Southern Oregon 1st Annual Ed Tech Conference

Some time has passed since I attended this conference, but I can still remember the wonderful things I learned there as if it happened only yesterday. Southern Oregon University held their first-annual conference that focused on one of my biggest passions as an educator: technology. There was no such way I was going to miss such a wonderful opportunity to not only share my knowledge with my peers, but also learn an immense amount about how to implement more use of technology in my foreign language classroom.

I must admit that I am a HUGE technology buff. Before I started in the MAT program I had already gained extensive experience in web development, graphic design, digital photography, internet research, digital music production, and anything else I could get my hands on. When I started my student teaching I immediately dived into the technology available, including document cameras, interactive whiteboards, learning management systems, and other tools that serve to enhance student learning.

It was with great pleasure to find out that Southern Oregon University was going to host its first annual Educational Technology Summit. I wound up being able to attend with five of my colleagues at my school, two of which are in the same department as myself. This was a bonus becuase after each workshop we attended, we were able to discuss what we learned and how we could implement various technologies within our current curriculum. I was so excited to be able to collaborate with others who have had years of experience teaching. Their technological aptitude is low, novice even. This is where I fit in to the best. I was able to provide feedback on features or potential uses of technology. They were able to share their knowledge of the curriculum, pedagogy, and teaching practices that could be adjusted in such a way that technology could begin to be implemented.

The keynote speaker was phenominal, and a great start to what was a great conference. Esther Wojcicki showed the power of technology and how it can connect directly with student interests and needs. From her experiences, it seems that students are so engaged there exists a sense of autonomy in the classroom. Her students have taken ownership of what they produce, and in my investigations post-conference, I was absolutely amazed at the quality of published materials that the students produce. The keynote speech was very engaging, and got me, and no doubt my colleagues, excited about what was going to come up next.