Progressive Learning Conference

It’s not about where you’ll go back to school, it’s about how you’ll enhance instruction.

A FREE week of digital learning for those who power the digital classroom.

Access to the live opening keynote speech will only be made available to those who register, and the pre-recorded breakout sessions will only be available on their scheduled day. If you can’t participate in the sessions during PLC week, we’ll send you the recordings afterward.

Monday, September 21 – Friday, September 25

Watch the Full Event Recording

What is PLC 2020 all about?

Regardless of where K-12 educators go back to school in the Fall, two things are certain: Progressive learning styles that have enhanced remote learning will continue to drive instruction, and the velocity of technology integration to support progressive learning will only continue to increase.

Dyknow’s 2020 Progressive Learning Conference is a free, completely virtual week-long conference that will help K-12 educators think creatively about how to enhance instruction and technology in any learning environment by using progressive learning styles.

What to expect:

  • Live Keynote Speaker with audience Q&A

  • Exclusive access to daily, pre-recorded breakout sessions on specific progressive learning styles

  • Opportunities to engage with fellow attendees during each breakout session

  • Certificate of Attendance for up to 5 hours of eligible Professional Development credit

  • Unlimited access to event recording and post-event materials following PLC Week

Watch the Full Event Recording

Sessions & Presenters

Day 1: Opening Keynote

Monday, September 21 | 12:00 – 1:00 pm ET

Tara Martin

Tara Martin

Educator, Speaker, and Author, Dave Burgess Consulting

Tara Martin is an enthusiastic educator, speaker, and author who thrives on change and refuses to settle for the status quo. She has served as a classroom teacher, an instructional coach for several years, and now a district administrator who leads the staff and school communities to meet the curriculum and instructional needs of the student body. Tara also mentors and supervises instructional coaches and provides job-embedded professional development for certified and classified staff.

Tara is an inspirational speaker and author of Be REAL: Educate from the Heart. She firmly believes machines and artificial intelligence will never replicate an individual’s REAL identity–the unique strengths, talents, and life experiences of every human. Tara’s ambition is to lead a culture of innovative change and to motivate others to become the best they can be, all while staying REAL and yet never reaching a plateau.

Be REAL: Educate from the Heart

This invigorating message interweaves Tara’s overcoming experiences from an “at-risk” student to a thriving educator who has successfully served in many roles including a classroom teacher, coach, administrator, author, and inspirational speaker.  She shares how we must embrace the hand of life dealt us to fulfill our purpose and inspire those we serve to do the same. Through stories, humor, science, and practical application, she empowers educators and students to stay true to their unique strengths, talents, and life experiences–to Be REAL. 

  • Relatable
  • Expose Vulnerability
  • Always Approachable
  • Learning Through Life

We must be REAL if we want real learning to take place in our school system. This moving keynote will leave educators seeking out how they will keep our life source flowing with the REAL heartbeat of education.

Day 2: Personalized Learning Breakout Session

Tuesday, September 22 | 12:00 pm ET | Twitter Chats at 12:00 & 4:00 pm ET

Each Breakout Session will be 1 hour long and available from 12:00 pm ET onward.

Jill Thompson

Jill Thompson

Associate Partner, Education Elements

Jill Thompson is an Associate Partner at Education Elements where she works with districts from around the country to solve their biggest challenges. Prior to working with Education Elements, she was the Director of Personalized Digital Learning at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS). She was responsible for leading the CMS transformation in a highly complex, large urban environment. She developed a personalized data-driven model to provide professional learning and created micro-credentialing learning paths.

Beginning to Personalize Learning with Core Practices

Learn about the Core 4 of personalized learning and how you can start implementing them in your classroom. This session helps teachers consider which of their existing instructional practices are best suited to enhance their personalized learning environment.

Day 3: STEM Breakout Session

Wednesday, September 23 | 12:00 pm ET | Twitter Chats at 12:00 & 4:00 pm ET

Each Breakout Session will be 1 hour long and available from 12:00 pm ET onward.

Chris Woods

Chris Woods

High School Math Teacher & STEM Advocate, dailySTEM

Chris Woods has been a High School Math teacher (Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Hands-on Geometry) in Calumet, MI (1999-2020) & Grand Rapids, MI (2020-present). Chris started his website “Daily STEM” to provide educators and families with simple STEM resources that connect the real world to learning. He firmly believes that our kids need to see that STEM is all around us…in the backyard, at the store, in our homes, on TV and movies, in the news… everywhere!

Chris is also the host of the STEM Everyday Podcast, a weekly podcast where he interviews educators who are using STEM in & out of classrooms. To date, there are over 160 episodes!

STEM in a Remote Learning World

STEM is not meant to be just for gifted kids. We do a disservice to education when we make STEM all about robots and 3d printing. In this session, participants will consider how to leverage student interests & passions to build a more inclusive, holistic, and well-rounded STEM education in their classrooms (face to face or virtual). This session will also include ideas on how to build a STEM to Home connection, where families are encouraged to participate in STEM.

Day 4: Flipped Learning Breakout Session

Thursday, September 24 | 12:00 pm ET | Twitter Chats at 12:00 & 4:00 pm ET

Each Breakout Session will be 1 hour long and available from 12:00 pm ET onward.

Hosted by TreeFishEDU

Eric Guise

Eric Guise

Media Specialist & Technology Coach

Eric Guise is a media specialist, technology coach, and former biology teacher with more than a decade of experience as an educator.  Eric is a recognized professional development and educational technology expert, who has presented at countless events, including ISTE, NJECC, and the NJ Science Teachers Convention.  Eric was named the 2016 Biology Teacher of Year by the New Jersey Biology Teachers Association and has an EdD in Leadership in Digital Transformation in Educational Technology.

Kyle Niemis

Kyle Niemis

Technology Coach

Kyle is a former science teacher turned Educational Technology Coach for the South Brunswick School District. Along with helping teachers in South Brunswick, he is also a graduate-level education professor for TCNJ, specializing in Universal Design for Learning (UDL). He believes very much in providing well thought out choices to students to ensure that every student has the best chances of success and enjoyment in the classroom. He never wants to see another fish forced to climb a tree.  Kyle is the Co-Creator of ClassroomQ.com, was named 2016-17 Teacher of the Year and has been put on the list of the top 100 Global Flipped Leaders. 

Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson

Chemistry Teacher, Tech Integration Specialist, and Educational Research Consultant

Nick Johnson, MSE, is a chemistry teacher, technology integration specialist, and educational research consultant.  As co-host of GotTechED the Podcast, Nick has teamed up with his long-time friend and officemate, Eric Guise, to share his educational technology expertise with teachers around the world. In addition to GotTechED the Podcast, you can find Nick as a presenter at events such as ISTE, NJECC, and the NJ Science Teachers Convention. Nick was also recently selected as a 2018 Governor’s Educator of the Year and the 2018-2019 Mercer County NJ Teacher of the Year. 

#FlippED Flops: Growing with Every Challenge

Nick, Kyle, and Guise take you on a flipped learning journey starting with how to get flipping in your classrooms to learning from our biggest flops.  We go over what flipped learning looks like and we provide everyone with methods of best practice as well as the most used tools to get you incorporating the flipped learning teaching style in no time.

Day 5: SEL & PBL Breakout Session

Friday, September 25 | 12:00 pm ET | Twitter Chats at 12:00 & 4:00 pm ET

Each Breakout Session will be 1 hour long and available from 12:00 pm ET onward.

Jorge Valenzuela

Jorge Valenzuela

Education Coach, Author, and Advocate

Jorge Valenzuela is an education coach, author, and advocate. He has years of experience as a classroom and online teacher, a curriculum specialist, and a consultant. His work focuses on improving teacher preparation in project-based learning, computational thinking and computer science integration, STEM education, and equity-based restorative practices. Jorge is an adjunct professor at Old Dominion University and the lead coach at Lifelong Learning Defined. His book Rev Up Robotics: Real-World Computational Thinking in the K–8 Classroom is available from ISTE.

Make Remote Learning Engaging for Students by Focusing, Equity, SEL, and PBL

For remote teaching to be engaging for all learners, educators must consider the academic, career, and social and emotional learning of their students. This requires savvy lessons that focus on equity, incorporate sound teaching strategies, EdTech with breakout room capabilities, interactive slides, and to be social enough for the most digitally connected students. 

Join education coach Jorge Valenzuela for a session that will provide you pro tips, resources, and actionable steps to help you level up both your virtual and face to face lessons by focusing on equity and SEL in tandem with academics through PBL.

Didn’t get to join the live conference? Watch all of the session recordings.

Watch the Full Event Recording

Why K-12 educators love Dyknow’s digital events.