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Dr. Karen Beerer
The keynote speaker for
the first general session was Dr.
Karen Beerer, Discovery
Education's vice president of
professional development. Her
topic was "Leading the Learning
in a Digital Age: Why Now?"
Using a school classroom
photo from the early 1900s to
emphasize the point, she noted
"This is not our classroom of
today, this is not our teacher of
today...and these are not our kids
from today. Students today come
to us with different skills."
She noted a survey
showing that employers rated
digital literacy as 91 out of 100 in
importance - higher even than
education. She used the acronym
LEAD as the centerpiece of her
presentation:
L - Let change begin with you, and model that change.
E - Ensure instruction comes first by leading with pedagogy, not technology - and provide professional
development for teachers.
A - Assessments are critical, but are yours purposeful? She noted how virtual reality is being used in
some places to help close the education gaps.
D - Demand a culture of "yes" - not only yes they can, but yes they will.