- Empowered EDU
- Tuesday May 14th, 2024
- 8AM-3:30 PM
- University of Portland
- Dundon-Berchtold Hall
- Click below for more details
Our Partners
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Presenters
Frederik G. Pferdt, Keynote
- Frederik G. Pferdt is on a mission to empower everyone to fulfill their visions for the future. From shaping Google's fabled creative culture as Chief Innovation Evangelist to nurturing the minds of students at Stanford University's Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, Frederik has a track record of helping others realize their creative superpower to imagine and invent a better tomorrow. Frederik will help empower us to navigate the world of AI, especially as it relates to the landscape of education. www.frederikgpferdt.com
Shana White
- Session Title: AI and Tech Justice
- Shana V. White is the Director of CS Equity Initiatives at the Kapor Foundation. Shana is a passionate educator who works as an advocate for marginalized groups in education and has an unwavering commitment to providing opportunities for historically marginalized students to engage in unique and relevant learning experiences. She believes in purposeful disruption of the status quo and encourages teachers to exercise autonomy and humanize schools for students. At the Kapor Foundation, she leads, advocates for, and supports local and national level work around culturally responsive-sustaining computer science pedagogy, teacher professional development, K12 CS curricula, racial justice work in K12 computer science education, and equitable K12 computer science school/district partnerships.
Stacie Johnson
- As the Director of Professional Learning at Khan Academy, Stacie Johnson is dedicated to empowering educators to provide an accessible, top-tier education to all students. She oversees the creation and implementation of professional learning, equipping educators to incorporate technology into their daily pedagogical practices. Stacie’s professional journey began in the classroom, and she has since served in several capacities including instructional coach, district administrator, and school board member. Stacie has led professional learning initiatives in science and mathematics at district and state levels, and has been a presenter at numerous conferences. Her passion is to provide creative solutions that support teachers and instructional leaders in reaching every student. Stacie is an alumnus of Southeast Missouri State University, where she earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Education.
Wilson Nitunga
- Session Title: AI in everyday Tasks: Boosting Efficiency
- Wilson Nitunga came to the United States with his family at the age of 12. He was born in Burundi and spent 10 years in a refugee camp in Tanzania before being resettled to Tucson, Arizona and, a year later, moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It was an enormous cultural shock and he struggled to adapt on many levels. He was labeled as an at-risk student starting middle school. Fast-forward twenty years, Wilson is now on the faculty at Portland Community College in Oregon teaching Business & Entrepreneurship, while helping the department integrate Generative AI into its curriculum. In 2020 he was named one of Portland’s 40 Under 40. In his keynote presentations and workshops, Wilson weaves his true to life experience from a struggling teenager in school to a successful academic, entrepreneur and education consultant. When he is not in the classroom, Wilson consults organizations on student engagement, leadership, and the incorporation of technology and generative Artificial Intelligence into education. Wilson is the founder of WK Social, a digital makeover agency revolutionizing the way organizations brand themselves and engage with their target audience.Wilson believes in closing the opportunity gap…TODAY!
Dr. Eric Anctil
- Session Title: The AI Revolution: Empowering Educators and Parents in the Digital Age
- Session Description: Join Dr. Eric Anctil, professor of media and technology at the University of Portland, as he explores how advancements in AI technology can support parents and educators in raising the next generation. This talk and discussion will consider the latest developments in AI and how they can be leveraged to enhance parenting, schooling, and equip students with essential life skills.
- Bio: Eric Anctil is a professor of media and technology at the University of Portland, where he directs the Higher Education and Student Affairs graduate program and teaches in a variety of disciplines. Eric is first and foremost a technology provocateur; he is not an evangelist for technology and he is the first admit that technology often does far more harm than good.
Kris Hagel
- Session Title: Teaching for the the future
- Kris Hagel is a seasoned education leader with 24 years of experience in the K-12 EdTech. Kris is driven to ensure that all learners can use the technological solutions they need in whatever manner best supports their goals and aspirations. Skilled in technology architecture and adept at envisioning solutions to problems that require innovative thinking, leveraging a mix of best practices and cutting-edge possibilities. Currently serving as the Executive Director of Digital Learning, Kris co-led the transition of several departments into a centralized department of Learning & Innovation and played a key role in implementing MTSS and Universal Design for Learning instructional initiatives. Kris also now leads the departments of communications and school safety/security.
Nicole W. Adell
- Associate Director of Sustainability & Support
Digital Promise - Verizon Innovative Learning Schools - Nicole Adell Nicole Walker-Adell, Ed.D is an Associate Director of Sustainability and Support at Digital Promise (DP). Within DP’s Digital Equity Team, Nicole supports Historically and Systematically Excluded (HSE) Districts and Schools nationwide to onboard, implement and sustain 1:1 technology integration which includes ongoing professional learning and IT support. With more than two decades of experience in large, urban, secondary-level schools, Nicole recently served as a middle school principal at a Verizon Innovative Learning School (VILS) and led her school of 1200+ students through onboarding, implementation, and sustainability of 1:1 technology integration. Nicole takes a student-centered approach to her work, enjoys cross-team collaboration, and finds peace in public libraries. Nicole earned degrees from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, George Washington University, and the University of Louisville.
Jordan Mroziak
- Co-creation and AI: Shaping the Future of Education Together
- Jordan Mroziak is a boundary spanning learning designer, facilitator, and community engagement specialist. Having earned his doctorate in Instructional Technology with an emphasis on creative applications of learning technologies and critical aesthetic pedagogy, his work emphasizes the thoughtful reimagining of learning in order to best build habits around curiosity, empathy, community, and joy. Most recently, his work for Carnegie Mellon University has deepened his passion for fostering community through relationships oriented towards dreaming a more just and equitable future into existence. Jordan is inspired by scholar-practitioners as divergent as Paulo Freire, Fred Rogers, Maxine Greene, and adrienne maree brown. Currently, Jordan is the Director of the the EDSAFE AI Alliance emphasizing safety, accountability, equity, and efficacy in AI implementations across education ecosystems.
Peter Pappas
- Peter Pappas is a University of Portland-based educator, writer and instructional designer exploring frontiers of teaching, jazz, Macs, film, great books, and garlic.
- Pandemic project: learned to juggle.
Stacie Chana
- With a career spanning over 20 years in urban education leadership, Dr. Stacie Chana serves at the forefront of TechEd Maven Consulting, where educational excellence meets cutting-edge technology. In the era of the fourth and soon to be fifth industrial revolutions, she passionately promotes Artificial Intelligence as a catalyst to advance educational equality and system enhancement. Her focus on AI is not just technological but deeply rooted in fostering safe, ethical, and equitable use within all communities. Dr. Chana’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity, particularly within STEM education, is central to her mission. She serves in support of the intricate dynamics of today's tech-centric educational environment, guiding and enriching the landscape with her expertise and visionary leadership.
Encode Justice
- Encode Justice is a global coalition of youth activists fighting for justice and accountability in the digital age, with over 1,000 members worldwide and 40+ chapters in 35+ states. The Encode Justice Oregon Chapter works to educate their school, local and statewide communities about algorithmic fairness while supporting legislation that encourages the safe and effective implementation of new technologies. From working with the Oregon DOJ's Consumer Privacy Task Force on the Oregon Consumer Privacy Act to drafting our own AI Education Policy proposal with the Oregon DOE, our chapter has engaged in work related to strengthening both statewide surveillance technology policy and Generative AI in Education. Finally, Encode Justice Oregon has pursued collaborations with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Smart City PDX, PDX Privacy, and Rose Haven, establishing the youth voice in a statewide presence centered around furthering the digital privacy and equitable technology movement.
Jason Hovey
- Head of Sales and Rock, Paper, Scissors Champion at Khan Academy. Former Teacher and K-8 Technology Coordinator. Ex-GM for Yahoo! Kids and Education
Sol Joye
- Session title: Oregon Department of Education Generative AI Guidance Overview
- Sol Joye is an award-winning educator who previously taught social studies and technology electives in grades 7 – 12 for over a decade in California and Oregon. In 2023, he joined the Oregon Department of Education as the Program Analyst for Digital Learning on the Well Rounded, Integrated & Digital Learning (WRIDL) team in the Office of Teaching, Learning and Assessment (OTLA). Previously, he was the Director of the Oregon Research Schools Network (ORSN) at the University of Oregon's College of Education, where he worked for ten years. His current interests revolve around the development, implementation and evaluation of digital tools and other educational technology-based solutions, including generative artificial intelligence tools (genAI), which support teachers in improving outcomes in schools across Oregon.
Kasey Fernandez
- Kasey Fernandez (she/they) is the District Library Media Specialist for the Tigard Tualatin School District. She leads TTSD’s Library Services team and partners with building library staff, admin, and others to maintain and develop TTSD’s library collections and services in an inclusive, student-centered manner. She also supports STE(A)M-related initiatives including AI guidance and Art Literacy. Kasey attended college at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa (MEd in Ed Tech) and Portland State University (School Library Media). She is passionate about inclusion, research, machine learning, and intellectual and creative freedom and expression.
Beth Blumenstein
- Session title: Oregon Department of Education Generative AI Guidance Overview
- Beth Blumenstein is currently the Interim Director of Well-Rounded, Integrated & Digital Learning at the Oregon Department of Education, which aims to ensure that every student has access to a high-quality, well-rounded learning experiences through STEAM and digital learning programs. She began serving in this role in August 2023, transitioning from her prior role as the Senior Strategist for Well-Rounded Learning. Beth has served with the Oregon Department of Education since 2006.