This year’s trip to the Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC) was brief, but intense. I presented two poster sessions, as well as spoke at the Buncee booth and Kidblog booth. My first poster session was on Alternative Student Assessments and my class’ partnership with Wichita education nonprofit Teach for Life. Teach for Life is an online forum for teachers and students to share teaching strategies and content to others around the world, especially targeting teachers in developing countries who have little or no formal education training. At the Buncee booth, I also spoke on how my students use alternative assessments in lieu of standard paper and pencil tests to show what they know through creative tools.
My second poster session featured the use of Microsoft tools Sway and Skype to create collaborative global projects. Classes around the world can connect with each other via Skype, start a Sway and the teachers can share editing rights with one another. Through Skype, one teacher shares their screen and students can take turns sharing content with one another while other students from both classes collaboratively add content to the Sway. At the Kidblog booth, I shared with educators how my class uses global blogging partners to share about each other’s culture, school system, and class projects, all while building empathy and understanding of others around the world.
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