FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Fort Wayne Community Schools will have its first district-wide technology conference from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, at North Side High School.
The Ignite Tech Conference is designed to provide teachers a free opportunity to learn new ways to integrate technology into the classroom.
“We have a number of experts in educational technology in Fort Wayne Community Schools, but they rarely have the opportunity to learn from one another because they are teaching students throughout the year,” FWCS Technology Director Jack Byrd said. “This conference gives teachers a chance to learn from one another, as well as from Technology staff members, in how to put technology to the best use in the classroom.”
The keynote speaker is Captain Barrington Irving, the youngest person to successfully solo around the world at 23 years old. Now 35, he is an explorer who investigates real world STEM problems across the globe. In 2014, he established the Flying Classroom, a K-8 STEM+ digital curriculum that challenges students to design innovative solutions to the problems he investigates. The keynote address at 9:30 a.m. is free and open to the public.
Following the keynote, staff members will have the choice of several break-out sessions covering topics such as video editing, Google applications, Microsoft 365 applications, 3-D printing, coding, podcasting and getting the most out of programs, including Agile Mind, Dreambox, Quizlet, Kahoot and more.
“We want our teachers to be excited about the technology available and understand which applications will provide the best experience for their students,” Byrd said. “We hope this conference gives them the knowledge they need to best integrate technology to enhance the student learning experience for the upcoming school year.”