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The checkered flags are waving as we have gathered in Indy to share the AECT annual conference experience which can only be described as unique and valuable professional development. The workshops, study tours, keynote address by Dr. Gráinne Conole, concurrent sessions, poster sessions, roundtables, and Presidential sessions offered a broad and contemporary view of the impact of our field and of our members! The sharing of both research and practice for diverse contexts (higher ed, corporate/business, international, K-12, government) was punctuated by the strength of our memberships’ roles and responsibilities in the application of the theories that ground our work. In addition, the networking, mentoring, and social activities of the conference program (e.g., Breakfast with Champions, graduate student competitions, governance meetings, receptions, International Dinner, and many others) remind us that if we are to Accelerate Learning, we must attend to both content and context. At the center of our work is the learner.

As I write this first column as President of AECT, I am excited about the opportunities to engage our members in new and continuing efforts to share the impacts we are having on practice across settings, to expand our international collaborations and connections, to actively re-engage with the ect Foundation, and to both grow new membership and sustain/support our current membership. This work contributes to our ability to reach our vision (“We seek to be the premier international organization in educational technology, the organization to which others refer for research and best practices.”) as we make progress toward our mission (“Provide international leadership by promoting scholarship and best practices in the creation, use, and management of technologies for effective teaching and learning.”). So, I close my first column with a call to every member (new/old; graduate student/mid-career/end-of-career/retired; international/domestic; practitioner/researcher): Get Involved…Share Your Perspectives! Visit www.aect.org and contact anyone to volunteer formally or informally within a Division, an Affiliate, a Committee, or just to assure that your voice is shared in AECT! Divisions are building their next candidate slate for officers as you read this, so don’t be shy about putting your name in. The AECT Board of Directors sit in representation of all the specialty groups of the organization and you can contact anyone at any time…and the AECT Executive Committee serves every member. At the center of our organizational work is the AECT member. YOU can make a difference in AECT and YOUR engagement matters. We have an exciting year ahead!

May the wind be at our back,

Kay

AECT President