But on 7-8 June next year, EduTech 2018 will bring the vast majority of these options under the one roof, showcasing the latest in ‘edtech’ tools and resources.
The annual event – lauded as being “one giant festival for all of education” – will bring 10,000 attendees, 200 speakers and 200 exhibitors together at the International Convention Centre in Sydney.
Below EduTech conference director, Samantha Young tells The Educator about what the event means for teachers and principals who are hoping to give their school resources a boost in the year ahead.
TE: What value will these events provide to school leaders looking to improve the educational resources and classroom practices in their schools in 2018?
Times are changing and we need to be confidently prepared for the increasingly global, competitive and vastly different digital world of tomorrow. EduTech is for the dreamers and educational risk-takers. The event covers the entire education life-cycle from pre-school to post-school and will feature 11 parallel conferences covering professional development and the latest in emerging technologies that not only change how students learn, but how educators teach.
TE: Do you think the need for professional development for principals is increasing or decreasing over time?
If you ask any educator across the world, they'll tell you that targeted face-to-face professional learning will never go out of fashion. When educators share the responsibility of engaging and preparing young, digitally native people to lead successful and productive lives in the 21st Century and beyond- we see the need for good old fashioned professional development increasing over time. EduTech is the perfect example of quality PD, where you can join your peers and some of the greatest education scholars/researchers of our time to swap ideas and learn from each other.
TE: Is there any other work that Terrapin will be undertaking in the K-12 education space in the year ahead?
The sister event of EduTech also has everyone buzzing, with National FutureSchools 2018 promising Sir Ken Robinson (the world's elite authority on creativity and innovation in education) as a keynote plus meet-and-greet next year. Held on the 21-22 March in the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, expect one central exhibition similar to EduTech and five parallel conference streams, including: Future Leaders, Young Learners, Inclusive Education, Teaching Kids to Code, and ClassTech. Each event is focused on equipping educators and Principals of schools across Australia with the best resources and practical strategies to engage students and staff in 21st Century schools.
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