The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) is resuming its annual conference virtually from May 19-21, making it one of the first K–12 national education conferences being held online.

The thought leadership event, which drew more than 1,000 attendees in 2019, was slated for mid-March. But because of official health and safety advisories regarding the novel coronavirus, CoSN’s Board of Directors split the conference into a two-part virtual experience. The board also factored in travel restrictions and how school system leaders were gearing up for remote learning.

“I know that many of you will be disappointed that the conference in its previous form has been transformed, but CoSN is very hopeful about what we can still offer in these difficult times,” wrote Pete Just, CoSN’s board chair, in an official letter in March.

The first part of the conference featured a keynote session by Amber Case, author of Calm Technology: Principles and Patterns for Non-Intrusive Design, on March 18. Case spoke via Zoom about how technology augments student learning and the solutions to creating and using technology in a way that supports all learners.

The second part, which will have all remaining keynote speakers, sessions, professional development breakouts and more, will be streamed live on Zoom starting May 19. CoSN also livestreamed pre-conference workshops from May 12-to 14 that focused on major issues educational technology leaders face, such as cybersecurity, data privacy and equity. All sessions will be recorded and made available to registrants until the end of the year.