Databus Issue: 2006 1 02/13/2006
2005 Tech Center Went 24/7
Russ Brawn Treasurer and 2005 Tech Center Chair
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For 2005, the Conference Technology Center was staged to reflect the interests expressed by attendees of conferences past. Acting on prior feedback, CETPA kept those features that attendees have come to expect and allowed access to the ‘Tech Center’ sooner, kept it intact longer, and provided 24-hour access between those start and end dates.
Having the means of keeping in touch with home organizations, while away, is a crucial aspect of conference attendance for most all of us. Ours is not a responsibility that can easily be placed on hold, nor are most blessed with organizational capacity to completely fill in for extended absences. In response, CETPA provided security allowing 24-hour access to the dozens of work stations and supporting print stations comprising the ‘Internet Café’; as well as wireless access throughout the public areas of the main hotel. Much credit goes to those vendors whose generous contributions of product and talent made it possible: Apple Computer, Extreme Networks, Hewlett Packard, Lightspeed Systems, Network Infrastructure Corporation, and Sehi Computer Products.
Since its beginnings as an introduction to the Internet at the 1994 CETPA Conference, held in Long Beach, the Technology Center has grown to be a multi-faceted resource tuned to the interests of the most technically oriented attendees. Sixteen diverse sessions of were presented within the ‘Tech Talks’, focusing upon recent and emerging technologies. Technical resources from a number of companies serving K- 12 presented and lead group dialogue designed to concentrate upon the technologies and the base issues being addressed by the solutions.
As in the past, the Technology Center provided space for high-end networking gear, vendor specific technology demonstrations and a venue for the one-on-one follow-up to the Tech Talk sessions. This format is intended to allow extended access to vendor engineers for those individuals charged with ‘making it work’ at the district and school sites. Combined, these opportunities for one-on-one discussions, Tech Talk presentations and the Vendor Show offer conference attendees unparalleled access to needed expertise.
Continuous improvement is one focus of the CETPA board and the reason behind collecting feedback from participants. Please feel free to suggest additional changes to the Technology Center and/ or reinforce direction and services that have served you well. Just contact any of the CETPA directors — e-mail addresses are provided at www.cetpa-k12.org/about/directors.php.
