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President's Message
“Time flies”…this old saying seems particularly true this school year. The end of the first semester will soon be here along with all the associated tasks. Holidays of all sorts are quickly approaching and before we know it, it will be PSAE time! Depending on your position, you are no doubt involved in curriculum reviews, teacher evaluations, student teaching, assessment analysis….the list seems endless with time constraints being the only finite factor. In the hustle of it all, don’t forget two things; the resources that your professional associations can provide and always remember to put aside some time for yourself.
Speaking of the passage of time and professional associations, the annual Illinois Technology Education Conference (ITEC) sponsored by TEAI was held in October. We were encouraged that the recent trend of increased attendance has continued. Our keynote speaker, Joe Fatheree, delivered an excellent message and was very well received. In addition, there were high-quality breakout sessions with several first time ITEC presenters. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank Joe Fatheree, the session presenters, attendees, TECA students and advisors, and vendors for making the conference a success. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the efforts of the board members throughout the year.
Planning for ITEC 2008 began as soon as the conference ended. So, mark your calendars for October 24-25 and plan to be at the Peoria Holiday Inn. In fact, why not get involved and plan to present? We know that there are good things going on in classrooms and departments all over the state. Share your ideas, knowledge and strategies to help the state of the discipline, be it Technology Education, Industrial Technology, Industrial Arts or Pre-Engineering. Whether you work in a junior high, middle school or high school, your contributions are welcome.
Several people have volunteered to serve as regional directors and are planning to offer roundtables around the state. These evenings will be modeled after the roundtable sponsored by Neuqua Valley High School last February. Details will be available as plans are finalized. In addition, articles for the journal are always needed; take this opportunity to share with your colleagues.
Enjoy the rest of the school year. I hope to see many of you at the IACTE conference and ITEC 2008.
James Dye, President Technology Education Association of Illinois
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