Hundreds of mobile learning enthusiasts are making their way to Abilene this weekend to attend ACU’s Connected Summit, called, “Turning the Page: The Next Chapter for Education.”
The two-day conference, which began three years ago, invites innovators in education, industry and policy from across the country and around the globe to engage in discussion about the future of mobile technology in education. This year, the summit will take place Feb. 28-March 1.
“It’s a gathering of educators, policy makers and corporations coming together to explore how mobility is interacting with education and specific thinking about how the future of books and educational learning materials plays out in a mobily connected world,” said George Saltsman, executive director of the Adams Center.
More than 800 people from 28 states and nine countries have registered for the event, which begins Monday morning and ends Tuesday evening. The conference will feature three keynote speakers – Karen Cator, U.S. Department of Education director of educational technology; Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple; and Adrian Sannier, Pearson eCollege Vice President of Product.
Cator’s keynote on Monday morning will explore the topic, “Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology.”
As director of educational technology for the U.S. Department of Education, Cator is crafting a new vision for education for the United States – one that emphasizes technology, said Bill Rankin, director of educational innovation.
“This is one of the people who is setting the agenda for education in the entire country, and she’s speaking at our event,” Rankin said.
Cator’s vision – echoed in recent speeches by President Barack Obama – calls to end emphasis on static, standardized testing practices and pushes educators to take advantage of available technology, Rankin said.
Wozniak will participate in an onstage conversation led by Rankin at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 28, in Moody Coliseum. The event also will feature a performance by the Rocketboys, an Austin-based indie rock band of ACU alumni that started in Abilene. Conference participants can choose from 77 sessions divided into seven tracks: Media & Mobility, Teaching & Learning, The Future of Books, K-12 Education, Infrastructure & Logistics, Campus Spotlights and Research.
Most of the conference will be modeled after the TED talks concept of having concise, 15-minute, planned talks in the speaker’s area of expertise, Saltsman said. A complete schedule of events and descriptions of each talk can be found online at acu.edu/connectedsummit.
