cross-posted on TeachTec
Today officially kicks-off the Microsoft Partners in Learning 2012 US Forum which I’ve blogged about quite a bit and I’m excited to finally be here on-site as the Forum gets underway. Though the 100 educators have been arriving to Seattle over the past 24 hours (as evidenced by the sharp uptick on #PiLUS) the work in earnest began this afternoon with our panel of 30 education leaders who will act as judges for this year’s Forum.
The group is an impressive mix of school leadership, professional association leads, edtech social media mavens, higher ed professors, state government, industry, but most impressive is that these individuals are passionate about the positive impact technology can have on students to advance learning. I would like to personally (and publicly) thank each judge for offering their time and effort for what I hope is a memorable, professional learning experience for all involved.
The judging task is not a small one, and beyond volunteering their time, they are immersed in an afternoon, hands-on workshop to develop a deep understanding of the Innovative Teaching and Learning Research that provides the foundation for the rubric each project will be evaluated on. It is worth looking at this research in greater depth (and using it in your classrooms), as it ultimately provides a framework that articulates those oft-quoted buzzwords of “21st century learning.” The judges will use this knowledge to look at each of the 73 projects from 25 states over the next 24 hours to determine who will go on to represent the U.S. at the Partners in Learning Global Forum in November.
The key areas of the rubric they will examine and evaluate for each project include:
- Collaboration – defined in short as, learning activities requiring students to work with other people, sharing responsibility while making substantive decisions for developing a joint product, a design, or an answer to a complex question. Students may be collaborating with their peers in the classroom, or with students or adults outside the classroom.
- Knowledge Building & Critical Thinking - defined in short as, learning activities requiring students to move beyond reproducing what they have learned to building knowledge through interpretation, analysis, synthesis, or evaluation. These learning activities ask students to create or explore information or ideas that are new to them and to connect information and ideas from two or more academic disciplines.
- Extended Learning Beyond the Classroom – defined in short as, the learning experience is not bound by classroom walls, time-frame of conventional lessons, subject parameters. The project addresses real world issues (i.e. authentic situation and data from outside the classroom). The students’ ideas/solution are innovative in that they are implemented in the real world and have meaningful impact on communities locally and/or globally.
- Cutting Edge Use of Technology for Learning – defined in short as, the learning activity involves students’ use of ICT – whether or not the use of ICT helps students build knowledge/collaborate or learn beyond the classroom, and whether or not students could build the same knowledge/collaborate or learn beyond the classroom in similar ways without using ICT.
- Educator as Innovator and Change Agent – defined in short as, in environments where innovative teaching is challenging, how is innovative teaching practices and ICT being used in instrumental ways to change how students learn. Does the educator demonstrate evidence of continuous improvement in their professional practice, model lifelong learning and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by supporting other educator’s development and understanding of the impact on learning of the effective use of digital technologies
From these categories the finalists will be chosen to represent the U.S., with the addition of each attending educator casting their own vote in an “Educator’s Choice” category to round-out the group (watch this blog Thursday am to see how it sorts out) and follow #PiLUS for breaking news!
It will be an exciting and busy few days and I know each of these judges will put in a significant effort, and we thank them in advance for their time.
The Partners in Learning 2012 US Forum Judges Panel:
Steven Anderson
Educational Consultant, Web2.0 Classroom, NC
Steven W. Anderson is a District Instructional Technologist with the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools in Winston-Salem, NC. He also regularly travels the country talking to schools and districts about the use of Social Media in the classroom. Steven has been a presenter at several educational technology conferences, including ISTE, ASCD and NCTIES, as well as served as a panelist at the #140 Conference in Los Angeles, New York and was a featured speaker at the first ever #140Edu Conference, focusing on the real-time web in education. He is also responsible in helping create #edchat, a weekly education discussion on twitter that boasts over 500 weekly participants. Steven has also been recognized with the NOW Award, highlighting the Movers And Shakers in the world of social media and the 2009 and 2011 Edublogs, Twitterer of The Year Award. blog.web20classroom.org, on twitter @web20classroom
Julie Baker
Chief Officer of Major Projects, Houston Independent School District, TX
Julie Baker, Ph.D., has led strategic initiatives and grant development for the Houston Independent School District since 2010. She came to the district with 15 years of experience in developing and leading large-scale projects, managing client relations, and creating opportunities for organizational growth and impact at Battelle for Kids and the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio. In addition, Dr. Baker led statewide K-12 educational technology initiatives during her nine-year term with the Ohio SchoolNet Commission as Chief Programs Officer and Interim Executive Director. Dr. Baker began her career as a middle-school math teacher and earned a Ph.D. in educational administration from The Ohio State University in 2001. Significant contributions while at HISD include starting up the Apollo 20 school turnaround project and co-sponsoring the Effective Teacher’s Initiative. In addition, competitive grants awarded to HISD have nearly doubled to $135 million under her leadership.
Doug Bergman
Computer Science Dept. Chair, Porter-Gaud School, SC
Doug Bergman, a previous US Forum award winner and Global Forum award winner, is head of Computer Science at a Porter-Gaud private school in Charleston, SC. He has presented at national and international conferences about Computer Science in education. Throughout his life, he’s lived, traveled, and worked all over the world and has been in education for almost 20 years. He is always interested in forming partnerships with other schools and teachers with similar ideas, energy, and passion for innovation. www.portergaud.edu, on twitter @dougbergmanusa
Leslie Boozer
Chief of Schools, Chicago Public Schools, IL
Leslie Boozer is Chief of Schools for the North/Northwest Side High School Network in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Previously, she served as the Chief of Staff to the CPS Education Team and Chief of Human Capital Initiatives in the Rochester (NY) City School District. She is also a doctoral candidate in the Urban Superintendents Program at Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) where her research focuses on the areas of leadership, equity, and organizational change. She is an author and editor of the book, Every Child, Every Classroom, Every Day: School Leaders Who Are Making Equity a Reality (2011), which was published by Jossey-Bass in partnership with the American Association of School Administrators and Education Week Press. Boozer earned her B.S. in business administration and history/political science from Cumberland College, her Ed.M. in Education Policy and Management from HGSE, and J.D. from University of Cincinnati College of Law. www.cps.edu
Deirdre Butler - Head Judge
Senior Lecturer, St. Patrick’s College, Ireland
Deirdre Butler is a senior lecturer at the faculty of the Education Department of St. Patrick’s College (a constituent College of Dublin City University) with the chief responsibility for designing and coordinating learning programs for undergraduate and postgraduate students using a broad range of digital technologies. Deirdre’s passion in life is exploring what being digital in learning can mean. She is interested in ways that using digital technologies could revolutionize learning by challenging us to examine how we learn and to question our assumptions about “traditional” models of schooling. Prior to joining St. Patrick’s College, Deirdre worked in primary schools for nearly twenty years holding positions as classroom teacher, deputy head and teacher for the traveling community. Deirdre has served as a judge at regional and global forums since 2006 and as Lead Judge at the recent European Forum in Lisbon and Global Forum in Washington.
Leslie Conery
Deputy CEO, ISTE, OR
Leslie S. Conery, PhD is the deputy CEO of ISTE, a nonprofit membership association with a reach of over 100,000 educators globally. ISTE is the world’s leading membership organization dedicated to transforming learning environments to meet the needs of today’s students and preparing students, teachers, and school leaders with digital age learning and leadership skills. She provides executive leadership for ISTE’s operations office in Eugene, Oregon, is chair of ISTE’s educational technology conference and exhibition, and serves as a member of ISTE’s NETS (National Educational Technology Standards) leadership team. Conery has served on numerous boards and advisory groups supporting innovative educators and has collaborated with educators and policy-makers globally to bring about systemic change in education. Conery holds a M.S. degree in Computer Science and a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Oregon. www.iste.org, on twitter @lconery
Vicki Davis
Co-founder Flat Classroom Projects, Teacher, GA
Vicki Davis is a full time teacher and IT administrator at Westwood Schools. She authors the award winning Cool Cat Teacher blog and is co-founder of the internationally recognized Flat Classroom project where thousands of students collaborate from kindergarten to college. She’s co-author of Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds (Pearson Publishing) and Collaborative Writing in the Cloud (with Common Core). She lives in Camilla, GA with her husband and 3 children. www.flatclassroomproject.net, on twitter @coolcatteacher
Jhone Ebert
Chief Technology Officer, Clark County School District, NV
Jhone M. Ebert has served students and staff of the Clark County School District, the nation’s 5th largest school district, for over 20 years. As an award-winning mathematics teacher, the District’s first Secondary Technology Coordinator, first Virtual High School principal, and past chair of the Nevada Commission on Educational Technology, Ms. Ebert’s vision continues to drive educational reform in the Clark County School District and the state of Nevada. Having also served as Director of Mathematics, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, and Assistant Superintendent over Curriculum and Professional Development, she is drawing on her experience in curriculum and educational technology leadership as the District embarks on major reforms in technology integration and blended learning. ccsd.net
Bree Falato
Program Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility
Bree Falato manages corporate social responsibility programs for Samsung Electronics North America. She helped create Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow, a nationally-recognized program dedicated to increasing interest in STEM subjects among students. Bree also oversees a variety of other programs that address health, fitness, and education for children through the company’s philanthropic initiative called Samsung Hope for Children. She joined Samsung in 2007 in a marketing role and has helped Samsung expand its corporate social responsibility programs. A lifelong Jersey girl, Bree holds a bachelor’s degree in Art History from William Paterson University and resides in Hoboken, NJ, with her husband and son.
Les Foltos
Director, Peer-Ed, WA
Les Foltos is the Director of Educational Innovation at Peer-Ed, and the architect of the Peer Coaching program which trains teacher leaders to help colleagues to integrate technology into 21st Century classroom activities. Microsoft Partners in Learning partnered with Peer-Ed to implement Peer Coaching worldwide, and Foltos leads the team that is working with more than 40 nations that are implementing Peer Coaching. Foltos also has designed and led learning activities at Microsoft’s Worldwide Global Forums, and regional education Forums in Asia, Latin America, the U.S. and Canada. Prior to this he served as the Director of Instructional Technology for Seattle Public Schools from 1990 to 2001. Foltos is a frequent speaker at international and national conferences including a TEDx presentation. Les Foltos earned a Ph.D. in American History and has five years of university teaching experience. peer-ed.com, on twitter @peer_coaching
Deborah Hendrix
President, Harrison Board of Education, CO
Deborah is the principal consultant for CD Global Enterprises, a training and consultant company. She is a multi-course instructor for Dale Carnegie and has been instructing for 13 years, and was selected the Instructor of the Year for Dale Carnegie Denver in 2003. Deborah is the President of Harrison School District Two and Colorado Springs Early Colleges school boards in Colorado Springs and spends numerous hours on volunteer work. She worked 20 years for Junior Achievement Worldwide in various positions from Center Manager to President to VP of Organizational Development. She graduated with a B.S. from Howard University in 1983, was selected Outstanding Student – Human Ecology. She has a corporate paralegal certificate from Roosevelt University and is currently pursuing a Masters in Human Resources from University of Phoenix. She has been married to Charles for 21 years and has 2 beautiful daughters, Catherine (18 and Danielle (14). www.hsd2.org
Susan Jeffords
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, University of Washington Bothell, WA
Dr. Susan Jeffords joined the University of Washington Bothell in September of 2007 as Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs where she serves as the chief academic officer and is responsible for advancing the academic and scholarly life of the campus. As Vice Chancellor, Jeffords oversees academic programs, the Teaching and Learning Center, Information Technologies, the Division of Enrollment Management and Admissions, Student Affairs, the Offices of Research Support and Institutional Research.
Sara Jones
Director of Educational Excellence and Community Outreach, Utah Education Association, UT
Sara Jones, Ph.D. is the Director of Educational Excellence and Community Outreach at the Utah Education Association. At the UEA she has worked to promote teaching excellence and advocate for effective education policy through work with the Utah State Office of Education, the Utah legislature and the business and non-profit community. Before joining UEA in 2009, Sara taught high school social studies in Dublin, California as well as political science at Morehead State University in Kentucky. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego and Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University. www.myuea.org
Lee Kolbert
Manager Educational Technology, Palm Beach County Schools, FL
Currently district manager of the Department of Educational Technology, Lee has been an educator in Palm Beach County, FL for 27 years. She has been a classroom teacher, district technology program specialist and continues on her journey of sharing and learning. Lee is also a blogger and loves everything about bringing the benefits of technology and social media to the classroom and helping teachers integrate technology seamlessly. In addition to her personal blog at www.leekolbert.org, Lee has also blogged for The Secret Life of Scientists and The Huffington Post. Lee is very proud to have served as a judge at the 2011 MS PiL US Forum in Redmond, WA; as well as the 2011 MS PiL Global Forum in Washington, D.C. and she is very excited to once again be a part of this amazing event. www.palmbeachschools.org, on twitter @teachakidd
Maria Langworthy
Principal, Langworthy Research / ITL Research, WA
Dr. Maria Langworthy is the founder and principal of Langworthy Research. She is a social scientist who has worked for 20 years studying the intersection of public and private spheres, and how historic changes in social and work patterns are shifting the locus of social responsibility. In the last five years, Maria’s work has centered on education policy research, globally managing the Innovative Teaching and Learning (ITL) Research project that is sponsored by Microsoft’s Partners in Learning. Through the ITL initiative, Maria has developed an international network of research and professional development partners. Before launching her company in 2009, Maria managed international communications, marketing and policy research at Microsoft, where she led a team responsible for research in over 40 countries. Langworthy holds a M.A. degree in International Relations and a Ph.D. in Political Sociology, both from Boston University. www.itlresearch.com
Kurt Madden
Chief Technology Officer, Fresno Unified School District, CA
Kurt Madden is the Chief Technology Officer for Fresno Unified School District. Fresno Unified is the 4th largest school district in the state of California with 73,000 students and 10,000 employees. A graduate of Fresno State University, Kurt opened one of the first computer stores in Fresno in the early 1980’s, was the CEO of a software company, corporate VP of a Fortune 1000 company and was also CEO of a large community-based nonprofit before joining Fresno Unified. He is an adjunct professor for Information Systems at Fresno State University and is also the author of “Synergetic Follower: Changing Our World Without Being the Leader.” Kurt serves on several boards and councils including the Fresno Business Council Board, the Economic Development Corporation Board of Fresno County, the Valley PBS Board, the Children’s Movement Leadership Council and the Microsoft K-12 Advisory Council. www.fresnounified.org, on twitter @kurtmadden
Yohance Maqubela
Executive Director, Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science, DC
Yohance Maqubela is a seasoned professional in the areas of educational administration and business management, and he currently serves as the Executive Director of the Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science, (MS)2. Mr. Maqubela worked closely with the founder to create the school’s strategic plan and navigate the organization through its startup. During his tenure, (MS)2 has become one of Washington, DC’s highest performing public schools. Prior to relocating to Washington, DC, Mr. Maqubela was the Managing Director of the Courtland Business Development Group (CBDG), a boutique economic development firm based in New York City. With his guidance, CBDG assisted its clients in obtaining total private investment capital, debt financing, and private sector procurement in excess of $100 million. Mr. Maqubela is a graduate of Phillips Academy Andover and Howard University. Personally, he enjoys volunteering as a motivational speaker and playing team sports. www.howard.edu/ms2
Punya Mishra
Professor, Michigan State University, MI
Dr. Punya Mishra is Professor of Educational Technology at Michigan State University where he directs the Master of Arts in Educational Technology program. He is internationally recognized for his work on the design and use of computer based learning environments. He is the co-developer, with Dr. M. J. Koehler, of the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, which has been described as being “the most significant advancement in the area of technology integration in the past 25 years.” Technology and Learning journal recently named Dr. Mishra as one of the ten most influential people in educational technology. Dr. Mishra is an award winning instructor who teaches courses at both the masters and doctoral levels in the areas of educational technology, design, and creativity. He is also an accomplished visual artist and poet. You can find out more about him by going to punyamishra.com, www.educ.msu.edu, on twitter @punyamishtra
Patricia Neudecker
Superintendent, Oconomowoc Area Schools, WI/President, AASA, DC
Dr. Patricia Neudecker is the superintendent of the Oconomowoc School District in Wisconsin and the 2011-12 President of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). The Oconomowoc School District has received numerous awards and recognitions for their advances in technology, blended learning environments, and digital applications. The district is committed to the application of technology for learning in grades 4K through 12 grade. Dr. Neudecker has been a middle and high school teacher, an assistant principal, principal, Director of Instruction, Assistant Superintendent, and a Superintendent for the past 10 years. She was named 2012 Wisconsin Educator of the Year by the Wisconsin Association of School Administrators (WASDA. Her current leadership is focused on public policy, leadership development, social justice and promoting and transforming public education. Pat’s 3 grandchildren inspire her to be a lifelong learner and advocate for all children. aasa.org, on twitter @NeudeckerPat
Thuan Nguyen
Chief Information Officer, Kent School District, WA
Thuan Nguyen has worked in educational IT for more than 15 years. He has spent time in many IT roles including web developer, desktop specialist, network engineer and other leadership positions. Thuan has participated in numerous case studies and been the subject of several articles highlighting his work with wireless technologies, VPN, SharePoint, application virtualization and strategic planning. In 2010, he was named as 100 most important people in education technology as part of Tech & Learning’s 30th anniversary celebration. As a former English Language Learner in Kent, Thuan brings a unique perspective and wants to ensure that all students who follow him have the same opportunity for success. As part of this mission, he developed an internship program that allows students the opportunity to gain hands-on technical experience. His passion for bridging the digital divide led him to spearhead an initiative to distribute surplus technology to underserved students and families. www.kent.k12.wa.us
Kirsten Panton – Judging Facilitator
Partners in Learning Lead, WE, Microsoft Corporation, Denmark
Kirsten works as the Partners in Learning regional lead for Western Europe in Microsoft. Before joining Microsoft in 2003 as the PiL manager in Denmark, Kirsten spent 15 years working in the education sector. This includes 11 years at Niels Brock, the largest business college in Denmark in the roles of teacher, program manager and Head of Information. She also held the position of Head of Teacher Development, designing and implementing key pedagogical development for the 2,000 teachers at the college. Previous to entering the world of education, Kirsten spent 12 years in the modern industrial design industry where she was head of buying at Form & Farve. Her responsibilities included working with international companies, like Crate and Barrel in the US, Marimekko in Finland and others on procuring goods for resale within Denmark. Kirsten holds a Master of Science (Economics) degree and a Bachelor degree in English. on twitter @kpanton
Jonathan Parley
Manager of Creative Design and Media, Center for Digital Innovation, WA
Jonathan Parley is the Manager of Creative Design and Media for McGraw-Hill’s Center for Digital Innovation, where he guides the development of highly engaging software and interactive games that present quality educational experiences to over 3 million users in the K-12 segment. He functions as a game and experience designer, as well as a teacher, and has spent over twenty years working to combine these disciplines. As a dedicated educator, Jonathan has created content for mathematics courses, language and reading, science, the arts, history, and social studies in the form of student lessons, games, museum exhibits, interactive digital curriculum, animations, and professional development materials. www.mhecdi.com, on twitter @jonathanbparley
Janet Platenberg
Principal, Steuart Weller Elementary School, Loudoun County Public Schools, VA
As the Principal of Steuart Weller Elementary in Loudoun County, VA, Janet Platenberg helps students to succeed and learn in a 21st Century learning environment. Her efforts to transform education via 21st Century Skills were recognized this year by the National School Board Association, as she became one of the “20 to Watch” Educators for Technology Leadership. She has consulted nationally for school districts on Collaborative Teaching and Inclusive Practices, and was selected by National Geographic to present at their Big Cats National Conference for Educators in Washington, D.C. Professional degrees for Janet Platenberg include a Masters of Arts in Education and Human Development from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science Degree from Baldwin Wallace College. Janet Platenberg has also completed the Principal’s Educational Leadership Institute at Princeton University and the Brain Research Institute at Harvard University. www.lcps.org
Heidi Rogers
Executive Director, Northwest Council for Computer Education, ID
Heidi B. Rogers is Executive Director of the Northwest Council for Computer Education (NCCE), a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting effective uses of technology in education. She has served as president of four nonprofit organizations; PCMA, NCCE, International Society of Technology Education (ISTE), and the EXCEL Foundation supporting the Coeur d’Alene School District. Rogers is also on staff at the University of Idaho-Coeur d’Alene. She specializes in the development and direction of non-traditional outreach activities, such as workshops, conferences, and other educational events. Dr. Rogers received her Doctorate of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Oklahoma State University with an emphasis in Information Communication and Educational Technology. www.ncce.org, on twitter @NCCE_EdTech
Danny Silva
Professional Development Coordinator, CUE, Inc., CA
Danny is formally an Agriculture Teacher, Technology Coordinator and Administrator. He is the Professional Development Coordinator at Computer-Using Educators (CUE) and he has led multiple workshops around the world as part of CUE’s Lead Learner team. Danny also maintains an educational blog at iteachag.com and co-hosts his own “Small School, Big Tech” podcast with Andrew Schwab. Danny and his wife Wendy live in Madera, CA with their two children Cayla and Jacob. cue.org, on twitter @iteachag
Robert Slaby
Superintendent, Storey County School District, NV
Robert Slaby, Ed.D, has been in public education for over 42 years. He has taught from kindergarten to doctorial level students. He has also served as an assistant principal and principal at both the middle school and high school levels. For the last twenty-six years he has been a superintendent in four districts. He is currently in his seventh year as the superintendent of Storey County School District in Virginia City, Nevada. He received a doctorate in education from the University of Southern California in educational administration. He also has earned a masters of science in biology from the University of Southern California and a masters of arts in education from Occidental College. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in zoology. He has been awarded Superintendent of the Year in both California and Nevada. Rob is married with two grown children and recently became a grandfather. www.storey.k12.nv.us
Lilith Werner
Principal, Chicago Public Schools - Lake View High School, IL
Lilith Werner, PhD, is currently the Principal of Lake View High School in Chicago. Beginning in the Fall of 2012, Lake View High School will be one of five Chicago Public Schools that will be an Early College STEM School. Lilith has five years of K-12 principalship experience, along with 7 years of high school teaching experience. Prior to working in education, she worked as a marketing coordinator for an international financial institution. She is bilingual and bicultural, with extensive overseas life and work experience. She has published works in both English and Spanish about the rights of immigrant children’s access to public education, education for citizenship, and current international state formations in education. She also serves as a consultant for districts who hire teachers from Spain who come to the U.S. to teach and need assistance with the cultural and employment transition. www.lakeviewhs.com
Eric Williams
Superintendent, York County School Division, VA
Eric Williams, Ed.D., serves as Superintendent of the York County School Division in Virginia. Williams, a former Social Studies teacher and principal, was named as a 2011 Tech-Savvy Superintendent. Williams promotes providing students with opportunities to make a difference locally, nationally, and globally through project-based learning. York County students learn in brick and mortar settings, as well as in blended and virtual environments. Students and teachers bring their own technology to school to connect with the district’s wireless network while learning. With VDI (a private Internet cloud), students and staff are no longer tethered to a specific computer. They use the district network’s resources anytime, anyplace, and from any device with an Internet connection. You can connect with him through his blog at promotingstudentengagement.blogspot.com, www.yorkcountyschools.org, on twitter @williams65
De’Shawn Wright
Deputy Mayor for Education, DC Government/Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education, DC
De’Shawn Wright began his career in the advertising industry before entering the public education arena. He was a ’98 Teach for America corps member before entering municipal government in 2002 under the Bloomberg administration in the Mayor’s Office of Operations.
Wright returned to public education in 2003 working in the NYC Department of Education in several roles including policy director and advisor to Chancellor Klein. Wright joined Newark Mayor Cory Booker in 2006, serving as education advisor before becoming chief policy advisor. Wright was also a founding partner of the Newark Charter School Fund.Wright was appointed by Mayor Vincent Gray in 2011 to serve as Deputy Mayor for Education in Washington, DC where he is responsible for district-wide education initiatives and policies. dc.gov
Kimberly Yee
State Representative, Arizona State House of Representatives, AZ
State Representative Kimberly Yee, a native of Arizona, represents the 10th Legislative District, covering Phoenix and Glendale. In November of 2010, she was the first Asian American woman elected to the State Legislature in Arizona’s history. Kimberly is a graduate of Pepperdine University where she earned Bachelor’s Degrees in Political Science and English. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Arizona State University. Representative Yee has served in the administrations of statewide elected officials including the Arizona State Treasurer, two California governors, a State Superintendent of Public Instruction and as staff to the State Board of Education and the Senate Education Committee. She serves as Vice Chairman of the Arizona House of Representatives Education Committee and as a member of the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools. She is also a member of the House Health and Human Services Committee and the Employment and Regulatory Affairs Committee. www.azleg.gov
Sharon Zulli
Manager, Hillsborough County Public Schools, FL
Sharon Zulli has been an educator for 25 years and is currently the Manager for Technology Customer Service and Support for the Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) in Tampa, FL. Hillsborough County is the 8th largest school District in the country with 190,000 students. Sharon previously worked for IBM as an Education Specialist assisting all counties in Florida with integrating technology into the curriculum. In 2006 Sharon co-authored a paper with K. Christensen and D. Rundus from the University of South Florida (USF) titled “A Service Learning Program to Provide IT Support to the Hillsborough County School District.”; which was presented at SIGCSE (Special Interest group on Computer Science Education). Sharon is the HPCS District Technology Steering Committee Chair and the E-Rate District resource. She also presented at the 2008 Florida Education & Technology Conference on SharePoint and Technology Support. www.sdhc.k12.fl.us, on twitter @zullis
Louis Zulli Jr.
IT Instructor & Network Administrator, Center for Advanced Technologies, FL
Lou Zulli Jr. has been an educator for 35 years; the past 18 as the IT Instructor and Network Administrator for the Center for Advanced Technologies at Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, FL. Lou is the 2011 Microsoft Partners in Learning US Forum and the 2011 Microsoft Partners in Learning Global Forum winner for the Cutting Edge Use of Technologies for Learning with his project Center for Advanced Technologies News and Information Portal (CATNIP). He is also a member of the team that won first place in the Partners in Learning Global Forum for Collaboration with the student created Kinect game “When Fish Fly”. Lou is one of only three educators to have ever won first place twice at Microsoft’s Global Forum. Lou is a proud alumnus of The Ohio State University and an avid golfer; he also rides a Harley, smokes cigars and claims that everything he needs to know he learned from watching Star Trek. www.cat.pcsb.org, on twitter @lzulli
