Major Speakers
THURSDAY PRE-CONVENTION KEYNOTE:
John Warner
Resist, Renew, Explore: Humans and Writing in the Age of AI
Now that we have easy access to technology which produces text with unmatched speed and fluency, we’re questioning the role writing plays in school, work, and society and how to maintain the integrity of writing in educational contexts. John Warner will explore the differences between “syntax generation” and writing; the experience of thinking, feeling, and communicating, and provide a framework that moves beyond policing student behavior in order to privilege student engagement and increase educational rigor so students see writing as the challenging and liberating experience we know it to be.
About the Speaker: John Warner is a teacher, writer, speaker, researcher, and consultant, with over twenty years experience of teaching writing at institutions of higher education (University of Illinois, Virginia Tech, Clemson, College of Charleston). Warner believes writing is both thinking—discovering your ideas while trying to capture them on a page—and feeling—grappling with what it fundamentally means to be human. He is the author of the books Why They Can’t Write: Killing the Five-Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities and The Writer’s Practice:Building Confidence in Your Nonfiction Writing. His new book, More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI, calls for us to use generative AI applications like ChatGPT as an opportunity to reckon with how we work with words, breaking students out of the slumber of “schooling” and instead empowering them to develop enduring writing “practices.”
Friday Morning Keynote with Tina Korani
Tina Korani is an assistant professor of media design at San José State University, co-founder and faculty advisor of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication’s Immersive Storytelling Lab, and Adobe Education Leader. She conducts research in the areas of educational technology, digital and creative literacies, human-computer interaction, and inclusive design. In her creative practice, she explores innovative uses of technologies to foster learning and her goal is to examine how these innovations can improve, augment, and support the learning experience.
https://www.sjsu.edu/jmc/about-us/team/faculty/tina-korani.php
Friday Luncheon with Gerry Brooks
Gerry Brooks has been an educator for 25 years, beginning as a third-grade teacher in Palm Bay, FL. He earned his master’s in administration and has been an elementary principal for 12 years. Originally using humorous videos to encourage his staff, Gerry has become a national encourager for teachers through social media and speaking events. He is a voice for teachers, but his passion is leading others to be responsible for their own personal climate and culture in the workplace. His book, “Go See the Principal,” outlines strategies for taking on this responsibility. Gerry and his wife, Kelly, have 3 adult children and live in Lexington, KY.
Super Session with CUE
CUE is a dynamic community of technology-using educators that spans the entire educational spectrum, from preschool to higher education. Our members include classroom teachers, administrators, librarians, IT professionals, media specialists, and industry leaders, all united by a shared passion for leveraging technology to enhance teaching and learning. At CUE, we believe in the power of technology to transform education and empower educators to inspire innovative learning experiences. Since 1978, we’ve been at the forefront of the educational technology landscape, connecting, inspiring, and supporting educators across California, the United States, and beyond.
Photo credit Amy Sullivan
Friday Dinner with Dashka Slater
Journalist, novelist, and children’s book author Dashka Slater has been telling stories since she could talk. She is the author of fifteen books of fiction and nonfiction for children and adults, including the beloved Escargot picture book series, The Feylawn Chronicles middle grade fantasy series, and The Antlered Ship, which received four starred reviews and was named one of the best picture books of the year by Amazon.com. Her New York Times best-selling young-adult true crime narrative, The 57 Bus, has received numerous accolades, including the Stonewall Book Award, the California Book Award, and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor. She is also the author of Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed.
Super Session with CapCUE Board
Capitol CUE is a regional affiliate of CUE, a California state-wide organization. We are a network of educators throughout the greater Sacramento region working together to prepare all students to succeed in a rapidly changing world. CapCUE’s mission is to provide Northern California with information on technology education and professional development.
Photo credit Laura Carson Photography
Saturday CYRM Luncheon with Megan E. Freeman
Megan E. Freeman attended an elementary school where poets visited her classroom every week to teach poetry, and she has been a writer ever since. Her New York Times bestselling novel in verse, ALONE, won the Colorado Book Award, the Illinois, Indiana, Japan, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, and Vermont Children’s Book Awards, the High Plains Book Award, is an NCTE Notable Verse Novel, and is included on over two dozen “best of” and state reading lists. Megan is also a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet and the author of the poetry chapbook Lessons on Sleeping Alone. Her latest book, AWAY, releases in February of 2025 from Simon & Schuster, and is a companion novel to ALONE. Megan used to live in northeast Los Angeles, central Ohio, northern Norway, and on Caribbean cruise ships. Now she divides her time between northern Colorado and the Texas Gulf Coast.
Saturday Night Banquet with Jennifer Gonzalez
Jennifer Gonzalez is a National Board Certified Teacher with over 10 years of classroom experience. Most of this time was spent teaching middle school language arts, and the rest was at the college level, where she trained pre-service teachers for the classroom. In 2013, she created the website Cult of Pedagogy, where she now works full-time to help teachers of all subjects and grade levels practice to perfect the art of teaching.
https://www.cultofpedagogy.com
