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The flagship event of the year is moving to the fall! Come network with your peers and check out the latest in education technology. This year we will be focusing on remote learning, Esports, student tools and devices, and networking solutions.
2021 Keynote Speakers
Jason Eyre - Technology Department Coordinator @ Murray City SD and Certified Education Technology Leader
Jason's work on a district-wide 4G LTE high-speed internet service expressly for students has been featured on the Today Show and in numerous publications. He'll be speaking on the topic of broadband as a utility and how his district is making strides to close the digital divide.
His session will cover lessons learned at Murray City School District. See how the pandemic and subsequent K-12 Rollout of a CBRS Private LTE network created the chance to respond to and serve students' needs. This work brought national accolades and even awards as state leaders and district leaders worked together to solve real problems. This keynote will help you focus on tech leadership by asking: How have the events of the past couple of years compared to what you had planned? Did you have full-out closure and/or remote learning anywhere on your 1 or 5-year network plans? How about your disaster recovery or business continuity plans?
Jeff Utecht - Educational Consultant, Author, Speaker
Jeff was the 2001 recipient of a Bill and Melinda Gates Grant for the Technology Leadership Program. He began his career in the elementary classroom, eventually moving into technology roles and administrative positions. From Dubai to Bahrain, Jeff has given talks at events all across the globe.
Dive into his session where covers how these past two years have accelerated the pace of change and the pace of technology adoption in our schools and communities. As technology leaders in our schools, where do we go next? What should our focus be and how do we not lose our momentum in helping to prepare students for their future, not our past?
300+ Attendees
150+ School Districts
30+ Vendor Booths
Networking
2 Free Meals
10+ Sessions
Location - Tulalip Resort, WA
Luxurious Stay
The Tulalip resort has hosted TechFest for the last 8 years. This location is perfect for getting out of the busy city and into a luxurious space. Breakout rooms and a large expo hall are all in one place, making it easy for you to learn from your peers and see the latest in technology!Make it a weekend
Within ten minutes of the resort, you will find two world class golf courses, amazing outlet shopping at Seattle Premium Outlets, the option to explore and much more!Need a Hotel Room?
We've got a discount for you on these AAA Four-Diamond rooms! Please reach out to your education team to get your spot now at edu@microk12.com.2021 Featured Sessions
| Opening Keynote | |||
| Opening Keynote "Response: Closing the Digital Divide with Broadband for all"
Jason Eyre - Technology Department Coordinator for Murray City School District Jason's work on a district-wide 4G LTE high-speed internet service expressly for students has been featured on the Today Show and in numerous publications. He'll be speaking on the topic of broadband as a utility and how his district is making strides to close the digital divide. His session will cover lessons learned at Murray City School District. See how the pandemic and subsequent K-12 Rollout of a CBRS Private LTE network created the chance to respond to and serve students' needs. This work brought national accolades and even awards as state leaders and district leaders worked together to solve real problems. This keynote will help you focus on tech leadership by asking: How have the events of the past couple of years compared to what you had planned? Did you have full-out closure and/or remote learning anywhere on your 1 or 5-year network plans? How about your disaster recovery or business continuity plans? |
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| Sessions #1 - 10:00am - 11:00am | |||
| Keynote Q&A
Jason Eyre - Technology Department Coordinator for Murray City School District This is your chance to connect with Jason and ask questions about his keynote address. |
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Navigating Change through Partnership
Hear from, and participate in, conversation with regional technology leaders about navigating the change together. Highlighting device deployments during the pandemic and how different districts responded to overcome their own unique challenges. |
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| Sail the 7 Cs with Microsoft Education
Becky Keene - Director of Operations for insight2execution Welcome aboard! Around the world, people are transforming the field of education through seven key areas that best prepare students for their futures. In this session, author Becky Keene highlights success stories, educator tales, and examples of great projects and ideas that empower and engage learners in innovative ways. Get inspired to personalize new methodologies with products you already own to reinvent the modern classroom – and let your students become the changemakers of the future. |
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| Featured Session #2 - 11:00am - 12:00pm | |||
| Advanced Topics in E-rate: Responding to PIA, PQA, and Selective Reviews
by Eric Chambers Reviews are an inevitable part of the E-rate process and for good reasons: eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse ensures the integrity of this important program! Still, reviews, whether they are simple Program Integrity Assurance (PIA) reviews or more complex selective reviews, can serve as pain points for many. Fortunately there are things that you can do now, during the application phase that will minimize the ‘pain’ of a review. This session covers what you should expect during the review process, common review questions, and tips for ‘hardening your application. |
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| Esports Today
Jeff Palumbo - Global Esports Solutions Manager for Lenovo In education today, one of the biggest buzz words is “esports”. How do we start a program? What if we already have a club, what’s next? Are there really scholarships in esports? What about jobs outside of just playing games? And many more! Jeff Palumbo, Global Esports Solutions Manager for Lenovo, has over a decade of experience in the games industry and has been working with K12 and higher ed schools to answer all of these questions, while helping to advise on successful custom solutions around esports. He’ll go over the trends he’s been seeing and living over the past two years and give a couple insights on what to look for as you start or expand your esports program. Live Q&A is more than welcome. |
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| Network Solutions For Districts
MicroK12 Pro Services Team TBA |
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| Featured Session #3 - 1:00pm - 2:00pm | |||
| Technologies role in our changing Professional Development landscape
Jeff Utecht - Educational Technology Consultant The changing nature of PD for educators and school staff will put a new strain on our technology systems in schools. This session will look at some of the emerging ways professional development is and will be delivered in the future and how we need to start preparing both educators and our systems for these coming changes. |
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Humans are Systems Too: Keeping Leadership in Mind In Challenging Times
Join Northshore Leaders Shelby Reynolds and Sarah Lawrence for a lively discussion about the humanistic side of our very technical work. In times of challenge, such as Cyberattacks and Global Pandemics, it is important to tend to the mental, social, and physical needs of the human beings at the heart of recovery and fast pivots into and out of remote learning. In the session, we will touch on research-based leadership frameworks and give practical examples of how those strategies support an effective team approach to crisis. |
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| Closing Keynote | |||
| "Where do we go from here?"
Jeff Utecht - Educational Technology Consultant These past two years have accelerated the pace of change and the pace of technology adoption in our schools and communities. As technology leaders in our schools, where do we go next? What should our focus be and how do we not lose our momentum in helping to prepare students for their future, not our past? |
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2020 Virtual TechFest
Our first digital TechFest was a great success! Thank you for attending this experience in the VirBela world.
We will continue to offer a streaming form of our in-person events going forward. This will allow educators and administrators to attend breakout sessions from leaders in the industry, from the comfort of their offices and homes.
"Even during a pandemic where we cannot meet in person MicroK12 pulls off an amazing conference that offered a
stunning "realworld-in-person" feel! Always the best local/regional EdTech affair!"
- Brooke Trisler: Chief Technology Officer, Mukilteo School District
Previous Featured Speakers
Thomas Furness III - Grandfather of Virtual Reality
Mandy Manning - 2018 National Teacher of the Year
Thuan Nguyen - Former Assistant Superintendent at Kent SD
Michelle Zimmerman - Director of Innovative T&L - Renton Prep
Mark Finstrom - Chief Technology Officer - Highline Public Schools
Brooke Trisler - Chief Technology Officer - Mukilteo SD
Shannon Davenport - Director of Professional Learning
Dennis Small - Educational Technology Director - OSPI
Abby Zenk - Chief Instruction and Assessment Officer, RPCS
Eric Chambers - Director of E-rate and Special Services
Jeff Charbonneau - 2013 National Teacher of the Year
Fran Mauney - Intel K-12 Education Leader
Who Attends?
Janice Wintermyer - Technology Coach
Snoqualmie Valley School District, WA
Snoqualmie Valley School District, WA
I enjoyed making connections with others in nearby districts, and also seeing the new products available in the EdTech world!
Dan Fleck - User Experience
Portland Public Schools, OR
Portland Public Schools, OR
TechFest is a conference that should not be missed! Informative sessions, excellent vendor exhibits, and at an amazing location! I look forward to it every year.
Steve Ostrom - Computer Science
Post Falls School District, ID
Post Falls School District, ID
Techfest was a fantastic conference. The knowledge base of the presenters was extraordinary. I am planning on attending again next year and am inviting my Technology Director and other teachers so that they can also experience this technology opportunity for themselves.
Debra Spencer-Grant - Language Arts & Social Studies
Tacoma Public Schools, WA
Tacoma Public Schools, WA
It always important to include our student voices in the presentations! Loved talking to the Renton Prep young men that I encountered and had a chance to talk with at every vendor table.
Tracy Dabbs - Technology and Innovation Coordinator
Burlington-Edison School District, WA
Burlington-Edison School District, WA
I always look forward to TechFest each year. It is a great place to network with other districts as we always learn from each other. The vendors are amazing and always help us look to the future for our learning spaces. Thank you for this inspiring event!
Jonathan Maynard - Director of Information Services
Yelm Community Schools, WA
Yelm Community Schools, WA
Conference you should attend each and every year!!
TechFest attendees consist of those involved in education - Superintendents, Technology & Curriculum Directors, Principals, and many other industry professionals. They will be able to fully immerse themselves in the latest tools and learn how districts are currently using them.
2021 Sponsors
