This year's conference theme is aimed at looking beyond what usually consumes us as technology educators - namely the technology and the curriculum.

As we become increasingly "connected" through technology, so the impact we have on each other increases. This gives rise to a whole range of issues that we and our students should be aware.

At this year's conference we hope to provide a variety of presenters to look at some of the broader implications of technology education as well as the traditional show and tell sessions.

The broader issues might include:

1) Ethics in a boundry-less Global Economy
2) Privacy & Covert Surveillance
3) Intellectual property in an online / eLearning world
4) Values education - how technology might effect how we value each other.
5) The consequences of On-line all the time..

EDWA seems very certain of their ability to provide connectivity between all Western Australian schools at 10 Mbps, 24hrs a day, 7 days a week. These links in and out of over 300 schools are to start within 12 months (all 800 within two years) including access from home for all 20000 teachers for the cost of a local call.
This kind of "connectedness" really promises the potential to do things differently in schools.
How might things change / improve? How will the infrastructure be managed effectively? What broader implications will there be for teachers and students - K-12?

6) Industrial Implications - How will teacher's unions policies respond to these potential changes?
7) And much more...

ECAWA hopes to attract both industrial and legal expertise to present a practitioner's perspective.

As we become more connected we become less the master of our own domain and must therefore be increasingly aware of our responsibilities and rights on these issues.

Hopefully this theme will sporn some interesting presentations to go along with all of the good stuff classroom teachers and educators have to show and tell us all.

Look forward to seeing you all there...