Main Conference

Main Conference Agenda and Sessions

Program Highlights

The agenda will include national leaders as well as innovative educators from across SWPA.

• Allison Zmuda, Personalized learning thought-leader and co-author of Students at the Center, Personalized Learning with Habits of Mind, will deliver the morning keynote presentation. Author and architect of LearningPersonalized.org, an incredible online source of practical information about the journey to personalized learning in our classrooms.
• The afternoon general session will feature some amazing educational leaders:
  • Lydia Dobyns, co-author of Better Together, How to Leverage School Networks for Smarter Personalized and Project-Based Learning and CEO of New Tech Network, will lead a discussion on the power of collaborative networks.
  • Dr. Valerie Kinloch, Dean of the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh, will join the conversation to share her perspective on the importance of research-practitioner partnerships and the role of personalized learning in providing an equitable learning experience for all students.
  • Dr. Valerie Truesdale, former Chief Technology and Transformation Officer of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District and the Assistant Executive Director of Leadership Services at AASA, the School Superintendents Association, will provide insight into how Charlotte tackled the more challenging facets of implementing systemic change in their schools and how AASA is leading a national level dialogue on personalized learning.
• John Pane, Senior Scientist and Distinguished Chair of Education Innovation, RAND Corporation, has led some of the formative research on Personalized Learning. He will share his latest work on “Strategies for Implementing Personalized Learning While Evidence and Resources Are Underdeveloped”.
• Extended Breakout Session Tracks (75-90 min)
  • Instructional Innovation and Personalized Learning Practices
  • Leadership Drivers for Systemic Change
  • Emerging Research and Best Practices
  • Harnessing the Power of People and Technology
  • Local Leadership Highlights in SWPA

Main Conference Program

William Pitt Union

June 26, 2019

8:30am Welcome Remarks – Chris Sweeney, Program Director, SWPA Personalized Learning Network

8:45am Morning Keynote and General Session - Allison Zmuda

• Moving classroom pedagogy to a progressively personalized, student-centered model

10:15am BREAK

10:30am Deep Dive Workshop Group 1 (90 min)

• Instructional Innovation and PL Strategies
• Leadership Focus - Transformational Vision and the Compelling "Why"
• Emerging Research and Best Practices

12:00pm Lunch

1:00pm Afternoon General Session - Lydia Dobyns, Dr. Valerie Kinloch and Dr. Valerie Truesdale

2:00pm BREAK

2:15pm Deep Dive Workshop Group 2 (90 min)

• Instructional Innovation with Project-Based Learning
• Leadership Focus – Building Capacity and Preparing to Scale
• PL2: Harnessing the Power of People and Technology to Close Opportunity Gaps

3:45pm Networking and Dessert Reception

4:45pm Adjourn