SPEAKING TOPICS (IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL)

Note: I am available to do professional development in-person and virtually. Contact my team and we can come up with something customized for your school, district, or institution. Here’s what I’m known for:

Project-Based Learning for All
PBL can seem daunting when you have time constraints, standards, and a curriculum map. Often, the push for better test scores and “basic skills” means certain students (English Language Learners, Special Education students) fail to have access to these projects. However, PBL can work for all students and in this workshop or keynote, I lay out the blueprint for making this a reality. Click here for additional PBL keynote and workshop options.

Empower: What Happens When Students Own the Learning
Student choice is about more than just a menu option. It’s about student ownership. This includes ownership of the processes, the assessment, the strategies, and the metacognition. But how do we make this happen? How do we fit this into our standards and our curriculum map? Click here for additional keynote and workshop options on empowering students. 

How Will We Respond to the A.I. Revolution?
The A.I. Revolution is here. For some, it’s exciting. For others, it feels terrifying. Still others feel baffled and confused by it. Many of us feel a mix of all three emotions. But one thing is clear. It’s here and it’s not going away. In this keynote, we explore how we might adapt and change as we navigate the new terrain of an AI world. We explore the human skills students will need in a world of smart machines. Ultimately, we’ll be reminded of the hope and humanity we continue to have in a time of epic change. Click here for more information on AI-related keynotes and workshops.

Navigating the Maze
For years, we were taught a formula. Go to school, get good grades, graduate from a university, and climate a corporate ladder. But the ladder is gone and our students will instead navigate a complex maze. We at the beginning of the AI revolution and we can’t predict what this maze will look like. In this keynote, we explore what vital skills students will need to become self-directed learners who can thrive in the maze. We’ll examine how creativity and curiosity can help develop the adaptability students will need as they navigate a complex and unpredictable world.

The Curious Classroom
Too often students leave school less curious than when they arrived. However, many teachers cultivate a mindset of curiosity. Their classrooms are bastions of creativity and wonder. These teachers empower students to ask questions, seek out information, and design solutions built on empathy. In this keynote, we explore what it means to spark ongoing curiosity through inquiry-based learning.

LAUNCH Into Design Thinking
Despite the myth of “digital natives,” most of my students have very little experience using technology as anything more than a consumer device. It doesn’t have to be this way. By using a design thinking framework, teachers can foster creative thinking in every content area and help students develop a maker mindset. Click here for additional keynote and workshop options on design thinking.

This is the Future of Education
For all the talk of gadgets and apps, the future of education won’t center around a new content delivery system. The future is in your classroom. It’s with your students. Your school is packed with creative potential. In this keynote, we tackle what the future of education will look like as we shift toward creativity and innovation.

Vintage Innovation 
The best way to prepare students for the future is to empower them in the present. In this keynote or workshop, we explore what it means to use vintage ideas, tools, and strategies in new and relevant ways. Here, we focus on innovation as a focus on “what is best” rather than “what is next.”

Different from Day One: Innovative Practices for New Teachers
Often, new teachers want to empower their students and launch student-centered learning. However, they default to a more traditional teaching approach. In this workshop or keynote, we focus on what it means to use the “new teacher card” as an invitation for innovation. We focus on how to think differently about instruction, assessment, and classroom culture. I provide specific strategies and structures included in the New Teacher Toolkit.

How to Empower Students in Virtual and Distance Learning Environments
We didn’t ask for this. We didn’t anticipate this. But now many of us are teaching online and virtually. In this workshop, we explore how to boost engagement, improve collaboration, and increase student ownership in distance learning environments. We explore, step-by-step, how to improve virtual class meetings, how to use choice menus strategically, and how to get students engaged in creative projects at home. By the end, you’ll have tools, strategies, and a clear plan for the future. I have additional distance learning options here as well.