30 EdTech Conferences Worth Checking Out
As technology has become more ubiquitous in our classrooms, more avenues have begun to develop to allow teachers learn how to best employ said technology, as well as learn to use it in the first place. Way back when, there were a few different conferences one could attend, and many teachers stuck to their school sponsored inservice days for professional development. Now, there are more EdTech conferences available then you’ll ever have time to attend, so you’ll need to select carefully from the offerings to find something that fits with what you need the most.
Read More: Apple and Google’s Professional Development Programs
If you aren’t yet sold on spending your time or hard-earned cash on EdTech conferences, there are a number of reasons why you should consider it. I’ll delve a little bit deeper in a different post, but here are a few totally not elaborated bullet points to consider:
- You’ll get out of your usual routine. Talking with educators who work in different schools, districts, age levels, and subjects can bring you new perspective.
- You can network with other educators from all over the globe and have the opportunity to discuss, brainstorm, and learn.
- You’ll learn about programs and initiatives that have been successful in other schools.
- Vendors are (usually) available to showcase the latest and greatest in classroom technology, pedagogical materials, and more.
- You’ll add to your repertoire of teaching best practices.
- You’ll be inspired by what’s going on around you, which may bring you new ideas for your own classroom.
Given the plethora of options available, we’ve narrowed down the possibilities a bit, and have included 30 conferences that we think are worth checking out. These vary quite a bit from traditional conferences with large lecture sessions and tons of vendors to smaller, all hands-on learning events, so you can pick what will works best for your needs!Do you have a favorite conference or EdTech professional development opportunity that we haven’t included here? Share with the Daily Genius community by leaving a comment below, dropping us a line on Twitter, or heading over to the Daily Genius Facebook Page and leaving us a note there!
nb: a couple of these conferences have already taken place in 2016, but keep an eye out for the 2017 events!
30 s Worth Checking Out
EdTechTeacher – More than 7 workshops and 5 conferences throughout the year, various locations throughout the US
EdCamp – Events in many locations on many dates – check the website for details
Future Ready Schools Summit – 2016 dates TBD, sessions in Austin Texas, Seattle Washington, Madison Wisconsin, Boston Massachusetts, and Orlando Florida
iNACOL Blended Learning Conference and Blended Learning Symposium- multiple dates and locations
Learning and the Brain – Multiple dates and locations for conferences and seminars in the US, 2016
FETC – January 12-15, 2016, Orlando, Florida
Learn Launch – January 21-22, 2016, Boston, Massachusetts
BETT – January 25-28, 2016 and 25-28 2017, London, UK
Educon – January 29-31, 2016, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
AIEA (Assoc. of International Education Administrators) – February 21-24, 2016, Montreal, Canada
IntegratEd – Feburary 24-26, 2016, Portland, Oregon
SXSW Edu – March 7-10, 2016, Austin, Texas
GESF – March 12-13, 2016, Dubai, UAE
CUE – March 17-19, 2016, Palm Springs, California
Blended Learning Conference – April 1-2, 2016, Providence, Rhode Island
ASCD – April 2-4, 2016, Atlanta, Georgia
Education Innovation Summit – April 18-20, 2016, San Diego, California
New Schools Summit – May 10-11, 2016, San Francisco, California
PBL World – June 13-16, 2016, Napa, California
ST4T – June 15-17, 2016, Clearwater, Florida
EdTechxEurope – June 15-16 2016, London, UK
Serious Play Conference – July 26-28, 2016, UNC Chapel Hill, North Carolina
ISTE – June 26-29, 2016, Denver, Colorado
Education Networking Conference – September 25-27, 2016, Dallas, Texas
Digital Media and Learning – October 5-7, 2016, Irvine, California
WISE Summit – 2016 dates not yet announced, usually in early October. Doha, Qatar
Foundation for Excellence in Education – October 22-23, 2016, Denver, Colorado
Miami Device – November 9-10, 2017, Miami, Florida
OEB – November 30- December 2, 2016, Berlin, Germany
Global Education Conference – 2016 dates TBD
Featured image via Flickr