Southeastern Louisiana University

Teaching with Technology Conference scheduled July 20-21

Contact: Christina Chapple

7/12/06

     HAMMOND – Michael J. Olivier, secretary of Louisiana Economic Development, will be the keynote speaker at the third annual Teaching with Technology Conference July 20-21.

     Sponsored by Southeastern Louisiana University, Delgado Community College and the St. Tammany Parish School System, the conference will include a dozen pre-conference workshops on July 20 and concurrent sessions at the main conference on July 21.

     “The conference is open to any teacher at any level from any location,” said Laura Zammit, assistant director of Southeastern’s St. Tammany Center. “It will give educators the opportunity to see, hear and learn how to integrate technology into their classrooms.”

     Zammit said the July 21 main conference will feature 20 sessions on topics from digital cameras in the classroom to Internet plagiarism. Scheduled for Fontainebleau High School in Mandeville, it will open with a special video segment identifying different generations and their preferred learning styles.

     July 20 pre-conference workshops are scheduled for Fontainebleau High, Southeastern's main campus in Hammond, the Southeastern St. Tammany Center in Mandeville, and the Delgado Community College Covington campus. Topics include on-line and web-based course delivery, digital media, web design, electronic classroom devices, technology grant development and more. 

     Sign up for the conference is $95 for one pre-conference workshop and the conference or $40 for the conference alone.

     Participants can register on-line at www3.selu.edu/sttammanycenter. The Web site also includes complete listings of concurrent session topics, speakers, workshops and locations.

     Olivier, who has been the Louisiana Economic Development secretary since June 2004, will tell teachers why technology and education are important to Louisiana’s economic development and provide “a vision for teachers to ‘grow with technology.’”

     An economic developer for more than 30 years in Louisiana and Mississippi, Olivier has been recognized locally, regionally, and nationally for his leadership in professional economic development. He was awarded the American Economic Development Council’s Distinguished Service Award in 1995, 1996, and 1997. He is a past president of the Southern Economic Development Council (SEDC) and in August 2005 was named an Honorary Life Member by SEDC, its highest honor. He is a 10-year board member and officer of the American Economic Development Council.

     In 1999, “Business Week” named Olivier “Economic Developer of the Year.” In 2002, “Southern Business and Development Magazine” named him one of the Top 10 Economic Developers of the Decade and recently in their Winter 2006 magazine, named him one of the Top Ten People Who Made a Difference in Economic Development. 

     Since 2004, Olivier has lead the Louisiana Economic Development agency to become one of the first state economic development offices in the U.S. to achieve the ISO-9001 certification in 2005 and in 2006 the Accredited Economic Development Organization designation by the International Economic Development Council. 

     A native of Louisiana, Olivier holds earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and earned his Certified Economic Developer designation from the International Economic Development Council.

     For additional information about the Technology With Teaching Conference, visit the web site at http://www3.selu.edu/sttammanycenter or contact the Southeastern St. Tammany Center, sttammanycenter@selu.edu, or (985) 893-6251.