FYI, <a href="<a href="http://www.stevehargadon.com/" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.stevehargadon.com/</a>">Steve Hargadon</a> just sent me the following note that I want to share with you. It looks to be a great conference. I will be there and am looking forward to personally meeting Steve, Mike Huffman and others whom I so far know only via phone calls and their writings: K-12 Open Source Conference October 9 - 11, 2007  The first <a href="<a href="http://www.centerdigitaled.com/conference.php?confid=378" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"> http://www.centerdigitaled.com/conference.php?confid=378</a>">K-12 Open Minds conference</a> is going to be held October 9 - 11, 2007, in Indianapolis, Indiana. The kick-off reception is Tuesday, the 9th, with the regular conference sessions on Wednesday and Thursday, the 10th &amp; 11th. For me, this is the must-attend event of the year relating to Free and Open Source Software in K-12 education. There are more tracks and topics that I already want to see than I will have time to attend. There are currently over 55 planned conference sessions, covering a the use of Linux and Open Source use in classroom, teaching, technical, and leadership aspects. The individual registration fee is $100, or $89 each for groups of three or more. Register on the website or call Anthony Yanez, Registration Coordinator, at 800.940.6039, extension 1348. Holding the conference in Indianapolis has two distinct advantages. The first is that nice hotel rooms are available for under $100/night at the conference location ( Sheraton) if you book before the 19th of September. Considering that the last conference I went to, the hotel cost for one night was more than this conference, and three days of hotel, all combined, makes this the bargain of the year. The second benefit is that the conference is being organized by <a href="<a href="http://www.doe.state.in.us/INaccess/" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.doe.state.in.us/INaccess/ </a>">Mike Huffman and Laura Taylor</a>, whose rich credentials in the area of actual implementation of Free and Open Source Software in K-12 education are really unparalleled in the United States. See my interview with them, and an audio recording of their session at NECC 2007, on my <a href=" <a href="http://edtechlive.wikispaces.com/recordings+list" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://edtechlive.wikispaces.com/recordings+list</a>">EdTechLive</a> website. The site also contains interviews about open source and education with such luminaries as Tim O'Reilly, Marc Andreesen, Brian Behlendorf, Chris DiBona, Doc Searls, Larry Augustin and Richard Stallman. Mike is also preparing blog tags for the sessions, and I'll post on that as soon as we have that information. I hope to see a lot of you there. Wednesday night is free, and it would be fun to have dinner and socialize. -- thanks, dave <a href="http://daveshields.wordpress.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://daveshields.wordpress.com</a> <a href="http://daveshields.wordpress.com/ubuntu-posts" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"> http://daveshields.wordpress.com/ubuntu-posts </a>  <a href="http://daveshields.net" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://daveshields.net</a>