I am honored to participate again this year in the Future of Education Technology Conference in Orlando, FL. This will be the second year I have been a part of this conference and I am really impressed with the array of sessions and presenters.

This year, I am presenting three sessions – including the Future of EdTech Special Education Track Orientation session. I am joined for this session by Mary Shillinger and Luis Perez.

Future of EdTech Special Education Track Orientation

• 1/24/18 – 11:00am-12:00pm; Orange County Convention Center North Room 222

Best practices employed by the Modern Special Educator … that’s the theme and focus of the 2018 Future of Ed Tech Special Education session track at FETC, which has been precisely tailored for Pupil Services Administrators, Assistive Technology Integration Specialists, and Special and General Educators. With so many program offerings, you’ll want to stop into this quick-hitting orientation! Here, Mary, Mike and Luis will help you navigate FETC programming to determine which sessions are best suited to address your professional learning needs. Workshops and concurrent sessions cover a wide range of hot topics, including accessible OER, UDL best practices, case management and compliance, virtual and blended schools, behavior and autism intervention, coding, robotics, and more. This is your chance to network with peers who have similar interests and challenges, and to strategize to make the most of your time at FETC 2018!

My other two sessions are:

Using Google Tools to Promote Universal Design for Learning

• 1/23/18 – 10:30am-12:30pm; Orange County Convention Center North Room 220B

The use of Google tools and Chromebooks continues to explode in education. But how can you use this array of tools to promote a culture of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)? This BYOD workshop will focus on the three principles of UDL — multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression — to examine ways of incorporating Google tools into your UDL learning environments. From Chrome apps and extensions to Google tools such as Cardboard, Mike Marotta will highlight ways to support ALL learners in the classroom. You will explore tools to assist students in the areas of reading, writing and math, as well as with executive functioning skills that include time management, organization, task completion and focus. You’ll also receive resources to continue your learning beyond this workshop.

The Internet of Things and Assistive Technology

• 1/25/18 – 10:00am-11:00am; Orange County Convention Center North Room 220G

The latest trend in technology is the Internet of Things. This area of technology includes wearable technology and other internet-connected devices. From fitness trackers to the Apple Watch to the Amazon Echo and virtual reality headsets, this market is poised to explode. Market research shows that wearable device shipments will soon surpass 140 million and account for nearly $16 billion in revenue. With these devices comes new opportunities to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities. Learn how these devices can assist students with organization, independence, communication, and so much more.

Hope to see you there! I will be tweeting throughout the conference – catch up with me at @mmatp