Speakers

Speakers

Speakers at Technology & Learning's Tech Forum are innovators in the field of educational technology. With years of experience as conference presenters, educators, school leaders and Technology & Learning authors, they offer a unique perspective on technology challenges and solutions.

Keynote Speaker

David Warlick

Director

Landmark Project, NC

David Warlick is the Director of the Landmark Project based in Raleigh North Carolina. A former history teacher, district level administrator, and IT specialist with the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction, he is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in innovative applications of technology, especially the Internet. He has spoken at conferences, seminars and workshops in most states and many other countries; writes for a number of magazines and journals; and has developed numerous curriculum projects over the global network, including the second oldest continuing online project, the Global Grocery List. Warlick is the author of Raw Materials for the Mind: 4th Edition, Redefining Literacy for the 21st Century, and Classroom Blogging: A Teacher's Guide to the Blogoshpere.

OTHER SPEAKERS

Dr. Tina Barrios

Supervisor of Instructional Technology
Manatee County School District, FL

Dr. Tina Barrios taught honors biology, anatomy and physiology honors, zoology and science research at Manatee High for fifteen years and then became an instructional technology specialist for three and a half years before assuming her current position as supervisor of instructional technology for the district. The recipient of several awards and recognitions, Barrios was recognized as the Tandy Teacher of the Year nominee for Manatee High in 1993 and 1997. She was also selected as an Apple Distinguished Educator in 1997. The 1996,1998, 2005 editions of Who's Who Among America's Teachers counted Tina Barrios among those best representing the field of education. In 2001 she received the Computer World Honors Laureate for her role in creating and directing the "Manatee Life and Times" project. In addition to serving as president of the Florida Council of Instructional Technology Leaders in 2003/04, she also chaired the "Laptops for Learning Task Force" for the state of Florida. In 2004 she was selected as a recipient of the "Making it Happen Award." Barrios, who earned her PhD in Instructional Technology from Nova Southeastern University, has presented at numerous state and national conferences including FETC, NECC and CoSN.

Dr. Jeanine Gendron

Director of Instructional Technology
Broward County Public Schools, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Dr. Jeanine Gendron, director of instructional technology for Broward County Public Schools, has been an educator of over 22 years in both New York State and Florida. She specializes in the integration of technology into the curriculum and oversees the implementation of the district’s Instructional Technology Plan. Some of the initiatives she is responsible for include the implementation of a teacher and student instructional portal, a one-to-one digital learning environment study, a professional development partnership with Florida Atlantic University called the Digital Education Teacher Academy program and a project based learning approach called the Global Learning Initiative for Digital Students (GLIDES). Gendron has presented at many national, state and local educational technology conferences and was recently the recipient of the 2006 Florida Association for Computers in Education (FACE) leader of the year award.

David Jakes

Instructional Technology Coordinator
Community High School District 99, Downers Grove, IL

David Jakes has spent twenty years in education as a teacher, staff developer, and technology coordinator. From his first Macintosh Classic to his current tablet PC, he has witnessed firsthand the changes in education that technology has empowered. Jakes shares this knowledge as a frequent speaker at technology conferences across the United States, as well as in Canada and Europe. His interests in educational technology include digital storytelling, developing online curriculum, learning management systems, and developing online communities of learning through blogging, wiki and RSS technologies. He currently maintains three Web sites, Biopoint.com, myprojectpages.com, and Jakesonline.org, all dedicated to improving the use of technology in education.

Dr. Virginia R. Jewell

Director of Technology Integration and Support Services
Clarke County School District, Athens, GA

Dr. Jewell (Ginger) has been directly involved with educational technology for 26 of the 27 years she has been an educator. She holds a Masters in Educational Computing, an ED.S. in Administration and Supervision and a Doctorate in Applications of Technology to Education. She has broad experience working in both rural and urban environments, private and public schools and at both the P-12 and university levels. She has presented and done workshops at state and national levels with a particular specialty in bringing reluctant teachers into the world of educational technology. She is currently the Director of Technology Integration Support Services for the Clarke County School District in Athens, Georgia. Her vision and passion for technology in education are contagious.

John Lien

Senior Administrator, Technology Professional Development Services
Orange County Public Schools, Orlando, FL

A former science teacher with 17 years of experience and great passion for technology and learning, John Lien is currently a senior administrator for technology training. He has long been a proponent of technology integration in the classroom, first as a teacher and in the last four years while working in professional development services for the Orange County Public Schools, a district with over 13,000 teachers and 177,000 students. He has been recognized for his podcasting training and his Web site, techintegration.net, is a comprehensive one-stop shopping site for technology integration content.

Susan McLester

Editor in Chief
Technology & Learning Magazine

Susan McLester is editor in chief of Technology & Learning magazine. She has been an editor at T&L for 13 years, concurrently writing a weekly column for the L.A. Times' Tech Times section, articles on technology for Newsweek, Parenting, Entertainment@Home, and other publications, and presenting at a range of education technology conferences, including T&L's Tech Forum. She has acted as a juror for the Bologna Book Fair's New Media division and has spoken about educational technology on Bloomberg Radio, Microsoft NBC and other television shows. She is also an experienced middle and high school teacher, book editor and writer.

Judy Salpeter

Program Chair
Technology & Learning Events

Judy Salpeter, an experienced educator and education technology specialist, is program chair for Technology & Learning Events. On the editorial staff of Technology & Learning magazine since 1985, Salpeter served as editor-in-chief from 1994 to 2000. In addition to overseeing content for Technology & Learning Events, she is now consulting editor to the magazine and works as a freelance writer, consultant and conference planner. Over the years, she has written for publications including Business Week and Newsweek, authored a software program (Mystery Sentences, Scholastic, 1984) and a book (Kids & Computers: A Parents' Handbook, SAMS, 1991), and edited a number of publications for the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN).

Dan Schmit

Instructional Technology Specialist
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE

Dan Schmit is an author, professional developer and instructional technology specialist with the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His background includes classroom teaching in elementary, middle level, secondary and college classrooms. Schmit is a frequent presenter and clinician at state, national, and international instructional technology conferences and workshops. His work has focused on making learning experiences authentic and constructive through the use of technology. He has published two books, “GarageBand Mechanics” and “KidCast: Podcasting in the Classroom” as resources for teachers who are using podcasting and composition to inspire creativity, research, expression and community. His podcasts and other resources are available at www.intelligenic.com.

Kay Teehan

Career Educator and Media Specialist
Florida Center for Instructional Technology

Kay Teehan has a BA in Education, an MS in Educational Technology and certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in the area of Library/Media. She is presently a member of the Advisory Board for Channel One News, a nationally broadcasted daily current events and news program directed at secondary students. Teehan is one of 30 Florida Master Digital Educators who work with the Florida Center for Instructional Technology in conjunction with the Florida Department of Education and University of South Florida to deliver cutting-edge technology skills instruction to educators all over the state. She has presented at state and national conventions including: FETC, National Middle School Association Conference, Florida Association for Media Education Conference, National School Board Association Conference, and the National Conference for National Board Certified Teachers.