentations, speakers, exhibitors, and recognition events. The conference is managed by the South Carolina Association for Educational Technology (SCAET), a 501c3 non-profit organization.
With over 100 concurrent sessions and workshops, and over 160 exhibit booths, there will be a lot to experience during the three day conference.
Source: “EdTech 2015.” South Carolina Association for Educational Technology. Accessed July 17, 2015. http://edtech.scaet.org/.
International Conference on e-Learning and Innovative Pedagogies
November 2–3, 2015 | Santa Cruz, California
The e-Learning and Innovative Pedagogies Knowledge Community is brought together around a common concern for new technologies in learning and an interest to explore possibilities for innovative pedagogies. The community interacts through an innovative, annual face-to-face conference, as well as year-round online relationships, a family of peer reviewed journals, and book series—exploring the affordances of the new digital media. Members of this knowledge community include academics, teachers, technology practitioners and research students.
The conference is built upon four key features: internationalism, interdisciplinarity, inclusiveness, and interaction. Conference delegates include leaders in the field as well as emerging scholars, who travel to the conference from all corners of the globe and represent a broad range of disciplines and perspectives. A variety of presentation options and session types offer delegates multiple opportunities to engage, to discuss key issues in the field, and to build relationships with scholars from other cultures and disciplines.
Source: “International Conference on E-Learning and Innovative Pedagogies.” E-Learning & Innovative Pedagogies. Accessed July 17, 2015. http://ubi-learn.com/the-conference.
2015 AECT Convention
November 3–7, 2015 | Indianapolis, Indiana
This year’s convention theme is Accelerate Learning: Racing into the Future. Given developments in research, technology, and society, professional practice in the various disciplines that comprise the AECT community continue to change and evolve. To meet the challenges posed by ongoing changes, serious and sustained efforts are needed to (a) actively incorporate findings from multiple disciplines; (b) involve key stakeholders at multiple levels to transform education and training; (c) integrate technologies seamlessly into learning, instruction, and performance; (d) dynamically interweave research, practice, and theory development; and (e) demonstrate what works when and why with regard to improving learning, instruction, and performance.
Source: “2015 AECT Convention.” Association for Educational Communications and Technology. Accessed July 17, 2015. http://www.aect.org/events/registration/.
2015 Future Ready Schools Tri-State Summit
November 7–8, 2015 | Wilton, Connecticut
Are you future ready? Future ready schools are committed to the ideals of courageous leadership, empowered teachers, student agency, and inspiring spaces. The Future Ready Schools Summit brings together world-class educational technology leaders and school innovators.
The program includes two keynote presentations, a “Demo Slam” competition (showcasing school innovations), and a closing capstone session—plus one full day of informative breakouts, cutting-edge demonstrations, and hands-on workshops led by experienced and knowledgeable professional developers. All presenters are Google Certified Teachers, Google Education Trainers, Apple Distinguished Educators, or teachers with success stories from the Future Ready Schools community!
Source: “Future Ready Schools Tri-State Summit.” Future Ready Schools Tri-State Summit. Accessed July 17, 2015. https://ts.futurereadysummit.com/.
iNACOL Blended and Online Learning Symposium
November 8–11, 2015 | Orlando, Florida
iNACOL’s annual conference is the industry’s leading event for K–12 online, blended, and competency-based learning. Experts, practitioners, educators, policymakers, and researchers gather and work to transform education.
Attendees will find unprecedented networking opportunities and gain access to expertise, analysis, and trends in online, blended, and competency education. Through thought-provoking sessions and information sharing, these leaders shape the future of education. The symposium includes more than 200 sessions, each with a specific track to guide attendees to choose the right sessions.
Source: “2015 INACOL Blended and Online Learning Symposium.” INACOL. Accessed July 16, 2015. http://www.inacol.org/symposium/.
Teaching and Learning with the iPad
November 12 – 14, 2015 | Raleigh, North Carolina
Teaching & Learning with the iPad began three years ago to provide teachers, administrators, schools and school districts guidance as they implemented the use of iPads in the classroom. The conference has grown in attendance and breadth of content covered including keynotes, concurrent sessions and, new this year, extended workshop options. Attendees will come away with valuable information to enhance their own skills with the iPad as well as new resources to facilitate use of the device in the learning environment. Many of the topics, tips, and techniques covered at the conference can be leveraged by educators at any grade level, from kindergarten through high school.
Source: “Teaching & Learning with the IPad 2015.” Teaching & Learning with the IPad. Accessed July 16, 2015. http://www.tlipad.com/home.html.
TIES 2015 Education Technology Conference
December 12–15, 2015 | Minneapolis, Minnesota
The TIES Education Technology Conference has been a leading conference in the Midwest for over thirty years. This is a premiere national professional development opportunity for all educators.
Over 3,000 teachers, technology coordinators, school and district administrators, technology experts, and exhibitors join the TIES experience to collaboratively learn and network.
Source: “TIES 2015 Education Technology Conference.” TIES 2015 Education Technology Conference. Accessed July 16, 2015. http://ties2015.ties.k12.mn.us/.
This work first appeared on Edgenuity’s blog, Where Learning Clicks, on July 23, 2015.