Athens, Ga. – The proliferation of technology and social media is changing the way educators teach, how students learn, and the way teachers, students and parents communicate. Educators must learn what technology is available while also learning how to integrate these technologies for instruction in today’s standards-based classrooms.
A free, one-day instructional technology conference for local administrators, general and special education teachers, instructional coaches, instructional technology specialists and paraprofessionals will be hosted by the University of Georgia Griffin campus on April 26.
The Bionic Educator Conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the UGA-Griffin Student Learning Center, 1109 Experiment St.
The opening keynote address will be delivered by UGA graduate and author Christopher Lee, department head and director of the University System of Georgia’s Alternative Media Access Center, based at Georgia Tech. Lee will speak about his own school experiences as an individual with a specific learning disability to provide inspiration and insights on how to use technology to bring out the talents and skills of students with learning disabilities. Lee is author of two books: “Faking It: A Look into the Mind of a Creative Learner” (2001) and “What About Me? Strategies for Teaching Misunderstood Learners” (1992).
In addition, educators from schools around the state will lead breakout sessions on such technology topics as: On-line Personal Learning Networks for Teachers; Tools and Strategies to Help Teachers and Students Manage Information; Tools for Teaching; 21st Century Teaching Skills; Blending Assistive Technology and Instructional Technology through Universally Designed Learning; The Forsyth County Bring Your Own Technology Journey; Inclusion of All K-12 Students through Technology and Tools; Obtaining and Managing Technology Devices in Title I Schools; and Using Gamification to Increase Student Achievement.
Conference participants will have the opportunity to engage in informal discussions and question-and-answer segments with a presenters’ panel and a high-energy sharing segment called “Smackdown.” There also will be exhibits by a number of technology vendors.
For more information or to register online, see www.thebioniceducator.com or call 520/338-9473 (520-edu-wise). Seats are limited.
UGA-Griffin Campus
Located approximately 40 miles south of Atlanta, the University of Georgia Griffin campus offers undergraduate majors from five of UGA’s schools and colleges, including the Terry College of Business, the College of Education, the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The varied programs and services on the Griffin campus represent the university’s overall mission of teaching, research and service. Consistently ranked as one of the best universities in the country in U.S. News & World Report’s list of the top public campuses in America, UGA is considered one of the best values among 100 public colleges and universities in Kiplinger’s magazine. For more information about the UGA-Griffin campus, go to http://uga.edu/griffin.
