General Sessions

Alan November The Challenges and Successes of Technology

Jim Collins Good to Great

Marlee Matlin Courage Plus Dreams Equals Success

Alan November—The Challenges and Successes of Technology
Thursday, October 30, 2008
5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Students entering our classrooms today are truly digital natives. Most teachers and administrators are digital immigrants. The important task of effectively integrating technology and curriculum and instruction can be accomplished only if we can bridge that technology gap. Join us for an interactive and multimedia event facilitated by educational technology expert Alan November. Alan will help us explore the challenges that must be overcome as well as many of the technologies that can and should be utilized to facilitate effective learning. We have the responsibility to prepare our students for a world that is constantly changing, and for jobs that we have not even dreamed of yet. Alan will also showcase success stories of classes and teachers who are successfully using a wide variety of technologies in their teaching and learning.

Jim Collins—Good to Great
Friday, October 31, 2008
8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Jim Collins describes himself as a "teacher at heart." He models the role of a lifelong learner and understands the importance of sharing his learning with others. Although Jim was formerly a faculty member of the Stanford University School of Business (while there, he received the Distinguished Teaching Award) and two of his books have become staples in business schools and the business world, he flatly rejects the "naïve imposition of the language of business on the social sectors." Instead he emphasizes that the critical difference is not between business and social but between good and great. Jim contends that we don’t have many great schools because we have good schools. See how the principles of Good to Great and Built to Last can help you improve your schools, classrooms, and your own lives.

Marlee Matlin—Courage Plus Dreams Equals Success
Saturday, November 1, 2008
1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Marlee Matlin received worldwide critical acclaim for her film debut in Children of a Lesser God, for which she received the Academy Award for Best Actress. At 21, she became the youngest recipient of the Best Actress Oscar. In 1994, Matlin was appointed by President Clinton to the Corporation for National Service; she also served as Chairperson for National Volunteer Week. Marlee believes that children can be whatever they want to be if we believe in them and encourage them to reach for their dreams. Having overcome many obstacles in her lifetime, Matlin feels that we can achieve much more in life if we focus on abilities rather than focusing on perceived disabilities. "When children are taught to reach further and step outside of their comfort zone, they can accomplish great things."