TAMIU Ready to ‘Fully Charge’ Educators at 9th Annual Ed Tech Conference Thursday, Friday
Local and area teachers and technology leaders will gather at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) this week to participate in the 9th Annual Ed Tech Conference, “Fully Charged,” Thursday and Friday, Sept. 12 - 13 in the newly dedicated Academic Innovation Center.
Some 200 participants are expected to attend the Conference focused on learning more about the use of technology in the classroom. Those attending are members of the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA), Texas’ largest education technology association.
Dr. Pat Abrego, TAMIU director of Instructional Technology and Distance Education, said the Conference is a natural extension of the University’s teaching mission.
“As the number one supplier of educators in the region, it is important that TAMIU leads this effort with continued support to classroom teachers and school administrators. Likewise, our governing Texas A&M University System is ranked No. 1 in Texas in the production of initial educator certificates, so Conferences like this truly extend our mission,” Dr. Abrego explained.
Abrego, who also serves as Area 1 director for the TCEA, said the Conference theme, “Fully Charged,” aptly communicates its energetic intent.
“The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Fully Charged,’ and it was selected to mirror the theme used at the annual TCEA’s conference in February. It is our expectation that participants are ‘fully charged’ by the time they leave the Conference with ideas on how to integrate technology into their daily curriculum. Our attendees are all pivotal to their campus’ technology advances. As campus and district-level administrators, curriculum and technology leaders, teachers, librarians, and in-service teachers, all are interested in learning more about the use of technology in their profession, and all will lead changes on their campuses,” she observed.
The Conference will include over 50 sessions, many delivered by local and area district educators and technology leaders. Among diverse topics explored will be “Technology in the Lesson Cycle,” “Engaging Students through Google Earth,” “Video Storytelling Made Easy with Adobe Spark,” and “Mindfulness: Disconnect to Reconnect,” among others.
“A number of sessions are tied to the use of technology in the pedagogical aspect of the teaching process, but we’ve also added sessions that present technology that supports teachers to help students be prepared mentally and emotionally to learn. Our session on “Mindfulness” was developed since there are a number of apps with potential benefits to alleviate stress and reflect on our emotions,” Abrego noted.
Featured presenters include Janet Corder and Joan Gore, respected specialists in leading the integration of technology across campus and district levels, and Nancy Jo Lambert, a high school librarian and strong advocate for libraries and learning who holds committee appointments in the American Library Association and the American Association of School Librarians.
The event is sponsored by TCEA and hosted annually by TAMIU.
For additional information, contact Dr. Abrego at 956.326.2302 or by email at pabrego@tamiu.edu.
The TCEA is a global, nonprofit, member-based organization. It supports the use of technology in education. Founded in 1980, it has been playing a vital role in increasing technology funding and access for PreK-16 schools for nearly 40 years. The 28,000-member association is led by a grassroots board of directors—all professional educators. TCEA dedicates its resources to supporting educators in the field who are enhancing curriculum with digital tools. For more, visit https://tcea.org
TAMIU is celebrating its 50th anniversary and its 25th anniversary at its north Laredo campus throughout 2019-2020. A dedicated website shares the University’s transformation from a hybrid upper-level university to a full doctoral degree-granting University. It includes a calendar of Anniversary events and more at tamiu.edu/50.
For more on the University’s story, contact the TAMIU Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at 956.326.2180, email prmis@tamiu.edu, click on tamiu.edu, follow social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube, or visit offices in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 268.
