12th Annual AT&T/MACUL Student Technology Showcase November 28 to Feature Student Tech Demonstrations

CHICAGO, IL, November 18, 2012 (Press-News.org) iPads, apps, QR codes, laptops, video cameras, and much more will add to the excitement of the current legislative session when some 125 students from 35 schools throughout Michigan set up technology demonstrations in the State Capitol Building later this month to show legislators and the public how they use technology to enhance learning.

The 12th annual AT&T/MACUL Student Technology Showcase will be held on Wednesday, November 28, from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., in the rotunda at the Capitol Building here. Following an opening ceremony at 9:15 a.m., there will be three separate student demonstration sessions, from 9:30 to 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Presented by the Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL), and underwritten by AT&T, the 2012 Showcase will feature demonstrations such as students using iPads to show how student-created QR codes are used in library scavenger hunts; a Jeopardy-type game students developed to reinforce core subject matter; and student-created videos that help teach younger students how to excel in math. Kindergarten students from one school will show how they blog using the classblogmeister software program!

The projects, which cover a wide variety of learning areas including science, mathematics, social studies and language arts, will feature student TV news shows, computer-controlled industrial-like automations, handheld computing and Internet based educational projects and advanced graphics designs, and incorporate a multitude of technology tools such as VoiceThread, Animoto and Visual Communicator.

Ric Wiltse, MACUL executive director, says the projects show how technology has impacted student learning. "Over the past 12 years, we've seen a dramatic increase in the use of classroom technology," he states. "At the event, students and teachers not only learn and are inspired by each other, but they get to meet legislators from their districts."

"Every day, new and exciting opportunities to learn are made available to students as technology and Michigan's high-tech communications network expands," said Jim Murray, president of AT&T Michigan. "Expanded access to the Internet, new technology and high-speed mobile broadband connect students to each other and to learning like never before. It is an exciting reality with endless possibilities, and AT&T is proud to participate."

MACUL is an organization dedicated to bringing educators from all levels together to share their knowledge and concerns regarding educational uses of computers and technology. For further information about the Showcase, visit http://www.macul.org or call 517-882-1403.