Integrative Approaches: Meeting Challenges

Share the view over the horizon! The 2008 AECT International Convention where hundreds of sessions offer you the opportunity to immerse yourself in information that will offer the glow of both professional and program development. Convention workshops offer multiple rays of in-depth, hands-on experiences guided by some of the top experts and vendors in the field. AECT division, affiliate, Graduate Student Assembly and committee meetings are the beams of energy on the AECT horizon that keep the association basking in the rays of change. To share in the glow of these rays, we invite you to attend these leadership opportunities.

Three nights of evening activities will offer the glimmering opportunity to illuminate professional and personal pursuits. The International Student Media Festival will have its own program track highlighted to attract students and teachers involved in student media production.

Register now for your advanced admission to the convention. Share in the possibilities, the luminosity, and the prospect of looking beyond the horizon! It’s the AECT 2008 Orlando International Convention - On the Horizon: Rays of Change.

Reasons to Attend

Professional Development

Hundreds of conference presentations have been slated for this year’s International Convention. In terms of both the quantity and the quality of proposals submitted, 2008 is a banner year for AECT - with the strongest and most diverse agenda ever. Offerings like the Design and Development Showcase, a Second Life strand, Featured Research presentations, opportunities for chats with keynote speakers, and the new Seed award are examples of glowing opportunities for your professional growth!

"Rays of Change” are embodied from Virtual Worlds and Mobile Learning, to Serious Gaming for Education, to Educational Transformation, to Professional Ethics to Instructional Design Culture as well as within Workshops, Keynote Speakers, and Presidential Sessions... the latest classroom practice and research in the field of educational technology awaits you at AECT 2008.

Networking

Year after year, AECT members’ conference evaluations illuminate “networking” as one of the gleaming benefits of their membership and conference attendance. And with AECT councils, divisions, special interest groups, graduate student meetings, First-Timers Orientation... our entire program is offers our members’ networking and collaborative opportunities.

This year three “can’t miss” evening events are free and open to conference participants. The Wednesday night Division and Affiliate Round-Up Reception will offer you an chance to learn about group’s conference and yearlong activities and sign up to join members for dinner. Thursday night, the ECT Recognition Reception will offer a chance for AECT members to highlight those who have mentored or provided them leadership opportunities. Friday night’s University Receptions will illuminate outstanding programs, people and opportunities by a number of the university faculty and students. It is always an exciting event!.

Learning

Conference Program - Opportunities to expand your horizon abound through the hundreds of conference presentations. The view of the horizon represents the current and potential visions of the individual and unique pieces of our profession that, in the light of day, create rays of continuously changing yet integrated patterns of practice. Supporting the main theme are five sub-themed “rays”: (Ray 1) Virtual Worlds and Mobile Learning; (Ray 2) Serious Gaming for Education; (Ray 3) Educational Transformation; (Ray 4) Professional Ethics; (Ray 5) Instructional Design Culture. From division to affiliate to committee-sponsored presentations, a myriad of information is available to you.

Workshops - hands-on, experiential, and informative - add new learning opportunities to your convention experience. AECT will offer professional development workshops to all full paid convention registrants for a minimal materials fee of $15. Register early to take advantage of special offer. Workshops are offered on a space available basis.

Study Tours - Something new this year is two study tours to University of Central Florida’s state of the art Institute for Simulation and Training (IST) and the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA). These tours open the door to visit “state of the art” programs and intiaitves. You will have a chance to tour and visit with faculty and students about their projects and experiences. IST’s tour will be Tuesday afternoon and FIEA’s will be on Wednesday morning. Seating will be limited so once registration is opened, sign up fast.

Recognize Your Mentor!

Is there an AECT member that you want to thank for mentoring you or providing you with leadership opportunities? The ect Foundation, a non-profit organization for charitable and educational purposes that has made a substantial commitment in support of AECT, has created a public venue at the 2008 convention for AECT members to recognize those individuals who have played an important role in a member’s professional life.

All you need to do is submit the person’s name (up to 15 words of recognition) and your name to have it included in a slide show that will be projected during the ect Recognition Reception on November 6, 6:00-7:00 p.m. and at the ect convention booth. Go to http://www.uni.edu/coe/ci/aect/ to find the ect Recognition submission link.

	Association for Educational Communications and Technology
	2009 AECT Convention - Louisville, Kentucky