Established in 1979, the Educational Computing Organization of Ontario (ECOO) is a non-profit organization that facilitates the integration of new computing technology into the educational curriculum. ECOO works to enhance student learning by supporting technology-using-educators through:
- hosting an annual conference;
- forming partnerships with other educational organizations and vendors; and
- liaising with the Ministry of Education.
Each year ECOO hosts an annual fall conference, allowing educators to gather from all over Ontario (and beyond) to share and learn from one another. A large number of educators and administrators attend this three day conference. Presenters include classroom teachers, instructional leaders from K-12 and higher education, and professionals from the education technology industry. The conference is organized and facilitated by a committee of approximately 20 volunteers. At present, ECOO collaborates with the OASBO-ICT group to truly “Bring IT Together”.
Keynote speakers at the annual conference in recent years have included Gary Stager, Ian Jukes, Alec Couros, Will Richardson, Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, John Seely Brown, Nora Young, Michael Fullen, Jaime Casap, Lisa Floyd, Heidi Siwak, Michael Geist, Steve Dotto, Dave Cormier, and Max Stossel, and have featured such themes as “Learn to Play, Play to Learn,” and “Learning in the NOW Century”