Thanks for a great conference. Plan to join us for the Open Minds 2009 conference. Watch this site for dates and details. Slides and community information from the 2008 conference will be posted here soon.

The conference Wiki and chat are online.

THE PRELIMINARY SESSION SCHEDULE IS NOW POSTED (CLICK HERE).  LOTS OF EXCITING SESSIONS FOR LEADERS, INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF, AND TECHNOLOGY STAFF!!! 

The K-12 Open Minds Conference is the first of its kind - an International event specifically for K-12 educators designed to make OPEN SOURCE software and OPEN SYSTEMS more available and easier to use.  Last year's conference was a huge success and paved the way for an even more exciting conference this year!  (Conference Schedule)

WHEN: September 25 - 27, 2008, the second annual International K-12 Open Minds Conference will be held at the downtown Marriott in Indianapolis, Indiana.

WHERE:  350 W Maryland Street, Indianapolis, IN 46225

AUDIENCE:  Teachers, Administrative Leaders, Technical Staff, and Students involved in the planning, selection, and use of software in schools, and other stakeholders who wants to improve teaching and learning.

WHAT:  An opportunity to get a close-up look at using open-source software to enhance the learning experience for students.  The K-12 Open Minds conference will feature one-to-one systems, thin-client solutions, desktops, laptops, and other architectures in use today.  Participants will also see best practice in Indiana classrooms and will have opportunities to talk one-on-one with teachers, students, and administrators currently using Open-Source Software in one-to-one environments in their schools.

WHY:  Schools are facing many challenges today maintaining current technology levels.  Budgets are tight and are getting tighter.  Not only can schools save money with Open-Source Software, they can improve teaching and learning in their schools!  Learn from the experts!  Teaching and Learning sessions will feature experienced teachers from around the country demonstrating successful strategies and techniques. Technnology and Infrastructure sessions will feature experts from around the world on issues such as:  connecting to your local Windows or Mac authentication server, managing large and small network deployments, and using  Interactive whiteboards in classrooms in Linux and open-source environments, and more!  Additional sessions designed for Leadership and Policy will demonstrate how policy initiatives and effective strategies for using Open Source Software help to meet your educational objectives. 

Educators, Technical Staff, and Educational Leaders from more than 30 states and 10 countries participated in last year's K-12 Open Minds Conference.

SPECIAL EVENTS:  The first day of the conference, September 25, 2008, participants will have an opportunity to travel to Indiana classrooms (transportation provided) to see a class in session using 1:1 Linux/Open Source computers.  A reception that evening will feature an open microphone and roundtables so that participants can discuss what they saw and what they expect  to learn at the conference.  Light snacks will be provided. 

WHY INDIANA?  Indiana has over 1,000,000 K-12 students - about 300,000 of which are in grades 9-12. Many of Indiana's high schools use Open Source software in English, social studies, science, and math.  Currently over 140,000 Indiana high school students use Open Source Software every day. Indiana is committed to quality education using only the best resources.  Having the conference in Indiana is an ideal opporutnity for participants to see first-hand how Open Source Software increases both access and opportunities for students and teachers.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS?  Please feel free to make contact with the individuals below.

• Steve Hargadon, telephone:  916-899-1400, email:  steve@hargadon.com
• Bryant Patten, telephone:  802-785-4515, email:  openminds@ncose.org
• Mike Huffman, telephone:  317-232-6672, email:  mhuffman@comcast.net