Technology Awareness Day celebrates 35 years of learning, networking, and innovation

Education professionals, school technology experts and students recently spent the day learning about the latest innovations aimed at enhancing school operations and inclusive tools to support educators in enriching the learning experience for all students.

Two students playing with tech with Senator Jacoby Ashby

Northeastern Regional Information Center (NERIC) hosted the 35th Annual Technology Awareness Day on Dec.13 at the Albany Capital Center. The day featured a robust agenda focused on the theme of Inclusive Innovation: Technology for Every Learner. Attendees had the opportunity to choose from 18 educational sessions, explore 60 vendor product and service offerings, and engage hands-on with an AI technology playground designed for both students and adults.

“It’s a great opportunity to see what’s out there, see what’s new and cutting-edge,” said Andrew Ferrone, WSWHE BOCES assistant coordinator for Model Schools. “I also love how many different types of sessions there are. I love being able to learn from different people in different roles and learn about a diverse range of topics.” 

Two students playing with tech

The event opened with music selections performed by the City School District of Albany’s Falcon String Quartet and the Jazzmanian Devils Advanced Jazz Band. 

Keynote speaker Trevor Muir, passionate educator, speaker and author, shared

 his insights on how we can empower students to make impacts on their communities now by utilizing the technology accessible to them in the classroom. Whether it’s filming, editing and broadcasting veteran stories or raising money online for people in underdeveloped countries, the technology available to students in schools can make positive changes in communities now.

Justin Gray, Warrensburg Central School District English teacher and instructional technologist, said he found the day to be a valuable learning experience.

“I learn about all sorts of great instructional technology tools to bring to my district. I really love the energy here,” Gray said. “Every time I come, I learn something new that I can take back and share with my colleagues.”

Administrators and education professionals experienced the diverse offerings of the day, making  connections and gaining knowledge to benefit their school districts on topics such as cybersecurity, inclusive AI for all learners, student-produced news broadcasts, and translation tools to support learning for all students in the classroom.

“I come to Technology Awareness Day every year so I can connect with the vendors and attend different workshops,” said Cheryl Rabinowitz, instructional technology manager for Hudson City School District. “AI is on everybody’s mind so I plan to attend workshops for that. I am excited to see translation resources on the agenda as we have diverse students who need this assistance.” Event attendee raising hand during a session

The entire day provided attendees with networking opportunities and conversations with colleagues and instructors from across the region to exchange ideas, as well as informative face-to-face discussions with vendors.

“Cybersecurity is huge right now. Tech A-Day is helpful. I like to network with the vendors and work a lot with these people on projects throughout the year,” said Kyle Morse, help desk technician for Glens Falls City School District.

NERIC is a resource for cooperative educational technology services and support. As one of 12 Regional Information Centers (RICs) working with the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) in New York state, NERIC serves more than 130 school districts from New York’s Capital Region to the Canadian border. 

By regionalizing services, NERIC makes a wide range of 21st-century educational technology tools and services available to school districts. For more information, visit the NERIC website