A Message from the President
Re-Imagining Learning Spaces 2.0
Our 2018 Mid-Year Conference,
‘Re-Imagining Learning Spaces Without Busting the Budget’, kindly hosted by Albemarle County Public Schools, saw an expansion in the outreach of our organization and our expanded mission to engage educators around the Commonwealth. Over half of the more than 150 attendees at this year’s Mid-Year Conference were educators either in the classroom or in instructional planning and leadership. This resulted in a conference rich in discussion and collaboration, key components in today’s pedagogy.
This year’s Annual Conference, April 8-9, 2019 at the Williamsburg Lodge in Williamsburg, VA, will build on the success and themes of the Mid-Year Conference.
‘Re-Imagining Learning Spaces, 2.0’ will offer two days of engaging keynote speakers and breakout sessions focused on today’s learning environments and their impact on teachers, students and the way instruction is delivered. We are excited to present an exciting slate of keynotes speakers that are national leaders in education and ergonomics and the instructional environment.
Erin Klein is an award-winning educator, national keynote speaker, author, and mother who has been twice selected to serve on the Scholastic, Inc. Top Teaching Team based in New York. Her recent publication, Amazing Grades, was a collaboration with experts from 13 countries around the world. She travels the country speaking about the power of student voice, how meaningful technology integration can enhance learning experiences, and the impact classroom design has on today's learner. Erin serves as a classroom design consultant and creative partner for the publishing company, Carson-Dellosa and was recently one of nine professionals selected to be a featured speaker on Future Ready Schools at the national Digital Learning Day in Washington D.C.
Dr. Deiter Breithecker, MA, is the is head of the Federal Institute on the Development of Posture and Exercise in Germany, and a member of “Ergonomics for Children & Educational Environment” (ECEE), a technical committee of the International Ergonomics Association. Dr. Breithecker has published widely on the subject of Ergonomics for Children and Human Workstations. As an international expert he has presented throughout Europe, Asia, Indonesia, North and South America, Australia, and Saudi Arabia.
His emphasis in research comprises the following issues:
- Living environments need space for movement
- The effect of lacking movement on mental and physical functions
- Relative and behavioral preventive measures at workplaces, school, and office
Kayla Delzer is the 2019 North Dakota State Teacher of the Year and a globally awarded 3rd grade teacher and technology champion in North Dakota. The New York Times named her "one of the tech-savviest teachers in the United States". She has delivered well over 100 keynotes, one of note being at Twitter Headquarters. On July 23, 2015 she delivered her first TEDx Talk, Reimagining Classrooms: Students as Leaders and Teachers as Learners. Her work with classroom redesign and flexible seating has become the standard worldwide, and she was recently selected as a recipient of the Global Hundred Award, designating her as one of the top 100 innovative educators in the world.
As in year’s past we offer a number of sponsorship opportunities for our professional partners whose support is vital to the success of our conference and sustainability of our chapter. I invite you to review these sponsorship opportunities to see if there is a sponsorship level that is appropriate for you.
There are also scholarship opportunities for public sector representatives which provides two-nights lodging for up to two employees from any school district. Additional information about scholarship opportunities is located in the Scholarship Fund page.
And finally, we are excited to offer this year for the very first time a one-day conference pass for Monday, April 8 specifically for teachers and educators knowing that time away from the classroom can be challenging. This one-day pass include both keynote speakers, both breakout sessions and lunch and will be a terrific opportunity for educators and instructional leaders to participate in this year’s conference.
We are excited about this year’s conference and the professional development and learning opportunities that it will provide to leaders in school design, facilities and instruction. We invite you to attend this year’s conference and become involved in the Virginia Chapter of A4LE.