Featured Speakers for the 2009-2010 Spotlight on Education Speaker Series October 15, 2009: Transforming Education: Bringing 21st Century Skills to Every Student in Your School/District Ken Kay, CEO & Co-founder of e-Luminate Group and President of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills The Partnership for 21st Center Skill Organization has worked with stakeholders in the public and private sectors to reach consensus on how 21st century skills should be incorporated with K-12 curricula. Ken Kay’s presentation stresses the need for schools to move beyond a focus on basic competency in core subjects to promoting understanding of academic context at much higher levels by weaving 21st century interdisciplinary themes into core subjects. November 19, 2009: Engage or Enrage Me: Educating Today’s “Digital Native” Learners Marc Prensky, Internationally acclaimed speaker, writer, consultant, and designer in the area of education and learning All educators are struggling to find ways to engage and connect students with learning. Join Prensky as he presents his unique message about the upcoming effects of today’s digital youth in education and business. He explains and demonstrates not only how today’s students (whom he refers to as Digital Natives) have changed, but how educators (whom he refers to as Digital Immigrants) can deal with the changes, learn from them and use engaging approaches as well as 21st century skills. February 18, 2010: Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative Sir Ken Robinson, Internationally-renowned expert in the field of creativity and innovation in business and education As one of the most sought after speakers in the world and respected adviser to governments in the United States, Europe, and Asia, Sir Ken Robinson argues that many countries are pushing reforms in the wrong direction. Ever wonder if we need radical changes to educate all students to meet the extraordinary challenges of living and working in the 21st century? In this powerful presentation Sir Ken urges schools and colleges everywhere to rethink basic assumptions about intelligence and creativity. March 18, 2010: Student as Contributor: Digital Learning Farm Alan November, International leader in educational technology, Senior Partner/Founder of November Learning: Expanding the boundaries of learning Alan November’s thought-provoking creative presentation will address students’ use of collaborative online tools, research and global communications skills to add value to the learning community. November will challenge you to think beyond the classroom and work towards preparing students for today’s global economy. For Alan, it’s not the technology itself that is important, it’s the way we use it. His ideas about global communication, collaboration, assessment, and critical thinking have inspired schools, governments, and corporations around the world to rethink and redefine their approach to education and technology. May 6, 2010: The Liberation of Learning Milton Chen, Executive Director of the George Lucas Educational Foundation and the Edutopia Program. Fulbright New Century Scholar working on innovation, access and diversity issues in education. With the economic and global changes facing our society, it’s clear that our nation – and our teachers and students – need a very different type of educational system than the one we’ve had. The Edutopia media produced by The George Lucas Educational Foundation showcase many schools around the country who are making a change. They are moving from textbook-based instruction to rigorous, authentic project-based learning. They are using technology to give students and teachers access to modern knowledge and experts. They are instituting team teaching and group learning, so students practice together and communicate as teams do in today’s workplace. Executive Director Milton Chen will share recent examples of Edutopia’s work and engage the audience with models that can be adapted to create a school system for the future. REGISTER TODAY - SPACE IS LIMITED! www.sandiego.edu/soles/spotlight 5998 Alcala Park San Diego, CA 92110
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