Exploring the Classroom of Today and Tomorrow, Enhancing the Student Experience, Tech Beyond the Classroom and much more will be the focus on this year’s Technology and Learning Conference at Montgomery County Community College.

The annual online event begins Friday, Sept. 30, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event’s sessions will address topics including Using Telepresence Robots for Remote Participation in Classrooms, Balancing Wellness and Developing the Mindful Learner. The conference is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

For Mary-Kate Najarian, Director of User Success and Learning Technologies, and Jennifer Kim, Infrastructure Engineer, the event’s organizers, this year’s conference will focus on supporting students who enter a classroom with a variety of different goals.

“We’re trying to get them to think about the learning experience from a different perspective,” said Najarian.

“I think it’s about reframing the approach to teaching and learning and recognizing all aspects of a student,” said Kim. “We need to be mindful of their goals. They may not be going for an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. They may be looking to make a career change and are seeking soft skills to work on for employability.”

This year’s keynote address will feature a panel discussion on the topic of workforce development. Kyle Longacre, MCCC Dean of Workforce Development, will facilitate the conversation focused on how to uniquely address education, programming, and industry, to support divergent tracks for the next generation of learning.

“We’re incredibly excited for this year’s keynote discussion,” said Najarian. “This is an opportunity to discuss how educators can support the needs of students and help provide them with the necessary skills for 21^st century employability.”

According to the panel’s description, “students often traverse several different pathways toward credentials and degrees. Too often, many lack a transparent pathway and an informed approach to career development. Meanwhile, skills gaps continue to grow, and employers struggle to fill critical technical jobs in essential industries. The panelists will discuss how educators can keep student goals in mind while working collaboratively with industry to bridge the workforce void. They also will discuss how looking beyond specialized coursework, education is primed to provide real-world experience with employability skills, including communication, leadership, efficiency, planning and problem-solving, self-management, and more.”

Longacre is the lead for the MontcoWorks Apprenticeship Program, and EARN and LEARN Pathway with MCCC.  He joined MCCC in April 2021.  From 2017-2021, he served as the program administrator for college and career readiness at Montgomery County Intermediate Unit and led the MontcoWorks NOW youth workforce program. Longacre, is a member of the Montgomery County Workforce Board and chairs the Youth Workforce committee. Prior to his time at MCIU, he served as an assistant principal at Souderton Area High School and was the director of the nationally recognized ‘Pathway 360 Career Readiness’ program.

Along with Longacre, the panel will include Melissa J. Stowasser, Assistant Vice President of Community Partnerships at Trident Technical College, Charleston, South Carolina. Stowasser will discuss the Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeship Program. This nationally recognized collaborative effort has evolved and grown over the last 10 years to bring together over 250 companies in the Greater Charleston, S.C. region. These companies have hired nearly 100 young adults yearly in paid learn-and-earn apprenticeships across 18 different industry areas.  In addition, Trident Tech has worked to leverage technology to create the My Apprentice app to help educators, employers, and apprentices track performance in both required job competencies and related technical instruction in the classroom.

Rounding out the panel is Dr. David Lindenmuth, Director, Rowan Institution for Education Leadership (RIEL) and Program Coordinator for the School Administration program and a faculty member in the Department of Educational Services and Leadership. Dr. Lindenmuth has over 30 years of experience working in school districts across the state of New Jersey (ranging from high needs to affluent), preparing students for the opportunities to succeed in various roles including teacher, counselor, principal, and superintendent. He has also previously served as a city councilman and county freeholder (county commissioner) allowing him insight into the behind-the-scenes politics that affect the world of education.

His research and work regarding the infusion of technology, educational leadership, and equity for all have been mainstays throughout his career. He has taught courses in Human Resource Management, School Administration, and Educational Leadership at the Undergraduate, Master, and Doctoral levels. 

Lastly, the panel will feature Rebecca Chisolm, Regional Manager,  Network Academy North America. Chisolm leads the Networking Academy team for North America where her team works with colleges, K12 school systems, universities, nonprofits and state agencies to provide free of charge workforce development education and courses to a broad spectrum of students. The Cisco Networking Academy has been delivering workforce development education for 25 years and focuses on the latest networking, security, and programming technologies, while promoting business and entrepreneurial skills. Its courses and workshops provide foundational skills as well as job readiness skills for students of all levels, particularly those wanting to pursue a career in this growing and essential industry. Chisholm and her team are dedicated to closing the IT Skills gap by providing equal access to digital skills and job preparation.  The team is focused on reskilling and upskilling adult works while also exciting and educating young learners – preparing all for the rapidly growing jobs in the world of information technology.  In addition to education, the Networking Academy team provides a talent and jobs matching service for all our students and alumni.

“By communicating with employers and listening to their needs,” said Kim, “we will better be able to prepare students and support the workforce of the future.”

For full details about the Technology and Learning Conference, including a full schedule and list of presentations, visit the landing page. For more information, contact the event organizers at techday@mc3.edu.

The report was updated Sept. 26, 2022.