General Sessions

NEW - Video of each general session available - scroll down to watch

Tom Welch

Education Technology Visionary

Thursday, July 16, 2009
1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Speaker and out-of-the-box thinker, Tom Welch, is described as an ardent revolutionary when it comes to redesigning the learning process. The first teacher in his school with a personal computer, his own fax machine, and an e-mail account, he has always been on the cutting edge of technology and education integration. A former Kentucky Teacher of the Year and member of the original committee to form the National Board’s World Language Standards, he has spoken before national and international groups and has visited schools and universities throughout the world.
 
Tom’s message is simple: While geography was the major factor in determining a child’s educational opportunities in the 20th century, it is time to reject that notion in the 21st. “The learning landscape is fundamentally shifting,” he says. “And our notions of how, when and where to provide learning must shift as well if our children are going to thrive in a knowledge-based world.”

View Tom Welch's presentation powerpoint at his website.

See a portion of Tom Welch's session at the conference:

Barnett Berry

Teacher Leader Expert

Friday, July 17, 2009
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Barnett Berry brings together a panel representing 10 National Board Certified Teachers who conducted research and wrote the report, “Measuring What Matters: The Effects of National Board Certification on Advancing 21st Century Teaching and Learning.” A nationally recognized leader in cultivating teacher leadership and conducting research that can transform the teaching profession, Barnett is the founding  president and CEO of the Center for Teaching Quality, Inc.

In 2003, he created the Teacher Leaders Network (TLN), a virtual community designed to elevate the voices of expert teachers in policy debates regarding their profession and the students they serve. The TLN panel first introduced the Measuring What Matters report in a standing-room-only briefing on Capitol Hill last year. In the report, the NBCTs issue a “call to leadership” via an open letter to America’s accomplished teachers.

The panel will include the following NBCTs:

See the video of the panel at the conference: 

Aligning Whole School Reform with National Board Standards: A Georgia Professional Development Story

Friday, July 17, 2009
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm

Moderated by Deborah Childs-Bowen

Deborah Childs-Bowen, Ed.D., currently serves as director of the Institute for Teaching and Student Achievement and assistant professor at Samford University’s School of Education and Professional Studies. She is a past-president of the National Staff Development Council, and has served as a member of the board of directors of several education organizations, including the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, the National Commission of Teaching and America’s Future, and SERVE.

Panel:

This panel of school leaders will highlight initiatives taken at the district and school levels to incorporate Take One! and full assessment into efforts to raise student achievement, promote teacher quality and enhance professional learning communities.

The panel of Fulton County area school leaders included the following:

Cindy Loe, Ph.D., superintendent, Fulton County Schools
Iris Moran, executive director, Fulton County Schools
Linda Anderson, deputy superintendent, curriculum and instruction, Fulton County Schools
Kathleen Yarbrough, Ed.D., NBCT, professional development, Fulton County Schools
Darian Jones, Ph.D., Atlanta Public Schools
Shannon Flounnory, principal, Fulton County Schools

See the video of the panel at the conference:

Charity Smith

Assistant Commissioner of the Arkansas Department of Education

July 18, 2009
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm

Charity Smith, Ed.D., will discuss “Teaching for Tomorrow, Today.” She is the assistant commissioner of the Arkansas Department of Education. In this capacity, she helps to ensure that all school districts in Arkansas are held accountable for improving student achievement. During Smith’s tenure, Arkansas has received national recognition in a number of areas, including rigorous academic standards, accountability, reporting, teacher quality and consistent academic improvement.
Smith leads the Division of Public School Academic Accountability, which Education Week rated as one of the highestperforming state offices of academic accountability in the nation. She is a Rockefeller Distinguished Lecturer, the director of the Arkansas Legislative Black Caucus Think Tank and founder of the Accelerated Academic Achievement Academy. Smith also co-hosted the event for the national unveiling of statues of the Little Rock Nine at the Arkansas State Capitol.
A nationally requested consultant and presenter, her recent work includes Setting of Standards for the Arkansas Accountability Rating System (2007) and contributing authorship on Current Developments in K-12 Education: Near and Longer Term Trends (2007).

See Charity Smith's session from the conference: