April 18-20, 2004
University of Washington, Tacoma

As co-hosts of this year’s conference, the members of the Washington and Alberta Caucuses invite you to mark your calendars now to join us in Tacoma! The Tacoma Sheraton, near the UW/T campus, will provide conference facilities with special room rates for NW/MET. The Sunday through Tuesday timeframe is a “rebirth” of the schedule to encourage participation on the last day.

Tacoma is less than 20 minutes from Sea-Tac International Airport and right on Interstate-5, so this should be one of the most highly attended conferences in the organization’s history. What better way to have a renaissance! The Tacoma/Pierce County area is throbbing with urban vitality and attractions. If you arrive Friday evening or Saturday, you can enjoy a mini-vacation prior to the conference.

The Museum of Glass and International Art will provide one of our evening venues. Beckie Etheridge is recruiting some engaging evening presenters, and the ever-growing University of Washington/Tacoma campus will be something everyone wants to see!! This is sure to be a conference to remember, not just for the fun and collegiality, but for a slate of valuable presentations from your peers!

To assist in planning your expenses, we estimate a registration fee at a maximum $250, which will cover conference facilities plus two lunches and two dinners. Lodging is $89 per night (plus tax), parking $8 per night. By adding your transportation costs, you will come up with a fairly reasonable figure, considering the opportunities for up to 25 sessions, keynote speakers, and loads of networking time.

Pre-registration forms will be mailed in February, but we are asking presenters to contact us immediately with proposals (see reverse). Please see our website www.nwmet.org for more details.

We’ll see you this spring, April 18-20, 2004, in Tacoma!

Program sessions will be held at the Tacoma Sheraton beginning at 1 pm on Sunday, April 18.

Duane Slemmer, Director of NW/MET will set the stage during our Opening Session for ongoing discussions about NW/MET as an organization, “What we are, and what our future is,” in keeping with the Renaissance theme.

Ben Hambleton, Director of Academic Technologies at Boise State University, will present a general session on “Reshaping Learning: the Impact of Technology in Education.”

We’re off to a good start with this year’s program, and welcome more presenters.

Please
-share your ideas and experiences
-demonstrate new or long-time procedures that are working well
-facilitate a group discussion
-take us on a photo tour of your campus facilities
-challenge us with problem-solving situations
-teach us anything that helps us do our jobs better, and enjoy the experience!

General topic categories include, but not limited to:
Teaching and Learning Technologies
Media Equipment Management
Classroom Multimedia Stations
Equipment Inventory and Maintenance
Emerging technologies
Distance Education
Video Conferencing
Student Services
Faculty Services
Security Techniques
Online Instruction
Legal issues
Classroom Computers
Staff Development
Facilitating Change