TCEA 2015 Conference

So this week was the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) conference that is held in Austin each February. Again, it was no disappointment to those in attendance. I enjoyed  the break-out sessions and visited many of the regular presenters along with a few new techies. If you were unable to attend this year, here are some of the highlights that I found beneficial during my visit.

First, and most exciting for our students is the new Toshiba notebook that is pictured in the blog. It finally happened, a Windows notebook/tablet that will be affordable for our district to purchase for our students who participate in the one-to-one initiative. I am ecstatic about this new device and what affordances it will offer our students. At first glance, the device appears to be a touchscreen notebook, but quickly the screen folds over and converts into a Windows tablet. And the best part is that it is within $50.00 of the Toshiba touchscreen notebooks that we purchased this year.

The next item of interest was the session in which I attended on Makerspaces: Curating, Creating, and Collaborating that was facilitated by Nancy Jo Lambert, Frisco ISD and Shawna Ford, Weatherford ISD. You will definitely want to browse through their information:
http://www.mselibrary.com/
http://www.curtiselementarylibrary.blogspot.com
http://bit.ly/TCEA15MakerEd
These librarians have implemented so many great activities that go beyond the traditional library such as K'Nex, legos, Mindcraft, crafting, coding, and technology.

Last item of the night, augmented reality! It was everywhere. Hall Davidson, Senior Director, Global Learning Initiatives of Discovery Education demonstrated what transitioning to digital looks like, why it works, and why it's time. You can find his resources at:    http://thedynamicdavidsonqrcode.wikispaces.com/Welcome+Page
He demonstrated how to use Aurasma along with trigger pictures to bring information to life through augmented reality!

So much more to share! Watch for next, blog!