Authors Jennie Magiera and Kristin Ziemke Among School Technology Experts to Speak at Valparaiso University, Dec. 6

Valparaiso University’s Professional Educators Partnership (PEP) will host its annual Professional Learning Community (PLC) workshop at Valparaiso University. This year’s theme, “Innovative Learning in a Digital World,” will feature authors and Apple Distinguished Educators Jennie Magiera and Kristin Ziemke as well as former Illinois Teacher of the Year Josh Stumpenhorst and former Digital Principal Award Winner Jason Markey. This workshop is a professional development opportunity targeted to K–12 teachers and school administrators.

The workshop will support educators with the integration of meaningful and authentic technology practices that empowers student learning. Teachers and administrators will be provided time to work on their individual/school Teacher Innovation Exploration Plan (TIEP) with the guidance of experts in the field. The workshop will be held on the Valparaiso University campus in the Harre Union Ballroom on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. CT.

Magiera is the author of the book “Courageous Edventures: Navigating Obstacles to Discover Classroom Innovation” and “Teaching Like It’s 2999,” an education blog, both supporting teachers to redefine the (digital) classroom. A former fourth/fifth grade teacher in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Magiera currently serves as the chief technology officer for Des Plaines Public School District 62. She strives to transform professional learning, serving on the Technical Working Group for the U.S. Department of Education’s National Educational Technology Plan. Magiera is a Google for Education Certified Innovator, a Google Education Trainer and a TEDx speaker. Magiera’s honors include former White House Champion for Change, Apple Distinguished Educator and the CPS 2012 Tech Innovator of the Year.

Ziemke is the author of “Amplify: Digital Teaching and Learning in the K–6 Classroom” and co-author of “Connecting Comprehension and Technology.” As a teacher of primary-age learners in Chicago, Ziemke says “she engages students in authentic learning experiences where reading, thinking, collaboration and inquiry are the core.” An Apple Distinguished Educator, National Board Certified Teacher and Chicago’s 2013 Tech Innovator of the Year, Ziemke seeks opportunities to transform education through technology innovation. She collaborates with educators around the globe as a staff developer, speaker and writer.

Stumpenhorst is a sixth grade teacher at Lincoln Junior High School in Naperville, Illinois. He was named the 2011–2012 Illinois Teacher of the Year and an International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Emerging Leader. He is the author of the book “The New Teacher Revolution: Changing Education for a New Generation of Learners,” by Corwin Press, which analyzes current practices in schools and suggests alternate strategies for all teachers. Stumpenhort is a former TEDx speaker.

Markey is currently the principal at East Leyden High School in Franklin Park, Illinois, where he has created what he calls “a culture of risk-taking, openness and respect for student voice.” He was a 2014 Digital Principal Award Winner and is a Google Certified Teacher. Markey recently helped lead a district initiative to move the Leyden School District to 1:1 technology. With every student connected to the web comes the obligation of teaching students how to use social media responsibly.

Registration will close once we meet our seating capacity. Additional information and materials are available at valpo.edu/PEP. Questions may be referred to Laurie A. Snell, director, laurie.snell@valpo.edu or 219.464.6734.