Hosting "Technology Night" at your school
By Ria Mastromatteo, Educational Technology Consultant
A school "Technology Night" is your chance to impress people outside of your classroom with the wonderful learning your students have accomplished using technology. "Technology Night" can have many purposes; it can showcase how you've implemented the resources you already have and/or give a message that more resources are needed. It can say thank you to people who donated money or time to your program. It can build community by providing something for everyone. You could also provide a service by inviting senior citizens or grandparents or some other specific population and teach a lesson on a topic of interest to that group.
Some things you might want to consider when planning a Technology Night are the following:
Goal Make sure you have an understanding of why you are hosting a technology event.
Content Your purpose will dictate your content. Be sure that the content and purpose of the night are spelled out in any materials sent out to the public.
Food We are social animals. Providing refreshments is a good way to get people to talk to each other and to you.
Theme Once again your purpose will determine your theme. You might have a Family Tech Night or a Technology Spotlight theme.
Invitations Invitations can be general and delivered in a newsletter sent to the population you want to attend. The administration and the board are probably interested and might want to be invited.
Press Coverage Consider the possibility of getting the local newspaper to cover your event.
Sponsors If you have local computer companies in your area, you might ask them to come and set up a table to display and discuss their services. You might ask for door prizes from them or even money to buy refreshments in exchange for allowing them to attend.
Photos A great way to encourage attendance at future tech nights is to take pictures and then post them on your Web page or in a school showcase. Remember, it's important to know your district's policy about pictures on the Web and to get permission to publish the picture from whomever is in it.
"Technology Night" is a great way to build community for your school. Besides that, it can be very informative and great fun!
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