Cutting-edge technologies presented by local and international suppliers
Cul de Sac – The first Technology and Education Conference (C-TEC) will take place on November 12 and 13 at Milton Peters College. This conference is open to all Sint Maarten teachers and will welcome many school managers and policy makers from our island and the Caribbean region. The goal of the two-day conference is to bring together all educators from primary and secondary schools to exchange ideas and experience on the use of technology in the classroom.
With a very diverse group of international and local companies participating in Foresee’s first ever Caribbean Technology & Education conference, the exhibition part of the conference promises to offer a myriad of tools and tried and proven programs. Exhibitors will be demonstrating interactive white boards, software products, computers, smart phones and applications to be used in the classroom.
Locally, several telecom providers and technology retailers will present their goods and services. For the ICT backbone in schools there is Keijzer computers, specializing in interactive whiteboards and so called “clicker systems” where students can give an answer or indicate whether they understand a certain topic or not, with the push of a button. Office World is of course represented as a well-known provider of computers and all possible accessories, as well as custom printing services for educational use. Boolchand’s, one of the oldest retailers in Sint Maarten will be present with a broad selection of their well-known electronics assortment. Finally, in line with the trend of ‘tabletisation of the classroom’ Klass electronics will present their portable devices with a strong emphasis on brands like Samsung and Sony.
There is no twenty-first century learning without communication and internet access. The demand for bandwidth is growing continually as the integration of internet resources into the curriculum is expanding. Local providers Telem and UTS will both be represented at the Expo to offer their packages as well as their smartphones and handheld devices to schools and educational institutions in Sint Maarten.
Internationally, there are specialized companies such as PowerupEDU, the provider of the Promethean Digital Board, one of the leading products in interactive whiteboards for the classroom. PowerupEDU will conduct their first full-fledged presentation to the wider Sint Maarten educational audience. In the field of – digital – content, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) will bring their cutting-edge pre-K-12 products forward. HMH provides practically anything from children’s books, novels, nonfiction to reference titles for primary education and beyond.
Skool automatisering from the Netherlands offers twenty years of experience with applying ICT in schools. Skool focuses on solving the challenges of actually integrating modern technology in the day-to-day practice of teaching. From the Caribbean itself is eLearning Jamaica Ltd, a company that brings along a wealth of experience in ‘Tablets in Schools’ projects in infant, primary as well as secondary education.
In the non-profit section, the Hillside Christian School, flagship of the DigiKidz program for integration of technology in the classroom, will present an overview of their experiences to fellow educators and other participants. The Philipsburg Jubilee Library is a permanent partner of the ForeSee (4C) Foundation in hosting the MediaLab that plays a key role in training of students, educators and the wider public in technological literacy.
The C-TEC conference, organized by the Foresee (4C) Foundation and its C-TEC organizing committee, with the aid of Unesco, the government of Sint Maarten, Sint Maarten Development Foundation and other partners, will offer a wide and unprecedented array of workshops for the participants to attend. Registration is open now on www.ctec-conference.com.
For more information about the Caribbean Technology & Education Conference, the conference schedule, session descriptions, registration exhibitors, visit www.ctec-conference.com or email: info@ctec-conference.com.
