SEMCA’s educational staff have traditionally supported the conference, and for the past two years the SEMCA Education Advisory Group (EAG) has sponsored the event. The first day of the conference was opened by SEMCA’s own Executive Director, John B. O’Reilly, Jr. who spoke of the partnerships between SEMCA and its region’s two Intermediate School Districts, Monroe County ISD and Wayne County RESA.
The conference featured a different keynote speaker for each day. On the first day, Dr. Richard Allen delivered his program, “Presenting with the Brain in Mind.”
This dynamic presentation (which featured rock and roll music and activities that required people to get up out of their seats and connect with others) appealed to the crowd made up mostly of k-12 educators and administrators.
(left to right) SEMCA Executive Director, John B. O’Reilly; keynote speaker Dr. Richard Allen; DCTC Director, F. Malin Wagner.
Ian Jukes was the keynote speaker on the second day of the conference. His presentation “Windows on the Future” was an interesting look at how technology has changed our lives through the centuries, how it will affect us in the very near future and what the audience, as educators needs to do to address these changes.
He pleaded with the audience to open their minds, to not get stuck in their preconceived notions about technology’s place in our society.
He showed examples of products that are currently on the foreign market (poised to hit the American market) that will change the way people work and play in the world. He explained to the audience that in the future people will not use traditional desktop computers with a CPU, monitor and keyboard (which is what most people think of when we say the word computer). In the near future everyone will have a hand held unit that will function as a phone/fax/e-mail/internet browser/CD and DVD player all in one. He called these devices “cybrids”, devices that have more than one function.
At the SEMCA booth, SEMCA Career Prep Coordinator, Veronica Bohannon (left) greets Kathryn Mackie, who works for the Dearborn Public Schools in Special Services as well as the PAL (Partnership for Adult Learning) Program.
“The only difference between science fiction and reality is that science fiction has to be believable.” Jukes stated.
Jukes talked about the influence that the internet has had upon us. “We are headed for the age of ‘Infowhelm.’ In 2002 we will have more web pages than people on the planet.” He continued, “Whether you are ready for it or not, this thing is coming like a Sunami.”
Jukes urged the crowd to recognize that we need to “create a new mind set.” “Most people think that this has nothing to do with them because they work in a small district.”
Jean Alred (standing) spoke to a full room about Mind Mapping at the DCTC Conference.
Malin Wagner, Director of the DCTC, expressed his hope that attendees would “leave the conference with many ideas that can be implemented in your own district to bring about positive change for the improvement of education for all our students.”
Dr. Mary Bigler, Educational Consultant, directed workshops on the first day of the conference.