We just finished facilitating day two of the pre-conference workshops, and if the first two sessions I facilitated are any indication, this is going to be an AMAZING conference!

Monday, February 4: 

Discover Your Destinations with Google Earth, taught by Anna Adam (digimom) and Helen Mowers (techchick) of Killeen ISD and http://www.techchicktips.net.  I have read their blog and listened to their podcast for about a year now, and they were even better in person!  I got all kinds of new ideas for my upcoming Google Earth videoconference at Region 16 ESC...I can hardly wait!

Tuesday, February 5: 

Introduction to Gimp, taught by Diane Sideroff of South Texas ISD.  This was a beginning level workshop for Gimp, the free image editor that, in this time of deep cuts in funding, many of our districts may want to look into as an alternative to Photoshop.  We learned all kinds of fun effects and techniques for editing photos.

Wednesday, February 6, morning session:

Free is Fine! Online and Open Source Software for the Classroom, taught by Terry Goff, Executive Director for Technology in Wilson, NC, and one of the TCEA 2008 Featured Speakers.

Sounds like fun!  Lola

It is!!! :-) Heather

Is this what ya'll do in the Tuesday Technology sessions?  Are a lot of the sites free?  Wanda

Yes, we do a lot of these kinds of sessions on free software and websites!  Heather

Wednesday, February 6, afternoon session:

Leading Through Change, taught by Lori (Lusk) Gracey, past TCEA President as well as Director of Technology in Bastrop ISD.  Great tie in of the current leading research on change based on 4 concepts: 

• The world is different
• The kids are different
• What works in schools is different
• The skills needed are different

Uses resources such as the books Who Moved My Cheese?, Good to Great, Our Iceberg is Melting, and Classroom Instruction that Works along with brain research and multimedia resources that our students are seeing on YouTube.

Thursday, February 7:

Digital Imaging Projects for Any Curriculum with Photoshop Elements, taught by Linda Dickeson, technology trainer in Computing Services for Lincoln Public Schools and Adobe Education Leader.  Participants received Linda's ClickSTEP Photoshop Elements book.