Keynote Speakers
Spotlight Speakers
IGNITE Speakers
Presenters
| Audra Abromaitis K-12 Learning Technologies Consultant Ottawa Catholic School Board Audra is a K-12 Learning Technologies Consultant with the Ottawa Catholic School Board. Before moving into this role, she taught grades 7-12 geography, science, social studies, English, Phys. Ed., and even art! Audra is passionate about differentiation and about ensuring that every student gets what they need in the classroom to learn, innovate, and discover. | |
| Jeff Allison TELT Contact HWDSB K-12 Program Consultant & Technology Enabled Learning and Teaching (TELT) Contact for the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board. Jeff is passionate about eLearning, EdTech, Leadership and Assessment & Evaluation. | |
| Samer Amrane Conseiller pédagogique CSViamonde Samer occupe actuellement le poste de conseiller pédagogique au Conseil Scolaire Viamonde. Il accompagne les nouveaux enseignants durant la première année d'embauche et participe à l'organisation de la foire de l'Innovation Pédagogique que les services pédagogiques organisent chaque année. Avant d'occuper ce poste, Samer était titulaire à l'élémentaire. Il est ingénieur agronome de formation et titulaire d'une maitrise en développement rural. Samer aime les sports, la lecture et passer du temps avec sa belle petite famille. | |
| Tanner Anderson Audio Enhancement Tanner Anderson has been working for Audio Enhancement for 8 years with a lot of experience across Canada and many parts of the United States. He now oversees sales for all of Canada and the Northwest region of the United States. Tanner has been a part of hundreds of Audio Enhancement deployments and excited to share his experiences at Connect 2020. | |
| Patricia Baker Learning Commons Technician Ottawa Catholic School Board Patricia Baker is a consultant and library technician with the Ottawa Catholic School Board. Patricia works with other schools to help transform their space and make purposeful makerspaces, flexible schedules, and participatory learning environments. | |
| Ms Swarnaly Banerjee-Modi Teacher/Instructional Coordinator of Assessment and Evaluation Peel DSB Swarnaly is the Instructional Coordinator of Assessment and Evaluation supporting teachers from K-12 in the Peel District school board. She has been teaching for over 20 years and is particularly passionate about all things Math, Science, Assessment and Technology. A lifelong learner herself, Swarnaly loves to empower students and teachers to recognize their own potential as modern learners. | |
| Amy Beecham Instructional Coach Peel District School Board Amy is currently a grade 6 teacher at Sir William Gage Middle School in Brampton. She has been teaching for 20 years with a wide variety of experiences. Amy is a Google Certified Trainer and has a Master's degree in Educational Technology. She enjoys integrating technology into every day teaching and learning in a way that engages students and gives them ownership over their learning. | |
| Philippe Bélanger-Leroux Enseignant et Coordonnateur STIAM Conseil scolaire Viamonde - École secondaire Toronto Ouest Philippe Bélanger-Leroux est enseignant et coordonnateur STIAM à l’École secondaire Toronto Ouest du Conseil scolaire Viamonde où la mission est d’enseigner dans une perspective d’intégration des matières axées sur l’apprentissage par l’enquête. Avant d’entreprendre ce rôle, Philippe était enseignant accompagnateur pour le dossier de l’éducation internationale au CSViamonde. Ses domaines d’intérêts incluent la lecture chez les garçons, l’apprentissage actif ainsi que la pédagogie culturelle. Philippe détient également une maîtrise en administration éducationnelle de l’Université d’Ottawa. | |
| Fernanda Bianconi Learning & Adaptive Technology Facilitator, Faculty CICE Program, Georgian College Fernanda Bianconi is a Learning & Adaptive Technology Facilitator and Faculty Member for the Community Integration through Co-Operative Education (CICE) Program at Georgian College. In her role, Fernanda supports students with diverse learning challenges who require academic accommodations and modifications in order to be successful in their post-secondary studies. More specifically, she encourages her students to utilize their adaptive technology in order to maximize their overall achievement. | |
| Lucas Boluk 2019-Vice Principal and STEM Teacher BHNCDSB I’ve been an educator for 13years in the BHNCDSB. Although most of my experience is in intermediate grades I’ve had the good fortunes to test the waters in Junior and primary as well. I’m currently in a new role as a Vice Principal and a part-time STEM and Innovation Itinerate Teacher. I’ve always had a strong belief in experiential learning, especially when teaching math and science. Integrating STEM inquiries in the classroom has been an integral part of making my classrooms engaging while pushing students to think harder about the world around them. I have a passion for learning educational technology and a hunger for learning new ways to pair innovation into our current curriculum. I’m a proud father of twin 6-year-old boys and I hope they too share my love of learning one day. | |
| Nayaa Bonsu Teacher Conseil Scolaire Viamonde Nayaa Christelle Bonsu est une enseignante et chargée de cours à la faculté d'éducation de l'Université d'Ottawa (campus de Toronto), en Ontario, au Canada. En tant qu'apprenante, elle forme et participe à des conférences et à des forums éducatifs et innovateurs; comme le forum des enseignants, qui s’est tenu au Parlement du Canada. Mlle Bonsu, pédagogue influente, responsabilise les enseignants en explorant et en mettant en œuvre des projets novateurs, tout en renforçant simultanément l'engagement des élèves! Ses principes sur les pratiques pédagogiques efficaces la poussent à soutenir les enseignants et les élèves sur divers sujets tels que la robotique, le leadership, le bilinguisme, la résolution de problèmes et le soutien aux jeunes leaders. Enfin, éducatrice constructiviste, elle est aussi un défenseur passionné de l’équité dans l’éducation. Elle croit fermement en la réussite de chaque élève, quels que soient les objectifs fixés par celui-ci/celle-ci. Selon elle, les rêves chéris par chaque élève, aussi profonds qu’ils soient, peuvent se réaliser. Tout est possible! Telle est la vision de Mlle Bonsu. | |
| Mr Devin Bright Instructional Design Technologist Appleby College Devin feels most at home in his Makerspace. A dedicated educator, maker, programmer, cyclist, and gamer, he brings his passions into the classroom and hopes students take them further. With several years of experience teaching with robotics and DIY hardware, he is always looking to what is next. | |
| Steve Brown President &Chief Executive Officer Nelson Steve Brown has made his mark in Canada and Internationally by leading organizations through digital transformation. His career spans a diverse mix of industry and technology experience from multi-media entertainment, logistics services, automotive, and now to learning solutions. Since joining NELSON in September 2016, Steve has transformed the vision for this 104-year-old company by reimagining the role and purpose of a publisher in 2017 and beyond. Introducing a matrix driven view to the management culture, and unifying a K20 student-centric business division is at the core of this shift to a cohesive customer focused structure. He has reframed the organization’s digital competency by instituting a technology department comprised of some the world’s best and brightest talent based in Silicon Beach California. Additionally, over the past 12 months the company has engaged in various M&A activities, including the acquisition of one of its largest competitors, as well as signing numerous agency and partnership deals to ensure NELSON offers a world class portfolio of learning solution and for all its markets. Steve’s passion and commitment to transforming education, and the student learning experience, continues to fuel the innovation pipeline at NELSON. | |
| Mr. Carl Bull Vice-Principal Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board I am on a quest to seek out life's adventures, while learning as much as possible along the way. I have taught and worked administratively in both panels; after wrapping up 13 years in the elementary panel, 10 of which as principal, I have returned to the secondary panel this year as a teaching VP. I have a passion for the combination of great pedagogy and technology as it results in compelling lessons embedded in a 21st century skill environment. This includes 3D printing and design, coding, robotics as well as many other applications. I have been fortunate to have shared these experiences at BIT, TELL and ConnectEd conferences and love the 'back and forth' with colleagues that results in compelling seminar experience. Additionally, I am a dad of three talented daughters, french language learner, and enthusiastic participant in all things outdoors, particularly cycling. Please feel free to visit my webpage www.carlbull.ca or newly launched blog at thetoolswehave.blogspot.com. | |
| Ms. Joanna Bull Digital Literacy Resource Teacher York Region District School Board Joanna Bull has enjoyed contributing to the educational field for 15 years. She was a Visual Arts and English classroom teacher for 11 years prior to her current role as a Digital Literacy Consultant at the York Region District School Board Joanna is an advocate for student-centered approaches to the classroom; she believes merging the concepts of decentering the classroom, creating psychological safety, and innovative approaches to learning are essential in creating the conditions for successful teaching and learning. Joanna shares her passion for learning by fusing coaching and innovation as the host of Outside the Bubble Podcast, providing mentorship at I-Think, and in her private coaching practice at Freshly Brewed Happiness. Aside from teaching, learning, and coaching; Joanna is an avid scuba diver and shark lover. She's an adventure traveler and can be found hiking the various ravines in and around the Toronto area on the weekends. | |
| Anne-Marie Cenaiko Manager, Public Education and Outreach Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada As Manager, Public Education and Outreach at the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Anne-Marie Cenaiko is responsible for leading the office’s public awareness campaigns, including work to improve the privacy awareness of seniors and youth. When she is not checking her privacy settings, she loves camping with her husband, Adam. | |
| Joi Chimera Secondary Instructional Innovation Support Specialist Kenmore-Tonawanda School District Joi Chimera is a 20+ year educator currently serving as a Secondary Instructional Innovation Support Specialist for the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda school district in Western New York. She is an ISTE Certified Educator, Google Certified Educator I & II, and Microsoft Innovative Educator. Joi provides job-embedded, in-class professional development for teachers to assist them as they expand their technology integration with their students. She delivers professional development on a district level for staff development days, as well as through the Kenmore Staff Development Center (both in-person and online). Joi is a member of NYSCATE and ISTE. | |
| Scott Compeau Engineering Outreach Manager Queen's University - Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science Scott Compeau is the Manager of Connections: Queen’s Engineering Outreach which is an educational program based out of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Queen’s University. Scott received his BASc degree in Chemical Engineering, his BEd degree for high school Chemistry & Math, his MASc degree specializing in K-12 Engineering Education, and is a PhD candidate in education that focuses on STEM outreach organization as intermediaries. In addition to his education qualifications, Scott also has his Professional Engineering License (P.Eng). With over 12 years of experience as an engineering, classroom teacher, and manager of a STEM outreach organization, Scott brings a unique skill set towards supporting K-12 STEM education for to integrate engineering design thinking and principles into their teaching practice youth, educators, and a variety of other stakeholders. | |
| Bill Corcoran Coordinator - Learning Technologies Ottawa Catholic School Board Bill is a Coordinator (K-12) in the Learning Technologies department at the Ottawa Catholic School Board. He works inter-departmentally and collaboratively with central staff to help support student learning system wide. As a Deep Learning board, he strives to "Leverage Digital" purposefully and intentionally, while being "Samaritans on the Digital Road" and Humane Users of Tech. | |
| Aida Dakran Elementary Teacher YRDSB Aida is a grade 5 French Immersion teacher with the YRDSB. She has also taught grade 3 homeroom as well as rotary for grades 1, 2 and 3. She was the Positive Climates 4 Learning Lead at her school for 4 years and is currently the Mental Health Lead. Aida has a passion for Mental Health and Well-Being. She also loves to create activities to increase student engagement and help students apply their learning to new concepts. | |
| Desurée DeGagné Outreach Coordinator Queen's University Connections Engineering Outreach (CEO) is the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Queen’s University’s Educational outreach branch. Connections develops and facilitates quality engineering education workshops that are aligned with the Ontario kindergarten to grade 12 curriculum. Additionally, Connections provides support and professional development opportunities for local educators who are looking to integrate engineering, educational technology and 21st Century learning skills into their classrooms. Desurée DeGagné is an Outreach Coordinator with CEO. She holds a Bachelors of Education from the University of Ottawa, and is currently completing her Masters of Education at Queen’s University. Since joining CEO in 2017, Desurée has become the program lead for the Tech ‘n’ Tinker Trailer; CEO’s mobile outreach initiative. Her efforts have helped CEO to reach delivery targets of upwards of 10,000 Kindergarten to grade 12 students, and hundreds of educators. | |
| Angelo Delli Santi Online Teacher Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools In 2007, I graduated from the University of Alberta as a secondary teacher. Being a traditional classroom teacher for 9 years, I decided to try my hands at a different field of teaching. Currently being an online teacher at St Gabriel's Cyber School in Red Deer, Alberta has proved to create different barriers to overcome compared to a traditional teacher. I get the opportunity to share new technology tools with my students on a normal basis which consequently means I am always searching and learning new technology tools to help enhance my lessons and that is the best part of my job. | |
| Mr. Lotfi Djemai Curriculum Consultant Conseil Scolaire Viamonde Passionné par la nature, la technologie et les mathématiques, Lotfi Djemai est conseiller pédagogique au sein du conseil scolaire Viamonde. Il était enseignant de mathématiques au niveau de l'intermédiaire et du secondaire et a déjà enseigné les cours d'informatique au secondaire. Lotfi a un background diversifié dans lequel l'enseignement est une deuxième carrière. Même après avoir changé de carrière, Lotfi Djemai est resté passionné par l'intégration de la technologie numérique dans sa pratique d'éducateur. Cette passion s'est encore accrue lorsqu’il est devenu enseignant. Il était très curieux de savoir comment le codage avec Scratch pouvait aider les élèves à développer la littératie numérique, l'une des compétences clés de l'apprentissage au 21e siècle; tout en sachant que Scratch pouvait être considéré comme un matériel d'apprentissage numérique faisant partie de la théorie constructiviste de l'apprentissage. | |
| Michael Drezek District Technology Integrator/Teacher Leader Lake Shore CSD Michael is the District Technology Integrator for Lake Shore CSD in Angola, New York. He is currently in his 16th year of teaching and is passionate about supporting educators on their educational technology journey. Michael is a Google Certified Innovator and Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert. He is a member of the Global Maker Day team, the #GlobalEdSsChat team and also a member of the #OEMConnect Community. Michael is a co-author to the book DigCitKids and wrote the foreword to the book The Journey to the Y in You. | |
| Ian Ducharme PRAET CSViamonde Ian Ducharme est un conseiller pédagogique dont les clients ont inclus le Ministère de l'éducation de l'Ontario, le Conseil scolaire Viamonde et des organismes de la grande région de Toronto. Il anime des formations et accompagne des enseignants M-12 dans les domaines des TICE, de la robotique et de l'utilisation de plusieurs outils numériques en salle de classe. | |
| Mr. Robert Dunlop IT4 Elementary Consultant District School Board of Niagara Rob Dunlop is a nationally recognized educator and keynote speaker who has mentored thousands of educators. His personal journey to find deeper happiness in education has developed into his passion to help other educators do the same. | |
| Nabil El kerri Directeur Adjoint. École secondaire Jeunes sans Frontières Conseil Scolaire Viamonde Directeur adjoint, École secondaire Jeunes sans Frontières. Nabil occupe actuellement le poste de directeur adjoint de l’École secondaire Jeunes sans Frontières du Conseil Scolaire Viamonde. Avant d’occuper ce poste, Nabil a enseigné les mathématiques et la physique au secondaire, puis a occupé le poste de conseiller pédagogique au secondaire (voter mathématiques et sciences). Nabil est titulaire d’un Ph.D en physique et d’un MBA en administration. Il est marié et père de deux magnifiques jeunes garçons. | |
| Cory Ell Secondary Teacher Ottawa Catholic School Board Cory has been a Secondary Teacher in the Contemporary Studies department at St. Matthew High School with the Ottawa Catholic School Board for over 20 years. During that time, he has worked to make his classes an intensive environment of inquiry and engagement, as well as overseeing the construction of an in-school recording studio and production space. He is strongly focused on the evolution of media, particularly the recent trends toward the aggressive spread of disinformation and the infiltration and weaponization of social media, and how technology has been exploited in this area to compromise objective reality for students and citizens. In his spare time, Cory produces and plays music locally, spends time with his family, and fervently searches for a “fake news” cure. Or at least a reliable vaccine. | |
| Jessica Forde Teacher York Region District School Board Jess is a Grade 6 teacher in YRDSB. She has been the Modern Learning Lead at her school for the last two years. She is passionate about flexible modern learning environments and using digital tools to enhance learning. She also loves to find ways to incorporate games in her classroom to increase student engagement. | |
| Carlo Fusco Teacher-Librarian Waterloo Region DSB Carlo Fusco is a Teacher-Librarian and Science Teacher at Waterloo Collegiate Institute, in Waterloo, Ontario. He has always been passionate about the use of technology to enhance student learning and engagement. He regularly shares his expertise when he facilitates Professional Development in the areas of blogging, podcasting, collaborative writing, cloud based tools, 1:1 chromebooks, elementary coding, flipped classrooms, and digital citizenship. You can also find him on Twitter @mrfusco. | |
| Tiffany Gallagher Professor Brock University Tiffany L. Gallagher, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Educational Studies and the Director of the Brock Learning Lab at Brock University. She is recognized for her research on the learning of students with literacy learning challenges. Supporting the professional learning of teachers through literacy and technology coaching is also a focus of her work that seeks to inform audiences such as students, teachers, administrators, and policy makers. | |
| Jennifer Giffen Teacher Librarian York Region DSB Google Innovator (#WDC17), Sketchnoter, teacher match-maker, cheerleader, mother of three, and up for just about anything. Co-host of #ShukesandGiff the Podcast, Jen is a believer that you have time to do anything you want – you just need to make time. Former player of the game of school, she now seeks to ensure learning is authentic and relevant, especially for struggling students You can often find her in front of her computer, having a conversation with her Google Home, driving around listening to podcasts and chilling & watching Netflix with her husband (#forreal). She wants you to know that while at first the hokey pokey is hard, eventually you turn yourself around. #Redhead #Canadian #HashtagLover. @VirtualGiff – everywhere. | |
| Renee Goncalves Sr. MCEM – West Microsoft Education Renee Goncalvez is a Senior Modern Classroom Experience Manager (MCEM) for the Microsoft Education team. With certification as a Microsoft Innovative Educator Trainer, she delivers professional development, workshops and presentations to educators across Canada in order to empower students and teachers with 21st century skills such as collaboration, creativity and problem solving. An advocate for children’s STEM education, Renee is a certified Minecraft Education Edition Trainer and supports district wide implementations of the program along with various coding initiatives. She is currently pursuing a Professional Masters of Education in Assessment and Evaluation. | |
| Amer Hasanbasic Audio Enhancement Amer recently joined Audio Enhancement after spending the past 5-plus years as an Account Executive with one of Canada’s largest audiovisual integration selling audiovisual and communications solutions to the education, corporate and government markets. In the 11 years prior to his time as a salesperson, Amer worked in the field as a technician specializing in audiovisual, communications and security technologies. Amer’s role as Regional Sales Director is to help further expand Audio Enhancement’s presence in the Canadian market by bringing our cutting edge solutions to schools from coast to coast. | |
| Kristine Holloway Teacher Peel District School Board Kristine is a self-driven educator who has taught middle school in the Peel District School Board for the last decade. She inspires her students to think 'outside of the box' and to engage in global service learning projects that really make a difference in the world. As a Global Learning Ambassador for her country, she has participated in the Climate Action Project, the Innovation Project and is excited about her ongoing work with the Kakuma Project and the Innovation Lab Schools. As a Microsoft Fellow, Skype Master Teacher, Global Minecraft Mentor, National Geographic Certified Educator and TeachSDGs Ambassador, Kristine is looking forward to the next global action! | |
| Mr. Robin Holt Teacher of Awesomeness Peel District School Board Robin Holt is a PJIS teacher in his 11th-year teaching; 1 year in the Bahamas, and the last 10 with the Peel District School Board. This year is his 4th year at Centennial Sr. P.S. leading the SciTech Regional Program teaching Grade 7. In SciTech, Students view the curriculum through an inquiry lens, using design thinking, science and technology to engage and empower themselves as modern, globally connected learners. | |
| Dr. David Hutchison Professor Brock University David Hutchison, PhD, is a Professor at Brock University where he is cross-appointed to the Centre for Digital Humanities and the Department of Educational Studies. David is 2018 3M National Teaching Fellow. | |
| Julie Johnston Teacher Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board Julie Johnston is a Special Assignment Teacher for the Specialist High Skills Major Program with the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board. Before this role, she was a high school classroom teacher who, more recently, worked mainly in an eLearning classroom environment. | |
| Lindsay Jones Outreach Coordinator Queen's University Outreach Coordinator for Connections Engineering Outreach Program. Certified educator providing experiential opportunities for pre-university students to learn about engineering, with an additional focus on increasing diversity within the engineering profession. | |
| Laura Kennedy Educator Halifax Regional Centre of Education Laura Kennedy is an educator who brings a wide variety of experiences to her classroom. Having taught grades primary to six, Learning Centre, Reading Recovery and in many specialist areas, flexibility and integration have been the cornerstones of her practice. Previous presentations have included exploring flexible seating purpose and practice, productive integration of digital technology and deeper learning initiatives. Always willing to learn and share, she has hosted many casual teacher gatherings to create the space and time to explore ideas, new devices and programs. With a love of learning and a passion for connecting with others, Laura is excited to broaden her PLN and is happy to meet those whom she is already connected with through the power of Twitter. | |
| Fatima Khlifi Enseignante/teacher Viamonde Enseignante à l’élémentaire, mentor, leader en technologie passionnée par les nouvelles méthodes d’éducation. Présentatrice à Connect2019 des ateliers à grand succès sur l’intégration de la technologie dans les centres d’apprentissage et de « Coder pour décoder ». Je tire mon inspiration des besoins des élèves pour développer des outils orientés vers les compétences du 21e siècle. | |
| Kyle Kitchen Elementary IT4 Learning Consultant DSBN Kyle Kitchen has been teaching for almost 20 years with the District School Board of Niagara and has been one of the IT4 Learning consultants who specializes in infusing technology and pedagogy into classrooms, for the last 9 years. He is a Makey Makey Ambassador and trainer, Google Certified educator, STEAM teacher, a Maker and Breaker and the creator of Kinders Who Code. He loves working directly with K-8 students and teachers to create curiosity of learning and is often seen speaking at many conferences about his adventures of design thinking, inquiry and making. | |
| Melanie Kitchen Coordinator Erie 1 BOCES/WNYRIC Melanie Kitchen is a Coordinator of Instructional Technology and Staff Development for Erie 1 BOCES, which services 108 school districts in Western New York. For the last 16 of 20 years in education, Melanie has worked with students, teachers and administrators to implement research-based instructional strategies combined with purposeful technology integration. Melanie’s passion is providing students with opportunities for empowerment. Events such as the Western New York Information Technology (#WNYIT) Conference (for students by students), the Consortium for Student Empowerment Through Innovation (#CSETI), and (coming soon) student TED-style talks allow students to engage in authentic experiences to develop leadership, public speaking, creativity, and collaboration skills. In her free time, Melanie enjoys extended camping trips across the US and Canada with her husband, 2 teenagers, and her goldendoodle. | |
| Mr. Tim Kivell Grade 8 Teacher HWDSB Grade 8 Core Teacher. | |
| Jordan Knarr Learning Application Support Specialist Ottawa-Carleton District School Board With over 10 years of experience engaging audiences with his vibrant personality and energy, Jordan also brings along his vast knowledge of information technology as well as a background in Media Arts. As a Learning Application Support Specialist with the Ottawa Carleton District School board, Jordan has ample experience with key Google Applications, interactive technologies, web conferencing, video production & graphic design. His mindset is to always take a proactive approach in all tech areas in order to best serve the needs of the staff across the District. | |
| David Kozera National Technology Strategist for Education in Canada Microsoft Canada David Kozera is Microsoft’s National Technology Strategist for Education in Canada. He joined the company in November 2016 coming from public K-12 education IT in Ontario, bringing with him years of real world experience with Microsoft technologies. David has a deep understanding of Microsoft Azure, Security, Identity and Access Management, Windows, Enterprise Mobility, Virtualization, and more.” | |
| Jessi Lalonde Teacher Limestone District School Board Jessi Lalonde is an Assistive Technology Resource Teacher with LDSB. She is passionate about working with kids and teachers to find creative ways to increase success for all students in classrooms. | |
| Josee Landriault Principal Ecole Gaetan Gervais conseil scolaire viamonde Josée Landriault is the Principal of Viamonde French School Board’s Gaétan-Gervais High School in Oakville. With over 20 years of experience in education as head of departments, Vice-Principal and Principal in several schools, she is a woman of vision and action with a strong interest for the technology-oriented 21st century learning experience. Josée was in charge of the first French language high school in Canada to get the Microsoft Showcase School designation. The school earned it thanks to Josée’s strong commitment to include technology in the school’s daily operations and Josée’s efforts to open its doors to others schools to demonstrate the benefits of innovative teaching to many teachers. Inspired by the Microsoft Camp 21 model she attended with her team, she has since then a vision to amalgamate French culture with technology workshops. With this goal in mind, she created Pantech and Gagetech, two technology camp respectively at Viamonde’s Jeunes sans frontière and Gaétan-Gervais high schools. The camps consist of two days of collaborative learning between students, are exclusively in French and are free. She works with a team of very dedicated, innovative and creative people inspiring her to go beyond boundaries and strive for excellence. She is also mother of two fantastic young men: Richard (18) and Alex (16). Richard has an autism spectrum disorder, a reality making Josée a strong advocate for all students with special needs. Josée Landriault believes in providing innovative and collaborative professional learning for both her staff and students: her goal is to inspire leadership to all of them. | |
| Mahlah Lockey Teacher Conseil scolaire Viamonde Mahlah Lockey began her career in the Alberta public school system in 1997 before moving to Ontario in 2004. She has taught all grades from Kindergarten to Grade 8, but she has spent the majority of her career in Kindergarten and the primary grades. She is currently teaching full-time in Welland, Ontario with the French language school board, Conseil scolaire Viamonde. Passionate about teaching, Mahlah views learning as a journey and believes strongly in meaningful and pertinent professional development. She is constantly seeking new and innovative ideas to engage and nurture her students in their own learning journey, particularly through the use of technology and authentic hands-on experiences. Mahlah Lockey a commencé sa carrière d’enseignement en Alberta en 1997 avant de déménager en Ontario en 2004. Elle a déjà enseigné tous les niveaux de la maternelle jusqu’à la huitième année, la plus grande partie de son expérience étant aux cycles préparatoire et primaire. Elle est présentement enseignante à Welland, Ontario avec le Conseil scolaire Viamonde. Passionnée de l’enseignement, Mme Lockey perçoit l’apprentissage comme un parcours et croit fortement au développement professionnel pertinent. Elle est toujours à la recherche de nouvelles idées innovatrices afin d’engager et soutenir ses élèves dans leur propre parcours, surtout à l’aide de la technologie et des activités pratiques et authentiques. | |
| Robert Long Coordinator Learning Tech OCSB Coordinator of Learning Technologies Works well with technology and others Has a keen interest in leveraging technology for learning Interested in school and room design | |
| Paula MacDowell Assistant Professor University of Saskatchewan Paula MacDowell is an assistant professor of educational technology and design in the College of Education, University of Saskatchewan. Paula studies the design of constructionist learning environments and works closely with teachers to integrate media and technology in the classroom for meaningful learning. | |
| Mr. Jeffery Maxwell Technology Teacher Niagara Catholic District School Board Jeff Maxwell is an educator who is passionate about enhancing the curriculum with the use of technology. He has engaged students in blended learning environments for over a decade. Jeff has taught courses in computer science, technological design, math and robotics. Currently, he is the TELT Consultant for the Niagara Catholic District School Board. | |
| Greg Milligan Office 365 Lead for Education at Microsoft Canada Microsoft Canada Greg is the Office 365 Lead for Education at Microsoft Canada. In this role, he’s responsible for working with colleges, universities and school districts across the country to help them plan and deploy Office 365 for use by students, faculty and staff members. | |
| Maria Mitrosilis Teacher Peel Board As a middle school teacher for over 10 years, I am continually exploring and experimenting with hands-on technology experiences relevant to 21st century learning and teaching. It's exciting to see how the innovative and positive use of technology inspires critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration in my classroom. | |
| Mr. Michael Mohammed Learning Coach Toronto District School Board My name is Michael Mohammed and I have been an educator with Toronto District School Board for the past 11 years. During this time I have taken on the role of Early Years Consultant, STEM Instructional Leader as well as a K-12 Instructional Coach. These roles have allowed me to work across the entire city of Toronto, providing me with a unique perspective into different educational spaces. As an educational leader I strive to promote 21st Century Learning in all the spaces I work within. This means I champion tech integration, experiential learning, student-centred learning and equity. I have had the opportunity to work within spaces ranging from Kindergarten up to Grade 12 teaching a host of different pedagogies and best practice. My heart lies with making sure to share my knowledge with other educators and I have enjoyed presenting across Ontario and in some other Provinces across Canada. I am a teacher first and foremost, but strive to be a passionate and inspiring educational leader. | |
| Vickie Morgado Elementary Guidance Experiential Learning Teacher DPCDSB Vickie has been an elementary educator in Ontario, Canada for 19 years. She has taught multiple grades, worked as a technology coach and is currently an Elementary Guidance Experiential Learning Teacher. Vickie believes in empowering her students to take charge of their learning to create positive change in the world becoming agents of change. She holds a Masters of Education in Curriculum Studies from Brock University and has presented throughout southern Ontario at various conferences including BIT and Connect as well as internationally at ISTE 2015, 2017, 2018. Vickie is a Microsoft Fellow & Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert (MIEE), Skype Master Teacher, Nearpod PioNear, National Geographic Certified Educator, Ozobot Certified Educator and TeachSDG’s Ambassador. | |
| Stephanie Morris Secondary Vice Principal Waterloo Region District School Board Stephanie has been a proud member of the WRDSB for the last sixteen years. She was a Secondary School English teacher for eleven and a half years before becoming the Head of Special Education at Sir John A Macdonald Secondary School. Last year she had the privilege of filling the role of Special Education Program Lead, through which she supported the 16 Secondary Schools in the board. She is currently working at Bluevale Collegiate in her first year as a Vice Principal. She is passionate about learning, leading, making and innovating. She has an amazing stay at home husband and three delightful daughters age 6, 9 and 11. | |
| Lucas Pacentrilli Education Director Phidgets Inc. | |
| Chris Pagliari Provincial Lead Council of Ontario Directors of Education Chris is a Provincial Lead with the Council of Ontario Directors of Education responsible for promoting and supporting parent engagement across the province. He has over 17 years of experience as an IT professional working within District School Boards across the province, and as an Ontario Certified Teacher, understands the importance of integrating classroom technologies to support student learning and parent engagement. | |
| Steph Pearson Learning Technology Consultant Ottawa Catholic School Board Learning Tech Education Consultant, History and Contemporary Studies, traveller, teacher, dog lover, goof & grilled cheese aficionada. | |
| Mr. Jim Pedrech Department Head LDCSB Jim is an English and Canadian & World Studies Department Head in Southwestern Ontario. He strives to provide rich and meaningful learning experiences for my students. He is particularly interested in the role technology, especially video games, can play in education. He has created video games designed to teach students about ancient Egypt, Victorian England, Ancient Egypt, and even grammar. His latest focus, the Scanning History Project, is an interactive museum featuring objects analyzed and scanned by students. Jim has led projects involving schools across Canada and presented at conferences in Toronto, Ottawa, Seattle, and Budapest. Jim is also involved in Project Kakuma, which brings teachers from around the world into classes in the Kakuma refugee camp via Skype. Earlier this year, he attended the Salzburg Global Seminar focusing on the role education can play in the lives of refugees, migrants, and displaced peoples. | |
| Erica Phillips Vice Principal and Grade 1 Classroom Teacher Halifax Regional Centre for Education I am in my 16th year of teaching (grade 1 this year 50%) and fourth year in administration, as Vice Principal of Sir Charles Tupper Elementary in Halifax NS. I am a risk taker and love trying new things. Technology has become a part of my teaching across all subjects and the response has been phenomenal. | |
| Ms Jennifer Pogue-Lacombe Media Arts Classroom Teacher, Media Maven, and Passionate Teacher to our Future Trillium Lakelands District School Board Jennifer Pogue-Lacombe has taught Media and Art in the Ontario Secondary School System for over eleven years. She has presented workshops for the National Character Education Conference, Connect 2018 as well as workshops on integrating arts and film cross curricular. As well as developing arts and film programs for her own school board of TLDSB, Jennifer has been active in creating a career women’s conference, and arts elementary and high school feeder school art connections programs with TLDSB. | |
| Mr. Dave Poirier Teacher DSBN Dave is a High School Teacher in Niagara. His focus has been teaching academically focused classes (Geography, Math, History) to students who are developmentally delayed in Special Education programs. He approaches these classes not as a toned-down version of the original, but rather as a different approach. Dave challenges his students to struggle in his classes by helping his students build a toolbox of resources and strategies to take on subjects that at first seem “too hard”. His classroom is a place where students are energized and empowered by setting high expectations for themselves because that’s where the big victories are. | |
| Deann Poleon Technology Integrator Lake Shore Central School District Deann Poleon is in her second year as a Technology Integrator. She has recently presented at NYSCATE 2019 and FETC2019. She is Google Level 1 certified, a Nearpod Certified Educator, and a Buncee Ambassador. | |
| Catharine Rayner Elementary Teacher Peel District School Board As an elementary educator for over 10 years, I have had the opportunity to teach grades 6-8. I have a background in Science and Technology, and look for opportunities to incorporate service learning into my programming. Through collaborative planning I have developed several units with cross curricular connections. Our goal is to integrate several areas of study in a meaningful relevant way, and empower our students to learn, discuss and advocate for change related to current events and Global sustainability goals. We use technology to connect with, learn from, and explore key topics relevant to our local communities, and other groups from around the world. We learn together as we develop relationships and work to make a difference. | |
| Mr. Dave Sands Principal of Technology School District 43 (Coquitlam), BC, Canada Mr. Dave Sands is the District Principal of Technology Implementation with School District 43 (Coquitlam, BC) and a strong advocate of the safe and effective use of technology in student learning. He holds a Masters degree from SFU in Technology and Curriculum and shares his expertise on several Provincial and District committees focussed on technology. Dave focuses his instructional practice and leadership on empowering students, teachers, and administrators with the use technology-based tools to enhance and deepen the learning process. A father of four children, Dave is passionate about parenting and regularly shares his experience and expertise with educators and parents across Canada. | |
| Gus Schmedlen Gus Schmedlen serves as President & Chief Revenue Officer at a technology startup company currently in stealth mode. He formerly served as Vice President and Head of Worldwide Education at HP where he oversaw a period of rapid expansion, leading to the creation of a multi-billion-dollar global education technology business. During his tenure at HP, Gus also led international efforts to improve access to quality education for students in marginalized contexts, contributing innovation, support, and scale to help realize UN SDG4. Earlier in his career, Gus led education and public sector industry solutions units for both IBM and Lenovo. Gus currently serves on the Board of Governors of JA Worldwide, the Leadership Council of the Brookings Institution Center for Universal Education, and the Board of Directors of the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts. He previously served in leadership and consulting positions at a range of non-profit efforts, including the World Economic Forum’s New Vision for Education project, the UN Education Data Roundtable, and the Public School Forum of North Carolina. Gus was awarded an Eisenhower Fellowship by former US Secretary of State, Gen. Colin Powell, to study human capital development systems in the European Union, focused on the democratizing force of pervasive mobile technology. He earned a BA in Classics from Colgate University, an MBA from Duke University, and an EdD from the University of Pennsylvania. | |
| Bushra Shahid Teacher- Ed-Tech Presenter Peel District School Board Bushra is an enthusiastic, passionate, open-minded 21st-century teacher, and Microsoft Certified Educator working at the Peel District School Board. She uses educational technology tools to adapt, modify and accommodate instructional strategies to meet the needs of all learners and to develop students’ technological skills through technology-enabled teaching and learning practices. She has experience using emerging technologies and applications that meet current educational standards. | |
| Stuart Siu Music Teacher York Region District School Board Stuart Siu is a music educator with the York Region District School Board committed to bringing students together through music. | |
| Mrs. Kristie Smith STEM Itinerant Teacher BHNCDSB Kristie is an elementary school teaching in Ontario, Canada. She is currently a full time K-8 STEM Itinerant teacher with the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board. Kristie is passionate about design thinking, experiential learning and leveraging digital. | |
| Rachel St Hilaire Educator / Researcher District School Board of Niagara / Brock University Rachel St Hilaire, M.Ed., O.C.T., is an instructor in the Department of Educational Studies at Brock University. She is also an Occasional Teacher, a Supervisor at the Brock Learning Lab, and a Research Manager on a SSHRC funded research project. She is interested in how to use technology to enhance instruction, as well as professional development to support educators with new technology. | |
| Steven Stronach National Lead - Education Device Strategy Microsoft Canada Steven’s information technology experience currently spans over twenty years, and includes leadership roles within several of the world’s top technology companies, including Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo and IBM. A veteran technologist, his broad experiences in all things device related (from initial conceptualization and design, through to supply chain, marketing, sales, support and finally delivery) serve to reinforce his reputation as a trusted business advisor and passionate, well-spoken technology advocate. | |
| Jen Taylor Teacher-Librarian Waterloo Region District School Board Jen Taylor is a secondary school teacher-librarian with WRDSB, working passionately to develop the maker culture at her school. She partners with a variety of departments to create engaging and experiential activities for students and co-leads the extra-curricular Maker Club, providing fun community-building opportunities outside the classroom. | |
| Lynn Thomas Digital Lead Learner, Secondary English Teacher Granderie District School Board I am the mother of four children and a secondary school English teacher with the Grand Erie District School Board. Additionally, I serve as a Digital Lead Learner, am an MIE Expert, Trainer Skype Master Teacher, and a Minecraft Trainer. I endeavor to make learning relevant and supportive by teaching sustainable development goals, incorporating mental health and wellness, collaborating globally, and using educational technology to increase accessibility and inclusivity. I also love supporting my fellow educators in our combined learning journeys in providing innovative learning opportunities that engage and empower learners to be independent global citizens. | |
| Mrs Kirsten Thompson Coordinator of ICT Mountain View School Division Kirsten serves as the Coordinator of ICT for the Mountain View School Division in central Manitoba. She holds a Master's degree in Curriculum and Pedagogy from Brandon University and was honoured as Educator of the Year by the Manitoba Association of Computing Educators. Kirsten is passionate about the ways in which technology can enhance the educational experience of all students but especially those in rural and remote areas. She specializes in the use of social media as a tool to expand learning opportunities beyond the classroom walls. | |
| Craig Thompson-Wood Teacher Peel District School Board Craig is a grade 5 teacher with the Peel District School Board in Brampton, Ontario. Craig is passionate about engaging students through the use of games based learning and gamification. He is always looking for new and innovative ways to add more fun to the learning. You can check out what is happening in his classroom by following him on Twitter at @MrThompsonWood, as well as follow him on Youtube on his channel "The Board Game Teacher". | |
| Mrs. Rola Tibshirani Educator Ottawa Catholic School Board Rola Tibshirani a middle school Grade 7 french immersion teacher at All Saints High School with the Ottawa Catholic School Board. Passionate about students taking ownership of their learning and applying Integrative Thinking and Design Thinking processes when embracing challenges. Connecting students to make a difference in solving real-world problems and making a difference in their communities locally and globally. A co-learner with and from the students by encouraging reflections on all learning tasks. | |
| Julie Todd Teacher Peel District School Board Julie is currently a classroom teacher, and a previous Instructional Coach for the Peel DSB. She has been teaching for over 20 years, and is passionate about the intentional use of technology to enhance student engagement and learning. | |
| Mr. David Tran Teacher Peel District School Board David Tran is a former instructional coach with the Peel District School Board. He currently teaches grade 7 at Roberta Bondar Public School. David has a passion for assessment and promoting thinking through the teaching of Mathematics and Technology. He empowers students through developing self-directed, lifelong learners and fostering metacognition skills. A lifelong learner himself, David is working on his MEd at OISE in Curriculum Studies and Teacher Development with emphases in Science, Mathematics and Technology Education and Critical Studies in Curriculum and Pedagogy. | |
| Louise Vaillancourt K-12 Instructional Technology Coach Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) Louise Vaillancourt is a teacher and is currently the Elementary Instructional Technology Consultant for the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. She is passionate about STEAM and language learning. She loves sharing her enthusiasm for technological tools and strives to make robotics and coding accessible to all. Presently, she is also experimenting with the Maker Mindset, Experiential Learning and improving workflow for educators. | |
| Curtis Van de Ligt Secondary Instructional Technology Consultant OCDSB Currently the Secondary Instructional Technology and formally an Itinerant Teacher of Assistive Technology, Special Education and Learning Support Services Teacher. I am also an identified student with Learning Disabilities who benefited greatly in school from Special Education software and hardware. | |
| Mike Washburn Host OnEducation Podcast Mike is the host of the US iTunes chart-topping Education podcast OnEducation (https://goo.gl/kRGNMm) and Head of Curriculum & Training for Logics Academy. In his prior role as a Computer Science teacher, he created a custom-made curriculum, using elements of game design and game-based learning, to captivate and engage his students. Mike’s Grade 8 curriculum, which asked students to spend the entire school year designing their own video games, from proposal to pitch, graphics to BETA and release has seen him be recognized as a thought-leader in Computer Science education. Mike challenges all educators to never stop learning and always be reaching for what’s next. | |
| Stephanie Weyrich Digital Literacy Consultant York Region District School Board Stephanie Weyrich is a Digital Literacy Consultant in the York Region District School Board. She has been involved in facilitating professional development, collaborating with leadership teams and colleagues to foster inquiry based learning, and integrating digital tools in the classroom. Stephanie is a passionate lifelong learner intrigued by innovation, curriculum, and student engagement. | |
| Andrew Wheelock Technology Integrator Erie 1 BOCES/ WNYRIC After 13 years as an Elementary Classroom teacher I am now a Technology Integrator for the Western New York Regional Information Center. I also am embedded at Pine Valley Central Schools in NY. Regionally, I am part of the NYSCATE Conference Planning Committee and the Co-Chair of the ISTE Virtual Environments Network. My passion as an integrator is helping teacher and students creative apps and programs to enhance teaching and learning. I am also the host of the Coffee with a Geek Youtube Channel and Podcast. | |
| Mr. Jason Wood Science Teacher Holy Trinity School Jason Wood is an elementary science teacher at Holy Trinity School. As an Apple Distinguished Educator, he helps teachers supercharge their classrooms with technology. Jason is an avid gamer and Minecraft Global Mentor, which is evident in his game-based classroom. He spent three years at the Ontario Science Centre as an educator, owned his own science education company and holds extensive experience in a tech-based corporate environment. Jason is a world-class public speaker who delivers messages of hope, motivation, and inspiration. His website EurekaSauce.com is a place to find inspiration for your life! | |
| Mrs Wendy Wright Teacher-librarian KPRDSB I am an elementary Teacher-librarian. My question was, what to do after hour of code? Where do I go and what do I do…We’ve done this, it was fun, did we learn anything and if so, how do we continue the learning. I now have all students from grades 1 and up in my school working on some aspect of coding and robotics programming. The students are very engaged and excited. The learning curve for both students and myself has been and continues to be huge. I’ve been asked to stand in front of you and present my journey, from NO knowledge and shear fear, to No knowledge and less fear! LOL I think I’ll call it The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, A Robotics Journey Join me, if nothing else, you’ll get some affordable ideas, hopefully some laughs, and a better understanding that not knowing is sometimes your best tool! | |