The 3Rs of Teaching Today: Relationships, Resilience, and Revolutionary Tech

Description:

Teaching in the Intelligence Age requires special attention to the 3Rs: relationships with students and colleagues, personal resilience, and leveraging revolutionary technology to accomplish our goals. With anecdotes from her “Princessipal Diaries,” passages from her book, and vignettes from the world of ed tech, Ms. Cummings offers specific answers to these questions: 

How do we create relationships with students and colleagues to ignite learning and inspire our own growth? 

How do we fill our own buckets to avoid burnout and find the joy and courage to teach? 

How can we combine our human expertise with the power of AI to elevate teaching and learning along with our quality of life?

Ms. Cummings examines the 3Rs, offering powerful ways to connect with students and create supportive and engaging learning environments. She explores essential self-care strategies to maintain our enthusiasm and effectiveness as educators and finally shares how to harness emerging technologies, like Brisk Teaching, to reclaim our evenings and weekends, streamline administrative tasks, and captivate students.

Biography

Michelle Cummings is the chief academic officer (CAO) at Brisk Teaching, a role she previously held at Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT). She is the author of The First-Year Teacher's Survival Guide, 5th ed published by Jossey-Bass in 2024. With an extensive career in K-12 education and ed tech, Michelle has taught secondary English and social studies in the U.S. and Switzerland. She served as an elementary principal, high school principal, and assistant superintendent. AASA honored her with the Women in Leadership award. Michelle graduated from Brown University and earned her Ed.M at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Born and raised in New Orleans, she now lives in New York City. 

AI and the Future of Learning: Paving the Way for Empowered Education

Description:

This talk will explore the promises and challenges of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into education, with a focus on how it is rapidly shaping the future of learning. AI has the potential to revolutionize education by fostering more personalized, equitable learning experiences and empowering both students and educators. However, as we look to the future, we must also address critical risks, such as bias, flawed design, automation of learning, and over-reliance on AI, which could deepen existing inequities and compromise the human-centered nature of learning.

This talk will examine the latest advancements in AI and their implications for teaching and learning. Through real-world examples, we will consider strategies for harnessing AI responsibly and ethically. Together, we’ll explore how educators can lead the way in ensuring that AI becomes a tool for empowerment and innovation while paving the way for a more inclusive and sustainable future of education.

Biography

Ken (He/Him/His) is a highly distinguished, multi-award-winning professional and best-selling author in the field of education. He holds a Master’s degree in Education with a specific focus on Educational Technology and New Media Design and Production. His academic background is complemented by over two decades of teaching experience, with a significant part of his career devoted to shaping young minds at the Middle School level. Ken is an esteemed and highly sought-after thought leader in education, particularly in the areas of educational technology, learning experience design, and leadership development. Ken’s expertise also extends to the sphere of policy-making/policy advisement, including being a notable figure on a California State Superintendent of Public Instruction’s Education Technology Task Force. A committed advocate for equitable learning opportunities, he regularly imparts knowledge, inspiration, and insights through keynote speeches, personalized consulting, organizational culture/change, school/district transformation, and hands-on workshops. His range of expertise covers an array of topics, including but not limited to, Organizational Leadership, Policy Analysis, Policy Development, School/District Transformation, Inclusive Learning Environments, Antibias/Antiracism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Media Literacy, Cultural Intelligence, Design, Career and Technical Education (CTE), and in the emerging technology field of Artificial Intelligence. His most recent impact in the area of AI includes supporting the development of school/district/system policy, advisement, professional development planning, and leading workshops for educators across all levels of responsibility. He is the co-author of a best-selling book on the topic of artificial intelligence titled, “The Promises and Perils of AI in Education: Ethics and Equity Have Entered the Chat.”

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What Makes Great Teachers Great

Description:

Teaching is a noble profession and those who teach in international schools have chosen a stimulating yet challenging career. With consideration for the unique opportunities and challenges presented by independent schools located in a range of host countries, we focus on the discovery of beliefs and practices of effective teachers that cross the international/cultural contexts that exist in international schools. What do great teachers in international schools do? What do they believe about teaching and learning in this vibrant context? Having engaged in a two-year study of highly effective teachers in the East Asian region, we will share qualities and characteristics that make these teachers successful.  

Biography

James H. Stronge is a Heritage Professor of Education, a distinguished professorship, at William & Mary. He teaches doctoral courses within the Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership Department, with a particular focus on teacher and leader effectiveness, human resource leadership, legal issues in education, and research design. Additionally, in conjunction with others, his work at William & Mary has led to externally-funded grants of contracts totaling more than $28,000,000 to date.

Dr. Stronge’s research interests include policy and practice related to teacher quality and effectiveness, teacher and administrator evaluation, and teacher selection. He has worked with numerous state departments of education, school districts, and national and international educational organizations to design and implement evaluation and hiring systems for teachers, administrators, and support personnel. Recently, he completed work on new teacher and principal evaluation systems for American international schools in conjunction with the Association of American Schools in South America and supported by the U.S. Department of State. Stronge has made more than 350 presentations at regional, national, and international conferences, and conducted workshops for educational organizations extensively throughout the U.S. and internationally. Among his current research projects are: 1) international comparative studies of national award-winning teachers in the United States and China, and 2) influences of economic and societal trends on student academic performance in countries globally. His most recent books include What Makes a World-Class School and How We Can Get There (2017, ASCD), Qualities of Effective Teachers, 3rd Ed. (2018, ASCD), Qualities of Effective Principals, 2nd Ed. (2021, ASCD), and International Beliefs and Practices that Characterize Teacher Effectiveness (co-editor) (2021, IGI Global).

Stronge has authored, co-authored, or edited 34 books and more than 200 articles, chapters, and technical reports. He was a founding member of the board of directors for the Consortium for Research on Educational Assessment and Teacher Effectiveness, and was selected as the 2012 national recipient of the Millman Award from CREATE in recognition of his work in the field of teacher and administrator evaluation.

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Leslie W. Grant is an Associate Professor of Education in the Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership Department. Her research interests focus on classroom-based assessments and international comparisons of teaching and learning. She is involved in several research projects, including international comparative case studies of award-winning teachers in the United States and China and the efficacy of development assessment literacy in pre-service teachers, in-service teachers, and educational leaders. Dr. Grant began her career in education as a middle school teacher and later served as a test developer, content editor and item writer for the California Testing Bureau (CTB/McGraw-Hill).

Dr. Grant is the co-author of several books and articles, including West Meets East: Best Practices from Expert Teachers in the United States and China (ASCD, 2014), Teacher-Made Assessments: How to Connect Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Learning (Routledge, 2015), and Student Achievement Goal Setting: Using Data to Improve Teaching and Learning (Routledge, 2009). She is a past president of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) and of the Consortium for Research on Educational Assessment and Teaching Effectiveness (CREATE), serving on the board of directors for both organizations. Dr. Grant frequently works with schools and school districts, both within the United States and internationally, and presents at international, national, and state level conferences in the areas of classroom-based assessments, the use of data to improve student learning, and cross-cultural comparisons of effective teaching practices. In addition, she consults with state education agencies and international schools on the development of assessment systems.