Tech Forum - Strategies, Solutions and Innovations for Technology Leaders

Speakers: Tech Forum Boston 2013

Keynote Speaker

DANAH BOYD, Senior Researcher, Microsoft Research

Referred to as the “high priestess” of online social network sites by the Financial Times, Danah Boyd is an internationally recognized authority on the ways American youth use networked social media as a context for social interaction. She was one of the researchers in a major 3-year study of digital youth funded by the MacArthur Foundation, resulting in the publication of Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out: Kids Living and Learning with New Media. Boyd is currently a senior researcher at Microsoft Research; a research assistant professor in media, culture, and communication at New York University; a fellow at Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society; an adjunct associate professor at the University of New South Wales; and a research fellow with the Born This Way Foundation, a new foundation started by Lady Gaga and her mother to empower youth to be kind and brave.

In addition to all of the above, Boyd has worked as an ethnographer and social media researcher for various corporations, including Intel, Tribe.net, Google and Yahoo!, and has advised and consulted for dozens of other companies. She is on the board of the Crisis Text Line, an initiative started by DoSomething to provide networked support to youth who are struggling, and works closely with the Electronic Privacy Information Center, the Digital Media & Learning network, and the Social Networks Global Agenda Council for the World Economic Forum. She also speaks frequently at academic and industry conferences, has published dozens of academic articles, and has written for publications such as the Guardian, The New York Times, and Time Magazine. She was named one of the most influential women in technology by Fast Company, chosen as the smartest academic in tech by Fortune Magazine, won CITASA’s Public Sociology Award, and was selected in 2010 as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. Boyd’s upcoming book It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teensis currently under contract with Yale University Press. She maintains a blog called Apophenia, a valuable resource for anyone interested in social media or youth culture.

ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS & ADVISORS

Tech Forum is well known for its great speakers, attendees and networking opportunities. The following team members will be presenting:

Daniel Adiletta, Manager of Educational Technology, Marianapolis Preparatory School, CT

Currently working to implement an iPad 1:1 initiative, Dan Adiletta has found that his student technology club, the "TechCrew" has proven to be instrumental in sustaining his school edtech. This independent school has benefited greatly from TechCrew's work supporting the technological infrastructure and implementation. Now this student club at Marianapolis Preparatory School is offering a guide on how to build your own "TechCrew" and equip students to offer peer-to-peer tech support. It's a DIY manual on building grassroot support for investments in educational technology while establishing an organization that offers unparralelled, authentic learning experiences to the tech enthusiasts at a school. More information about this project is available at techcrewnetwork.com, on Twitter @TechCrewNetwork or on YouTube (MrAdiletta).

Paul Barrette, Director of Technology, Burrillville School Department, RI

Since 1994, Paul Barrette has worked in K-12 education as a teacher, staff developer, technology curriculum specialist, and director of technology. He is passionate about teacher professional development and has been creating “just in time” support and instructional materials for teachers for over 12 years. Barrette is currently the chairperson of the technology sub-committee of the Rhode Island Northwest Consortium of Schools. He has been instrumental in organizing the consortium’s Summer Teacher Technology Institute for the last two years. He also served as president of the Rhode Island ISTE affiliate from 2008 until 2010 and is still an active member of the RISTE Board of Directors.

Suzanne Bergman, Teacher and Writing Enrichment Coordinator, Winnisquam Regional School District, NH

Sue Bergman is a certified teacher with a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She has over twenty years of experience in the field of education, working as a classroom teacher, enrichment coordinator, and education consultant.She provides professional development for her school district on a regular basis, in addition to presenting workshops at the local, regional, and state level in a variety of topics ranging from differentiated instruction to Google search tools.

Mark Burkholz, Director of Technology, Lawrence Academy, Groton, MA

Mark Burkholz has been the director of technology and a math and computer science teacher at Lawrence Academy since 1991. Previously he was New York City school mathematics teacher for 10 years as well as a software engineer at AT&T’s Bell Labs. This is the second year that he has flipped his classroom and this year he has most of his math department teachers creating screencasts, with three teachers flipping their classroom completely. Burkholz has run workshops and presented at several conferences including a flipped classroom workshop with EdTech Teacher last July and a workshop for the Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School’s math department. In addition he has given talks on the flipped classroom at several conferences including MASSCUE, the Christa McCauliffe Technology conference and the recent TABS conference in Washington DC. He has also created a blog site for flipped classroom enthusiasts at http://www.flippedmind.com.

Tom Daccord, Director, EdTechTeacher, Chestnut Hill, MA

Tom Daccord is an educational technology speaker, instructor, and writer who has worked with schools, districts, colleges and educational organizations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. A graduate of Princeton University and the University of Montreal, he has taught in Canada, France, Switzerland, and the United States, presented on educational technology topics at national and international conferences, including ISTE (U.S.) ELMLE (Europe), and ICTLT (Asia), and organized the sold-out 2012 "iPad Summit" at Harvard University. For over ten years Daccord has organized a series of summer educational technology workshop in Boston (now also Atlanta and Chicago) and has produced a series of online courses on Web 2.0 and iPad integration, and 21st century school leadership. In 2012 he was invited to Singapore by the Ministry of Education as an “Outstanding Educator in Residence” in support of their efforts to introduce more 21st century learning in schools.

Liz B. Davis, Director of Academic Technology, Belmont Hill School, Belmont, MA

Liz Davis is the director of academic technology at Belmont Hill School, an independent all-boys day school. Prior to working at Belmont Hill, she taught in the Wellesley and Brookline public schools. In addition to being the director of technology, Davis also teaches seventh grade English in a 1:1 iPad setting. She believes in the power of technology to transform learning, energize communities and inspire innovative thinking. She blogs at www.edtechpower.blogspot.com and Tweets as @lizbdavis.

Dr. Peter DeWitt, Principal, Averill Park Central School District, NY

Peter DeWitt has been a principal in upstate, NY, since 2006. Before becoming a principal he taught elementary school for eleven years. His syndicated blog Finding Common Ground is published by Education Weekandhe is a freelance writer for Vanguard Magazine (SAANYS).   He has presented at state and national conferences around the U.S. including the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) Conference and the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Conference. DeWitt’s presentations focus on struggling learners, educational technology, safeguarding LGBT students, and other social justice topics. He is starting as a regular commentator on the BAM Radio Network where he will discuss leadership and educational issues.   His book entitled Dignity for All: Safeguarding LGBT Students was published by Corwin Press in March of 2012. His articles have appeared in education journals at the state, national and international level. He has written for Principal Magazine, Education Week, Educational Leadership, The Huffington Post, ASCD Whole Child, Connected Principals, Smartblogsand ASCD Express. He has been interviewed by AASA, the NEA, ASCD, PBS and ABCnews.com.

Ellen Dill, World Language Teacher, Ashland Middle School, MA

Ellen Dill has been teaching for 13 years, the past seven of them at Ashland Middle School in Western MA.She has a BA from Mt. Holyoke College and a Masters in Education from the University of New England.She performed action research regarding flipped teaching to determine the efficacy of this teaching strategy, and found that this was very effective when combined with project based learning. Dill has been fortunate to receive district support and support from the Ashland Education Foundation, Inc. in order to purchase many materials that have made technology available to flip her classroom and to have students use technology in their learning as well as classroom management.

Michael Hale, Director of College, Career, and Citizenship Casco Bay High School, ME

Michael Hale has been a teacher leader and administrator for nearly 20 years in a variety of educational communities including: Boys Town, GEAR UP, public middle & high schools, a language school in Ecuador and OMNI summer camp (formerly known as the Samantha Smith World Peace Camp). He is the Stupski Foundation faculty adviser for The Pathways to Success Digital Persona Posse, a student-led technology initiative with the goal of creating and implementing “a digital archive and reflection tool for all our secondary, post-secondary, career and personal/wellness experiences...and it must be beyond the status quo and work on smartphones.” The Pathways to Success is a student/parent/faculty/community/post-secondary, partner-generated array of 13 cross-disciplinary skills and dispositions that Casco Bay High School strives to have all students achieve before graduation. Casco Bay High School is a nationally recognized, U.S. News ranked, Expeditionary Learning network mentor high school built on the core values of Rigor, Relevance & Relationships. You can learn more about it online at: http://cbhs.portlandschools.org/

Carl Hooker, Director of Instructional Technology, Eanes ISD, TX

Carl Hooker has been a part of a strong educational shift with technology integration since becoming an educator. His unique blend of educational background, technical expertise, and humor make him a successful driving force for this change. As director of instructional technology at Eanes ISD, he has helped spearhead the launch the LEAP program (Learning & Engaging through Access and Personalization), which put one-to-one iPads in the hands of all K-12 students in the district. He is also the founder of “iPadpalooza” (http://ipadpalooza.com) - a cultural event showcasing the use of iPads in education. Over 500 people attended the inaugural iPadpalooza with representatives from over 71 districts and 5 different states in attendance.Connect with him on twitter: @mrhooker.

Patrick Larkin, Assistant Superintendent for Learning, Burlington Public Schools, MA

Patrick Larkin is the newly appointed assistant superintendent for learning for Burlington Public Schools. Prior to this, he served 15 years as a building administrator at the high school level first as an assistant principal (during which time he was named Assistant Principal of the Year for the state of Massachusetts) and then as principal. He was recently selected as one of three national Digital Principal Award winners by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and featured in an article in T.H.E. Journal titled 7 Habits of Highly Effective Tech-Leading Principals.Larkin’s school has recently made the transition to a one-to-one environment after distributing over 1,000 iPads to staff and students. Larkin is one of the founders of the Connected Principals Blog and #cpchat on Twitter; one of the authors of the Super Book of Web Tools for Educators; an avid blogger; and a proponent of social media to better engage teachers, students, and parents in the education process. His article Getting Connected was published in September’s issue of Principal Leadership. Prior to serving as a school administrator, Larkin was a high school English teacher. He also is a former Executive Board member in the Massachusetts Secondary Schools Administrators Association (MSSAA) and recently completed a two-year term as a member of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Public Secondary Schools (NEASC).

Diana Marcus, Teacher, Burlington Public Schools, MA

Diana Marcus is a fifth grade classroom teacher in Burlington, MA. Previously, she was a special education teacher and served as an adjunct faculty member at Lesley University. She is currently piloting a 1:1 iPad program in her classroom.

Susan Miller, Teacher, West Tisbury Elementary School, MA

Sue Miller is currently a fifth grade teacher at the West Tisbury Elementary School on Martha's Vineyard. She has been teaching for 24 years, beginning her career as a music educator and music therapist. After earning her masters degree from the University of North Carolina, she taught as a special education teacher in North Carolina and Connecticut. Miller became certified in general education after moving to the Vineyard and has been teaching grade five for the past ten years, where she incorporates music, drama, art and technology into the curriculum. She has presented at several international conferences, including ASCD and ISTE. As a recent "empty nester," she has the much-needed time to flip her math classroom and create entertaining educational videos for her students.

Shawn Rubin, Director of Technology Integration, Highlander Institute in Providence, RI

Shawn Rubin manages the Highlander Institute’s blended learning and technology integration professional development programs and works directly with teachers at the Highlander Charter school and Pleasant View Elementary around best practice for integrating tools such as iPads, interactive white boards, and web 2.0. He also manages a group of high-performing Rhode Island teachers, the EdUnderground, who meet once a month to experiment and tinker with the newest in edtech and innovation. In addition, Rubin is the co-founder and CEO of Metryx, a start-up software company building flexible formative assessment tools for educators to use on mobile devices. He began his education career, in 2000, as a founding faculty member of the Highlander Charter School, teaching a range of grades including four years in kindergarten.

Cathy Swan, Technology Integration Teacher, New Canaan High School, CT

Cathy Swan is the technology integration teacher for the humanities, arts and social sciences at New Canaan High School and a member of the district professional development team. She is a Google certified teacher and a member of the district Information and Communication Technology team that received first prize in ISTE's Award for Innovation in Technology in 2012. Swan is a member of the Connecticut Educators Computer Association Board of Directors (CECA) and the Connecticut State Commission on Educational Technology (CET). She is also a member of the National Staff Development Council's Academy XVI, has been a regular presenter at Tech Forum in New York and Boston, and was a headliner at the Virtual Tech Forum in 2010. She presents at conferences and online on Google Apps, social networking in schools and blended learning.

Jean Tower, Director of Technology, Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough, MA

As director of technology for the Northborough/Southborough Schools, a regional PK-12 district of ten schools serving the two towns, Jean Tower is responsible for all aspects of technology in the schools – administrative and instructional, planning, budgeting, and professional development. Her primary interest is in effective integration of technology in the curriculum and in creating the essential conditions to enable that to happen. Before working in the public schools, she worked in information technology in the private sector, as well as in higher education. Tower has over twenty years of experience in K-12 educational technology, a BS in Computer Science, a Master’s degree in Critical and Creative Thinking, and a CAGS in Educational Administration from Boston University. She serves as a Board Member of MassCUE. She is the President of the Board of METAA (Massachusetts Educational Technology Administrators Association, the local CoSN chapter (http://techdirectors.org), chair-elect for CoSN, and writes a blog (http://K12EduBuzz.com) about technology and education.

Jennifer Trombino, Instructional Technology Specialist, Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough, MA

Jennifer Trombino is an educator with 16 years of experience in K-8 schools, including the roles of elementary and middle school classroom teacher, technology coordinator, and instructional technology teacher. She has developed and presented technology professional development in the classroom and online, and she has spoken at national and regional conferences about curriculum and instructional technology. In her current position at Melican Middle School in Northborough, MA, she teaches computer classes and works with staff in developing and integrating digital curriculum content, implementing online communication and collaboration using Google Apps and Moodle, and integrating the use of tablet devices.

Andrew Wallace, Technology Director, South Portland Schools, ME

Andrew Wallace has been a technology director in Maine for the past 12 years. His team of technologists, librarians and special educators is preparing for their fourth deployment of 1:1 technology. He is also the Treasurer of the Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine (ACTEM), Maine’s ISTE affiliate. Educated as a school librarian, Wallace has a keen interest in blending traditional and digital literacy, exploring new models of technology integration, and creating the statewide MARVEL Challenge online scavenger hunt to promote student use of online databases. He has taught over one hundred administrators across Maine the effective uses of mobile devices. His current area of research and fascination is watching his infant daughter master the iPad.

Julie York, Career Preparation Teacher and Webmaster, South Portland High School, ME

Julie York works at South Portland High School in South Portland, Maine, as a teacher and department chair in the career preparation department, as well as the school webmaster and the educational access channel director. In her ten years working for the district, she has been a leader and advocate for technology both in and outside of the classroom. Technology-related curricula she has developed from scratch include: video productions, web page design, flash programming, media literacy, graphic design, and tech team.