Six weeks until the ILT2014 Conference | Discounted accommodation onsite closing next week

Today we officially hit the 40 days to go point! Less than six weeks until the Inclusive Learning Technologies Conference 2014 (ILT2014) kicks off on 20th May on Queensland's Gold Coast!

If you have registered already, this update is just keeping you in the loop. AND you should have received an email by now advising you of how to go in and select the sessions you wish to attend. If you haven't received this email just let us know on conference@spectronicsinoz.com or ring the Spectronics office in Brisbane on (07) 3808 6833, or +61 7 3808 6833 if you are calling from outside Australia, and the conference team will be happy to help you out. If you've already dived in and selected your sessions … well done!

If you haven't yet registered, there are still places left in all presentations. But some may be closing soon. Of course, the sooner you register, the better your chances will be of locking in ALL of your preferred sessions.

With apologies that this is such a long email! This always happens as the conference draws nearer and so much starts coming together for all of our participants. For our enthusiastic delegates, our awesome presenters and our valued exhibitors. 

Ready to Register?

Register Online NOW!  Or  Download the Registration Form (pdf)

Session Selections are now open for you to lock in your personal ILT2014 Conference program! Places still available in all sessions!

Yes! Session Selections are now open. How do you go about choosing your own personalised program? It's simple. As soon as you complete your registration, you will be sent an email with instructions (and your own individual password) pointing you to an online page to make your choices. You will be able to revisit that page at any time up until the Thursday before the conference (Thursday 15th May 2014).

Please note that this is optional. Well, I'll clarify that one. If you are attending one or more of the Pre-Conference workshops, we definitely need you to nominate which one you are attending. So that we make sure we allocate rooms big enough to accommodate everyone wishing to attend each Pre-Conference workshop.

But … if you don't want to pre-select and just wish to "wing it" onsite for the other three conference days, that will be fine. 

What does the program look like?

Complete Conference Overview (pdf) or Conference Schedule (pdf)

All program and presenter details are available on the Conference Program page of the conference website. But if you are one of the many people telling us that they find it handy to have a printed copy of the full conference program on hand, we also offer two downloadable PDF options for you.

• The full ILT2014 Conference Program and Presenter Resumes downloadable here.
• The Conference Program Overview simply providing session titles and presenter names downloadable here.

More of your Keynote Presenters | Today meet The Jasons!

If you attended the Inclusive Learning Technologies Conference in 2012, you may remember these two presentations by Jason Carroll and Jason Gibson. 

• Keynote Presentation: What Works? Assistive Technology + Literacy Strategies for Learner Success
• UDL: Moving the Concept to the Classroom

If you didn't attend those sessions, you may better remember the overflowing room in which they were presenting the next day! Their Day Two presentations were so popular, that their session on Day Three was standing room only! With many trying to get in, but missing out. So … we HAD to bring both of them back for our ILT2014 Conference delegates.

Jason Carroll is an Instructional Technology consultant and a strong advocate for the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). He regularly posts informative posts onto the Texthelp Blog in the USA and shares these posts as a Guest Blogger on the Spectronics Blog. And, as proven at the ILT2012 Conference, is an engaging and entertaining presenter.

Learn more about Jason Carroll here.

Jason Gibson specialises in learning support interventions based on research-based strategies. Bridging the gap between research and practice for students with disabilities. His experience as a classroom teacher, consultant, and researcher drive his efforts to deliver strategies that not only work, but can also be delivered practically in today’s classroom. He and Jason Carroll regularly share their valuable insights on the Systems of Support blog expressly aimed at "supporting educator excellence through technology and strategy".

Learn more about Jason Gibson here.

Presentations by the two Jasons in the ILT2014 Conference program include the following. And note, because they have been so popular with delegates selecting their sessions, it looks like we will be filming several of these presentations in full to be offered to people who sign up for our NEW Virtual Registration option.

• You've Got Technology: Now What? (Parts One and Two covering three hours)
• Behavioural Intervention and Technology: Strategies for Student Success
• Made to Engage: Tips to Add Pop to Your Teaching (One of the five-minute Ignite Sessions)
• Going Google in Education: Must See apps and Ideas
• All in: Moving Ideas from the Conference to the Classroom 
  (Part of our dynamic ILT2014 Closing Session! With the Jasons providing you with strategies to move from ideas to implementation. Identifying barriers to avoid in the educational change process.)

We are certainly working them hard for you! But we are taking them surfing in Byron Bay on the Saturday after the conference as a special reward for all of that effort! So don't feel too sorry for them. 😉

The NEW DynaVox T10 to be launched in Australia at the ILT2014 Conference | Gayle Porter onsite to discuss PODD page sets for the T10 too!

We are excited to be launching the NEW DynaVox T10 speech generating device in Australia during the ILT2014 Conference. More information about this device, pricing and accessories is now live on the Spectronics website! Charlene Cullen, Speech Pathologist from the Spectronics Consultancy team, will be  available to demonstrate the T10 on the Spectronics exhibit throughout the conference, in addition to presenting the following session on the first day. 

Meet the DynaVox T10! The Compass app, Communication Page Sets for PODD and more! 
Come along to this session to meet the newest member of the DynaVox speech generating device family, the DynaVox T10. This small, portable, lightweight tablet with Android operating system supports the DynaVox Compass software. The Compass app can also be loaded onto an iPad or Windows 8 tablet. It’s a fully customisable AAC app that uses the Picture Communication Symbols (PCS) we all know and love from other DynaVox devices and the ever-popular Boardmaker software.

Also very cool is that Gayle Porter, developer of the Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display (PODD) Communication Books, is currently working with the DynaVox team to create PODD page sets that will be available on the DynaVox T10 using DynaVox Compass software with companion iPad, iPad mini, and Windows Tablet apps. To be available as PODD 15, 15+ (expanded functions) and PODD 60 (complex syntax).

Gayle will be attending the conference on Thursday 22nd May, and will be available to answer questions about PODD and the page sets being developed for use on the T10 and other mobile devices.

Register Online NOW!  Or  Download the Registration Form (pdf)

Only one more week for you to book discounted Jupiters’ accommodation and free WiFi. Availability can’t be guaranteed after 16th April. Boo!

We have once again negotiated special rates for accommodation onsite at the conference venue (Jupiters Hotel, Gold Coast Queensland) available only to our conference delegates. These rates start at $199 per night and are valid for occupancy on a single, twin or double basis. Making it even cheaper to stay onsite if you are sharing your room with a colleague. All of these rates will be available for 7 days prior to the conference and 7 days after the conference if you wish to extend your stay on the sunny Gold Coast.

Apart from the convenience of being right there where all of the conference events and after-hours networking are happening, you will also be given access to free WiFi 24/7. Not only on the conference floor, but in all dining areas of the hotel and back up in your room too. Saving on the standard charge of $25 per day for this service.

Visit the accommodation page of the conference website for details of how to book securing this special discounted conference rate! 

NOTE: We will not be able to guarantee that rooms will be available at this price after next Wednesday 16th April. It will depend on how many rooms remain for the ILT2014 Conference block booking. So, if you are planning on staying onsite, it could be a good idea to whip in now and book using our accommodation booking instructions.

Touchscreens for display of the conference program … and more.

Because the ILT2014 Conference will be an almost entirely "paperless" event, we have been looking into ways to display the online conference program for you if you don't have access to a mobile device. Or if you just prefer a bigger display and the chance to discuss upcoming session as a group. Many thanks to two of our wonderful exhibitors, Technology Core and IG3 Education, for stepping up to help out by providing interactive LED Touchscreens on mobile stands to give you access to the live program onsite!

Oh … we will also be using some of the screens to display our ILT2014 Conference Tweet Wall being set up now by the awesome TweetWall Pro team in Brussels. More about this in our next update!

There are so many conferences and workshops available. What makes this one so special? Why should you choose to commit your limited funds to joining us? Click here to download the PDF flyer outlining the TOP TEN REASONS TO CHOOSE OUR CONFERENCE! 

But … if we had to identify just the TOP TWO reasons that separate us from the conference pack, first up it would be the fact that we offer a unique professional development opportunity focused exclusively on learning support and technology. A combination not available anywhere else in the Australasian/SE Asian conference calendar. Some focus on technology. Some focus on learning support or special ed intervention strategies. We cover both. In every session!

AND secondly, we make it VERY easy for you, or your team members attending the conference, to share what they have learned on their return home. Maximising the benefit of your investment in the conference. All of the conference presentation materials and supporting resources will be available online to be shared freely for TWELVE MONTHS after the conference is complete. An optional “Virtual Registration” also provides access to an additional 40 hours of video recordings from the conference for twelve months too. Great for a full year of staff development presentations and IT strategy planning on return-to-base!

We'd love to have you join us if you have not already registered. Just sing out if you have any questions at all on email conference@spectronicsinoz.com or phone (07) 3808 6833 at our Brisbane office. You'll need to call +61 7 3808 6833 if calling us from outside Australia.

Register Online NOW!  Or  Download the Registration Form (pdf)

PS Don't forget that entries are now open for two awesome competitions from our Gold Sponsors Texthelp and AbleNet. A Texthelp Literacy Support Bundle of a Chromebook, software and Google Extension bundle valued at $11,669! And an AbleNet iPad Accessibility Bundle of a top-of-the-range iPad Air and a selection of new AbleNet technologies that make the iPad accessible to switch users – valued at $4000! To be in the running to win, you need to be registered to attend the conference and able to attend the Conference Closing Session on Friday 23rd May to collect your prize if you are the lucky winner! Entries close Wednesday 21st May, to give us time to carefully consider all entries before the busy conference days kick off. Good luck!

Enter the Texthelp Literacy Bundle Competition here.
Enter the AbleNet iPad Accessibility Bundle Competition here.

With sincere thanks for the support of our valued sponsors!

	Platinum Sponsors
	Gold Sponsors