The Central Minnesota Learning Partnership (CMLP), a consortium of seven area school districts – Albany Area Schools, Eden Valley-Watkins, Holdingford Public Schools, Kimball Area Schools, New London-Spicer, Paynesville Area Schools, and ROCORI – are happy to announce that they will be holding their third annual tech summit at ROCORI High School Tuesday, Aug. 8.
This year?Äôs summit, entitled Teachers As Learners, will offer exciting new opportunities for educators to learn more about 21st century educational technology that can transform the teaching and learning process. The summit?Äôs featured presenter will be Ryan Cox, a leader in the innovative use of technology in Minnesota schools. As the Director of Instructional Technology at Becker Public Schools, Cox has earned wide acclaim as someone who skillfully teaches and inspires others how to teach students the 21st Century skills known as the 4C?Äôs – communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. Cox believes that while today?Äôs eye-popping technology is certainly not a simple shortcut to deep learning, today?Äôs technology does provide thrilling new opportunities to expand the traditional classroom and to help both teachers and students experience the world in ways never imagined even five years ago.
The August 8 summit will once again operate in Edcamp fashion. Edcamps, sometimes referred to as ?Äúunconferences,?Äù are user-driven events, their energy stemming from hands-on participation and the open sharing of ideas in a variety of sessions and forums. The summit will follow the ?ÄúRule of Two Feet?Äù which means that attendees are welcome to move between sessions freely.
This year?Äôs summit will also feature a vendor fair where participants will be able to ?Äútest drive?Äù the latest in learning technology, from VR (virtual reality) headsets to a variety of EdTech tools designed for the classroom and beyond.
Leaders in these seven districts came together several years ago in an effort to share ideas related to the use of educational technology and to better leverage professional development dollars. Attendance at the annual CMLP tech summits has doubled the past two years as more and more educators realize the power of coming together to share ideas and learn from experts in the field.
Sharon Borgert of Eden Valley-Watkins Schools and Nancy Bonnifield of Kimball Schools are members of the team coordinating the Tech Summit. Both are Curriculum Coordinators in their respective district and have seen the benefits of teachers using technology as a tool to deepen learning.
The event is open to the public. Cost is $50 for non-partnership members, which includes lunch and a chance to win door prizes, as well as Continuing Education Credits for both teachers and administrators. Registration link: http://centralmnlp.weebly.com/.