This Year’s Florida Education Technology Conference Is Also Online
John O'Connor / StateImpact Florida
The 2013 exhibit hall at FETC, an annual education technology conference in Orlando.
FETC, one of the nation’s oldest and largest education technology conferences, kicks off today in Orlando.
But for the first time teachers, principals and educators won’t have to travel to Orange County in order to participate.
About 50 FETC events, including keynote speeches and many of the seminars where teachers share tips and tricks, will be broadcast online. Conference organizers say the online experience will be as good as attending in person.
“You will possibly have a better experience right there on your computer,” said Sean Brown, vice president of Sonic Foundry, the company broadcasting FETC online. “We are going to give any teacher who tunes in as a virtual attendee a seat in the room.”
There is a fee for the online access, but Brown said those who tune in will have high-quality audio, high-definition video and be able to view presentations. And they won’t be fighting for bandwidth with all the other laptops, tablets and phones in the Orange County Convention Center.
Another advantage? If two sessions conflict, you can watch one later.
“It’s another way to see everything,” Brown said. “If you’re just one person you have to make choices. Do I go to this session, or this session?”
Participants will be able to access the FETC broadcast using just about any browser or any device, Brown said. FETC will wrap up on Friday, but those paying for the virtual conference will be able to watch sessions and speeches for some time after the event ends.
