Speakers
Keynote Panelists
Dr. Ilene Winokur Alzaid
Professional Development Specialist
Dr. Ilene Winokur has lived in Kuwait since 1984 and is a professional development specialist supporting teachers globally including refugee teachers. Prior to retiring in 2019, she was a teacher and administrator for 25 years. Her blog and podcast focus on the importance of feeling a sense of belonging.
Dr. Bill Bass
Innovation Coordinator for Instructional Technology, Information, and Library Media & President of ISTE
Bill Bass currently serves as the Innovation Coordinator for Instructional Technology, Information, and Library Media in the Parkway School District in St. Louis, MO, and as the President of the Board of Directors for the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE).
Shannon McClintock Miller
District Teacher Librarian and Innovation Director
Shannon McClintock Miller is an international speaker, consultant and author who has a passion for education, librarianship, advocacy, technology, social media and making a difference in the world and lives of others, especially children. Shannon brings a special expertise and vision to conversations around school libraries, education, technology, creativity and student voice.
Rachelle Dene Poth
EdTech Consultant, Spanish & STEAM Educator
Rachelle Dene Poth is an edtech consultant, presenter, attorney, author, and teacher. Rachelle teaches Spanish and STEAM: What’s nExT in Emerging Technology at Riverview Junior Senior High School in Oakmont, PA. Rachelle has a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. She is a Consultant and Speaker, owner of ThriveinEDU LLC Consulting. She serves as the President of the ISTE Teacher Education Network and serves on the Leadership team of the Mobile Learning Network. At ISTE19, she received the Making IT Happen Award and a Presidential Gold Award for volunteer service to education. She is also a Buncee Ambassador, Nearpod PioNear and Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert.
Dr. Roland Rios
Director of Technology for the Ft. Sam Houston Independent School District
Dr. Roland Rios currently serves as the Director of Technology for the Ft. Sam Houston Independent School District. During his nearly 30 year career in education, he has been a math teacher, high school assistant principal, and middle and high school principal. He also serves as the REcords and Finance Chair of the Texas Computer Education Association. In 2012, he was named the “TCEA Technology Administrator of the Year” for Texas and was also named one of TechSmith’s “20 to Watch in Educational Technology” for the U.S.
Speakers
Teresa Buckman
Elementary STEM teacher in Tampa, Florida
Teresa Buckman is an elementary STEM teacher in Tampa, Florida. She has been teaching for over 20 years in both Florida and California. She has taught STEM in elementary, middle school, high school and at the collegiate level, in both the private and the public sectors. For the past 4 years, she has served as the STEM coordinator at both of the elementary sites at which she taught. She holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership and is a WiPro Science Fellow (through the University of South Florida) and an EQuIPD intervention teacher (through the University of Florida). Ms. Buckman also holds a number of microcredentials as a Microsoft Innovative Education Expert (MIEE), a BrainPop Certified Educator (BCE), and a ClassDojo Mentor.
Leticia Citizen
i4Coach, Beverly Hills Unified School District
Leticia Citizen, an educator for 20 years, is beginning her third year as an i4Coach. She has a particular interest in technology-enhanced teaching. Leticia effectively implements many applications available to teachers, helping augment student learning, modernizing traditional classroom methods.
Michael Drezek
District Technology Integrator/Teacher Leader, Lake Shore CSD
Michael is an Instructional Technology Coach in the Lake Shore Central School District. He is passionate about supporting educators and amplifying student voice with educational technology, especially in the areas of global collaboration, digital citizenship, and immersive tech. Michael has presented globally and contributed to various publications and productions in the field of education including EdCamp LSC, EduMatch Publishing, EdWeek, DITCH That Textbook Podcast, #ARVRinEdu Live, Our Global Classroom, and the Digital Citizenship Institute.
Cheryl Graff
9th Grade Special Education Teacher/Learning Specialist, Chicago Public Schools
Cheryl Graff is a Special Education Teacher at the only public arts high school in the city of Chicago, Illinois. She holds a B.A. and M.A. in Special Education and Educational Technology from Michigan State University. Cheryl is an Apple Teacher, Newsela Certified Trainer, Flipgrid Student Voice Ambassador, Edpuzzle Coach, Seesaw Pioneer, Google Certifed 1 & 2, Otus Certified Educator, and Wakelet and Buncee Ambassador. Cheryl has been teaching Special Education for 4 years, and she is a classically trained Mezzo-Soprano opera singer. Cheryl continues to perform in choirs and theater productions in the Chicago area.
Laurie Guyon
Model Schools Coordinator at WSWHE BOCES, New York
Laurie is the Model Schools Coordinator at WSWHE BOCES in New York. She also provides online training with NYSCATE and is a member of the NYSCATE Social Media Team and Volunteer Hall of Fame. Laurie was named a 2020 CoSN Emerging Edtech Leader. She is a Google for Education Certified Educator and Trainer and an ambassador for Buncee, Seesaw, Common Sense, Flipgrid, Nearpod, Sphero, and more. She taught workshops at Skidmore College and online webinars with GCRTC. Laurie received her BA, MST, SBL, and SDL through SUNY Plattsburgh. Laurie is an adjunct professor for Plattsburgh where she teaches Digital Age Learning.
Kristina Holzweiss
EdTech Specialist Librarian at Syosset High School, New York
Kristina Holzweiss is an ed tech specialist librarian at Syosset High School in Syosset, New York. She is the co-author of Hacking School Libraries, and the author of a series of Scholastic makerspace books. Kristina was named the Scholastic/School Library Journal Librarian of the Year in 2015, a National School Board 2016 - 2017 "20 to Watch" emerging education technology leader, and a 2018 Library Journal Mover & Shaker. She is also the Long Island Director for NYSCATE, an ISTE affiliate. Kristina is a keynote presenter who blogs at bunheadwithducttape.com and tweets from @lieberrian.
Dr. Matt Joseph
Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment in Leicester Public Schools
Dr. Matthew X. Joseph is currently the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in Leicester Public Schools. He has been a school and district leader in many capacities in public education over his 25 years in the field. Experiences such as the Director of Digital Learning and Innovation, elementary school principal, classroom teacher, and district professional development specialist. These experiences have provided Matt incredible insights on how to best support teaching and learning and led to nationally published articles and opportunities to speak at multiple state and national events.
Ide Koulbanis
World Languages Teacher, Westerly Public Schools
Íde Koulbanis teaches World Languages (French & World Cultures) to amazing students at Westerly Middle School in Westerly, RI. Originally from Ireland, Westerly has been her home for 19 years now, and she enjoys life with her husband, Jamie and two children, Erin and John. When not teaching, you will most likely find Íde hanging out and having fun with family and friends!
Jeni Long & Sallee Clark
Instructional Technologists at Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD, International Speakers, EdTech Consultants, Bloggers, and Authors
Jeni Long and Sallee Clark are international speakers, EdTech consultants, bloggers, and authors. They currently serve as Instructional Technologists with Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD. This dynamic duo, known as #Jenallee, is passionate about technology integration and making learning accessible & fun for all! Jeni and Salleé co-host a YouTube show called The Jenallee Show. Their blog and YouTube show highlight the newest EdTech tools and offer tech tutorials for teachers and educators across the globe. Between the two of them, they have over 35 years in education and have presented at BETT, TCEA, FETC, ISTE, and various other local conferences. They are both MIE Experts, Minecraft Trainers, Ed to the Max Consultants, as well as ambassadors for Wakelet, Buncee, Genially, Adobe and Flipgrid. In addition, #Jenallee has published articles with Tech & Learning and they are excited about the release of their first book in the spring of 2021. Connect with Jenallee here.
Victoria Lowe
Model Teacher District 8 Bronx, N.Y for the NYC Department of Education
Victoria is a 20 year educator in NYC mentoring, coaching, training, and collaborating with other educators. She also teaches an ELA class for 6th grade students. She is a Certified Microsoft Innovative Educator leading Microsoft training for educators in NYC. She is a Google for Education Certified Educator Levels 1 and 2 leading G Suite training in her school community. VIctoria is an Ambassador for Buncee and Flipgrid. She is an Edpuzzle Coach with Advanced certification. Additionally, she is a Common Sense Educator and Certified Educator for Seesaw, Nearpod, Flocabulary, and Kahoot. She is also a Wakelet Community Member. Victoria received her BA in Accounting from Mercy College New York, M.A. in Psychology from John Jay College, CUNY New York, and her M.S. in Elementary Education from Lehman College, CUNY in New York.
Joe Merrill & Kristen Merrill
Primary School Educators and Authors of "The InterACTIVE Class"
Kristin and Joe Merrill share a passion for infusing EdTech into their Fourth and First Grade classrooms. Together, they have a combined 20+ years of teaching experience, where they collaborate to create engaging lessons that turn into memories for their students. Even though they teach different grades, they share one common goal: learning needs to be interactive. This mindset drove them to write the book, “The InterACTIVE Class,” (Elevate Books EDU), and put a new spin on traditional strategies to help implement technology that meets the needs of all students.
Tess Milares
Assistant Principal at P721K Roy Campanella School, District 75 in Brooklyn, NY
Tess Millares is an experienced educator with 20 years of experience who began teaching in the Philippines to make an impact on her community. When she immigrated to New York City, she continued her passion by pursuing a path of educational leadership and became an Assistant Principal at P721K Roy Campanella School, District 75 in Brooklyn, NY. She supervises students with disabilities who are English Language Learners/Multilingual Learners (ELLs/MLLs). Her focus is for the students to attain a level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English. Through the use of Buncee, she was able to empower students to have a platform where they can showcase their learning and enhance schoolwide activities and communication that became more accessible and inclusive for all stakeholders.
Victoria Morse
Assistant Principal, Mary Bryant Elementary, Hillsborough County Public Schools, Tampa, FL
Victoria Morse is the very proud Assistant Principal of Mary Bryant Elementary. Mrs. Morse is a product of Hillsborough County Public Schools. After graduating from Plant High School, she attended Auburn University, earning a B.S. in Early Childhood. Mrs. Morse also holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Saint Leo University. As an educator for 24 years, she began her career with Hillsborough County Public Schools as a teacher at Mitchell and then Lutz Elementary. During that time, she taught first, second, third, and fourth grade. Following that, Mrs. Morse was a Peer Evaluator for three years, and an Instructional Mentor for one year. In those roles, she worked with students, teachers, and administrators in grades K through 6 in over 35 schools in the district. Mrs. Morse is thrilled to begin her 4th year as an Assistant Principal!
Tisha Poncio
Digital Learning Specialist/Student Leadership Mentor
Tisha Poncio is an energetic and enthusiastic learner & educator. She leads others to purposely integrate technology into their daily lives & lessons as a K-12 digital learning coach. Her biggest accomplishment to date has been the creation of a student-led technology leadership team, SWAT.
Karina Quilantan-Garza
Library Media Specialist at Jaime Escalante Middle School, PSJA ISD
Karina Quilantan-Garza, also known as “Q.”, is a Library Media Specialist from the Rio Grande Valley, Texas. She has earned an array of certifications earning her the titles of Google Certified Trainer, MIE, Apple Teacher, Edpuzzle Coach, BrainPOP Certified Educator, and Buncee Leader. She is an award winning blogger for her site cuethelibrarian.com and for the local networking group that she helped organize by the name of RGV Library Squad. She is a strong advocate for professional learning, digital literacy, and meaningful educational change. Feel free to connect with Karina by following her on social media @cuethelibrarian.
Stephanie Russell
Librarian at Austin Independent School District
Stephanie Galvan Russell is a middle school librarian in Austin, Texas. She serves on the Texas Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List Committee, Intellectual Freedom Committee, Media Virtual Presence Committee, and was the 2018 YART Young Adult Reading Incentive and TASL Media Virtual Presence Honorary Award Winner for her blog, The Lispy Librarian. Her mission is to serve her community by sharing her passion for learning and love of literacy with all students.
Melissa Stark
Special Education and Ed Tech Model Teacher
Melissa Stark is a special education and Ed Tech Model Teacher at P94M in New York City’s Department of Education. She is a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, as well an Ambassador for Book Creator, Tobii Dynavox, Kahoot!, Buncee, Osmo and FlipGrid Student Voice. She is also an Apple Teacher. Melissa has presented at ISTE, EdxEdNYC and New York City’s Department of Education Technology Summit.
Laura Steinbrink
District Technology Coach/ HS English/SPN Teacher
Laura Steinbrink, a teacher for 24 years, presents tech & instructional practices locally, in MO, & nationally. She is the author of www.rockntheboat.com, a Feedspot Top 200 blog in Education & has published articles for Matt Miller, author of Ditch That Textbook, Denis Sheeran, author of Instant Relevance; & articles for Kahoot, Getting Smart, the ISTE Educator Network newsletter, ISTE, & other EDU related companies.
Amy Storer
Instructional Coach/Lead Technology Integration Mentor in Montgomery ISD
Amy Storer is an instructional coach and lead technology integration mentor in Montgomery, Texas. She is a distinguished educator that encourages and motivates others to reach far beyond the classroom walls to make learning more meaningful and inspiring. She has a true passion for purposeful technology integrations and global connections.
Victoria Thompson
STEM Transformation Integration Coach
Victoria Thompson is a STEM Transformation Integration Coach. In her five years as an anti-racist educator, her background primarily centers around K-12 mathematics instruction with research on decolonizing mathematics curriculum for teachers and learners, creating inclusive math environments, and using technology to bridge equity gaps in math education. She serves on the advisory board of Seattle Ed Tech and is a certified Microsoft Innovative Educator, a National Geographic Educator, and an Apple Educator.
Deborah Zeman
Library & Instructional Technology Educator
Deborah is a Library & Instructional Technology Educator who has worked in education for 20 years. She graduated from Dowling College in Oakdale, NY with a BA in English, minoring in Secondary Education. After graduating, Deborah worked in the publishing world for 10 years. She worked at Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishers, BookSpan, Time Warner Book of the Month Club and Elsevier Science in Inventory Control & Management, Copyrights & Permissions, and Administrative Assistant. Deborah graduated from the University of North Texas in December of 2018, obtaining a Masters of Science in Information Science specializing in School Librarianship.