The Future of Education Technology Conference Takes Over Miami … What Did We Learn This Year?
This week, I had the opportunity to unite with educators, technology companies, podcasters, and amazing students at the Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC). This was my second year at the conference and I had a fantastic time learning about what is happening across the world in classrooms and what is coming down the road for educational technology companies.
Podcasting, Podcasting, Podcasting!
In planning my trip this year, I took a look at several of the sessions that were available. I couldn't believe how many sessions this year revolved around audio or video creation. I even counted more than 15 sessions that had the word Podcast in them (including mine).
On Tuesday I hosted about 50 educators from across the K20 spectrum for my TeacherCast Educational Podcasting Workshop. Teachers had the opportunity to learn about how the way we describe the term Podcast can completely change the way we build our curriculums around A/V.
I always enjoy presenting on this topic because teachers have the opportunity to walk away with dozens of free templates, lesson plan ideas, and manipulatives to keep their students busy for months.
What Did We Learn This Year?
I spent the conference chatting with educators, edtech companies, and public relations friends trying to figure out what this year's conference was all about. “What was the theme?” was a question that kept coming up in conversations.
For example, at ISTE this past summer, it was clear that the major theme for the vendor floor was Integrations. Everyone had a fantastic product that integrated somehow with other applications. But, what was the theme for this year?
It took me the entire conference to think about this one.
- Yes, there were plenty of things to do around Augmented and Virtual Reality.
- Yes, there was plenty of audio and video features to be talked about across the floor.
- Yes, every iPad and Chromebook needs a nice rugged case.
But what was the overall theme of the floor? What can I take back to school and share about the future of the educational classroom in 2020?
I think overall the state of edtech coming away from the FETC conference this year is Positivity. Every educator was excited to see a wide array of applications, features, tools, gizmo's, and gadgets for every classroom of every size.
Let's take a look at some of the companies that I was impressed by.
Microsoft Education
This year, the two big items on to talk about at the Microsoft Education booth were Flipgrid and Minecraft.
We are live from the @MicrosoftEDU booth learning about @Flipgrid @fetc #fetc2020 https://t.co/gNo3x7LZZj
— Jeffrey Bradbury (@TeacherCast) January 16, 2020
We are LIVE from the @MicrosoftEDU booth @fetc #fetc https://t.co/NmFpGQ1kNf
— Jeffrey Bradbury (@TeacherCast) January 16, 2020
— Jeffrey Bradbury (@TeacherCast) January 16, 2020
— Jeffrey Bradbury (@TeacherCast) January 15, 2020
Canvas
Learning about @Instructure and @PortfoliumHQ at #fetc https://t.co/AQblsMpuZ8
— Jeffrey Bradbury (@TeacherCast) January 16, 2020
Listenwise
Sora
What does the Future Hold for Technology Implementation in our Classrooms?
As I leave FETC and head back into my classroom, I'm looking forward to getting back to my students both former and present. I'm moving into a brand new semester with brand new students. Much of which I will be working on this semester will be directly related to my experiences at FETC and I'm excited to bring in new lessons on App Development, AR/VR, and hopefully using Minecraft EDU.
What did YOU learn from FETC?
Were you at the conference this year? I'd love to hear your thoughts about the big event! Please leave a comment below.
About the author, Jeffrey Bradbury
Jeff Bradbury, creator of TeacherCast, and father of the famous @EduTriplets Thanks for checking out TeacherCast today. Please take a moment to find me on all of my Social Media channels!