Teachers & Administrators:
This is the conference you've been waiting for!


Join us as we share strategies to engage your students, inspire creativity and innovation, and achieve at greater levels than ever before!  Learn new ways to use technology tools and shift school/classroom culture to build the school of your dreams! 
****Up to 15 Professional Development Credits are available for Illinois License Renewal**** 

2018 Keynote and Featured Speakers

Keynote Speaker: Eric Sheninger, Digital Leadership

Twitter: @E_Sheninger
​Web: ericsheninger.com
Eric is a Senior Fellow and Thought Leader on Digital Leadership with the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE). Prior to this he was the award‐winning Principal at New Milford High School. Under his leadership his school became a globally recognized model for innovative practices. Eric oversaw the successful implementation of several sustainable change initiatives that radically transformed the learning culture at his school while increasing achievement.
His work focuses on leading and learning in the digital age as a model for moving schools and districts forward. This has led to the formation of the Pillars of Digital Leadership, a framework for all educators to initiate sustainable change to transform school cultures. As a result Eric has emerged as an innovative leader, best selling author, and sought after speaker. His main focus is purposeful integration of technology to facilitate student learning, improve communications with stakeholders, enhance public relations, create a positive brand presence, discover opportunity, transform learning spaces, and help educators grow professionally.
Eric has received numerous awards and acknowledgements for his work. He is a CDE Top 30 award recipient, Bammy Award winner, NASSP Digital Principal Award winner, PDK Emerging Leader Award recipient, winner of Learning Forward's Excellence in Professional Practice Award, Google Certified Innovator, Adobe Education Leader, and ASCD 2011 Conference Scholar. He has authored and co‐ authored the following:
  • Learning Transformed: 8 Keys for Designing Tomorrow's Schools, Today (coming soon)
  • BrandED: Tell Your Story, Build Relationships, and Empower Learning (coming soon)
  • Uncommon Learning: Creating Schools That Work for Kids
  • Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times
  • Communicating and Connecting With Social Media: Essentials for Principals
  • What Principals Need to Know About Teaching and Learning Science
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Katrina Keene, Wonder Workshop
Twitter: @DrKatrinaKeene
​Web: DrKatrinaKeene.com
Dr. Katrina Keene is a National and International speaker and has spent the last 17 years in K-12 technology education. Currently, Katrina is the Senior Strategic Outreach Manager in Education at Wonder Workshop for the Central United States. Prior to this, Katrina was an Education Strategist for CDWG, Director of Technology, Instructional Technology Coach, K-5 Computer Teacher, College Professor, as well as a 3rd Grade, 1st Grade, and Kindergarten teacher.
​Katrina loves staying connected with educators through Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Periscope and other social media platforms and is thrilled to bring her expertise and research to thousands of schools across the nation. Katrina is an MIEExpert, Remind Connected Educator, founder of #tntechchat and #edcampleadtn, and can be found in several well-known EdTech publications, blogs, and podcasts. 
Keynote Speaker: Lindsey Jensen,  2018 Illinois Teacher of the Year
The Illinois State Board of Education named Lindsey Jensen the 2018 Illinois Teacher of the Year. Jensen teaches English, including Advanced Placement English, Shakespeare, American literature, drama, and composition, for 11th- and 12th-grade students at Dwight Township High School in Dwight Public Schools . 

Lindsay's keynote presentation is entitled "Students and Technology: An Equity Issue." She will discuss how to prepare all students for a world in which they will be expected to be digitally literate. Lindsey will discuss the importance of incorporating technology and social justice into our classrooms to prepare students for life in an increasingly digital world. 

Pre-Conference Presenters

Chris Johnson, ROWVA High School, Oneida, IL

Chris has taught for 12 years as a social studies teacher at ROWVA Jr/Sr High School where he has helped support educational technology across the grades. Chris is on his school's Future Ready PD committee, the president of entICE, and a McCormick Foundation Civics Mentor. Chris views technology as a great tool to connect students with the world around them and to provide them a chance to interact with content in a new and exciting way.
 
Chris's pre-conference will introduce participants to the many opportunities to incorporate games and gaming theory to more deeply engage students in your classroom activities.
Tim Kasser, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology & Department Chair, Knox College, Galesburg, IL 
 Tim Kasser, Ph.D., is Professor and Chair of Psychology at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.  He has written over 100 scientific articles and book chapters on materialism, values, ecological sustainability, and quality of life, among other topics.  He is also the author of five books, including The High Price of Materialism (MIT Press, 2002) and the cartoon book HyperCapitalism (The New Pres, 2018).  Tim works extensively with a variety of activist and civil society organizations that protect children from commercialization, that promote ecological sustainability, and that encourage a more “inwardly rich” lifestyle than what is offered by consumerism. Dr. Kasser was featured in the documentary, Happy (available on Netflix) (trailer), examining how happiness & fulfillment are defined around the world. 
​ 
Joe Brewer has taught for 11 years as a social science teacher at Cuba High School in Cuba, IL.  Inspired by Tim's work, Joe incorporated principles of well-being and value studies into his curriculum.  Tim's article "Growing Up Under Capitalism" particularly inspired Joe to educate students about increased rates of commercialization and develop strategies to promote .  healthier values.  Examples of these strategies include community wide participation in Screen Free Week (presented by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood), a student-led interview project assessing the well-being of rural America, and the creation of a student led podcast and website called The Forgottonia Project which seeks to examine social issues impacting rural America (featuring interviews with Tim!).
Tim & Joe will help participants in their pre-conference understand how materialism affects students, and help participants develop classroom strategies to support them in learning and interacting with the Earth and those upon it.
​
Rick Lawsha, Director of Technology, Galesburg CUSD 205
Rick Lawsha has spent the last 19 years as the Director of Technology for Community Unit School District #205. He has taught Cisco CCNA classes for the local Community College and holds A+ and Microsoft certifications among others. Rick is a frequent speaker at the Illinois Educational Technology Conference and has consulted for several other school districts. Rick has a background in electronics including amateur radio and wrote the software in use today for the local Civil Defense siren system.
 
Rick will lead participants in his pre-conference session through his state-of-the-art data center, and help school leaders and information technology teams select, implement, and maintain technology tools supporting successful 1:1 implementations on small and large scales.

Lisa McAuley, Gurnee District 56, Gurney, IL

​Lisa McCauley is a middle school math teacher who has been teaching a fully self-paced flipped classroom for 5 years.  She believes in complete personalized learning.  She utilizes Google Sheets and Itunes U to deliver individualized assignments and curriculum to her students.  She believes students should have choice and voice in their demonstration of mastery, so allows each student to choose their own method to prove their knowledge. Lisa is a Google Level 1 and Level 2 certified educator, an Apple Teacher and a Global Top 100 Flipped Ambassador.  She is also a Level 1 Certified Flipped Educator and Flipped Trainer.
 
Lisa's pre-conference will help participants develop personalized learning opportunities for students in almost any classroom.

Kirk Mustain, Williamsfield, IL

​Kirk Mustain is going into his 5th year as a Computer Science and IT teacher at Williamsfield Schools. He is a graduate of Western Illinois University and a Galesburg native. He has ran and operated a web development company for the past 10 years, Kirkm, LLC. Also, he currently coordinates Junior High soccer at the Knox County YMCA and FC Galesburg traveling soccer. He formerly was a tech support specialists at Office Specialists Inc, in Galesburg, IL, and was an adjunct instructor at Carl Sandburg College. At Williamsfield Schools, he teaches Web/App Development, Intro to Computer Science, AP Computer Science Principles, and AP Computer Science A. 

​Kirk's pre-conference will show teachers how to integrate MIT App Inventor into classroom activities.

Joe Sorenberger & Traci Johnson, ROWVA School District, Oneida, IL

.Joe Sornberger has just completed his fourth year as the superintendent of the ROWVA school district in Oneida, IL. Superintendent Sornberger has been a superintendent for six years and in education for fourteen. His goal as a superintendent is to work collaboratively with the community and faculty to create educational opportunities that benefit students. Joe believes that the Future Ready process has allowed ROWVA to make positive changes that have impacted the lives of all students. 

Traci Johnson is in her 9th year teaching high school English. Traci holds an M.A. in English, and is a Google Certified Educator Level 2.  Traci is also the district social media director and the project manager for ROWVA school district's Future Ready Plan. Traci has a passion for innovation and loves trying to find ways to make small and large changes that will have a positive impact on her students.

Together, Travi & Joe have helped lead their school district through the Future Ready process for two years. They are expanding their area PLN by sharing a Future Ready Summit with area districts during their WITcon pre-conference session. They are excited to help district's kickstart innovation and change to benefit all stakeholders. 

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