Convention Issue 2014-15
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Web & Technology
Tech @ ISW
As we approach the 2015 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.
ISW Website Mobile web technology has become a very important part of how information is distributed. KMEA has for several years employed a mobile-optimized website to deliver ISW-related information directly to your mobile devices during the In-Service Workshop. We are presently working up an entirely new "ISW Website" which we hope to launch in mid-February. This new site will not be a mini-version of the KMEA website, as our previous mobile website tried to be. It will contain some organization-related information, but the focus will primarily be on information which pertains to the ISW: 
This new website is a "responsive" design, meaning it can be viewed on any size of device (desktops, tablets, smartphones). Regardless of which device you prefer, ISW info will be readily available to you. Stay tuned for the upcoming roll-out! The remainder of this column will include links to content on our main website only since the new ISW website is not yet launched. On-Site Registration & Voting KMEA will offer a bank of computers at the ISW registration area on which members may complete on-site registration as well as vote for their choice of KMEA President-Elect using the aforementioned ISW website. All members of KMEA are entitled to vote for President-Elect, not just those members who register for the ISW. When the new ISW website is launched, any KMEA member may vote from anywhere in the world. Your NAfME membership must be current when you vote. The ballot will close PRECISELY at 9:00 AM on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015 and the results will be announced at the 10:00 AM Closing Session. Hall of Fame Digital Display 
Digital signage display in the Century II Concert Hall entrance foyer
Photo by Troy Johnson
Century II Wi-Fi If you have mobile data service on your phone, you can access our websites 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." As there will be hundreds of other mobile devices on premises, service and bandwidth capacity will vary based on the number of devices in use in each area at any given moment. Clinicians ISW clinicians are invited to send in material for a profile page on the KMEA websites (both the main site and the ISW site). 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. Exhibitors Our ISW Exhibitor lists contain links to exhibitor's websites. We encourage everyone to support our exhibitors. Without their participation, the ISW would not be possible. ksmea.org/exhibits/exhibitors.php Performance Repertoire Several years ago, KMEA stopped providing printed repertoire lists at ISW in favor of an online list. Directors of the 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 ISW websites. ksmea.org/perf/repertoire_list.php Lodging We have a Google Map of hotels that offer special ISW rates so you can plan your daily commute while in Wichita. Don't forget to release any room reservations that you won't be using. The hotels can then reserve those rooms for other attendees. ksmea.org/conferences/lodging15.php View ISW Lodging in a larger map Schedule The ISW schedule is very close to being released. It will be accessible in both 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 We've made good use of Twitter (@ksmea) to help put out short-notice announcements during recent Workshops. 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 attending the ISW to follow @ksmea. You do not need to be a Twitter user in order to receive our messages. In the messaging app on your cellphone, send follow @ksmea to 40404. You'll start receiving our updates via regular text message. To opt out, text unfollow @ksmea, also 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. At the moment ISW registration is available only on the desktop website (www.ksmea.org/iswreg), however, that will change with the pending launch of the new ISW website. 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! Return to top |
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