Opening Session Speaker

Senator Jay Rockefeller

US Senator from WV

Senator Rockefeller has proudly served the people of West Virginia for over 40 years. He is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. He is also the Chairman of the Health Care Subcommittee on Finance; and a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He also serves on the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Senator Rockefeller firmly believes that investments in education are investments in stronger communities, a better educated workforce, and a path to a stronger future. Whether it's a child learning how to read, high school students preparing for college or a new job, university students learning in a campus lab or through online courses, or an adult preparing for a career change, Senator Rockefeller recognizes the vital role our educators, agencies and community play, and the need to provide them with our full support. During his time as West Virginia's Governor and as U.S. Senator, Rockefeller has pursued the improvement of education at all levels and for people of all ages. He has worked tirelessly to implement programs that will help educate students in math, science, and technology. His E-rate program has helped schools and libraries across the country connect to the Internet, and he has worked to make higher education more affordable. To meet the challenges of the 21st century, Rockefeller understands that learning institutions need more than just textbooks. They need highly qualified teachers, state-of-the-art classrooms connected to the Internet, and educational environments that prepare West Virginians to compete locally and throughout the world. That's why Senator Rockefeller introduced legislation to create the 21st Century Skills Partnership Incentive Fund that emphasizes critical thinking skills, technology, civic education, and character development. He is also supportive of the new grant opportunities for infrastructure, computing centers and sustainable broadband through the programs administered by the US Department of Agriculture and US Department of Commerce.



Mark Seifert

Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of the Department of Commerce

Mr. Seifert is overseeing the $4.7 billion broadband grant program at the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). NTIA serves as the President’s principal advisor on telecommunications and information policy. Prior to NTIA, Mark served as Counsel to the House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee, where he advised the Chairman and Committee members on an array of wireline and wireless telecommunications issues, including Universal Service, Public Safety communications, and wireline and wireless competition policy. Mark is detailed to NTIA from the Federal Communications Commission, where he has worked since 1996. At the FCC, he has worked in various management positions in the Wireline and Enforcement Bureaus, including overseeing three of the four Universal Service programs. Mark has also worked in the Office of General Counsel, concentrating on competition issues. Prior to joining the FCC he spent five years in private practice as a litigator. He received his J.D. from the University of Virginia and a B.A. from Birmingham-Southern College. Following law school, Mark served as a law clerk for the Honorable Boyce F. Martin, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.




General Session Speaker

Michael B. Horn

Co-author of "DISRUPTING CLASS: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns

Horn is the co-founder and Executive Director, Education of Innosight Institute, a non-profit think tank devoted to applying the theory of disruptive innovation to develop solutions to problems in the social sector. A graduate of Harvard Business School, he contributed research for Barbara Kellerman's 2004 release, Bad Leadership: What It Is, How It Happens, Why It Matters, and Charles Ellis' book, Joe Wilson and the Creation of Xerox (2006). Horn has been the featured speaker at numerous education conferences, including the National Evaluation Systems' conference and the Grantmakers for Education Conference. He graduated from Yale University with distinction in History.



Pre-Conference Session Speaker

(by invitation only)



Higher Education Teachers Prep Speaker

Chris O'Neal is a former elementary and middle school teacher, originally teaching in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where he received numerous Teacher of the Year honors. After leaving the classroom, Chris went on to work in the Curriculum and Instruction office as a technology consultant, where his duties included technology planning and professional development. He went on to work at the State Department of Education in Louisiana for 5 years, focusing on professional development, teacher planning and preparation, district support, and eventually becoming the state director of educational technology. He is now working at the University of Virginia, in conjunction with the Virginia Department of Education providing professional development to school administrators across the state. In addition, he teaches classes at the University of Virginia in both a traditional and online format. He also provides leadership professional development, content development, and consulting for ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), the George Lucas Educational Foundation, the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA), and conducts educational leadership institutes, workshops, and evaluations for several districts and organizations around the world.

Higher Education Teachers Prep and Virtual Learning Speaker

Charles Dziuban is Director of the Research Initiative for Teaching Effectiveness at the University of Central Florida (UCF) where has been a faculty member since 1970 teaching research design and statistics. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. Since 1996, he has directed the impact evaluation of UCF’s distributed learning initiative examining student and faculty outcomes as well as gauging the impact of online courses on the university. Chuck has published in numerous journals including Multivariate Behavioral Research, The Psychological Bulletin, Educational and Psychological Measurement, the American Education Research Journal, the Phi Delta Kappan, the Internet in Higher Education, the Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, and the Sloan-C View. His methods for determining psychometric adequacy have been featured in both the SPSS and the SAS packages. He has received funding from several government and industrial agencies including the Ford Foundation, Centers for Disease Control, National Science Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. In 2000, Chuck was named UCF’s first ever Pegasus Professor for extraordinary research, teaching, and service and in 2005 received the honor of Professor Emeritus. He has co-authored or contributed to numerous books and chapters on blended and online learning including Handbook of Blended Learning Environments, Educating the Net Generation, and Blended Learning: Research Perspectives of which, he is the co-editor. In 2005, Chuck received the Sloan Consortium award for Most Outstanding Achievement in Online Learning by an Individual. In 2007 he was appointed to the National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy Policy Council. In the recent past Chuck has given talks in Budapest for the Hungarian CIVITAS association, the State University of New York, the University of Southern California, the Suffolk Community College System, Westfield College, Coppin State University, Clarion University and The Sloan-C blended learning conference, the Educause Conference, the Sloan Asynchronous Learning Conference, The Southern Regional Education Board, California State University Long Beach and St. Cloud State University.

Speaker Sponsored by SchoolKiT

Peter H. Reynolds is a New York Times Best Selling author/illustrator and advocate for "off the path" learners. Peter's career has been dedicated to crafting stories, media, and technology that challenge children and "grown up children" around the world to reach their full potential. Peter has made his mark in many ways, including founding Emmy-award winning FableVision with his identical twin brother Paul. FableVision is an educational media developer and publisher creating innovative software and media. Peter's best selling books about protecting and nurturing the creative spirit have won many honors and awards. The film versions of his books, The Dot and Ish, landed the Carnegie Medal of Excellence and the American Library Associations' 2006 Notable Children's Videos Honors. Peter's latest collaborations Someday, Little Boy, and a newly revised Free to Be You and Me with Marlo Thomas, recently hit the New York Times Best Seller Children's List at #1. His cornerstone book, The North Star, has inspired "children of all ages" around the world as a book, curriculum, a musical, and stage adaptation. In 2007, Peter received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from his undergraduate alma mater, Fitchburg State College, in recognition of his "substantial contributions to education and the arts". Much of Peter's spare time is spent giving back to the community by revitalizing the businesses in his beloved town of Dedham, supporting schools, and serving on the board of several non-profit organizations, such as Horizons for the Homeless and Everybody Wins Metro Boston. More information is available at the FableVision website: www.fablevision.com and at Peter's own website: www.peterhreynolds.com Keynote: "Standardish" ~ Creativity, Innovation, & the Six Essentials Join Peter H. Reynolds in celebrating 25 years in educational technology as he shares his uplifting vision of how to inspire more creative classrooms and his knowledge and love of the written word. Hear about six essentials that foster creativity and innovation in the classroom. See how technology allows one to make new connections, share new ideas, and see what else is possible. His message is served up in a delightful, touching and unforgettable style that is an entertaining blend of fanciful artwork, live animation, and readings of one his books. Peter's books include The Dot, The North Star, Ish, So Few of Me, and his latest creations, Someday and Little Boy. Peter will also share his latest DVD, Stories That Matter, Stories That Move along with his heart-warming tales of how creative educators dared him to make his mark. His words, illustrations, animations, and actions remind us to: Be Brave, Be Original, Be Inspirational, Be Inspired, Be Active, and Make it a Meaningful Journey!