Keynote Speakers
Michael Bonner
Seen on The Ellen Show and NBC Nightly News, educator, speaker, and author Michael Bonner has taken to more than 100 education events to share his "lessons learned" from teaching in a Title I school with children that experience high levels of trauma and adverse situations.
About Michael
Seen on The Ellen Show and NBC Nightly News, educator, speaker, and author Michael Bonner has taken to more than 100 education conferences, school district meeting and leadership development stages across the U.S. & Canada to share his "lessons learned" from teaching in a Title I school with children that experience high levels of trauma and adverse situations. His candid, enthusiastic seminars challenge listeners to create diverse, inclusive education plans "where students can see themselves within the lessons and assessments" as a means to increase student success rates. He empowers his audiences to build genuine relationships with their students because "you can't demand a withdrawal from someone you have never invested in."
Administrators and educators alike leave Mr. Bonner's presence ready to make an impact that affects eternity. Mr. Bonner is consistently seen as a visionary leader who strives to create a positive mindset among all of his students. His students come to class each day with diverse backgrounds, strengths, needs, and challenges. Therefore, he identifies strategies to ensure their growth socially, emotionally, academically, and psychologically. Due to his educational approach, students leave more hopeful, challenged, inspired, and forever a part of Bonnerville.
Dr. Brian Beatty
Dr. Brian Beatty pioneered the development and evaluation of the HyFlex course design model for blended learning environments, implementing a “student-directed-hybrid” approach to better support student learning.
About Brian
Dr. Brian Beatty is Associate Professor of Instructional Technologies in the Department of Equity, Leadership Studies and Instructional Technologies at San Francisco State University (SFSU). Brian’s primary areas of interest and research include social interaction in online learning, flipped classroom implementation, and developing instructional design theory for Hybrid-Flexible learning environments. At SFSU, Dr. Beatty pioneered the development and evaluation of the HyFlex course design model for blended learning environments, implementing a “student-directed-hybrid” approach to better support student learning. He recently published the open-access book, Hybrid-Flexible Course Design.
Previously, Brian was Vice President for Academic Affairs Operations at SFSU, overseeing the Academic Technology unit and coordinating the use of technology in the academic programs across the university. Earlier, Brian was Associate Professor and Chair of the Instructional Technologies department in the Graduate College of Education at SFSU. Brian has more than 25 years’ experience as a classroom teacher, trainer, and instructional designer at schools, businesses, and the US Navy.
Robin Winsor
Robin Winsor is a highly influential visionary and executive in the technology field, who is known for being both a playful and provocative agent of change. Robin invented the world’s first direct digital x-ray imaging device, and became a vocal champion for the digitally disadvantaged.
About Robin
Robin Winsor is a highly influential visionary and executive in the technology field, who is known for being both a playful and provocative agent of change. Over the course of his extraordinary career, Robin invented the world’s first direct digital x-ray imaging device, and led a not-for-profit technology accelerator to become one of Canada’s most vocal champions for the digitally disadvantaged. He is widely sought after as a speaker on the future of technology.
Robin will be speaking on "School's Out - How AI Will Transform Teaching & Learning." Artificial intelligence and robotics are together enabling new capabilities in almost all fields of human endeavor. With the new capabilities comes both great promise but also massive disruption to how we work and learn. In this talk Robin will describe how AI fits into modern teaching models (not too well) and those of the distant past (perhaps much better). What does this mean for teachers and students in the 21st century and how can educators best adapt to their new roles alongside intelligent machines?
Dr. Natalie Nixon
Dr. Natalie Nixon is a strategy, foresight and innovation expert. As a global speaker and author, she advises leaders on unique approaches for process transformation and leveraging creativity as an innovation resource to more rapidly achieve priority business goals.
About Natalie
Dr. Natalie Nixon is a strategy, foresight and innovation expert. She converted a 16-year career as a professor into a successful consulting practice. As president and founder of Figure 8 Thinking, LLC., she advises leaders on unique approaches for process transformation and leveraging creativity as an innovation resource to more rapidly achieve priority business goals. Natalie does this by applying her background in cultural anthropology, fashion, and service design. The focus in her work is two-fold:
Innovation - Creating unique customer-centric approaches for process improvement & transformation.
Change Management - Designing the optimal ways to implement and sustain the innovation. She is a global speaker and the author of The Creativity Leap: Unleash Curiosity, Improvisation and Intuition at Work; the editor of Strategic Design Thinking: Innovation in Products, Services, Experiences, and Beyond; and a regular contributor to Inc. magazine on creativity and design thinking. Natalie’s board experience includes: Trustee of Vassar College; The Philadelphia Art Commission; the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce; and Leadership+Design. Her topic: The Future of Work: The 4 Shifts Your Organization Must Make ... NOW!
Panel Discussions
Adapting Technology Through a Pandemic
On March 17, 2020, the TxDLA launched its Keep Connecting Webinar Series to support higher education, K-12, government/non-profit and corporate constituencies to guide, support and provide expertise during a time of pandemic. TxDLA has consistently provided a toolbox of immediate needs to our members and the distance learning community and will discuss the effects of adapting technology during a pandemic.
Best Leadership Practices in a Time of Crisis
The TxDLA Board Chair, Chief Information Officer, and Presidents of both USDLA and TxDLA will discuss best leadership best practices as they have experienced, implemented and expedited with their institutions and organizations during the pandemic.