The theme for BIT 15 is “Bring IT, Together”.
We recognize that there are so many things that need to come together in order to enhance and transform the learning that you want to take place in your classroom, school and district.The Educational Computing Organization of Ontario (ECOO) and the ICT Committee of the Ontario Association of School Business Officials (OASBO-ICT) are working together to provide you with a learning experience no matter whether you are an educator, administrator, IT Manager or IT Support Staff. We understand that for change to happen, everyone needs to Bring IT Together.
You are invited to join us in order to share ideas, discuss challenges and explore emerging and best practices. Opportunities to attend sessions led by education professionals and industry representatives will highlight emerging technologies and best practices to help you Bring IT Together.
BIT 15 Schedule
Bring IT, Together is a 3-day conference hosted by ECOO and OASBO-ICT. Wednesday features a number of full-day Wednesday Workshop options run in parallel to a full-day OASBO-ICT track (keynote and sessions). Thursday and Friday each feature keynotes and a huge selection of Core Conference sessions. Networking and social events, in addition to the expanded Exhibition Hall, are featured on all three days.
BIT 15 Keynote Speakers
Steve Dotto is Canada’s most respected geek. For over 15 years, as host and executive producer of Dotto Tech, a nationally syndicated TV show, Steve has entertained and educated millions of Canadians on all aspects of technology. Steve has a passion for understanding the social impact of technology.
Now as Host and producer of Dotto Tech Radio, Steve continues to explore and explain the impact of technology on our society.
Steve has one mission; to help us master our technology, at home, at school or at work.
Heidi Siwak is a middle school teacher from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada whose innovative work is creating new models of learning. She has been recognized by the Globe and Mail as one of Canada’s innovative teachers. Her students undertake original projects that challenge the boundaries of learning and have won national awards. She has been featured on TVO’s Learning 2030 series and as a guest blogger. Her blog is carried by CBC’s digital media service in Hamilton. Heidi is currently exploring Integrative and Design Thinking and Knowledge Building with her students and has recently begun her MEd in Education Leadership and Policy.
Sylvia Martinez is co-author of Invent To Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering the Classroom, a book that has been called the “bible of the classroom maker movement”
For the previous ten years, Sylvia has been President of Generation YES, a non-profit organization evangelizing student leadership through modern technology. Prior to this, Sylvia oversaw product development, design and programming for consumer software, video games, and educational games at several software publishing companies. She advocates globally for authentic learning using real world design principles and hands-on experiences.
A popular international keynote, workshop leader, and consultant, Sylvia speaks on topics of design thinking and making, the lessons for schools from the global Maker Movement, student empowerment, STEM, gender issues in technology, games and learning, and digital citizenship. Sylvia weaves examples from present day schools that use technology in authentic ways with her own experiences from the real world of work in video game development and aerospace engineering.
Martinez started her career designing high frequency receiver systems and navigation software for GPS satellites.
She holds a Master’s in Educational Technology from Pepperdine, and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from UCLA.
The 2015 Bring IT, Together Conference (BIT 15) will take place at the Scotiabank Convention Centre (Ontario, CA) on November 4 - 6, 2015.
