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
Wesley Fryer
Oklahoma Director of Education Advocacy (PK-20)
AT&T
Wesley Fryer is an educator, author, digital storyteller and change agent. With respect to school change, he describes himself as a "catalyst for creative educational engagement." His blog, "Moving at the Speed of Creativity" was selected as the 2006 "Best Learning Theory Blog" by eSchoolnews and Discovery Education. Wesley secured $1.3 million in grant funding for West Texas schools participating in the Texas Technology Immersion Pilot Project in 2004-2008. He was named an Apple Distinguished Educator in 2005. He is completing his doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction in 2007 at Texas Tech University, studying the impact of technology immersion (1:1 computing) on student achievement.
Fryer served as a co-convener for the 2006 K-12 Online Conference, and has published numerous articles relating to education and technology integration in "Technology and Learning," "Learning and Leading with Technology," "Interactive Educator," TCEA's magazine "TechEdge," and the journal "Internet and Higher Education." He also publishes a weekly podcast. He has presented numerous times at national and international conferences and is a vocal advocate in the PK-20 edublogosphere for:
- learning as conversation
- messy assessment
- digital storytelling
- safe digital social networking
- collaborative use of read/write web tools in the classroom
- use of technologically blended / hybrid teaching pedagogies
- transformative / "level 2" uses of educational technology
- educational reforms which encourage student engagement as well as project-based learning, and the use of primary sources to study the diverse voices of history and our world.
Additional details are available on his Curriculum Vitae.
OTHER SPEAKERS
Joel Adkins
Campus Technology Coordinator
Westlake High School, Eanes ISD
Joel Adkins won the TCEA 2007 Instructional Technology Specialist award in February, 2007. He currently serves as the Campus Technology Coordinator for Westlake High School in the Eanes Independent School District. This is his fifth year at Westlake and his tenth year as an educator. He is currently working on his Masters in Educational Technology at Texas State University in San Marcos.
Arturo Guajardo
Instructional Technology Facilitator
Austin ISD, TX
Arturo Guajardo is an instructional technology facilitator for the Austin Independent School District as well as serving as an independent trainer and consultant specializing in the use of digital media with ELL/Bilingual students. He has developed and led numerous instructional technology staff development sessions and has presented at various conferences including the National Educational Computing Conference (NECC), Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) and at the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE). An experienced educator, he taught third, fourth and fifth grade bilingual students for ten years in Austin ISD. In 1999, he was honored as the Mollie Dawson Teacher of the Year and was a semi-finalist for AISD Teacher of the Year. Guajardo currently serves on the Discovery Education/United Streaming Advisory Board.
Miguel Guhlin
Director, Instructional Technology Services
San Antonio ISD
Miguel Guhlin serves as director of instructional technology services for the San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD),which was featured in the National Education Technology Plan for its successful implementation of programs involving handhelds, technology assessment and technology competency certification. An outstanding leader and instructional technologist, Guhlin has worked over the years with both K-12 administrators and teachers on appropriate technology use in teaching, learning and leadership situations. In addition to having high-level technology expertise, he holds a master's degree in Bicultural/Bilingual Studies and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership. Additional jobs he has held include technology coordinator, education technology consultant, district parenting coordinator, district Webmaster and staff development coordinator. He has been a blogger for the techlearning.com Website and his web site, replete with collected wisdom, is available at: http://www.edsupport.cc/mguhlin. You can view his curriculum vitae online at: http://www.edsupport.cc/mguhlin/vita/
David Jakes
Instructional Technology Coordinator
Community High School District 99, Downers Grove, IL
David Jakes has spent over 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 educational 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 — Jakesonline.org, Biopoint.com and myprojectpages.com — all dedicated to improving the use of technology in education. He is also a blogger, producing The Strength of Weak Ties, as well as contributing regularly to the Techlearning.com blog.
Dr. Virginia R. Jewell
Director of Technology Integration and Support Services
Clarke County School District, Athens, GA
Virginia (Ginger) Jewell 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.
Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach
Adjunct Faculty
College of William and Mary, VA
Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, a 17-year educator, has been a classroom teacher, charter school principal, district administrator, and digital learning consultant. She currently teaches graduate and undergraduate preservice teachers at The College of William and Mary, where she is also completing her doctorate in educational planning, policy and leadership. Nussbaum-Beach has published articles and book chapters, has been featured on public broadcasting television and radio shows, and is a regular presenter at local, state, national and international conferences speaking on topics of homelessness, teacher leadership, virtual community building, and 21st Century learning initiatives. She frequently facilitates online seminars and workshops using Elluminate Live and other learning platforms. Nussbaum-Beach is a Microsoft Certified Trainer and Products Specialist, a senior fellow of the Teacher Leaders Network, and winner of Virginia Beach City Public Schools' 2002 Teacher of the Year award. Currently, she is co-leading a statewide 21st Century Skills initiative in the state of Alabama. She also serves as an organizer and convener of the K-12 Online Conference, which seeks to help educators around the world contextualise and integrate emerging technologies into their schools and classrooms.
Meg Ormiston
Instructional Technology and Curriculum Consultant
Tech Teachers, Inc., Hinsdale, IL
Meg Ormiston is passionate about transforming teaching and learning through the power of digital tools. She loved being a classroom teacher, but now she is always on the move empowering educators across the globe through her powerful presentations focused on change. Ormiston is an author of two books, school board member, adjunct professor, consultant, keynote speaker, successful grant development specialist, and most importantly, a mom. She is high energy, truly motivational, but also very practical. Her current research is focused on how curriculum can be delivered through the use of visual images, simulations and multimedia coupled with real time assessment to check for comprehension. She is the author of Conquering InfoClutter and co-author (with Mark Standley) of Digital Storytelling with PowerPoint.
Kari Rhame
Chief Technology Officer
Deer Park Independent School District
Kari Rhame believes her mission is to empower teachers to bring success to today's digital natives. Having served in public education for more than 25 years — many years as a middle school teacher and over half as an administrator in educational technology — she promotes the use of current technologies as tools with best teaching practices. She has presented at numerous educational conferences and academies across Texas. Recently, she was honored as one of the top Women in Houston Technology. Currently, Rhames is the Chief Technology Officer for a Texas school district of more than 12,000 students. Additionally, she serves in various educational technology organizations including Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) and International Society of Technology Education (ISTE).
