SESSIONS

June 9, 2016

Click View Sessions button to see the sessions offered on June 9th. 

Keynote Speaker - Dr. John Hodge

Dr. John W. Hodge is president and co-founder of Urban Learning and Leadership Center (ULLC), an organization focused on student achievement and reduction of the achievement gap.  He has served as a reading teacher, English teacher, AVID teacher, Assistant Principal and Associate Director of AVID Center Eastern Division.  He served as Director of An Achievable Dream Academy, an inner city school that piloted many of the interventions used by Urban Learning and Leadership Center.  An Achievable Dream Academy is a high performing, high poverty school that has received numerous national awards.

John received his Bachelor of Science degree from North Carolina A&T State University where he graduated with honors.  He later received his Master of Arts degree from Chapman University.  John completed his academic and professional preparation by earning a Doctor of Education degree from Virginia Tech where he conducted extensive research on factors that contribute to the academic success and/or failure of impoverished children.  What sets Dr. John W. Hodge apart in the field of education is his well-documented ability to put research and theory into everyday practice in rural, urban and suburban schools.  Dr. Hodge has helped educators in elementary, middle and high schools make the necessary changes to help all children meet and exceed rigorous academic standards.  He is truly one of America's most respected new voices in education.

Prior to starting his career in education, Dr. Hodge distinguished himself in the service of our country with the 7th Infantry Division of the United States Army.  He is known as a master teacher and staff developer.

Dr. Hodge's career has been defined by assisting students and teachers overcome obstacles and achieve goals.  He has served as an inspirational speaker across the United States and has been a guest lecturer at Christopher Newport University, Hampton University, North Carolina A&T State University and George Washington University.  Dr. Hodge is a trained facilitator for the (SREB) Leadership Initiative Modules "Leading Assessment and Instruction" and "Creating a High Performance Learning Culture", and a trained assessor and facilitator in the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) "Developing the 21st Century Principal" program.

Dr. Hodge is a frequent speaker for elementary, middle and high school student assemblies.  His presentations are often "the spark" for schools in their quest to meet and exceed state/federal accreditation standards and implement strategies for continuous improvement.  Dr. Hodge is an expert in helping schools create and sustain academic excellence.

June 10, 2016

Click View Sessions button to see the sessions offered on June 10th. 

Keynote Speaker - Alice Keeler

Alice Keeler is a Google Certified Teacher, New Media Consortium K12 Ambassador, Microsoft Innovative Educator and LEC Admin & Online and Blended certified educator. She is Co-Author of the book 50 Things You Can Do With Google Classroom which continues to be a number one best-seller on Amazon in Computers and Technology Education.

She taught high school math for 14 years and currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Curriculum, Instruction and Technology at California State University, Fresno. Alice Keeler has developed and taught online K12 courses, as well as the course for Innovative Educator Advanced Studies Certification (cue.org/ieasc). She has participated on collaborative teams for Google working on projects such as YouTube teachers and Google Play for Education. She has served on the New Media Consortium Horizon report advisory panel for 2013, 2014, and 2015 (http://goo.gl/iTM15) and has been a lesson developer for Bing in the classroom.

As a believer in the importance of connectivity she founded #coffeeEDU (coffeeEDU.org) and #profchat, two powerful communities for educators to collaborate and share innovative new ideas. She holds a Masters in Educational Media Design and Technology and is a current Doctoral student at Boise State University in EdTech with a focus on gamification. She is passionate about reaching all students and using technology to change the way we approach learning and grading. Alice tweets @alicekeeler and blogs at alicekeeler.com.

Alice Keeler is one of the most highly sought after experts in supporting schools and districts with successful implementation of Google Apps for Education and Google Classroom. Her experience as a current practitioner, her extensive knowledge of the technology and the Google tools combined with her in-depth understanding of effective pedagogy are a powerhouse combination that make her programs both inspirational and imminently practical. She has an easy-going, fun, and "hands-on" presentational style which quickly connects her to her audience. Teachers walk away from her keynotes and workshops with not only unbelievable ideas to transform their classrooms but also the motivation to tackle the hard work of implementation. Her intense commitment to staying connected also ensures that teachers can expect ongoing collaboration, support, and mentorship as they take on these new challenges.