Global Kids present at Innovate 2007, Virginia
The Virginia Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology and Virginia Tech’s Institute for Connecting Science Research to the Classroom hosted "Innovate 2007" at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on May 8, 2007. The event is Virginia’s first exposition devoted to new and emerging technologies for education and is modeled after the nationally acclaimed WIRED NextFest.
"Innovate 2007, modeled after the WIRED NextFest expo, will showcase the innovative technologies and products that could transform education. The expo is organized around the five major components of Virginia's long-range technology plan: integration, professional development, connectivity, educational applications and accountability."
Innovate 2007 featured:
* 65 plus interactive exhibits located in five pavilions
* Hands-on opportunities to use new and emerging technologies
* Lively discussions—led by prominent thought leaders and
futurists—about the promises and limitations of the technologies and products
The expo is said to be an invaluable experience for educational leaders, policymakers and community members charged with planning the future of education in Virginia. Global Kids was invited to talk about our work in Teen Second Life by Professor Rich Ingram, James Madison University.
Major sponsors of this event include Cisco Systems, Dell, and the Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE). Other exhibitors include Microsoft Research, Celestron, Vantage Learning, identiMetrics, AnthroTronix, and many others. The event also provide an opportunity to see the latest technologies from founding sponsors Cisco Systems and Dell, unfortunately, I was too busy talking to people that I barely got a chance to leave my booth.
All presentations and exhibits focus on the five major components of Virginia’s long-range technology plan: technology integration, professional development, connectivity, educational applications, and accountability. This was a unique opportunity for all educators to try out cutting-edge technology that could be commonplace within the next few years.
I hope to see more classrooms from Virginia in Teen Second Life, private or public.
For more information on the expo, go to www.innovate2007.org
Photos!
Our booth space with James Madison University
Spectators at our booth
Tabitha riding the segway!
Tabitha with Professor Richard Ingram, James Madison University
