Three Things We Learned At CONNECT 2015 Education Conference

NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario - May 13, 2015 - PRLog -- CONNECT 2015 conference brought educators from across North America to discuss the future of education, and what role technology plays in it. Notable tech leader Marc Saltzman and forward-thinking educators spoke about how technologies can enhance learning in the modern classroom. Three themes emerged from the event: Big Data, Classroom iPads, and Tech Adoption Concerns.

Big data and student privacy are upcoming issues in education
The new technologies entering schools come with the cost of new privacy safeguards and systems to install. Services that integrate with a school’s Student Information Systems (SIS) all require access to sensitive data, and administrators need to implement the proper practices to prevent loss of information. Educators and students will need to learn how to manage their data safely and effectively.

“It is important that we ask ourselves as educators, what systems do we have in place to protect student and faculty privacy?” says Dino Miele of District of Niagara School Board.

iPad is still the ed-tech leader
Looking around the conference it was not difficult to see the big player in the education world is still Apple’s iPad, with the many tech companies pushing iPad apps and teachers raving about their use of it. On-stage presentations by forward-thinking educators included “Practical Strategies for Implementing iPads in a Primary Classroom” and “Creating Authentic iPad Learning Stations for Primary Students”, each discussing techniques for teachers to incorporate the technology into their lessons. The low cost of iPads in classrooms means that they can be purchased using department resources, whereas technologies like “Smart boards” are too expensive and thus have lower adoption.

Not everyone is ready to switch to tech
Many of the teachers at CONNECT were excited about the future of technology in their classrooms, but were not so sure how to actually benefit from it. There is clearly a gap that remains between the promises of the tech companies and the visible benefit to educators. Educators at the conference also felt that there is a lack of integration between all of the new technologies and their school’s existing tools. The challenge to EdTech companies will be to better fill specific education needs rather than being “one size fits all”.

ABOUT CONNECT 2015
The largest education technology conference in Canada is being held from May 5th - 8th, 2015 in Niagara Falls at the Scotiabank Convention Centre. It is the only conference that brings both K-20 educators and the tech experts together to discuss the future of technology in education.