Registration is going on now for Montgomery County Community College’s 24th Annual Technology and Learning Conference, scheduled for Friday, Oct. 5, from 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at the College’s Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell.

The cost of attending MCCC’s Technology and Learning Conference is $35, which includes all conference materials, parking, continental breakfast and lunch. The conference will take place in the Advanced Technology Center with a keynote speaker, vendors, and four-50 minute sessions. Register online. 

This year’s keynote speaker is Bobbe Baggio, Associate Provost of the School of Adult and Graduate Education at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pa. She will be discussing ChatBots (e.g., Amazon’s Alexa) and the impact they will have in the classroom, as well as in our personal lives.

Dr. Baggio was formerly the Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and Online Learning at American University in Washington, D.C. and was previously the Program Director of the Master of Science program in Instructional Technology Management at La Salle University in Philadelphia. Since 2002, she has been the CEO of Advantage Learning Technologies, Inc., a company that provides programs, products and research for workplace learning. Her expertise draws upon her experience as a Fortune 100 IT manager, 20 years of consulting experience and her doctoral studies in instructional design for online learning.

This year’s conference sessions feature the latest technology trends in education.

“Our focus is on new technology, such as Alexa in the classroom, drones, Microsoft productivity apps, creating a Smart Home and the use of administrative dashboards,” said Mary-Kate Najarian, assistant director of Instructional Technology and chair of the Annual Technology and Learning Conference.

 “We’ll also cover current and emerging topics in higher education, including open educational resources, accessibility, gamification, and active learning classrooms, as well as the role of security in education. Participants can have fun trying to solve our Security Escape Room and can speak with students about their thoughts on technology in education plus much more.”

The conference schedule, including details about the breakout sessions, are available online.

Designed for faculty and administrators from both higher education and K-12 sectors, the conference provides a forum for participants to share state-of-the-art information technologies, contribute to a vision of the future of information technology in the academic enterprise, and exchange ideas and best practices for incorporating technology, security and learning.

MCCC is recognized as a top community college in the country for its use of technology, according to the Center for Digital Education, ranking three times as first in the nation during the last 11 years.