T+L focuses on innovation and creativity

But did you know that some of the sessions are directly geared to the interests of school board members? For example, one of the pre-conference sessions covers the latest Supreme Court decisions on electronic file management and records retention.

Among the mini-academies scheduled during the conference, at least three should be of particular interest to board members: a “digital media boot camp,” co-sponsored by Apple, which covers podcasting and other innovative ways to engage students and the community; “From Cyber-bullying to Cell Phones,” presented by NSBA staff attorney Thomas Hutton; and a briefing for board members on “vision and policy for 21st century leadership.”

This year’s T+L, for the first time, is organized around six “big ideas”: professional development, one-to-one initiatives, tools for the classroom, 21st century skills, using data to improve student performance, and open-source initiatives.

The keynote speakers include Lyn Heward, the creative force behind Cirque du Soleil; Peter Diamandis, the founder and chair of the X Prize Foundation who helped get the first private spacecraft into orbit; and 21st century skills champion Ian Jukes.

Among other conference highlights are an extensive series of field trips and school site visits, an exhibit hall featuring more than 200 leading technology vendors, student movie and electronic music competitions, and recognition of 20 emerging technology leaders and three tech-savvy Salute Districts.