Student Engagement

With over 30 years experience in education, Jennifer Watt has worked with both new and experienced classroom teachers, supporting them to think about how they can share their knowledge, experience, and practices to establish professional communities and improve student learning.

Joan Reimer is a retired educator and former education officer at the Ontario Ministry of Education. With experience from K–12 classrooms to teacher education, most of her career was spent in Ontario, but she also taught in Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, and Malawi, Africa.

Ronald A. Beghetto, PhD, is Pinnacle West Presidential Chair and Professor of Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation at Arizona State University. His work explores the psychology of human creativity, generative artificial intelligence, and what’s possible in educational settings.

Ted Goergen, EdD, is the director of student activities at the award-winning Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois. A practitioner for 20 years, he also served as a middle and high school science teacher and curriculum team leader.

Dr. Pattie Noonan is an associate research professor at the University of Kansas, where she centers her work on providing and evaluating professional development related to social-emotional learning.

Glen Pearsall is a former teacher leader at Eltham High School in Victoria, Australia, and board member of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. His work specializes in engaging instructional practice, positive classrooms, and workload reduction for teachers.

Gwendolyn Battle Lavert, PhD, is an internationally recognized literacy specialist. She has been an educator since 1974 and has experience as a teacher, district literacy specialist, and district administrator in a variety of school settings.

Jennifer McCarty Plucker, EdD, is the director of learning and development and a literacy consultant at Mackin Educational Resources in Burnsville, Minnesota. Her current work with educators is grounded in an inquiry approach that puts students in the driver’s seat for learning.

Attendees will learn practical ways to involve multiple stakeholders in developing a productive and celebratory reading culture in schools and classrooms.

Teresa Cariglia-Bull is a former vice principal for York Region District school board, having served as an elementary school teacher and a psychometrist at both the York Region Separate School Board and with the Learning Disabilities Research Program.