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Making the leap: Carolina Technology Expo 2000


Last year's Carolina Technology Expo was such a hit that the expo in 2000 has been extended to two days, Feb. 29-March 1.

"The expo was such an overwhelming success, [and] we felt a two-day event would give more people an opportunity to participate," said Marian Moore, vice chancellor for information technology.

Sponsored by Information Technology Services, in conjunction with the Faculty Information Technology Advisory Committee (FITAC) and Student Government, the Carolina Technology Expo 2000 has something for you -- whether you've just re-configured your operating system or have never created a web page.

More than 40 presentations offered over the two-day event cover everything from using multimedia in teaching liberal arts courses to the basics of online investing. For a schedule and a complete list of presentation descriptions, visit the Carolina Technology Expo 2000 web site at http://www.unc.edu/expo

While presentations are being held upstairs in the Frank Porter Graham Student Union, exhibits and booths hosted by campus organizations and a variety of hardware and software vendors will be open throughout the expo in the Great Hall, making the expo a combination of a professional development conference and a high-tech state fair. Room 213 in the union will serve as a FITAC lounge, where faculty can drop by and informally discuss instructional technology and share experiences.

Acclaimed management and technology consultant Michael G. Dolence will deliver the keynote address, "Learning Strategies for the New Millennium."

If the event sounds approachable and surprisingly non-technical, that's precisely the point.

The expo's slogan, "Making the Leap," is an effort to encourage everybody -- including people who don't consider themselves "techies" -- to come, listen and learn.

"I would encourage everybody to attend because it gives everyone a chance to see what their peers are doing, and you just might walk away with a new idea that can be incorporated into your own work," Moore said.

Anyone who doesn't go to the Technology Expo might not only miss out on some great ideas (and lots of freebies), they also will be ignoring a field that's permeating daily life.

"Information technology is becoming increasingly visible and prominent in all aspects of our lives," said FITAC chair Bill Balthrop. "Whether we like it or not, technology will exert a major influence on how we achieve our goals."

And it can't be emphasized enough -- the Technology Expo isn't just for faculty and staff.

Matt Robinson is co-chair of Student Government's Information Technology Committee. He's organizing a computer video game tournament for the expo. He noted that "students will find a wide range of intriguing displays," as well as "representatives from leading technology companies."

And besides, as Vice Chancellor Moore said: "It's a lot of fun."

Sponsored by the Technology in Context Consortium

(http://www.unc.edu/faculty/tic)

Writer: Kevin O'Kelly


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