SETDA wishes to thank all of this year's distinguished presenters, moderators and discussants. Biographies and photos are available below.
Featured Speakers and Keynotes:
Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education
@arneduncan
Arne Duncan was nominated to be Secretary of Education by President Barack Obama and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on Jan. 20, 2009. Prior to his appointment as Secretary of Education, Duncan served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Public Schools, a position to which he was appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley, from June 2001 through December 2008, becoming the longest-serving big-city education superintendent in the country. Prior to joining the Chicago Public Schools, Duncan ran the non-profit education foundation Ariel Education Initiative (1992-1998), which helped fund a college education for a class of inner-city children under the I Have A Dream program. In 2007, he received the Niagara Foundation's Education Award, the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship Enterprising Educator Award and the University High School Distinguished Alumni Award. ?
Aneesh Chopra, Chief Technology Officer of the United States
@aneeshchopra
Aneesh Chopra is the United States Chief Technology Officer and in this role serves as an Assistant to the President and Associate Director for Technology within the Office of Science & Technology Policy. He works to advance the President’s technology agenda by fostering new ideas and encouraging government-wide coordination to help the country meet its goals from job creation, to reducing health care costs, to protecting the homeland. He was sworn in on May 22nd, 2009. Prior to his appointment, he served as Secretary of Technology for the Commonwealth of Virginia from January 2006 until April 2009. He previously served as Managing Director with the Advisory Board Company, a publicly traded healthcare think tank.
Laura Junor, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness
Dr. Laura Junor serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness. She develops and oversees policies and programs to ensure the Armed Forces of the United States are ready for all missions assigned by the President and Secretary of Defense. She acts as the focal point on all issues and activities related to the readiness and training of the Total Force. Further, she leads major DoD-wide initiatives that include the development of real-time readiness reporting system, a transformed training environment for joint forces, sustainable military training ranges, and the implementation of the Secretary of Defense’s mishap reduction goal.
Lee Rainie, Director of the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project
@lrainie @pewinternet
Lee Rainie is the Director of the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, a non-profit, non–partisan "fact tank" that studies the social impact of the internet. The Project has issued more than 300 reports based on its surveys that examine people's online activities and the internet's role in their lives. Lee is a co-author of Up for Grabs, Hopes and Fears, Ubiquity, Mobility, Security, and Challenges and Opportunities - a series of books about the future of the internet.
Speakers, Moderators and Discussants:
Vince Bertram, CEO Project Lead the Way
@vincembertram @pltwinc
Prior to joining Project Lead the Way (PLTW), Vince Bertram was superintendent of the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, and led Indiana’s third largest urban school district to unprecedented improvements in student achievement, community collaboration, and operational efficiency. His passion for PLTW began in 2002 when he implemented the program as a high school principal. His commitment to PLTW continued as he supported implementations of Gateway To Technology, Pathway To Engineering and Biomedical Sciences Program.
Jim Boardman, Assistant Commissioner, Division of Research and Technology, Arkansas Department of Education
@arkansased
Mr. Boardman is currently Assistant Commissioner of the Arkansas Department of Education and Manager of the Research and Technology Division. Mr. Boardman has performed various administrative functions at the Department, including the drafting of legislation, proposing and presenting rules and regulations for consideration by the State Board of Education, and testifying before multiple legislative committees and subcommittees. Mr. Boardman has management and supervisory responsibility for six units at the Department whose goals and objectives are centered on research and technology.
Melanie Bradford, Division Leader, Division of Research and Technology, Arkansas Department of Education
@arkansased
As the Division Leader for Research and Technology at the Arkansas Department of Education, Ms. Bradford has supervisory and leadership responsibility for several state and national technology initiatives including TICAL, EAST, E-rate, and state technology infrastructure. She is also helping to develop programs within the Governor’s new STEM Works initiative. She serves as the representative of the Arkansas Department of Education with several national organizations including SREB and CCSSO.
Thomas G. Carroll, President, National Commission on Teaching and America's Future
Tom Carroll leads the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF) in its mission to empower educators who are transforming their schools from teaching organizations into learning organizations. Mr. Carroll founded the Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology (“PT3”) program and created the Technology Innovation Challenge Grants Program at the U.S. Department of Education. He was the first Director of Technology Planning and Evaluation for the E-Rate program. He served as the U.S. Secretary of Education’s liaison to the Corporation for National Service during the launch of AmeriCorps. He was Deputy Director of the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, prior to which he was Director of National Research Centers and Regional Laboratories at the National Institute of Education.
Karen Cator, Director of the Office of Educational Technology, U.S. Department of Education
@kcator @officeofedtech
Karen Cator is the Director of the Office of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education. She has devoted her career to creating the best possible learning environments for this generation of students. Prior to joining the department, Cator directed Apple's leadership and advocacy efforts in education. In this role, she focused on the intersection of education policy and research, emerging technologies, and the reality faced by teachers, students and administrators. Ms. Cator joined Apple in 1997 from the public education sector, most recently leading technology planning and implementation in Juneau, Alaska. She also served as Special Assistant for Telecommunications for the Lieutenant Governor of Alaska.
Richard Culatta, Education Fellow, Office of U.S. Senator Patty Murray (WA)
@PattyMurray
Richard Culatta is a leader in the field of educational innovation and an advocate for leveraging new media to enhance learning. Culatta has worked on projects with the U.S. Department of Education and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to increase access to open educational resources. Culatta was previously a learning technologies adviser at Brigham Young University and the Director of Operations for the Rose Education Foundation. He is currently serving as an Education Fellow in the US Senate and as the Chief Impatience Officer at ThirdRail Games.
Julia Fallon, IT Education and Technology Integration Program Manager, Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
@juliafallon @waOSPI
Involved with learning technologies since 1989, Julia Fallon is a Technology Integration Program Manager for the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), and an avid proponent of dynamic 21st century learning experiences where highly effective instructional strategies integrate a wide range of learning technologies. Julia explores and interrogates the big ideas in K-12 education — how to make sure all kids acquire the skills necessary to participate in a digital society. She earned a BS degree in Business Education/Office Systems at New York University. She completed her MA degree in Educational Technology from Pepperdine University. A 2005 recipient of the Certiport Champions of Digital Literacy award and a 2010 recipient of the ISTE Making IT Happen pink jacket. She is the co-host of the live streamed Shifted Learning podcast.
Deirdre Finn, Deputy Executive Director, Foundation for Excellence in Education
@DigLearningNow
Deirdre Finn is Deputy Director of the Foundation for Excellence in Education. She serves as director of Digital Learning Now!, a national initiative to harness the power of the technology to transform education in America. Prior to her work in education, Deirdre served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Florida Governor Jeb Bush where her policy portfolio included transportation, environmental protection and emergency management.
Geoffrey Fletcher, SETDA Deputy Executive Director
@SETDA
Dr. Geoffrey H. Fletcher serves as SETDA’s Deputy Executive Director. Prior to joining SETDA, Dr. Fletcher was Editorial Director for the Education Group of 1105 Media, Inc. with responsibility for all content of the Education Group, including T.H.E. Journal, Campus Technology and their web sites and e-newsletters. He also served with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for 11 years in various positions including Assistant Commissioner with responsibility for standards and curriculum, the statewide assessment program, educational technology initiatives, textbooks and professional development. For two years he was responsible for TEA’s information system, including the Public Education Information Management System.
Rick Gaisford, Educational Technology Specialist for the Utah State Office of Education and Member, SETDA Board of Directors
@irick @UTPublicEd
Rick Gaisford has 23 years in education at the classroom, school, district and state levels. Currently Rick is the Educational Technology Specialist for the Utah State Office of Education. His current state responsibilities include teacher professional development on integrating technology, the educational technology core curriculum for K-12 students, and consulting with districts on how to effectively integrate technology tools and resources into teaching and learning. Previously he was an elementary school teacher, school technology specialist, district technology trainer and technology specialist. He is a member of SETDA’s board of directors and previously served as the board chair. He currently serves on the state ASCD and ISTE affiliate boards of directors.
Wendy Grey, Education Program Manager, Georgia Department of Education
@GaDOEnews
Wendy Grey is the Program Manager for Title IID with the Georgia Department of Education. Before joining the Georgia DOE, Wendy worked for a metro Atlanta school district as a teacher for 15 years and in technology for 10 years. Wendy is a graduate of the University of West Georgia.
Ted Hall, Principal, Yarmouth High School, Yarmouth, Maine
@tedhallyarmouth
Ted Hall just finished his sixth year as principal of Yarmouth High School in Yarmouth, Maine. Previously, he was principal at Souhegan High School in Amherst, NH for seven years. Leading up to his work as a school principal, he taught science at Wayland (MA) High School, was part of a planning team for opening Catalina Foothills High School in Tucson, AZ and worked as part of a professional development team at the Coalition of Essential Schools at Brown University. During the last six years, he has led the school in using technology to support and enhance instruction in all areas.
Wayne Hartschuh, Executive Director, Delaware Center for Educational Technology
@whartschuh
Dr. Wayne Hartschuh is the Executive Director of the Delaware Center for Educational Technology (DCET)/Delaware Department of Education and a former member of the SETDA Board of Directors (having served for six years, including two terms as Board Chair). Wayne originally came to Delaware in 1995 as the Director, Instructional Technology at the Delaware Department of Education. He moved to the Delaware Center for Educational Technology in 1996 as the Chief Education Officer and became the Executive Director in 1998. Recently, in the Center for Digital Education’s Converge Yearbook: Technology Innovation in Education, Wayne was named one of the 2011 Education Innovators.
Jeanne Hayes, President, The Hayes Connection
@JeanneHayes
In 2005, Jeanne Hayes established “The Hayes Connection” to consult for both established and start-up education market companies and school districts. Hayes founded Quality Education Data, (QED) in 1981. Her vision was to create the highest-quality education database possible. As part of her industry connection, Hayes served as one of the founding members of the CEO Forum on Education and Technology, as a corporate member and treasurer of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), and as a board member of the Education Section of the Software Information Industry Association (SIIA).
Henry Hipps, Senior Program Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
@gatesed @gatesfoundation
Henry Hipps is a Senior Program Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation where he leverages his extensive experience working at the intersection of strategy, operations and technology. His current focus is the launch of the Shared Learning Infrastructure project, designed to provide more powerful tools to teachers and personalized learning experiences for students by integrating the highly fragmented education technology landscape. Previously, Henry was Senior Director at the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, Mayor Villaraigosa’s school turn-around organization. Henry was founder and CEO of Trajectory Learning, which designed and delivered web-based K-12 projects. At IBM Business Consulting, he led global teams on business transformation engagements.
Chris Jones, Student, Oak Hill High School, Wales, Maine
Thanks to the Maine Learning Technology Initiative, Chris has been growing and expanding his knowledge of computers and technology since 2007. Chris has created a smartphone Web App, developed websites and works as the Lead Interface Designer for Studio 182. He has his own web business PhireWare. Chris is currently a high school senior and intends to go on to college to study computers and technology.
John Keller, Assistant Superintendent for Technology, Indiana Department of Education
@edtechcrossroad @INEducation
Dr. John Keller currently serves as the Assistant Superintendent for Technology for the Indiana Department of Education. As part of State Superintendent Dr. Tony Bennet’s senior staff, John oversees educational technology for the state. Prior experience includes project leadership in the design, development, and deployment of productivity tools for teachers. John has also taught as an adjunct professor for Indiana Wesleyan and Ball State University in topics ranging from technology integration to curriculum and assessment. Six years as a classroom teacher served as the foundation for his interest in teaching and education.
Neill Kimrey, Division Director, Division of Instructional Technology, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction
@Neillkimrey
A life-long learner and educator, Neill is in his nineteenth year in educational technology. He currently serves as the Director of Instructional Technology at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, and has been with the NCDPI since October 2008. Prior to this, Neill was involved in technology in Stanly County Schools, North Carolina. He began his career as a computer lab assistant in 1991 and was the district’s Chief Technology Officer when he left in October 2008. Since beginning his employment at NC DPI, Neill has reached out to begin building partnerships with many agency and groups to assist in the advocacy of instructional technology.
Mike Kozak, Director, Education Technology Director, Nebraska Department of Education
Michael is currently acting as the Co-Administrator for the Nebraska Department of Education’s Curriculum, Instruction and Innovation Team. His responsibilities include the statewide administration of education technology programs and serving on the department’s internal leadership committee. He serves on numerous external service oriented committees engaged in educational technology integration efforts ranging from pre-service to adult education. Previously, Mike worked as an elementary computer teacher. Mike received a B.S in Elementary Education and his M. Ed in Educational Leadership Nebraska’s Doane College.
Douglas Levin, Executive Director, SETDA
@douglevin @SETDA
Named by Tech & Learning as one of the top 10 most influential people in EdTech in 2011, Mr. Douglas Levin leads SETDA with 20 years of Washington, DC-based education policy and research experience. A passionate advocate on behalf of state educational technology leaders, Mr. Levin has served in prominent roles in the private and non-profit sectors, including in senior leadership positions with the National Association of State Boards of Education, the American Institutes for Research, and Cable in the Classroom, the cable industry’s national education foundation. Mr. Levin played key roles in developing the nation’s first three national education technology plans and in conducting research and evaluations of major educational technology programs and initiatives, including as primary author of the Pew Internet study of internet-savvy students, The Digital Disconnect.
Gaile Loving, Science Assessment Specialist/Monitoring, Oklahoma State Department of Education
@oksde
Gaile Loving is the Assessment Specialist at the Oklahoma State Department of Education in the Office of Accountability and Assessment. She provides training in preparation for standardized tests and supervises the test monitoring. She also writes, reviews and revises test items. Prior to joining the department, she served as a science teacher, school administrator and district science curriculum coordinator. She serves on the Oklahoma Science Teachers Association’s Board and is a National Board Certified Teacher.
Melinda Maddox, Educational Technology Director, Alabama Department of Education
@melindamaddox @AlabamaDeptofEd
Dr. Melinda Maddox is currently State Educational Technology Director for the Alabama Department of Education. Her responsibilities include planning, coordinating, directing, and implementing programs in the Technology Initiatives section that include: ACCESS Distance Learning; Alabama Learning Exchange (ALEX); Technology in Motion; Library Media; technology standards; Alabama Educational Technology Conference; the EETT; E-Rate; online professional development; and other state-wide technology projects. She has served two terms on the Board of Directors for SETDA and served as past treasurer. She was recognized by SETDA with the National Educational Technology Leader of the Year (SLY Award 2006).
Jeff Mao, Learning Technology Policy Director, Maine Department of Education and Chair, SETDA Board of Directors
@maine121
Jeff Mao is the Learning Technology Policy Director for Maine’s Department of Education and the Chair of SETDA’s Board of Directors. He provides vision and oversight to Maine’s education technology programs, including the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI). Jeff has made presentations at numerous conferences throughout the United States as well as in Paraguay, Denmark, Sweden, Korea, China and Australia. He has testified in support of education technology to the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and has published articles in the One-to-One Institute Newsletter, T.H.E. Journal, and online for MacWorld.com.
Steve Midgley, Deputy Director, Office of Educational Technology, U.S. Department of Education
@stevemidgley @OfficeofEdTech
Steve Midgley is the Deputy Director of Education Technology at the U.S. Department of Education (ED). His principal areas of focus are data transparency, digital interoperability and online learning. Prior to arriving at ED, he was the Director of Education at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), where he headed the team responsible for developing the education chapter of the National Broadband Plan. Prior to government service he was the principal of Mixrun, a CTO consultancy for a number of for-profit and education sector organizations. Steve also served as a Program Manager for the Stupski Foundation for six years, designing and implementing grants for technology in K-12 education.
Cathy Poplin, Deputy Associate Superintendent for Educational Technology, Arizona Department of Education and Vice Chair, SETDA Board of Directors
@cathypoplin @azedschools
Cathy Poplin, the SETDA Vice Chair, came to the Arizona Department of Education with more than thirty years of experience in educational technology. She has spent a total of over twenty years in three public school districts in Phoenix, AZ and a dozen years in higher education prior to coming to the state department of education. She has written, received and administered numerous state and federal technology grants. Active in Arizona’s ISTE affiliate – AzTEA (Arizona Technology in Education Alliance) – since 1998, Cathy also was recently elected AzTEA Treasurer and served as President during 2003-04.
Hannah Potter, Student, Yarmouth High School, Yarmouth, Maine
Hannah, a senior at Yarmouth High School and is the Director and Founder of NewView, a web based forum designed to promote cultural awareness between high school students in the United States and high school students in the Middle East. Hannah was awarded a Community Stewardship Grant for her work on NewView, as well as selected as “Social Innovator 2010” by Global Youth Village/Legacy International. Hannah is also active in student government, and plays 1st Singles on the Varsity Tennis Team.
Rusty Rosenkoetter, Coordinator HQT/Equity, Office of Quality Schools, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
@MOEducation
Rusty Rosenkoetter has worked in various roles at the Missouri’s Department of Elementary & Secondary Education for the past 18 years. Most recently, she was the state certification officer and prior to that worked with safe schools, charter schools, technology and incentive grants.
Melinda Stanley, State Education Technology Coordinator for the Kansas State Department of Education and Member, SETDA Board of Directors
@stanlmel7531 @ksdehq
Melinda Stanley is the State Education Technology Coordinator for the Kansas State Department of Education. Her responsibilities include leading, directing, planning and implementing a number of learning with technology initiatives including the Enhancing Education Through Technology Federal Grant, Technology Rich Classroom Program, Technology Planning, E-rate, the Kansas 21st Century Skills. She has presented at a variety of national, state and local conferences and is currently involved with the SETDA, the State E-Rate Coordinators Alliance, the Partnership of 21st Century Skills, the International Society for Technology in Education, and the Kansas MACE Board.
Bill Tucker, Managing Director, Education Sector
@billtuckerO1 @educationsector
Bill Tucker has helped to lead Education Sector, an independent, nonpartisan policy think tank, since its inception in 2005. As the organization’s managing director, he focuses on technology and innovation - specifically virtual schooling, assessments, and data systems. His writing and research regularly appears in a variety of publications, including Education Next, Education Week, and Educational Leadership. Tucker is a social entrepreneur who has founded and led both nonprofit organizations and for-profit companies. His expertise ranges from finance to strategic development and technology, he has extensive knowledge of the nonprofit sector, and he has led the growth of several organizations.
Tom Vander Ark, CEO, Open Education Solutions
@tvanderark @Getting_Smart @OpenEdSolutions
Tom Vander Ark is the author of Getting Smart, and blogs daily at GettingSmart.com. Tom is also CEO of Open Education Solutions, a blended learning service provider and a partner in Learn Capital, a venture capital firm investing in learning content, platforms, and services with the goal of transforming educational engagement, access, and effectiveness. Previously he served as President of the X PRIZE Foundation and was the Executive Director of Education for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation where he implemented $3.5 billion in scholarship and grant programs. Tom chairs the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL), and serves on the board of Strive for College.
Carla Wade, Technology and STEM Education Specialist, Oregon Department of Education
Carla Wade is the Educational Technology and STEM Specialist at the Oregon Department of Education. She coordinates the Title IID Ed Tech program, develops professional development opportunities and resources for Oregon educators and is currently spearheading the revision of Oregon’s Educational Technology Plan. Carla has also taken an active role in SETDA currently as co-chair of the Professional Growth Committee and previous as the Board of Director’s secretary.
David Wiley, Associate Professor of Instructional Psychology and Technology at Brigham Young University
@opencontent
Dr. David Wiley is Associate Professor of Instructional Psychology and Technology at Brigham Young University, where he also serves as Associate Director of the Center for the Improvement of Teacher Education and Schooling with responsibility for the research unit. David was recently named an OLNet Expert Fellow at The Open University. David is founder of the Open High School of Utah and Chief Openness Officer of Flat World Knowledge. David was formerly Associate Professor of Instructional Technology and Director of the Center for Open and Sustainable Learning at Utah State University. David is also the founder of OpenContent.org. His career is dedicated to increasing access to educational opportunity for everyone around the world.
Additional Presenters and Moderators:
Jill Abbott, Executive Director, SBAC System Architecture Development, Measured Progress
Jill Abbott is the CEO of Abbott Advisor Group. Her primary focus is on providing strategic planning, visioning and policy development for the role of educational technology in education transformation. She works with state and federal agencies, companies and non-profit organizations. Ms. Abbott previously served as SIF Association’s Associate Executive Director/COO. Jill’s experience includes classroom teaching, curriculum and professional development, assessment and evaluation, standards based education, virtual education, change management and eLearning strategic visioning in the vendor and state policy space.
Kathleen Barnhart, Principal Education Consultant, Illinois State Board of Education
@kbarnhar @ISBEnews
Kathleen Barnhart is an eLearning principal consultant in Curriculum and Instruction Division of the Illinois State Board of Education. Her state funded projects are the Learning Technology Centers (LTCs), and the Illinois Virtual School (IVS). The LTCs were established to assist Illinois school districts with hardware and software infrastructure, as well as classroom and teacher readiness for integrating technology in the classroom and curriculum. The mission of IVS is to use new and emerging technologies that expand the boundaries of space and time to provide Illinois students and their teachers with increased equity and access to the highest quality educational and professional development opportunities. At the federal level Kathleen reviews the EETT formula side of NCLB.
Marie Bjerede, Founder e-Mergents
@mbjerede
Marie Bjerede is the Founder of e-Mergents LLC, a 25-year veteran leader in high-tech and wireless communication development, and mother of two. She has seen first hand the transformative power of agency and collaboration and how mobile, digital technologies enable those transformations to scale. She has also seen how while our lives and work have been transformed, our schools have been left behind. Bjerede is now an advocate for education transformation using mobile devices, cloud computing, and interoperable infrastructure as critical enablers.
Wes Bruce, Chief Assessment Officer for the Indiana Department of Education
@PARCCPlace
Wesley Bruce was named Chief Assessment Officer for the Indiana Department of Education in January of 2009. Wes began his work with the department in 1999 as director of the Division of School Assessment and prior to taking his current position he held a number of wide ranging positions within IDOE. Bruce served as Director of Evaluation, Research and Testing at South Bend Community School Corporation for nine years before joining the department in 1999. He currently serves on the PARCC Leadership Team and chairs PARCC’s Technology Operational Working Group.
Al Byers, Assistant Executive Director, National Science Teachers Association
@NSTA
Since 2002, Dr. Byers has served in a strategic capacity collaborating with government agencies, departments of education, university, and education foundations as together they develop high impact, sustainable blended learning solutions catering to teachers’ individual needs and learning preferences. He steers the development, implementation, and evaluation of large-scale e-learning endeavors that are consumed by tens of thousands of educators daily through the NSTA Learning Center. Planning and managing a multi-million dollar annual budget, he guides a dynamic staff and team of experts in science education, instructional design, and evaluation.
Stuart Ciske, Educational Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
@sjciske
Stuart J Ciske earned his Master’s (1995) and Ph.D. (1999) degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Education al Administration. He started his career in education as a high school journalism and English teacher in 1984 in Kansas City, Kansas and continued to teach and advise award-winning student publications at stops in Illinois (Lake Park HS, Roselle, IL) and Wisconsin (Sun Prairie HS, Sun Prairie, WI). His involvement in desktop publishing and graduate work forged a path for Stuart to become a district technology coordinator (Sun Prairie, WI) and later, a high school principal (Johnson Creek, WI). After a short stint working for the University of Wisconsin medical School/Department of Surgery as a computer and education consultant, Stuart joined the State of Wisconsin – Department of Public Instruction in 1998 as an Educational Consultant focusing on Instructional Media & Technology. He has presented at national, regional and state educational conferences on technology planning, professional development and program evaluation and has co-chaired the SETDA Data Committee for the past 4 years.
Laurence Cocco, Director, Office of Educational Technology, State of New Jersey Department of Education
@lmcocco
Laurence is currently the Director of the Office of Educational Technology for New Jersey’s Department of Education. Duties include promotion of Technology Integration and Technological Literacy strategies for NJ schools; supervision of the development of Technology Infrastructure and Equipment Standards for multibillion-dollar school construction initiative and supervision of implementation of NCLB Title II-D. He has 20 years experience in audiovisual/educational technology design and production. He earned a Masters Degree in Educational Communications & Technology from NYU. Mr. Cocco is a former High School administrator, PBS TV Producer, Cable TV Director, Cable TV Host, Web Designer, IT documentation specialist and photographer.
Matt Dozier, President and CEO, EAST Initiative
@matt_dozier
Matt Dozier is the President and CEO of the EAST Initiative (EAST stands for Environmental and Spatial Technology); an innovative educational reform effort that combines student developed community service projects with sophisticated technology. The EAST model has been recognized by the Federal Departments of Education and Labor, among other groups, as an innovative, relevant, and successful approach to education. Matt first became affiliated with EAST in 1998 while teaching at North Pulaski High School in Jacksonville, Arkansas becoming the first facilitator of that program. He soon became a member of the first EAST Professional Development training team, helping to develop curriculum and train hundreds of teachers as the EAST program spread to over 200 schools in eight states. In 2001, Matt joined the EAST staff full-time, serving variously as the Initiative’s Communication Director, Assistant Program Director, and National Program Director. Matt was named EAST CEO in 2007.
Peter Drescher, Education Technology Coordinator, Vermont Department of Education
@VTDOE_EdTech
Peter Drescher has been involved in Education Technology since the early 1990’s. He began his career in education as a Social Studies/Technology teacher at a middle school in New Mexico. It wasn’t long before Social Studies gave way to a full time technology coordinator position and the development of a robust technology program, even in the early ‘90’s. He has worked much on the classroom level, providing professional development and leadership for teachers and staff around technology planning and integration. His most recent position, in January of 2008, as the Education Technology Coordinator for Vermont allows him the opportunity to move this work to a new level and hopefully impact the learning for all students in Vermont. When not on the computer, or keeping abreast of the latest tech trends, he enjoys old motorcycles, mountain biking and skiing.
Melinda George, Vice President, National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF)
Melinda George is the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future (NCTAF). In this role, Ms. George is committed to helping NCTAF, a not-for-profit organization achieve its mission of empowering teachers and helping to create schools organized for success. Ms. George oversees the operations of the organization including finance, grant management, and administrative affairs. Ms. George also served as the Executive Director of the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA). For more than six years, Ms. George was the author of the SIIA State Technology Initiatives Report providing a state-by-state glance at the education technology initiatives occurring across the fifty states.
Greg Grossmeier, Education Technology and Policy Coordinator, Creative Commons
@g_gerg
Greg Grossmeier is currently the Education Technology and Policy Coordinator at Creative Commons where he focuses on how Open Education projects can better create, disseminate, and reuse educational materials. He recently moved to San Francisco from Michigan where he worked at the University of Michigan Library as Copyright Specialist and with the Open.Michigan initiative on OER related outreach and policy. Greg graduated from the U-M School of Information with an MSI specializing in Information Policy and Library and Information Services.
Chuck Hitchcock, Chief Officer, Policy and Technology & Director, National AIM Center
@cghitch
As CAST's Chief Officer of Policy & Technology, Chuck Hitchcock oversees technology innovation, including software and website development. He was instrumental in the creation of Bobby, an award-winning, innovative tool for improving website accessibility which earned honors from the Computerworld/Smithsonian Awards, the American Association of Engineering Specialists, and others. As Director of the federally-funded National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM Center), Mr. Hitchcock works with state education agencies, local education agencies and other stakeholders to develop effective systems to speed the delivery of high-quality accessible instructional materials to students with print disabilities. The AIM Center carries forward Mr. Hitchcock’s five years of experience and leadership in developing technical assistance supports and products designed to help states, districts, publishers, conversion houses, and accessible media producers implement key aspects of the NIMAS (National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard) statute and regulations. The new center also carries forward Mr. Hitchcock's work as Director of the NIMAS Technical Assistance Center and Co-director of the 15-state AIM Consortium, funded from 2004-2009 and 2007-2009 by the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education.
Karen Kahan, Manager, Educational Technology, Texas Education Agency
Karen Kahan is the Educational Technology Director at the Texas Education Agency (TEA). Areas within the Educational Technology Unit include: Technology Literacy and Integration; Distance Learning; Special Projects; Educational Technology Planning; Digital Learning Resources; Educational Technology Grant Programs; and E-Rate. Prior to becoming the Educational Technology Director, she was the Technology Applications Curriculum Director at TEA for 12 years and, prior to that, she served in other capacities in educational technology at TEA where she has worked for 20 years. Karen taught mathematics at the middle school level before joining TEA. Currently, she serves on the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) Board of Directors and serves as Board Secretary.
Glenn Kleiman, Executive Director, Friday Institute for Educational Innovation and Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, NC State University College of Education
Glenn Kleiman is Executive Director of the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation and Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the NC State University College of Education. A cognitive psychologist by background (Ph.D., Stanford, 1977), his work in education has spanned basic and applied research, curriculum development, software development, providing professional development for teachers and administrators, policy analyses, and consulting for school districts and state departments of education. Prior to joining NC State in July 2007, he was, since 1985, Vice President and Senior Research Scientist at Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) in Newton MA, where he most recently directed the Center for Online Professional Education and was Co-Director of the Northeast and Islands Regional Education Lab.
Jayne Moore, Adjunct Professor, University of Maryland
@jliz33
Jayne Moore is currently an adjunct professor for the University of Maryland, University College. Prior to her retirement in August 2011, she served as the Director of Instructional Technology and School Library Media in the Division of Instruction at the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). Ms. Moore served on the Executive Board of the Maryland Society for Educational Technology (MSET) and the Maryland Association of School Librarians (MASL), and on the Board of Directors for the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA). Previously she was a library media administrator, a library media specialist and an English teacher. She has a B.A. in English from the University of Delaware and a Masters Degree in Education from Salisbury University.
Robert Richardson, Director, Member Relations, Change the Equation
@changeequation
Rob Richardson is director of membership relations for Change the Equation, the CEO-led national coalition that’s focused on improving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning for every child, especially girls and students of color. He is responsible for helping members increase the return on their philanthropic STEM education investments and increase their influence to improve STEM learning nationwide. From 2001-2011, Rob served as the East Coast education manager for Intel Corporation. He provided strategic direction to Intel’s investments in K-12 schools and higher education to help improve programs in math, science, and engineering.
Stephen Sanders, Director, Instructional Media and Technology Team, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (eRATE)
Steve Sanders is the Director of the Instructional Media and Technology Team for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. He has been working with educational technology since 1981 as a teacher, software and training specialist, and a technology coordinator. He has his master’s degree in Computer Science in Education from Cardinal Stritch College.
Constance Steinkuehler, Senior Policy Analyst, Office of Science and Technology Policy, White House
Constance Steinkuehler is a senior policy analyst in the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the White House. She is currently on temporary leave from the University of Wisconsin–Madison where she is an Assistant Professor in the Games+Learning+Society (GLS) Group in the Curriculum & Instruction department. Her research is on cognition, learning and literacy in massively multiplayer online games and other online game communities spaces. Current interests include collective problem solving, digital & print literacy, informal scientific reasoning, and pop cosmopolitanism. Her work has been funded by the MacArthur Foundation and the National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation. She recently helped author, as one of nine committee members, the National Academies of Science report entitled Learning Science: Computer Games, Simulations, and Education and is editor of the upcoming book entitled Games, Learning, and Society: Learning and Meaning in the Digital Age in the Cambridge University Press series “Learning by Doing.”
Barbara Treacy, Managing Project Director, Education Development Center (EDC)
@barbaratreacy
Barbara Treacy is the Director of EdTech Leaders Online. The EDC’s national capacity-building online professional development program for state departments of education, school districts, virtual schools, regional education service providers and colleges and universities, to enable them to build successful online and blended learning programs for teachers, administrators and students. Since 1999, Barbara has led teams of online curriculum developers, online facilitators and media developers to provide graduate level training programs in online learning, a catalogue of over 70 online courses in specific K-12 subject areas and grade levels, and custom online course development and consulting services for educational organizations in more than 35 states.
Bruce Umpstead, Director, Office of Education Technology and Data Collection, Michigan Department of Education (BTOP)
@umpstead
As State Director of Educational Technology and Data Coordination at the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), Bruce is responsible for implementing Michigan's online learning graduation requirement and the State Educational Technology Plan. His formal education includes B.A. in Public Administration, M.B.A. in Finance and General Management, and professional certifications in management accounting, project management, and online instruction. Before joining MDE, Bruce served as operations director for an eLearning company, project operations director for a Math/Science Partnership, and online learning faculty for a local community college.
Kathleen Webb, Educational Technology Coordinator, Utah Department of Education
@UTPublicEd
Kathleen L. Webb is currently the Educational Technology Coordinator at the Utah State Office of Education and Principal of the Utah Electronic High School - the statewide virtual high school. She believes passionately in public education and loves to teach. She is a pioneer of technology in education in Utah and was recently awarded the first ISTE "Making IT Happen" award for Utah.
Tom Woodward, Assistant Director of Organizational Development- Instructional Technology, Henrico, Virginia
@HenricoSchools
Tom Woodward heads the Department of Instructional Technology in Henrico County Public Schools. With over 30,000 laptops, Henrico remains the largest and longest running 1:1 laptop initiative in the United States. Tom has worked with K12, non-profits, and higher education institutions for the last 11 years focusing on how technology can change educational possibilities. His current work is focused on infusing 21st century skills across the curriculum, performance based assessments, and building digital content
Andrew Zuckerman, Director of Instructional Service, Lawrence Township Public School
@azuck1
Andrew Zuckerman is the Director of Instructional Services in the Lawrence Township Public School (LTPS) in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. LTPS works with students in grades Pre-K–12 and is dedicated in preparing students for the 21st century. Prior to becoming the Director of Instructional Services, Mr. Zuckerman was the LTPS Middle School Principal for six years. In 2010-2011 the school implemented a 1-1 initiative in an effort to make the student technologically literate by the time they complete 8th grade. Mr. Zuckerman obtained his B.S. from Hofstra University, his M.A. from Rider University and is currently seeking his Ed.D. from Nova Southeastern University.
