EDU221ACTEMOverview

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ACTEM Overview
The Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine annually puts on a conference where over 1,000 teachers, integrators, IT directors, administrators, students and more gather to discuss and learn about how better to use technology in education. As a part of your coursework, you will use UMF’s iPad fleet to explore a variety of apps in English, math, social studies, science, and school health, plus general purpose & productivity apps. You will research and review them for usefulness, accuracy, user interface, engagement, and more. EDU221 has been presenting at ACTEM since fall 2013. That first year, there was one session and thirteen students each had three minutes to demonstrate and discuss an app of his/her choice that would be useful in a 7-12 classroom. The presentation was well received and we were invited back and asked to find a way to give each student a bigger voice. In 2014, 22 secondary ed practicum students presented, this time in a poster session. Participants could explore a few apps in depth by talking to just a few students or get a quick overview of many apps by visiting all students. In 2015, 14 students will be presenting in a roundtable session format. Due to space limitations, in Augusta, the format will typically be a poster session while in Bangor it will be a roundtable session.

Logistics for the Day
The typical schedule is 7:30-3:00 with a Keynote presentation at 7:45, breakout sessions at 9:15, 11:00, 1:10, and 2:20. At 3:20 is the wrap up and certificates (usually including a drawing for doorprizes). We will travel to ACTEM as a group using UMF vans. Depending on the location of ACTEM, we will meet in the UMF Technology Commons Parking Lot in time to load vans and arrive at the destination by 6:40. We will leave as soon as the wrap up is over. If you need to drive yourself to the event, you need to let Dr. Theresa know ASAP so the appropriate paperwork can be filled out. You are not allowed to drive any other student in your car.


 * THIS YEAR:** The 2016 event will be held in Augusta, approximately 45 minutes from UMF so departure will be promptly at 5:55. Plan on being in the Technology Commons Parking Lot at 5:50am (that's 5:50 in the morning before sunrise) with your iPad and any of the following: coffee, breakfast-to-go, pillow. Don't bring too much extra stuff, we have a lot of people to fit in the vans. Assuming we leave after the conference is over by 4:15, we should be back at UMF by 5:00pm. Plan on 5:30pm just in case there are delays.

Dress professionally. Practicum attire for when you are in the field is appropriate. You will be provided a nametag, so you don't need your Practicum nametag. This is an amazing networking opportunity. You might run into a former teacher from your school days but you might also meet a teacher, administrator, future administrator who could be influential in a hiring decision or who could be a good connection for you.

Speaking of networking, there will be a Twitter feed going that day. Assuming prior years' patterns hold true, the hashtag will probably be "#ACTEM2016"

Transportation
You are expected to ride to and from the event in the provided UMF van with your colleagues. This is UMF policy and is due to insurance and liability. However, as long as transportation is in-state, you are allowed to drive yourself to/from ACTEM and/or ride the van one-way with us on as as-needed basis. You can only drive yourself, not any other UMF students. You can also arrange transportation to/from the event with a family member. For example, if the event is in Augusta and that's your home, you could ride in the van from Farmington to Augusta and be picked up at the event by a parent to go home for the weekend. Another example is a commuter who lives closer to the event than to campus may choose to drive themselves to the event instead of driving to campus to ride the van.

Presentation Logistics
The format of the poster session is that you're standing around and people will come to you to learn about your app. There will be moments when nobody is there and times when you'll have several folks listening. Often you will be talking to one person and another person will walk up and you'll have to figure out how to bring the new person into the conversation. Some will want a quick overview, others will want to know more and ask a lot of questions.

You will create an iBook about your app that you can use for your presentation, plus you will have the app downloaded to your iPad and can demonstrate it and/or let the participants try it out. You will have had the opportunity to practice talking about your app at the Paperless Poster Session during Orientation Weeks.

You will get copies of a handout (see the 2014 handout below) that you can give to all your participants that will direct them to the spreadsheet we are creating as a class. As part of your presentation, you can show them how to use the database and peruse the other apps that you've reviewed but that you aren't presenting. They might even find apps not in your content area but that are helpful/relevant to them or colleagues at their school.

Registration
We've talked a lot about your presentation at ACTEM, but you're participating in the whole day. You also get to attend presentations (and continental breakfast, lunch, and the closing event with door prizes). :-) The Secondary Education department is paying for your registration. To keep costs low, we are asking you to volunteer at the registration desk in the morning so we can get some discounted registration pricing. Working the desk is actually quite fun and a great way to meet a lot of educators. Lunch is included in your registration.
 * The full program is at: []
 * TIP: Keep a copy of the full program pdf file for your portfolio and/or scrapbook.

The App
There is a conference app "ACTEM 2016" available for download to your phone or you could just load the web app in your browser. These apps are available at the following links:

Apple App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id1157341689

Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.attendify.confmhkida

Web App: http://mhkida.m.attendify.com/

These conference apps not only allow you see the workshops, speakers and exhibitors, but you can also see the full conference schedule, map of the venue, social wall, and more! Hope you find this app useful to plan your schedule and the workshops you want to attend.

Practice Session
You will have a practice session to get a feel for what the poster session might be like and to give you a chance to "try out" your iBook and see what improvements/ changes you want to make to it. The typical schedule for a class of 14 is:
 * 1) beginning of class
 * 2) make sure everyone can get their iBook open
 * 3) go over logistics of the practice session
 * 4) talk about feedback types and which ones we'll be doing today
 * 5) poster session practice event--10:00-10:45
 * 6) 10:15-10:35 7 presenters/ 8 audience members
 * 7) switch
 * 8) 10:40-11:00 8 presenters/ 7 audience members
 * 9) follow up
 * 10) giving and receiving feedback
 * 11) what improvements do you want to make to your iBook? take notes
 * 12) what questions did people ask, what things did you talk about that aren't covered in our iBook that you want to include in your iBook or in your presentation at ACTEM/MooseTech?

Invitations
I send invitations to your practice session to faculty and staff and to all secondary education majors. Feel free to invite anyone else you would like to have attend.

__**Invitation to Faculty and Staff**__ Howdy!

Secondary Education and Community Health Education (School Health Concentration) majors will be presenting at the annual professional development conference in October called ACTEM. UMF students will present iPad apps in their concentration area (math, health education, social studies, science, English) and how those apps can be used in a middle or high school classroom. It is an honor to be selected to present at this conference. Students will attend the full day conference as both participant and presenter and have a chance to network with their future colleagues and employers.

Tomorrow, Friday, January 27, these practicum students will have a "practice session." You are cordially invited to come learn about iPads in the secondary/middle classroom and/or to support students as they get ready for this early foray into the life of professional development for the inservice teacher.

Where: Technology Commons, room 104 When: Friday, January 27, 2017 10:00-10:45am feel free to just drop in for a portion of the event, it’s very casual How: Poster sessions by their nature allow you to stop by for a quick overview or a more in-depth exposure of as many different apps as you'd like.

Thanks! Hope to see you in morning,


 * >Theresa

__**Invitation to Secondary Education Majors and School Health Concentration Majors**__

Howdy!

Secondary Education and Community Health Education (School Health Concentration) majors will be presenting at the annual professional development conference in October called ACTEM. UMF students will present iPad apps in their concentration area (math, health education, social studies, English) and how those apps can be used in a middle or high school classroom. It is an honor to be selected to present at this conference. Students will attend the full day conference as both participant and presenter and have a chance to network with their future colleagues and employers.

Tomorrow morning, Friday January 27, students in EDU 222 will have a "practice session." You are cordially invited to come learn about iPads in the secondary/middle classroom and/or to support students as they get ready for this early foray into the life of professional development for the inservice teacher.

Where: Technology Commons, room 104 When: Friday, January 27 10:00-10:45 am feel free to just drop in for a portion of the event, it’s very casual How: Poster sessions by their nature allow for folks to stop by for a quick overview or a more in-depth exposure of as many different apps as you'd like.

This is our eighth semester for Secondary Ed and School Health students to be presenting about iPad apps at a regional or statewide professional development conference. If you've already had practicum and presented at a conference, you have lots of good advice to share. If you haven't had practicum yet, know that you will get to present at a conference during your practicum semester; come to this and get a feel for what you will get to do soon.

Don't skip class to come to this! But if your schedule permits, we hope to see you Friday morning.

Thanks!


 * >dr.theresa

Reflection
After it's all over, write a blog entry with three parts as described in the reflection assignment.