The Computer in Education Society of Ireland (CESI) will hold its annual conference entitled “TEACHnology – Merging Teaching and Technology in Schools” in Portlaoise Heritage Hotel, 24 Feb, 7 – 9 PM and Portlaoise College, 25 Feb, 9 AM – 4.30 PM. Registration for the Conference is now open and you can register for either or both the Friday night programme and the Saturday conference/workshops. The Conference Programme has just been released and the highlights include:

Friday Night CESI Meet

The starter event of the Conference takes place on the Friday evening in the Heritage Hotel in Portlaoise and it is an opportunity to pick up new ideas and network with other educators in a relaxed environment. The atmosphere is less formal where presentations are delivered in three formats: Mini (7 mins), Soap Box (15 mins) and Nano (2 mins). Throughout the evening there are usually competitions and spot prizes and the evening finishes off with refreshments and chat.

Keynote Speaker: Professor Steve Wheeler

The Keynote Speaker kicks off the Saturday conference and sets the tone for the day’s deliberations. Professor Steve Wheeler has the honour of keynoting the conference this year. Steve is Associate Professor of Learning Technologies at Plymouth University, where he specialises in research on e-learning and distance education, with particular emphasis on social media and Web 2.0 tools. He has given keynotes and invited lectures to audiences in over 20 countries across 5 continents, is the author of more than 150 scholarly articles and is an extremely active blogger and tweeter. His blog “Learning with ‘e’s” is a regular online commentary on the social and cultural impact of disruptive technologies, and the application of digital media in education and training.

Workshops and Presentations

The Saturday conference programme includes the following workshops and presentations:

  • A Brief History of the Near Future
  • A Wide-Angle Look at ICT Infrastructure, Evolving Technologies and Planning
  • Blogging Basics – How to Get Your Class Blogging
  • Captioning Videos for School Use
  • CLICnews
  • Connect School Toolbox
  • Cool Tools for School: An iPod, Some Free Stuff and a World of Imagination
  • Creating a Mobile App for Your School
  • Developing an Enhanced Learning Environment
  • Developing E-Learning Resources
  • Edmodo in the Classroom
  • EdTeach – Learn How
  • Enhanced Learning Futures
  • Game-Based Learning in Irish Education – A Pilot Study
  • Getting Started with Technology in Your Classroom
  • How Google Apps Can Improve Staff Communication and Collaboration in Your Schools
  • ICT For Technophobes
  • Immersive Learning in History
  • Kinecting Education and Technology
  • Moodle in the Classroom
  • Online Learning Networks for Teachers and Students
  • Open Discover Space (ODS) – An Accelerator for the Sharing, Adoption, Usage and Re-purposing of ICT in Education
  • Practical Project Maths in 2012
  • Scratch: Introductory Programming
  • Social Networking With Our Students – Considering Digital Identity, Authenticity and Privacy
  • Teaching Science With Virtual Worlds – A Case Study
  • Teaching With Games – Understanding Games and the Educational Potential
  • The Livescribe Pen in Action
  • Troubleshooting Teacher
  • Using Twitter to Increase Classroom Discussion and Engagement with University Students: Student and Lecture Responses
  • Why Teach With a Cloud: How Google Apps Can Help You and Your School

You can get more information about each workshop/presentation HERE

You can register for the Conference online at http://www.cesi.ie/conference-2012-registration. Registration for the CESI Meet event on Friday 24th will be limited to 80 due to the size of the venue so register early to avoid disappointment. Registration for Saturday 25th won’t be capped but early registration will help with the organisation end of things.

You can follow CESI on Twitter at @cesitweets to keep up-to-date on all things CESI, and use the hashtag of #CESI2012 for specific information on this year’s conference, including real-time tweets from attendees and participants on Friday evening and Saturday.