U.S. Rep. Upton to attend tech conference
April 26, 2001
KALAMAZOO -- U.S. Rep. Fred Upton is expected to address participants of the Fourth Annual Educational Technology Coordinators Conference during the conference's final session at 3:45 p.m. Friday, April 27, in the Fetzer Center on the Western Michigan University campus.
The two-day conference, Thursday and Friday, April 26-27, is geared toward school district technology leaders and administrators and provides participants the opportunity to share resources, ideas and information with other technology professionals throughout Michigan. A total of 16 sessions are planned on such topics as district infrastructure, imaging computers, weaving technology into instruction, voice data systems, the impact of network design in K-12 technology, network security and privacy issues, and managing the responsibilities of being both a teacher and technology coordinator.
Upton, who was recently appointed chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet in the 107th Congress, will address issues related to educational technology in Michigan and his work on that house subcommittee. The subcommittee has broad jurisdiction over all telecommunication and information transmission by broadcast, radio, wire, satellite and the Internet. In addition, the subcommittee oversees issues related to government agencies, such as the Federal Communications Commission.
More than 270 people attended last year's conference. This year's event was expanded to two days as a result of suggestions participants made the previous year. In addition to WMU, sponsors of the annual conference include the Michigan Department of Education, Michigan Education Association, Merit Network Inc., Michigan Virtual University, International Society for Technology in Education, Michigan Association for Media in Education, and the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory as well as school districts in Berrien, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, Oakland and Van Buren counties.
Media contact: Mark Schwerin, 616 387-8400, mark.schwerin@wmich.edu