alan-novemberAlan November is an international leader in education technology. He began his career as an oceanography teacher and dorm counselor at an island reform school for boys in Boston Harbor. While Alan was a computer science teacher in Lexington, Mass, he was probably the first teacher in the world to have a student project on line in 1984, a database for the handicapped. He has been director of an alternative high school, computer coordinator, technology consultant, and university lecturer. He has helped schools, governments and industry leaders improve the quality of education through technology.

Audiences enjoy Alan's humor and wit as he pushes the boundaries of how to improve teaching and learning. His areas of expertise include planning across curriculum, staff development, new school design, community building and leadership development. He has delivered keynotes and workshops in all fifty states, across Canada, and throughout the UK, Europe, Asia and Central America.

Alan was named one of the nation's fifteen most influential thinkers of the decade by Technology and Learning Magazine. In 2001, he was listed one of eight educators to provide leadership into the future by the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse. In 2007 he was selected to speak at the Cisco Public Services Summit during the Nobel Prize Festivities in Stockholm, Sweden. His writing includes numerous articles and two best-selling books, Empowering Students with Technology and Web Literacy for Educators. Alan was co-founder of the Stanford Institute for Educational Leadership Through Technology and is most proud of being selected as one of the original five national Christa McAuliffe Educators.

Each summer Alan leads the Building Learning Communities summer conference with world-class presenters and international participants. Visit novemberlearning.com/blc for more details.

chris-lehmannChris Lehman is the founding principal of the Science Leadership Academy, a progressive science and technology high school in Philadelphia, PA. The Science Leadership Academy is an inquiry-driven, project-based, 1:1 laptop school that is considered to be one of the pioneers of the School 2.0 movement nationally and internationally. The school was recognized by Ladies Home Journal as one of the Ten Most Amazing Schools in the US, has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished School in 2009 and 2010 and has been written about in many publications including Edutopia Magazine, EdWeek and the Philadelphia Inquirer. Chris returned to his native Philadelphia after nine years as an English Teacher, Technology Coordinator, Girls Basketball Coach and Ultimate Frisbee coach at the Beacon School in New York City, one of the leading urban public schools for technology integration.

In April of 2012, Chris won the Lindback Award for Excellence in Principal Leadership in the School District of Philadelphia. In September of 2011, Chris was honored by the White House as a Champion of Change for his work in education reform. In June 2010, Chris was named as one of the "30 Most Influential People in EdTech" by Technology & Learning Magazine. In 2009, Chris was a honoree for the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development's Outstanding Young Educator Award. Chris was named as one of "40 Under 40" by Philadelphia Business Journal in 2009. In 2006, the National School Board Association named Chris one of "20 to Watch" among American administrators.

In 2001, Chris was honored by MOUSE as a Champion of Technology and Education for his work on building the portal at the Beacon School. Chris has written for such education publications as Principal Leadership Magazine, Learning and Leading with Technology Magainze, and the School Library Journal. Chris has spoken at conferences all over the world, including TEDxPhilly, TEDxNYED, the National Association of Secondary Schools Conference, the Building Learning Communities conference, the National Educational Computing Conference, the Philadelphia Area Educational Technology Conference, The Yahoo Cybercitizen Conference, the Innovative Learning Conference, The Council of Educational Facilities Planners Regional Conference, the K12-Online Conference, the International Conference on Technology and Education and at LinuxWorld, and he has worked with many schools and districts in the U.S. and England as a consultant. Chris received his B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania and his M.A. in English Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Chris is co-editor of What School Leaders Need to Know about Digital Technologies and Social Media, the author of the education blog Practical Theory and is father to Jakob and Theo.

arnie-bieberDr. Arnie Bieber, Director of the International School of Prague since 2008, has been an international educator for over twenty years. Prior to ISP, Arnie taught and has led in schools in New York City, Munich, Caracas, and Bucharest. He holds a Bachelor's of Science degree from City University of New York, two Masters' degrees (Teaching/Educational Leadership), and a Doctorate of Education from Columbia University. Arnie previously served as CEESA Executive Committee Chair and Chair of the Board of Trustees of ECIS. Arnie has presented in a number of workshops and events including ECIS, CEESA, Apple and Google Conferences. Arnie also writes a blog focused on school transformation: http://www.school21c.org.

fran-prolmanDr. Fran Prolman is an internationally recognized consultant specializing in educational leadership, school improvement and instructional strategies as well as communication skills, critical thinking and organizational development. She is known for her depth of knowledge coupled with high energy and practical application of content. Dr Prolman incorporates a variety of training approaches: small group discussion, video tape analysis, demonstrations and dynamic interchange through her work. Fran earned her doctorate in teacher training and international education from George Washington University and a masters degree in educational administration and curriculum and instruction from the University of Pennsylvania. She has been a two-time Fulbright Scholar in both India and Israel, and has presented numerous papers and workshops nationally and internationally.

Fran brings 30 years of educational experience as a teacher, staff developer, administrator, graduate level university instructor and published author. Much of her time is spent in multifaceted work with school systems throughout the United States focusing on teacher training methodology and administrative supervision and evaluation skills. She facilitates leadership retreats for teachers and administrators, delivers system-wide keynote speeches and workshops, and coaches administrators in the building of professional learning communities, instructional supervision, evaluation systems and the change process. Fran also facilitates workshops for teachers focusing on differentiated instruction, formative and summative assessment, classroom application of instructional strategies that enhance student achievement, critical thinking, and curriculum design for a standards-based classroom.

Over the last fifteen years, she has made numerous presentations at state, national, and international conferences on topics such as mentoring beginning teachers, curriculum design, instructional strategies that enhance student achievement, how to build professional learning communities, assessing school culture, and administrative observation, supervision and coaching skills. She is a frequent presenter for the European Council of International Schools, The Central and Eastern European Schools Association, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the Near East South Asia Association of International Schools.

Dr. Prolman is an independent consultant in Great Falls, VA, a Senior Consultant with Research for Better Teaching, and Vice President for Training for the Center for Arts in Basic Curriculum.

carolyn-mc-kandersCarolyn McKanders is Co-Director of the Center for Adaptive Schools. The mission of the Center is to help schools develop the technical and social resources to realize continuing student improvement through collaborative, results-focused working relationships. As an educational consultant, Carolyn specializes in individual, group and organization development. Her passion is promoting quality human relationships through communication, collaboration and leadership skills development.

Carolyn’s background includes 28 years of experience in Detroit Public Schools as a teacher, counselor, program administrator and staff development specialist. Presently, she presents seminars internationally on developing Adaptive Schools, enhancing presentation effectiveness and facilitation skills. She also provides Polarity ManagementTM training, which supports organizations in identifying and managing competing tensions inherent in social systems. In addition, she presents and coaches using Cognitive CoachingSM principles, maps and tools. The mission of Cognitive CoachingSM is to produce self-directed persons with the cognitive capacity for high performance both independently and as members of a community.

Carolyn has extensive experience in group facilitation. She has successfully helped groups to clarify vision and work collaboratively to achieve professional community and desired results. In addition to her work in educational settings, she is a family and women's counselor. From her counseling experience she brings to her work a deep belief in the unlimited capacity and resilience of the human spirit.

Carolyn holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Child Development and Education from Michigan State University, a Master of Arts Degree in Counseling and Education from the University of Michigan, and a Master of Social Work Degree in Family and Children Services from Eastern Michigan University.

Carolyn McKanders, Consultant?. 1923 Waterside Drive Missouri City, Texas 77459??. Telephone: 313–378–5078?, E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

cathy-berger-kayeCathy Berger Kaye When asked, "Where do you live?" Cathryn Berger Kaye often answers “in Los Angeles and airports.” As president of CBK Associates and ABCD Books, Cathy travels 130 plus days a year globally providing professional and organizational development, keynotes, in-depth institutes, and exceptional education and learning resources. Most recent journeys include keynoting Singapore Character and Civic Education Conference, two week long visits consulting and leading institutes at Jakarta International School for educators from 10 countries, teaching Hawaii educators a new STEM and service learning curriculum for state-wide implementation, and keynoting (plus day-long workshops) at an AISA Conference in Johannesburg. Cathryn authored The Complete Guide to Service Learning and a Kids in Action workbook series. With environmental advocate Philippe Cousteau she has written two books Going Blue: A Teen Guide to Saving Our Oceans, Lakes, Rivers & Wetlands and Make a Splash! A Kids Guide to Saving Our Oceans, Lakes, Rivers, & Wetlands. Her program Strategies for Success: A Learning Curriculum that Serves has been implemented with over 50,000 students in the Los Angeles Unified School District; a new version emphasizing 21st century skills is being implemented in Singapore, North Carolina, and with the Cherokee Nation. She reads, dances, cooks, and she is delighted to be returning to CEESA. Contact Cathryn at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and www.abcdbooks.org.

david-epsteinDavid Epstein, AIA, LEED™ AP, is a principal at TruexCullins, an architecture and interior design firm in Burlington, Vermont, and leads their Education Studio in the design of K-12 schools both in the US and overseas. He has brought his leadership in sustainability and educational design to international schools in 11 countries on 3 continents, and has spoken on these issues at the Nordic Network (keynote), AAIE, CEESA, ECIS and AASSA conferences and writes about 21st Century School Design for the blog “Digital Crayon”. A registered architect since 1989, David has an architecture degree from the Virginia Tech College of Architecture and Urban Studies, is a LEED™ Accredited Design Professional and is a member of American Institute of Architects.

elizabeth-slavittElizabeth Slavitt is a team member of Khan Academy and her task is School Implementations. Elizabeth works with schools to create individualized, collaborative, and joyful classroom environments in which Khan Academy software and visionary teachers help students master concepts at their own pace. Before Khan Academy, Elizabeth worked at McKinsey & Company and earned a B.A. in Intellectual History at Penn.

jerald-newberryJerald Newberry is currently the Executive Director of the National Education Association1s Health Information Network, the health division of the 3.2 million- member National Education Association. He has raised more than $30 million used to develop materials and training, addressing a wide spectrum of school- related health issues, including: HIV/AIDS prevention; teen pregnancy prevention; sexually transmitted disease/infection prevention; indoor air quality; school/gun safety; mental health/wellness; and physical activity and nutrition.

Mr. Newberry co-authored NEA Health Information Network1s Can We Talk?/Conversamos?, a parent education program that promotes in- depth conversations between parents and their children about healthy decision making. He also created NEA1s Safe Schools Now" video series. The 9th video, "Mind over Media", was co-produced with Court TV and was designed to teach elementary, middle school and high school students to analyze violent messages in the media, reached more than 23 million viewers.

Earlier, Mr. Newberry directed the Sex Education Program for Fairfax County Schools. He developed the Fairfax County Family Life Education curricula for grades K-12, and insured the program1s compliance with Virginia Department of Education standards. During his six-year tenure, Fairfax County teen pregnancy rates dropped 25%. Mr. Newberry had spent his career in public education, teaching at all levels from Head Start through college. Even earlier, he established the first middle school learning disabilities program in Fairfax County Virginia Public Schools, and was in charge of transforming twenty-three Fairfax County junior high schools into middle schools focused on interdisciplinary team teaching. Mr. Newberry is a recognized national expert on school safety and other school health issues.

ron-belinkoInvolved in education and interscholastic athletics since 1966, Ron Belinko, CMAA, Retired Coordinator of Athletics for the Baltimore County Public Schools. has earned honors at the national, state, and local levels. He is currently a consultant for the Office of Athletics.

Belinko’s work at all levels of high school athletics has helped him advance to several important positions within the NFHS and the NIAAA. A member of the NFHS Boys Lacrosse Rules Committee since 1999, he was appointed chairman in 2003. In 2002, Belinko was named the state Leadership Training coordinator, and he has served on national faculties for LTC 507 and LTC 502. Belinko has spoken at ten NIAAA National Conferences of High School Directors of Athletics, and has been published in the Interscholastic Athletic Administration journal.

Belinko has been equally dedicated to the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA). Involved with the association since 1983, he has served on the MPSSAA’s executive council, and the MPSSAA Board of Control. He directed the state wrestling tournament from 1979 to 1990, and served on the MPSSAA Wrestling Weight Certification Committee in 2003. Belinko was inducted in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004, and he was also inducted into the Maryland State Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1987, as well as the Baltimore County Wrestling Hall of Fame. With his extensive experience in lacrosse, Belinko worked as director of the MPSSAA Lacrosse Committee, a position he has held since 1984.

Before getting involved in the administrative side of high school athletics, Belinko coached football, wrestling, and lacrosse. Among his coaching experiences, Belinko was head wrestling coach at Johns Hopkins University, and football, wrestling and lacrosse coach at Overlea High School and Eastern Technical High School. He is a member of the Eastern Technical High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Belinko is a graduate of the University of Baltimore, and he earned his master’s degree from Morgan State University. He holds the designation as a “Certified Master Athletic Administrator” from the National Certification board.

sheria-sticeSheri Franklin Stice, Certification Program Director, NIAAA, Sam Houston State University: BS and MEd.

Recently retired after 38 years in the field of education as a teacher/coach, department chair , assistant principal and the last 17 years as associate athletic director in Cypress Fairbanks ISD, Houston, Texas. Cy Fair is a large suburban district and encompasses 10 high schools and 17 middles schools.

At the local level I have served as:

  • A member of the Harris Co. program evaluation team
  • Numerous scholarship committees
  • Coordinator of Special Olympics
  • The Region V Director of the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association
  • Tournament Director for Girls Region Tournaments for Basketball and Volleyball
  • Numerous Conference Committees
  • Longtime member of the Texas High School Coaches Association, Texas High School Athletic Directors Association, Texas Association of Health and Physical Education

Accomplishments:

  • Grant Procurement for Athletics and Physical Education in the amount of $2 million
  • Licensed facilitator for the Covey Center, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”
  • Licensed ROPES facilitator
  • Development and initiation of the district’s Sportsmanship Plan
  • Coaching Principles Instructor
  • District Wall of Fame recipient, 2007, 2009, 2010
  • Inducted into the Texas High School Athletic Directors Hall of Honor, 2010

At the national level I have:

  • Active member of the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association for 15 years
  • Received the Certified Athletic Administrator and Certified Master Athletic Administrator designation
  • Published articles in the IAA Magazine
  • Contributing author to the Athletic Administrators Guidebook
  • Serve as a state and national LTI faculty member
  • Served as a state liaison for 3 years
  • Served as a state delegate for 2 years
  • Served as a vice chair and chair of the Certification committee
  • Served as a vice chair for LTC 700
  • Received the NIAAA Distinguished Service Award in 2007
  • Received the NFHS Citation in 2009

DANIEL SARACINO

DANIEL SARACINO - WORKSHOP PRESENTER

daniel-saracinoDan Saracino recently retired as the University of Notre Dame’s assistant provost for enrollment. He spends his time now consulting for colleges, universities and secondary schools. Over the forty-two years of working in higher education, he served as the chief enrollment officer at both Santa Clara University and the University of Notre Dame, his Alma Mater.

Dan has played leadership roles in professional organizations at the state, regional and national levels. These organizations include the College Board and the National Association for College Admission Counseling in which he served as the president of this organization for three years. In addition, he has testified before the U.S. Congress and the California legislature on matters of college enrollment and financial aid.

Over the years, he has been quoted in the New York Times, Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune and has appeared on NBC’s “The Today Show.” Mr. Saracino has written articles and given workshops and presentations on a variety of topics. They include Enrollment Management, Legal and Ethical Issues in College Admissions, The College Athlete, and Merit versus Need-Based Financial Aid.

In recent years he has served on the National Merit, the Lilly Foundation, the Brunswick Corporation and the Coca-Cola Scholarship Committees. Saracino also travels overseas visiting international schools and military base secondary schools on behalf of the U.S. State Department and the Department of Defense.

JIM URQUHART

JIM URQUHART - WORKSHOP PRESENTER

Picture Jim UrquhartJim Urquhart is the Director of the Anglo-American School of Sofia (AAS). Jim is the husband of Andie Urquhart. Andie and Jim have two children Alexa (grade 8) and Jamieson (grade 6).

Originally from Canada, Jim has had the privilege of serving students and school communities in Brazil, Russia, Venezuela, Japan and Bulgaria.

To promote learning beyond the classroom he has served on the Boards of the European League for Middle Level Educational, as well as Destination Imagination. At the moment Jim is on the executive committee of the Central Eastern European Schools Association.

In his spare time Jim enjoys spending time with his family, participating in sport, making what he thinks are unique playlists, and pretending he does not like to eat fast food.

KATHY STETSON

KATHY STETSON - WORKSHOP PRESENTER

kathy-stetsonKathy is the Executive Director of Central and Eastern European Schools Association (CEESA). In this role she coordinates professional development opportunities for educators in the region and provides leadership for CEESA’s Annual Conference. She also provides support for cultural awareness, student activities and athletic programs across countries in the CEESA Region.

Kathy was the Senior Account Executive for International Partners for NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) in Portland, Oregon, for twelve years and in this role pioneered NWEA's Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) onto the global stage. She coordinated enrollment and professional development activities as well as provided project management services for international schools.

Ms. Stetson has a broad background in K-12 education serving as an elementary teacher, principal, central office administrator, consultant and professional development coordinator. She went to UC Berkeley and Portland State University for her undergraduate studies and has a Master in Education from Lewis and Clark College, where she also received Administration and Superintendent Certifications.

NEVEN SORIĆ

NEVEN SORIĆ - WORKSHOP PRESENTER

neven-soricNeven Sorić is in his 13th year as the Technology System Coordinator at American International School of Zagreb, while he is also in his seventh year as the Central and Eastern European School association representative in World Virtual School project. Neven has degree in Business Informatics and Masters in Informational Sciences, while currently in PhD program on University of Zagreb. Over last eight years Neven has been CEESAnet project coordinator for shared moodle server and services in CEESA region, and has taken over the role of CEESA IT Manager in 2011.

PETER BISHOP

PETER BISHOP - INSTITUTE PRESENTER

peter-bishopDr. Peter C. Bishop is an Associate Professor of Strategic Foresight and Director of the graduate program in Futures Studies at the University of Houston. Dr. Bishop specializes in techniques for long term forecasting and planning. He has published two books on the subject, Thinking about the Future: Guidelines for Strategic Foresight (2007), and Teaching about the Future: The Basics of Foresight Education (2012, both with co-author Andy Hines. He delivers keynote addresses and conducts seminars on the future for business, government and not-for-profit organizations. He also facilitates groups in developing scenarios, visions and strategic plans for the future. Dr. Bishop's clients include IBM, the NASA Johnson Space Center, Nestle USA, Tetra Pak, the Shell Pipeline Corporation, the Defense and Central Intelligence Agencies, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Texas Department of Transportation, the California Environmental Protection Agency, and the Center for Houston’s Future. Dr. Bishop is a founding board member of the Association of Professional Futurists.

Dr. Bishop came to the University of Houston in 2005, having taught futures studies at the Clear Lake campus since 1982. Dr. Bishop started teaching at Georgia Southern College in 1973 where he specialized in social problems and political sociology. He received his doctoral degree in sociology from Michigan State University in 1974. Dr. Bishop received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from St. Louis University where he also studied mathematics and physics. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri where he was a member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) for seven years. Dr. Bishop is married with two children and two grandchildren.

  • Peter Bishop
  • This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • http://houstonfutures.org
  • 281/433-4160

KURT KLYNEN

KURT KLYNEN

Kurt Klynen started his career as a primary teacher. He loves working with audio, video, animation, images, gaming and finding ways to share the results. For the last seven years he has worked as an ICT & Media teacher trainer integrating technology for students from two and a half years old to 65+. Kurt is an experienced Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE).

OSCAR STRINGER

OSCAR STRINGER

Oscar has been an Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) since 2002, and when not working for Apple, Oscar works in schools and colleges all over Europe, introducing both teachers and students to creative approaches to teaching and learning. He has also spoken at various education conferences from Chile to China on the use of computers as a creative tool to engage and motivate both teachers and students in todays classrooms.

PETR MÁRA

PETR MÁRA

Petr Mára is an Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) and in 2009 Petr started working as an Apple certified IT and Education coach. It is the iPad use in education that has most attracted his attention over recent three years, enabling Petr to work closely with the Czech education team and helping institutions and schools with iPad integration into curriculum.

MICAH FIERSTEIN

MICAH FIERSTEIN

micah-fiersteinDr. Micah Fierstein is an Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership Studies at West Virginia University. He has been helping transform the learning cultures of schools and classrooms for 37 years. He founded the Change Institute in 1994 to provide educators coaching and access to leading edge organizational learning tools. Micah is a contributor to: Schools that Learn: Fifth Discipline Fieldbook for Educators, Parents, and Everyone Who Cares about Education. He has presented at national and international conferences such as the Society of Organizational Learning's Global Forum in Austria and Finland, The National Council on Staff Development, The Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, The International Systems Dynamics Society and The Shambhala Institute for Authentic Leadership.

Micah’s background includes elementary school teaching, elementary and secondary administration, and University teaching. Micah received his Master’s degree in Education from Harvard University and his Doctorate in Education from Oregon State University.

GRAHAM RANGER

GRAHAM RANGER

graham-rangerGraham Ranger is Director of Accreditation at The Council of International Schools (CIS), where he has overall responsibility for the evaluation and accreditation of CIS member schools, 470 of whom are accredited or in the process of accreditation. He joined CIS in August 2012 from The British School, New Delhi where he was Head of School for five years. There he taught on the IB Diploma Programme (Theory of Knowledge), was an IB Examiner. In Delhi,he helped design and implement a new school campus, bringing the school’s capacity from 700 to a planned 1350. He joined the school in July 07 after five years as Director of Education for the English Schools Foundation (ESF) in Hong Kong, a group of 20 schools. Whilst there, he helped develop a systematic professional development programme for the 2000 teachers, including a developmental programme for middle leaders in partnership with a local university. This programme, Leading Upstream, has since been accredited by universities in Britain, Australia and in Hong Kong. He also led the development of a performance development plan, based on a model of defining standards in teaching and learning and target-setting. At its core is effective lesson observation and simultaneous support and challenge for teachers. This re-focuses the role of a school leader to one centred on making sure that every lesson counts. His doctorate, awarded by The University of Durham (England) in 2012, focuses on the professional development needs of Heads of international schools. His fieldwork, spread over a three year period, took place across India.

From 2002-07 he was one of Her Majesty’s Inspector’s of Schools, in England, with national responsibility for helping to improve some of the most dysfunctional schools in inner city areas. In England, he was a member of the Dearing Commission to reformulate the National Curriculum. Formerly a teacher-educator at The University of Oxford, he is a Fellow of The Royal Geographical Society and The Royal Society of Arts and has worked as a teacher-educator in rainforest environments of Cameroon, West Africa. Before joining CIS as Director of Accreditation, he was a Team Leader for CIS Accreditation and Evaluation exercises. He was an active member of the Board of The Association of International Schools of India (TAISI) and remains a Board member of Sushant School of Design in New Delhi. He lives in Leiden, The Netherlands and is married with three daughters.

PETER WELCH

PETER WELCH

peter-welchPeter Welch is currently Head of School at Istanbul International Community School. Next year he will be moving to be the next Head at the International School of Helsinki. He has spent his most of career overseas, in very different and fascinating cultural contexts, starting as a teacher volunteer in Lesotho and then Ghana, before working in international schools in Singapore, Italy, Canada and Thailand. During this time he has worked within a range of institutional perspectives; as a teacher, a consultant, as an admissions and marketing manager, as well as an educational leader.