TCEA's Conventon and Exhibition

The Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) is staging its 30th annual Convention and Exposition in Austin, Texas from Monday, February 8th to Friday, February 12th, 2010. Although TCEA calls this a "convention," teachers and technical specialists like to call it a conference. (Possibly because of the association of the word "Convention" with "Unions," a nasty topic here in Texas.) This conference is the largest State-wide educational technology conference in the country. Possibly because the folks in Texas like to do things in a big way. The theme of the 2010 Conference is, "Charting New Waters." And, the technology integration movement does need to chart a new course because the old methods just haven't worked. But, how much of TCEA's theme is "just so much hype" and how much is directed toward real change? The TCEA 2010 Advance Program is 51 pages of information…workshops, keynotes, breakout sessions, activities, tours, dinners…ordinary convention events.

The TCEA Convention and Exposition remains in Austin, although there was discussion several years ago about bringing the conference to San Antonio…a wise choice and a more friendly location.

Moving the Convention and Exposition to San Antonio would increase attendance because many more teachers would jump at the chance to visit San Antonio. Besides, as the demographics of Texas changes, Hispanic teachers find San Antonio a bilingual, and Spanish-supportive city; whereas Austin seems to cling to the outdated, "English only" attitude. People in Austin seem to go out of their way to mispronounce Spanish words, even if they know better. So, while the University of Texas at Austin is responsible for making the city as cosmopolitan as it is, Austin hasn't turned to corner to the 21st Century and embraced the Spanish language as a world language and as a Texan language.

Rotating the Convention and Exposition between Houston, Dallas-Ft. Worth and San Antonio makes more sense than parking the conference in Austin. And, Austin could be placed *out of the loop" with no loss of attendance. In fact, rotating the venue of the conference could increase attendance, and bring new teachers to the conference.

Unfortunately, the convention goers will find hotel rated in each city to be sky-high and outside the comfort zone of teachers. And school districts usually maintain a "state rate" cap on reimbursement.

Note: Teachers and technology staff that attend a state conference should obtain a Letter of Official Business so that they can avoid the exorbitant room tax, no matter what city the Convention and Exposition is staged in.

The parking rate at the Austin Convention Center is $7.00 per day, and required unless you arrive before 7:30 a.m. and can park one block to the south. But, exercise care if you expect to remain in the Convention Center after dark and must return to your car alone.

February can be cold in Texas, and most of the homeless are off the Austin streets; but getting an escort to your vehicle makes a lot of sense. If you are walking alone, only use the lighted parking garages.

The Convention and Exhibition provides an exhibit hall full of exhibits. The number of vendors purchasing booth space at the TCEA Conference is incredible, and the money that TCEA makes from these vendors is huge. However, TCEA would serve members by exercising due diligence in selling booth space. This is important because the vast sum of wasted educational technology dollars is responsible for the technology integration's less than stellar performance over the last 15 years. TCEA's due diligence would mean screening vendors by requiring these vendors to show that their products are effective in producing student achievement. Other evaluation and screening measures might require vendors to prove that their products are cost-effective and useful. If TCEA took such a socially responsible position, this would be a giant step toward cleaning the junk off the exhibit floor, and only products that were cost-effective and effective would be demonstrated. TCEA's social responsibility is similar to our government's responsibility to provide for tobacco farmers in KY, NC and VA; i.e., retraining, financing, helping the farmers find alternative, socially acceptable crops. By phasing out these odious (pun intended) cash crops, our government would provide a world-wide service. In the same way, TCEA could phase out the exhibits of products that are worthless and detrimental to school districts' budgets (because students derive little or no benefit from the expenditures) and increase the purchasing confidence of school district executives and administrators for the technology products that they approve for purchase. Screening and sifting through the offerings displayed in the Convention and Exhibition hall is the only moral and ethical approach to a leader in state-wide educational technology conferences. TCEA's 30th year can become a watershed for finally developing an technology integration plan that stands a chance of proving to be effective.