As we approach the 2014 In-Service Workshop, here is an overview of some tech resources available for attendees. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or suggestions.

KMEA Mobile website
Using mobile web technology, we are able to deliver KMEA and ISW information directly to your smartphone via our mobile website (m.ksmea.org). The mobile site is embedded to the right of this paragraph. Feel free to explore it right here in the KMR. Information available includes:

• KMEA Contact Info
• President's Message
• Presidents of KMEA
• KMEA Hall of Fame
• All-State Groups (ticket info, concerts, clinicians, rosters)
• ISW info (schedule, exhibits, performance repertoire, clinician bios, registration hours, floor plans)

You can darken your browser by scrolling to the bottom of any screen in the mobile site and touching the Theater Mode link. That will invert your screen to a black background, thus helping you avoid annoying those around you while yet conserving your battery. In a darkened room, Theater Mode is easier to read.
Mobile in Lobby Mode: m.ksmea.org/m1.php
Mobile in Theater Mode: m.ksmea.org/m2.php

If you have mobile data service on your phone, you can access our mobile site while at ISW by connecting to your cell phone carrier. According to Century II's website, "Century II provides free wireless internet access throughout the entire facility." Perhaps you could avoid using your cell carrier data plan if their guest Wi-Fi offers adequate bandwidth.

Clinicians
ISW clinicians are invited to send in material for a profile page on the KMEA websites. Clinicians can include their picture, a bio, and any hand-out materials that they might wish to make available for download. All materials are then available for download on both the desktop and the mobile websites. All clinicians will receive a valid QR code which directs visitors to their clinician profile on our mobile site. If the clinician has materials available for download, this would be the fastest way to take visitors directly to that page.
Desktop: www.ksmea.org/iswclinicians
Mobile: m.ksmea.org/m1.php?section=clinicians

Exhibitors
Our ISW Exhibitor lists contain links to exhibitor's websites. Our desktop and mobile websites link to exhibitors' desktop and mobile sites respectively, depending on what the exhibitors have available. If no site is available, no link is given. We encourage everyone to support our exhibitors. Without their participation, the ISW would not be possible.
Desktop: www.ksmea.org/exhibits/exhibitors.php
Mobile: m.ksmea.org/m1.php?section=exhibits&page=vendors

Performance Repertoire
Several years ago, KMEA stopped providing printed repertoire lists at ISW in favor of an online list. Directors of the 2014 Performance Groups are able to login and update their performance repertoire. The update screen also gives directors a means of calculating total music duration in order to plan the entire performance and avoid going overtime. Upon saving their updates, the new repertoire selections are then immediately viewable on both our desktop and mobile websites.
Desktop: www.ksmea.org/perf/repertoire_list.php
Mobile: m.ksmea.org/m1.php?section=perf&page=rep

Lodging
We have a Google Map of hotels that offer special ISW rates so you can plan your daily commute while in Wichita. This is available only on the desktop website: www.ksmea.org/conferences/lodging14.php


View ISW Lodging in a larger map

Schedule The ISW schedule is usually released in early to mid-January. As of this writing the 2014 ISW schedule was not yet available. The schedule can be accessed on both the desktop and mobile websites. Visitors may sort & filter events by date, by venue, or by strand (subject) to quickly find each event. The desktop website offers a way to create your own customized ISW schedule.

Twitter Updates
If 2013 taught us anything, it was that Mother Nature doesn't read calendars very well. We made good use of Twitter (@ksmea) to help put out short-notice announcements. We doubled our follower count in the three days leading up to the 2013 ISW, and most of those followers have stuck with us. We will continue to use Twitter for basic operational messages, as well as using it as the "PA system" for the ISW. We strongly encourage everyone affiliated with the ISW to follow @ksmea during the ISW, if not the rest of the year as well. No Twitter account? No problem. All you need to do is text follow @ksmea to Twitter's shortcode of 40404. From there, you'll start receiving our updates via regular text message. To opt out, text unfollow @ksmea to 40404.

Registration
Last, but definitely not least, registration for ISW is handled online. Active and retired members, as well as Collegiate and Tri-M, may register online. For active members, there are several payment options. You may pay online with a credit card (via PayPal, includes a small surcharge to cover our costs), by mail-in form, or (for $10 more) in person at Wichita. The lowest cost means of registration for active teachers is the mail-in form. Spouses may register along with an active teacher for only $10. ISW registration is available only on the desktop website: www.ksmea.org/iswreg

We continue to look for ways in which technology can be used to improve the ISW experience. If anyone knows of an app that scares off snow, let me know.

See you in Wichita!