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Ed-tech for Educational Inclusion
- 1. SXSWEdu Panel Session: Ed-techfor Educational Inclusion
- 2. What leaders aresaying… “I think every student needs access to technology, and I think technology can be a hugely important vehicle to help level the playing field.” – Arne Duncan, United States Secretary of Education “Inclusive, good-quality education is a foundation for dynamic and equitable societies.” – Desmond Tutu, South African social rights advocate
- 3. Why Educational Inclusion? Inequityin educational opportunity still exists… • Black and Hispanic students score, on average, three-quarters of a standard deviation lower than white students in both math and reading – the equivalent of four years of learning in middle school or high school. • Socioeconomic differences account for 50 – 85% of white-black and white-Hispanic achievement gaps among young children. • Students from low-socioeconomic status (SES) schools entered high school 3.3 grade levels behind students from higher SES schools. We have an obligation to ensure that all children have access to the tools that enable them to truly learn and apply their learning.
- 4. The Panel Abstract ThisSWSWXedu panel topic aims to explore how Ed-tech and adaptive learning tools are transforming learning to reach all students and minimize institutional educational disparity. New approaches to teaching and learning are providing us with unprecedented opportunities to break the legacies of educational inequality and open doors to economic opportunity. Panelists, stemming from various industries and perspectives, will discuss the connection between new learning technologies and educational inclusion in addition to disruptive strategies to prepare all of today’s students for the demands of our 21st century economy.
- 5. Invited LeVar Burton Host andExecutive Producer Reading Rainbow The Speakers Confirmed Jessie Woolley-Wilson Chair, President and CEO DreamBox Learning Sehreen NoorAli Founder, EdTechWomen Director of Partnerships, Noodle Education, Inc. Christine Johns Superintendent Utica Schools, Sterling Heights, Michigan
- 6. Jessie Woolley- Wilson Jessie Woolley-Wilsonis Chair, President and CEO of DreamBox Learning®, the company that developed the Intelligent Adaptive Learning™ platform heralded as a “game changer” in the eLearning sector by nationally renowned academic and technology pundits. Jessie brings nearly two decades of experience in K-12 e-learning and education technology to DreamBox Learning. Throughout her career in the education industry, Jessie has held several leadership roles in general management, sales and marketing, operations, and business development. Before joining DreamBox Learning, Jessie was President of the K–12 Group at Blackboard where she led the company’s growth and development for the virtual and blended online learning market. Prior to Blackboard, she was President of LeapFrog SchoolHouse, the schools division of LeapFrog Enterprises, where she established SchoolHouse as a leader in education technology and one of the fastest growing educational software producers in the United States.
- 7. Sehreen NoorAli Panelist Sehreen NoorAliis the founder of EdTechWomen. As a community-driven communications and business development strategist, she currently leads business development and partnerships for Noodle Education, an educational search engine that connects to all aspects and levels of education based in New York City. She launched her career at the U.S. Department of State where she served on the core team charged with planning and executing President Obama’s vision for people-to- people diplomacy. She also led the strategy and product development of the first digital media tool to connect the U.S. government directly with Iranian citizens and was personally recognized by President Obama for her work. She has worked in Washington, D.C., Dubai, Kathmandu, Paris, London, Karachi, Damascus, and Amman. Sehreen is active in her local community, most recently as chairperson for a youth development organization. She is a graduate of Brown University and Harvard University.
- 8. Dr. Christine Johns Panelist Dr. ChristineJohns has served as Superintendent of Utica Community Schools since 2006. Under Dr. Johns' leadership, Michigan’s second largest school district has been at the forefront of implementing educational changes to promote a college culture that is focused on the success of every child. Student achievement is among its highest in the district’s history and UCS students perform at levels above state and national averages. All four UCS high schools were recently honored as among the best high schools in the nation by Newsweek magazine and the district’s Utica Academy for International Studies (UAIS) was recognized as the state’s most academically challenging school by the Washington Post. Under Dr. Johns’ leadership, Utica Community Schools has earned a national reputation for the effective use of technology to leverage teaching and learning in district classrooms. The district's blended learning model in kindergarten and first grade has attracted national attention for its focus on creating personalized instruction for every student. She has led the integration of school-wide data teams to promote improved achievement and changes that focus on mastery of content by UCS students. Dr. Johns is also one of only 40 national educators invited to participate in Digital Promise, a bipartisan, public-private partnership chartered by Congress to spur innovation in public education through technology. As Superintendent, Dr. Johns has also provided the leadership for programs that offer parents a portfolio of choices that support career and college readiness. UCS high schools also have a wide array of Advanced Placement, career and technical education programs and opportunities in the fine and performing arts. The district’s Advanced Placement programs have been honored by the College Board for the increase in student participation and success. Specialty programs available to secondary students include the UAIS, the Utica Center for Science and Industry and the Utica Center for Mathematics, Science and Technology. In addition to comprehensive elementary programs, parents also have options for a Mandarin Chinese program and a K-6 Montessori program. Programs are enhanced by such community partnerships as the Detroit Zoological Society, University of Michigan- Flint and a public-private consortium dedicated to STEM education known as Velocity Jr. Prior to her current role as Superintendent of Utica Community Schools, Dr. Johns served as Deputy Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction in the Baltimore County Public Schools and has held various administrative positions in the Pasadena Unified School District and Prince George’s County Public Schools. Dr. Johns holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh, a Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University, and both a Master’s of Education degree and Doctor of Education degree in Educational Administration from Harvard University.
- 9. LeVar Burton Invited Panelist LeVarBurton is the Host and Executive Producer of the Reading Rainbow, a show aimed at teaching young children to read. The series won five Emmys and a Peabody Award (1993), among various other honors, over its more than 20 years on the air (1983-2009). LeVar received 12 personal Emmys for his work as host and producer of the show, in addition to high marks from critics for his warm delivery. In 1990, LeVar was honored for his achievements in television with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. IN 1995, he earned an NAACP Image Award (outstanding performance in a youth/children’s series or special) for his contributions to the Reading Rainbow. LeVar won four more NAACP awards over the next eight years. In 2011, LeVar announced the launch of RRKidz, a reading and exploration platform/company aimed at motivating kids to experience literature through the digital devices they love, offering hundreds of books through a subscription service. The following year saw the launch of a free Reading Rainbow app, designed specifically for the iPad and for children ages 3-9. In 2013, RRKidz announced that 10 million books and video field trips had been utilized through the app. LeVar is a graduate of the University of Southern California.