Myron frequently visits schools, conferences, and districts around the world to share his 25 years of practitioner and leadership experience. He helps educators generate ideas and navigate issues surrounding grading, assessment, reporting and student voice.

Myron’s published work includes numerous journal articles and his best-selling book, Grading Smarter, Not Harder– Assessment Strategies that Motivate Kids and Help Them Learn (ASCD, 2014). His second book, ‘Giving Students a Say! Smarter Assessment Practices to Empower and Engage’ was released in January of 2021.

Myron lives in Summerland, BC, Canada with his family. In addition to being an author and speaker, he fills a part-time role as Vice-Principal for Communicating Student Learning in his local school district – Okanagan-Skaha 67. 

https://myrondueck.wordpress.com/

Keynote Title: CH-CH-CH-CHANGES (202?)– Deeper Learning, Chat GPT and the Road Ahead

Description:

David Bowie offered a timeless warning to all educators. When speaking about our students, and the inevitability of change, he suggests they may ‘be immune to your consultations they’re quite aware what they’re going through.’

Education gets a little more complicated with each passing year. With the aftershocks of a global pandemic still reverberating, overnight artificial intelligence (or AI), most notably Chat GPT, has dominated the headlines and many other educational conversations.

How are educators and schools supposed to adjust to the realities of digital computer or robot can perform tasks typically reserved for intelligent beings – us! How might we need to adjust instructional and grading practices? Could AI help teachers navigate AI? How do we stay relevant? Perhaps we need to rewind a little through history to look for clues as to how to manage change and adapt to new technologies, all the while striving to deliver what are students and communities need (and want).

Regardless, unless you have an accurate crystal ball perhaps is more important than ever for us to examine our purpose. With a clear sense of who we are, and the service we provide, perhaps we can enter an era where we look at technology and change with a little less trepidation and a lot more confidence.

David Begbie is Director of the Crossroads Global Village and a senior spokesman for the humanitarian aid and development organisation, headquartered in Hong Kong. 

Over the past 27 years, David has spoken widely about the work of this organisation, representing them for the press, educational institutions, business corporations, consular and United Nations events. He is also the director of Crossroads’ experiential programs which have seen over 245,000 participants engage in simulations, including attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. His role includes strategic leadership in the development of opening up our site further as a ‘destination of inspiration’ for the Hong Kong community. 

David holds a Bachelor of Arts in East Asian Studies and a Master of Arts in NGO Leadership. 

He grew up in Asia, living in the region for over 40 years. He makes his home in Hong Kong with his wife, two sons, and dog.

Keynote Title: ‘Be the Change’

Description: We stand in an era troubled by war, poverty, displacement, slavery and a host of other issues. So often, there is a longing to respond, to affect tangible change, to see this world other than it currently is. But how? Can one person’s life make a difference? Come and reflect on the power of the role each of us has to play in changing this world for good.

"You can’t claim heaven as your own if you are just going to sit under it.” ~ Cambodian Proverb

LOUNG UNG is a bestselling author, public speaker, activist, and co-screenplay writer of First They Killed My Father, a critically acclaimed 2017 movie directed by Angelina Jolie, based on her memoir streaming on Netflix.

AUTHOR-SPEAKER-ACTIVIST

A life-long activist, Loung Ung is a public speaker, bestselling author of 'First They Killed My Father, Lucky Child, and Lulu in the Sky, and a co-screenplay writer of a 2017 Netflix Original Movie, "First They Killed My Father." Loung started her activism work in 1993 when she became the Community Educator for a domestic shelter in Maine. Since then, she has worked on various campaigns to end violence against women, end the use of child soldiers, and eradicate landmines globally. In 1995, Loung made her first trip back to Cambodia—and has returned on over forty trips—devoting herself to helping her native land heal from the traumas of war. In 2013, Loung expanded her activism reach to screenplay writing and was one of the writers for Girl Rising, a groundbreaking film directed by Academy Award nominee Richard Robbins.

For her work, the World Economic Forum selected Loung as one of the "100 Global Youth Leaders of Tomorrow." She has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, People Magazine, CNN, Fresh Air with Terry Gross, and The Today Show. In addition, she has been the subject of documentary films by Nightline, German ARTE, and Japanese NHK. Loung has given hundreds of keynote addresses at numerous forums in the U.S. and internationally, including at Stanford University, Dartmouth College, Philips Academy, Facing History and Ourselves, Women in the World Summit, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and Mexico 1 Million Youth Summit.

When not writing or traveling, Loung can be found riding around Cleveland, Ohio, on a tandem bike with her husband, Mark Priemer, or working at one of their three restaurants and two microbreweries they co-own in Ohio City.

Keynote Title: 

You Make A Difference
Catalysts of Change: How Tiny Actions Create Monumental Change.

Description: In 1995, Loung returned to Cambodia, 15 years after leaving the country, to reunite with her family. This marked the beginning of her journey as an activist in Cambodia, advocating through her writing and involvement in campaigns to ban violence against women, the use of child soldiers, and landmines. Nearly three decades later, Loung realized that her path of seeking healing and redemption had not been traversed alone. At its very beginning were the influential influencers, the original catalysts for change, who showed her how one could make a difference in another's life. They were her mentors, teachers, and supporters, playing crucial roles in expanding her heart and mind, enabling her to not only survive her war but to work for peace.

Among these supporters was Marty Lucenti, a former Army pilot who, moved by a news story about refugees from the Khmer Rouge regime, rallied his congregation to bring a Cambodian family to Vermont. Another key figure was Sarah, a speech therapist, who patiently taught Loung English and helped her overcome language barriers in the classroom. Mr. Severance, her English teacher, provided invaluable encouragement, once advising her, "Sometimes content counts more than correct words," which inspired her to pursue writing. Mrs. Bergeron, the school counselor, instilled in Loung the belief that attending college was within her reach.

While Loung's story may be more dramatic than most, the underlying message remains universal: every child benefits from the support and mentorship of caring adults. Through her talk, Loung shares both inspiring and amusing anecdotes about the individuals who helped shape her into the confident activist she is today, underscoring the profound impact of positive actions on individual lives and the broader community.

Russell Lehmann is an award-winning and internationally recognized thought leader, speaker, poet, and advocate contextualizing autism, mental health, disabilities, and the overall human condition. His words have been featured in the USA Today, LA Times, NPR, Yahoo! News, Success Magazine and archived in the Library of Congress.

A graduate of MIT’s “Leadership in the Digital Age” course, Russell sits on numerous boards such as the national Board of Directors for The Arc of the United States and is a lead council member for the Autism Society of America. He also serves as an advisor to NEXT for Autism and is a consultant for the US Department of Justice, restructuring our criminal justice system in a more equitable fashion for those with disabilities.

Additionally, Russell has been the Youth Ambassador for the mayor of Reno, Nevada, and a member of the Nevada Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities as well as the Nevada Commission on Autism Spectrum Disorders. Russell is also a contributor for Psychology Today.

Russell showed signs of autism as a newborn, however, he was not formally diagnosed until the age of 12 after suffering through 5 weeks in a lockdown psychiatric facility.

His new book, “On the Outside Looking In” recently hit bookstores nationwide.

In 2018, Russell was named as Reno-Tahoe’s “Most Outstanding Young Professional Under 40”.

In 2019 & 2020, Russell lectured for the prestigious King’s College of London and the Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Special Education in Abu Dhabi, respectively. In 2022, Russell was invited to the Finnish Parliament to discuss government supports that are needed in Finland for individuals on the spectrum.

Named the 2022 Advocate of the Year by the Autism Society of America, Russell currently travels the world spreading hope, awareness, and compassion in a raw and dynamic fashion, while also setting his sights on erasing the stigmas and stereotypes that come with having a disability. Russell’s passion is to be a voice for the unheard, for he knows how difficult and frustrating it is to go unnoticed.

For more information about Russell and his work, visit his website at www.RussL.co and connect with him on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Keynote Title: Bringing Visibility to Invisible Disabilities: Understanding What You Cannot See

Description: Join Russell as he takes your hand and walks you through the world of autism, mental health, and disabilities. Using his hindsight and insight from his lived experience to generate foresight for others, Russell will unpack these vital aspects of the human condition in a relatable fashion and lay out pragmatic approaches on how best we can support those with invisible disabilities. Sometimes, what we do not see is more important that what we do see.