Reflecting on Conference Proposals

The first conference I would consider presenting at is the Association for Educational Communications and Technologies (AECT) conference in October 2023. I have already submitted a proposal for this conference on a study I am working on utilizing the LoTi survey. The aim of the survey is to gauge the digital landscape in K-12 campuses by surveying in-service educators. Questions asked on the survey relate to campus climate, usage of technology in relation to standards-based learning, and teacher confidence. The proposal was submitted to Division K: Teacher Education. This presentation will be in a poster format, which will be a new experience. This topic of digital landscape fits nicely into my overall dissertation topic: the technology skills gap in education. I have been interested in how to address the skills gap in educators, and by extension the student population. This stems from my interest in the digital divide issues, which I presented on June 2022.

If the deadline for the AECT conference had not already closed, I would have submitted my literature review under Division I: Technology Integrated Learning. This division is suited to my literature review topic because of the inclusion of technology for diverse learners. Part of my literature review addresses the use of augmented reality (AR) for special education learners. The literature review has shown digital divide concerns regarding special education learners and their access to technology. The technology access concerns for special education learners are in part caused by a lack of knowledge among K-12 stakeholders. One of the recommendations made in the literature reviewed suggested increasing stakeholders’ knowledge of accessibility options, making considerations about special education accessibility during the procurement process, and increasing the available research (Shaheen & Lohnes, 2019).

A second conference that I might have considered would have been The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) conference. Their theme this year is Reimagine. Redesign. Renew. The second word, redesign, caught my eye because it connects to my literature review. Their goal is to “redesign education to ensure equitable learning for all learners,” (CoSN, 2023). Since part of my literature review addresses special education learners, and the lack of equitable access among this population, this conference would have been an excellent opportunity to present.

The final conference that I would present my literature review to is the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference. This conference deadline is March 28 and is still within the realm of possibilities as of writing this reflection post. However, due to previous commitments on the same days as the conference, I will not be able to attend. However, ISTE would be an ideal conference to present at. Their program is expected to have topics relating to augmented reality (AR) in the classroom as well as equitable access for all learners. These two topics together are in harmony with my literature review. Furthermore, ISTE is a reputable organization in the realm of education technology. The ISTE standards are referred to frequently, and as a school librarian, I refer to them for my own profession as well as for my emerging career as a scholar.

As I had described before, the literature review addresses access for special education learners, which falls under the umbrella of the digital divide. My primary focus for my dissertation is the technology skills gap in education; this is inclusive of all stakeholders. Teachers are not the only individuals who manage technology. Campus administrators and technology specialists are included in the term stakeholders. The head of district technology departments are the ones responsible for making decisions about procurement, they also need insight into the needs of their populations, as well as the training needs of the staff who will be using the technology in the classroom. While my literature review is very specific and separate from my overall dissertation topic, it is very much connected.

Presenting at another conference will be an additional presentation for my proposal; my third conference in total while in the program at the University of North Texas. My first two conference presentations occurred in June 2022. The first at the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) Elementary Technology Conference. I presented two presentations. The first was a presentation on the presentation application, Nearpod. The second presentation at that same conference was about the application Novel Effect. Novel Effect uses soundscapes to enhance the reading experience. I presented research explaining the effect of storytelling and music on the brain. The third presentation I presented was a literature review on the digital divide at EdMedia + Innovate 2022 in New York. Presenting at a third conference would be an additional experience, especially if I am able to present in a different format than I have previously experienced.

Association for Educational Communications and Technologies. (2023). Call for proposals. https://members.aect.org/events/call/default.asp?open=Div#Groups

Consortium for School Networking. (2023). CoSN2023. https://www.cosn.org/cosn2023/

International Society of Technology in Education (2023). ISTELive 2023: Discover Practice-Changing Content. https://conference.iste.org/2023/program/overview.php

Shaheen, N. L., & Lohnes Watulak, S. (2019). Bringing disability into the discussion: Examining technology accessibility as an equity concern in the field of instructional technology. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 51(2), 187-201. (29)