One of the largest music festivals in the country that has quickly become one of the most popular technology events as well, SXSW announces today that this spring will mark the first "SXSWedu," an interactive three-day event focused on Texas K-12 education.

The educational conference will be aimed at teachers and administrators and will spotlight Texas's new K-12 education professional development portal, Project Share. The event will be facilitated by SXSW and the Texas Education Agency.

SXSWedu will take place March 8 - 10 -- immediately preceding this spring's SXSW in Austin. Registration will be separate from SXSW Interactive, and will cost $175 through November, increasing incrementally to a $300 onsite registration fee.

The panels this year will not utilize SXSW's "panel picker" process due to time constraints, although the Festival Director Hugh Forrest says that some of the panels may be taken from those proposed for this spring's SXSW Interactive. Panel submissions are currently being accepted.