In this final article of the series, I outline some soft whispers emerging from FETC 2022, the Future of Education Technology Conference, which rotates it venue from Orlando to Miami, Florida. This year’s conference is now in its 41st year and gathering in January in Orlando.
‘Whispers’ are those innovations that quietly coo in our hearing, amidst the cacophony and bustle of competing interests, yet somehow gurgle their way upwards in hopes of comfortably nesting in the limited bandwidth of our minds. These pianissimo rustlings provide hints of trends that may well rumble up in the future. Or, then again, they may just whimper away, disappearing into the graveyard of marketing opportunities lost.
Some of the ‘whispers’ floating at FETC 2022 are presented below, with special attention to hushed messages.
Vendors Carrying the Load. There is clear evidence that commercial enterprises are carrying an increased load in conference presentations, more than ever before. Makes sense. Many educators are afraid; many vendors need to sell. Conference organizers are increasingly giving vendors more opportunities to present their wares, out of necessity.
Pete, re-Pete. I see lots of redundancy in presentations. Translated: the same presentation offered multiple times. That never used to happen. But if they cannot fill the slots, that’s an obvious solution for conference organizers, no?
Is SEL Losing its Luster? Social-Emotional Learning offerings, which rose to incredible heights during the pandemic, have plummeted downwards. SEL offering are down to sixteen at FETC 2022.
VR/AR. Personally, I feel that the pandemic has done irreparable harm to the AR/VR industry and its hope of penetrating the shared AR/VR market in schools. Virtual reality sessions remain low with fifteen sessions, while augmented reality presentations continue a downward trajectory with a mere twelve presentations.
Nothing Really New. Overall, I simply don’t see anything new, sparkly, or titillating. It’s just about survival out there in education.
Shhhh!— Len Scrogan
