“TechFest was a great way to connect with other leaders from our region to discuss strategies and learn from each other.”
- Ron Brown, Executive Director Technology Innovation at Wenatchee SD
“The MicroK12 TechFest is a MUST attend conference on my list every year. I always come away with wonderful connections with other districts as well as valuable information from vendors about the latest technology solutions for education.”
- Tracy Dabbs, Coordinator of Technology at Burlington-Edison School District
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And that's a wrap! TechFest 2023 comes to a close.

TECHFEST SOUTH
Spirit Mountain Resort (Grand Ronde, OR)
October 12th, 2023

Our second South event did not disappoint! In the heart of Oregon, we were spoiled with the beauty of the drive and the protection of Spirit Mountain. Unlimited coffee and soda was the cherry on top of a technology day to remember!

Thanks for coming!

TECHFEST NORTH
Tulalip Resort (Tulalip, WA)
October 18th, 2023

The Tulalip resort has hosted TechFest for the last 12 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!

Keynote Recap Video coming soon!

JAKE VOSS - TACOMA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Why esports matters for students and districts Key components to develop an esports program for your district.
ERIN DOWNEY - BOISE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Using AI w/ Student Writing: A Shortcut to Deep Thinking. AI tools can help with productivity and time/energy savers!
MICHELLE ZIMMERMAN - RENTON PREP
Applying AI in the classroom w/ students, including successes and challenges, human to computer interaction.
KATHI ETCHEMENDY - SALEM-KEIZER PS
Leading from the Side - Technology implementations when someone else owns the process.
TRACY DABBS - BURLINGTON-EDISON SD
How can your Tech Team support educators with powerful access to dynamic data displays? Build with us.
MELANIE LEHMAN - CLARKSVILLE MONT. CO. SCHOOLS
Digital Tools for Math Instruction - how to use technology, Google Forms, OneNote, and/or Sway to create a digital breakout.
SEAN WILLIAMS - FORMER IT DIRECTOR IN OR
"Building a Ensemble: Lessons from Improv for Organizational Success"
KRIS HAGEL - PENINSULA SCHOOL DISTRICT
"The School of Tomorrow: AI Meets Education" is a comprehensive look at how AI touches learning programs, and automates administrative tasks.

Want to present at TechFest?

8:30am - 10:00am
Breakfast
8:30am - 2:00pm
Vendor Exhibit Open
09:00am - 10:00am

10:30am - 11:15am
Breakout Sessions #1
Kathi EtchemendySOUTH
Salem-Keizer Public Schools
Technology Development Coordinator

Leading from the Side

Technology implementations when someone else owns the process.
Mark VetterSOUTH
MicroK12
Education Ambassador

Using Windows 11

Consolidate your platforms and while serving your student and employee needs.
Greg BagbySOUTH
Hamilton Co. Schools
Instructional Techno Coordinator

Moving Beyond ChatGPT

Starting with AI literacy for Students and teachers and then moving to tools to enhance the classroom.
Michelle ZimmermanNORTH
Independent (Renton Prep)
Director of Innovative Teaching & Learning Sciences

Accelerating Learning with AI

This presentation will highlight student work applying AI in the classroom, including successes and challenges for educators in designing learning to balance productive struggle and human-computer interaction.
Jake VossNORTH
Tacoma Public Schools
Esports Director

Esports - Let's Get Started!

An esports overview to learn why esports matters for the students and the district and then a walkthrough of the key components to develop an esports program for your school/district based on best practices in the industry.
Mark VetterNORTH
MicroK12
Education Ambassador

Using Windows 11

Using Windows 11 Consolidate your platforms and while serving your student and employee needs.
Greg BagbyNORTH
Hamilton Co. Schools
Instructional Techno Coordinator

Creating EdTech Teams

Define clear goals and objectives. Identify crucial roles: educators, developers, designers, content creators, and project managers.

11:30am - 12:15pm
Breakout Sessions #2
Don WolffSOUTH
Portland Public Schools
Chief Technology Officer

Interoperability: It's Not Just About Moving Data

This session shares the work of the Council of the Great City Schools to move interoperability to front of mind for the entire district
Erin DowneySOUTH
Boise School District
District Consulting Librarian

Using AI w/ Student Writing: A Shortcut to Deep Thinking

Many teachers are concerned about AI tools being misused by students looking to shortcut the writing process. The good news is......
Dr Michael HigleySOUTH
NCCE
Director of eLearning

Unlocking Possibilities with Google

Empowering Education Through New Innovative Tools
Jill StoneNORTH
AES Erate
Erate Specialist

e-Rate - Leveraging Funds, Cyber Security and Wifi on Buses

AES would like to present a summary of new rules and new program along with having a panel of 3-5 school district representatives
Erin DowneyNORTH
Boise School District
District Consulting Librarian

Using AI w/ Student Writing: A Shortcut to Deep Thinking

Many teachers are concerned about AI tools being misused by students looking to shortcut the writing process. The good news is....
Melanie LehmanNORTH
Clarksville Mont. Co. Schools
Technology Integration Coach

Digital Tools for Math Instruction

how to use technology, Google Forms, OneNote, and/or Sway to create a digital breakout that is standards-aligned to math.
Dale PerrigoNORTH
Microsoft
Director EDU Specialist

Preparing your students and district for the future

AI, Windows, and Device management
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Lunch / Vendor Exhibit

1:00pm - 1:45pm
Breakout Sessions #3
Jill Stone, Marc ElliotSOUTH
Olympia SD
CIO

Erate 101 Panel w/ District Adminstrators

Panel discussion on how you can maximize your e-Rate dollars, pitfalls of Erate, and the new potential e-Rate rule changes along with the Cybersecurity Pilot program.
Kristina WamboldSOUTH
ESD112 Vancouver
Digital Learning Coach

Building an Instructional Coach Network

Building an Instructional Coach Network
Greg BagbySOUTH
Hamilton Co. Schools
Instructional Techno Coordinator

Creating EdTech Teams

Creating EdTech Teams
Tracy Dabbs and Jim LoganNORTH
Burlington Edison SD
Coordinator of Technology and Innovation

Data Displays to Improve Data Inquiry Cycles

How can your Technology Team support educators with powerful access to dynamic data displays? Learn about Burlington-Edison's journey to make data accessible and meaningful.
Liza Klumpar, Kris HagelNORTH
Franklin Pierce & Peninsula SD
CTO, Exec Dir.

Erate 101 Panel w/ District Adminstrators

Panel discussion on how you can maximize your e-Rate dollars, pitfalls of Erate, and the new potential e-Rate rule changes along with the Cybersecurity Pilot program.
Greg BagbyNORTH
Hamilton Co. Schools
Instructional Techno Coordinator

Moving Beyond ChatGPT

Now that we are getting used to the generative AI aspects of ChatGPT, we will look at AI tools teachers can use immediately.

02:00pm - 03:00pm
Closing Keynotes

"Closing Keynote" by Sean Williams, Former IT DirectorSOUTH

"Building a Ensemble: Lessons from Improv for Organizational Success"

"Closing Keynote" by Kris Hagel,Executive Director of Digital Learning at Peninsula SD NORTH

The School of Tomorrow: AI Meets Education

A comprehensive look at how AI touches every facet of education. Discover the full scope of AI’s transformative power, from adaptive learning programs to automating administrative tasks.

8:30am - 10:00am
Breakfast
8:30am - 2:00pm
Vendor Exhibit Open
Keynote

09:00am - 10:00am
Breakout Sessions

10:30am, 11:30am, 1:00pm
Don Wolff
CTO
Portland Public Schools
Kathi Etchemendy
Tech Dev
Salem-Keizer Public Schools
Jake Voss
Esports Director
Tacoma Public Schools
Liza Klumpar
CTO
Franklin Pierce School District
Tracy Dabbs
Coordinator of Tech
Burlington-Edison School District
Kris Hagel
Exec Dir. Digital Learning
Peninsula SD
Melanie Lehman
Tech Integration
Clarksville Mont. Co. Schools
Michelle Zimmerman
Dir. Innovative Tech
Renton Prep
Greg Bagby
Instructional Tech Coordinator
Hamilton Co. Schools
Erin Downey
District Librarian
Boise School District
Jill Stone
Erate Specialist
AES Erate
Mark Vetter
Education Ambassador
MicroK12
12:00pm 
LUNCH & VENDOR TIME
02:00pm
CLOSING KEYNOTE NORTH & SOUTH
Previous Featured Sessions
Thomas Furness III
Grandfather of Virtual Reality
Don Wolff
CTO
Portland Public Schools
Mark Finstrom
Chief Technology Officer
Highline Public Schools
Mandy Manning
2018 National Teacher of the Year
Thuan Nguyen
Former Assistant Superintendent at Kent 
Michelle Zimmerman
 Director of Innovative T&L at Renton Prep
Abby Zenk
Chief Instruction and Assessment Officer
Eric Chambers
Director of E-rate and Special Services
Jeff Charbonneau
2013 National Teacher of the Year
Brooke Trisler
Chief Technology Officer Mukilteo SD
Shannon Davenport
Director of Professional Learning
Dennis Small
Educational Technology Director at OSPI
What do attendees say?

Janice Wintermyer - Technology Coach

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
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
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
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
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

Jonathan Maynard - Director of Information Services
Conference you should attend each and every year!!
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