The team came back from a summer break that was both relaxing and rejuvenating. From guitar lessons to Google Drive, everyone had something to celebrate and share at our kick-off meeting. The team began the year with a renewed focus on its purpose to provide and promote opportunities for growth and connected learning for the Greater Richmond Area’s instructional professionals and advocate for student growth and learning through the effective use of technology.
The Mission – to passionately support connected learning – compelled the team to establish multiple subcommittees. One subcommittee was specifically focused on developing a social media protocol and increasing the social media presence of GRAETC, while another subcommittee focused on the development of the GRAETC website.
The website is up and running and the Executive Council Members are working diligently to contribute posts that increase awareness of instructional technology practices and professional development opportunities around the Greater Richmond Area. 
The social media presence for GRAETC is also expanding through Twitter and Facebook presence and the exploration of other social media avenues. The expansion of social media will broaden the reach and impact of GRAETC. Look for updates, integration ideas and opportunities for professional development as we continue moving forward.
At the present time, the main driving force for GRAETC is planning the EdTechRVA Conference. All of the Executive Committee Members are helping with preparations for the conference. They are currently working through the evaluation all of the proposals that have been submitted. Executive Committee Members will soon be excited to invite individuals and teams of the accepted submissions to participate in the conference by sharing their knowledge and expertise as presenters. Additionally, GRAETC Executive Committee Members are organizing the vendors and planning the swag that will be available at the conference.
As we all look forward to enjoying some time off during the upcoming winter break, take a moment to consider attending this year’s conference. You can be certain that EdTechRVA 2017 is a conference not to be missed! If you haven’t attended before, the 2017 EdTech RVA conference should be at the top of your New Year’s Resolutions list.
Authorship Information:
Ann Nash is an Instructional Technology Resource Teacher in Henrico County, VA. She has been an educator for 18 years. In addition to her role in Henrico, Ann serves as an Executive Board Member for the Virginia Society for Research in Education and an Adjunct Professor and course developer for Averett University’s Graduate and Professional Studies programs in Education. Ann is the 2016-17 Chair for GRAETC and was named VSTE’s 2016 Teacher of the Year.