Hundreds of educators from across Indiana will converge on North High School tomorrow and Thursday for the seventh annual eRevolution Conference. The conference, hosted by the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, will help educators enhance their ability to provide quality instruction through technology.
The conference will include more than 200 sessions within three learning strands – Digital  Age Content & Skills, Teaching & Learning and Leadership & Vision – as well as two keynote addresses. Sessions will begin at 8:30 a.m. both days and continue to 3:30 p.m.
On Wednesday, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz will be available for a special Q&A session from 9:30 to 10:20 a.m. and will also join attendees for lunch. She also will welcome everyone to the Conference and introduce Wednesday’s keynote speaker.
In addition to the sessions, two keynote speakers will take the stage during the conference. Rushton Hurley will present his keynote, What’s Wrong With What’s Right, on Wednesday, July 8, from 10:40 – 11:40 a.m. Ben Honeycutt will present his keynote, Open World, on Thursday, July 9, from 10:10 to 11:10 a.m.
The eRev Conference is one of 24 across the state to be part of the 2015 Summer of eLearning through the Indiana Department of Education.
About the Keynote speakers:
Rushton Hurley:Â Rushton Hurley is an educator who believes this is a great time to teach. In his work, he has taught Japanese language, been principal of an online school, directed a college professional development program, and succeeded as a social benefit entrepreneur. He loves creativity, collaborative innovation, and laughing at himself.
Rushton founded and is executive director of the educational nonprofit Next Vista for Learning, which houses a free library of hundreds of short videos by and for teachers and students. Additionally, he is the Global Project Lead for the Krause Center for Innovation at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, California. His graduate research at Stanford University included using speech recognition technology with beginning students of Japanese in computer-based role-playing scenarios for developing language skills. In the 1990’s his work with teenagers at a high school in California led him to begin using internet and video technologies to make learning more active, helping him reach students who had struggled under more traditional approaches.
Rushton has trained teachers around the world, and regularly presents at national and international conferences, including keynotes at TETC 2010 in Nashville, METC 2011 in St. Louis, ICE 2011 in Chicago, NCTIES 2011 in Raleigh, NETC 2011 in Omaha, LACUE 2011 in New Orleans, UCET 2012 in Salt Lake City, MACUL 2012 in Grand Rapids, TICAL 2013 in Little Rock, FETC 2014 in Orlando, as well as the Google Apps for Education Summits in Singapore (2012), Mumbai (2013), Tokyo (2013), Cape Town (2013), Kuala Lumpur (2013), and around the United States (2013-2014) His fun and thoughtful talks center on the connection between engaging learning and useful, affordable technology, as well as professional perspectives of those who teach.
Ben Honeycutt:Â My name is Ben Honeycutt. My ultimate dream is to become a writer who is the voice for those who otherwise would not have one.
As a high school senior in 2010, I started this project to send two laptops and establish internet access to the SAV School, a rural village in Bageshwori, Nepal. What began as a simple high school project has become an effort that has reshaped my entire life. The project has now become a fully fledged organization that hopes to bring school buildings with running water and electricity to the children of the SAV School.
I am currently a Sophomore at the University of Kansas, and I would not be close to the person I am today without the guidance of my parents. When I focus on my passions, my father’s aspirations and my mother’s guidance kindled the imagination I held as a child.
Currently majoring in Secondary History, I hope to one day help students find and cultivate their passions, a gift that incredible teachers have given to me. Even if I never attain my dream of becoming a published author, I would love to be able to one day inspire those in a classroom here or halfway around the world!
