Schools Close So McKeel Teachers Can Attend Technology Conference
Lakeland, FL (January 22, 2013) – Teachers and administrative staff from The Schools of McKeel Academy will be "sharpening their saws" at one of the best professional development events in the nation focusing on technology in education. Steven R. Covey's The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People identifies Habit 7 as Self Renewal, or renewing your resources, which is what the Florida Education in Technology Conference will do for McKeel teachers and staff. This summer, the McKeel Board of Trustees voted to make January 30 and 31 student holidays so the teachers and staff of the McKeel schools could attend this 2-day conference.
Over 200 concurrent sessions and 100+ professional development workshops focusing on integrating current and emerging technologies, safety and security, social networking/collaboration, and sustainability in curriculum make up the Florida Education in Technology Conference -- FETC 2013. It is one of the largest and most comprehensive educational technology events in the country located within an hour of Lakeland at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Teachers have the opportunity to learn how to integrate different technologies across curricula from kindergarten to college prep, while being exposed to the latest hardware, software and successful strategies on student technology use. The conference includes an exhibit hall where more than 500 companies display and demonstrate the latest educational technology. Over 8,000 attendees have already registered from all over the US and internationally providing networking opportunities for the McKeel teachers to share ideas and even continue to communicate after the event.
Mr. Harold Maready, Superintendent said, "This is an invaluable resource for innovation in our schools and school system. Based on our staff who have attended previous FETC conferences, this is one of the best training opportunities anywhere in the U.S. where we can take away dozens of student-motivating teaching and learning ideas."
The Schools of McKeel Academy were able to negotiate half price registration making the cost of registration for the training conference $125 for each of the 181 teachers, administrators and staff members scheduled to attend. There are also 5 student teachers included in that number who are interning at McKeel Elementary Academy and South McKeel Academy from Florida Southern College, USF and Southeastern University.
One McKeel teacher is also a presenter. McKeel Academy of Technology Middle School Gifted and Technology teacher Becky Stacey, (and MAT's Middle School 2012-13 Teacher of the Year), was chosen by FETC as a concurrent session presenter from over 1150 applications received by the conference committee. Her session "Why Not Make it Move? The Cure for the Common Book Report" will focus on a variety of programmable electronics that can help students create amazing projects while learning and practicing important STEM concepts.
FETC began in 1981 when a small group of Florida teachers and administrators gathered to learn more about emerging technologies and how they could be used in the classroom to improve instruction.
The Schools of McKeel Academy is a high-performing public charter school system with 3 campuses in Lakeland, Florida, contracted by the Polk County School Board to provide K-12 educational services.
