FETC Day 1
January 24, 2008
I understand that today was not FETC day 1 for everybody, but this was my first day in town. I am going to post my general observations about this conference.
-This is probably wrong to say in education technology circles, but I like this conference much better than NECC. I went to NECC last year, and it was overwhelming. There were thousands of workshops, vendors, and things happening - and it felt chaotic and disorganized to me. FETC is a lot more manageable and seems to attract higher quality speakers and vendors.
-It is wonderful to see so many personal and online friends and colleagues attending the same conference. I am meeting my friend, Anna, from wireless generation for dinner this evening. Her FreeReading.net program is being adopted by Florida! My old buddies from SchoolNet are in attendance.
-Alexander Russo, Will Richardson, and Lee Wilson are other prominent bloggers in attendance.
-At the vendor booths, the variety of product knowledge is staggering. There are some products where the vendors understand every detail about their product, its market, and its advantages - and these vendors are a pleasure to listen to. Other vendors are unclear about what they are selling and how it fits a school’s needs.
-I also had the opportunity to watch Steve Dembo from Discovery (and Teach42) speak about the Web 2.0 revolution in education. Steve had great energy and energized the crowd. I heard comments after his speech that people were incredibly impressed with his passion and ideas. As a heavy Web 2.0 user, I found his speech to be a bit boring. I believe that people who are not exposed to these tools need to get their hands dirty with these tools to truly understand them. But it was still a good time.
Overall, I have been quite pleased with the conference. It is well attended and presents the perfect opportunity to build relationships with new partners and vendors in our space.
Welcome to Smart Solutions Blog/Web Page
January 14, 2008
Note: Please click here to read the full blog. Also, please do not hesitate to e-mail me or call me at 216-374-6723.
Welcome to Smart Solutions new K12 web page. First, let me introduce myself.
My name is Nitin Julka and I have been “blogging” since 2002. I am an avid consumer of the news, politics, blogs, think tanks, magazines, podcasts, and other media. If you google me, you will find a lot of results. To save you the energy, you can read about me on my personal web page.
I am committed to improving education through the use of technology. Smart Solutions is my family business, and after completing an undergraduate degree in Computer Science (and Psychology) from University of Wisconsin-Madison, a stint in Consulting at CRA International, and finally an MBA from Columbia Business School, I have returned home to the business.
While we are not a large company with a large marketing department, I find that blogging is a good way to create a “voice” for my enterprise. Therefore, following in the illustrious footsteps of Richard Edelman, Andy Rotherham, and John Halamka, I have started this blog.
This blog will focus on Ohio, education technology, and education policy. I always welcome feedback and suggestions - please e-mail me any questions or comments that you have about anything. I am especially interested in building a community of educators who are committed to furthering collaboration, 21st century skills, and education through the use of technology.
If you are an educator in Ohio and Michigan, and wish to learn more about our company or services, please contact k12@ssik12.com .
Looking forward to getting to know you!