Hosted by University of Toronto Scarborough

REGISTRATION, LIGHT BREAKFAST & EXPLORE EDTECH SHOWCASE

WELCOME, FIRST NATIONS LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND OFFICIAL GREETINGS

Robert Martellacci, Founder & Conference Co-Chair

Steve Joordens, Summit Co-Chair, Full Professor at University of Toronto Scarborough

Andreas Schleicher

Dr. Susan McCahan

OPENING KEYNOTE

Dr. Chris Kennedy

Superintendent of Schools & CEO, West Vancouver School District

Topic: AI in Action: Sparking Classroom Innovations

Chris Kennedy is the Superintendent of Schools & CEO, West Vancouver School District, BC

Dr. Chris Kennedy is a renowned educator and leader in the field of educational technology, currently serving as the Superintendent of West Vancouver Schools. With over 25 years of experience in K-12 education, Dr. Kennedy is dedicated to fostering innovative learning environments that leverage technology to enhance student engagement and achievement.

He has been at the forefront of integrating artificial intelligence into educational practices, advocating for the ethical and effective use of AI tools to support personalized learning and improve educational outcomes. Dr. Kennedy is a sought-after speaker and consultant, sharing his insights on the transformative potential of AI in schools and emphasizing the importance of equipping educators and students with the skills necessary to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

His commitment to collaborative leadership and continuous improvement has made him a key figure in shaping the future of education in Canada.

Dr. Chris Kennedy

CROSS CANADA CHECK UP PANEL: “Empowering Every Learner: Technology as a Catalyst for Equitable Education Across Canada"

The State of EdTech Gain Valuable Insights From Canadian and Global Experts on The State of EdTech in Canada

Moderator: Robert Martellacci

Randy Osei

Christina Raso

Peter Singh

Keith Krueger

Tom D'Amico

Dr. Tiffany Bastin

HEALTH/ NETWORKING BREAK/ EXPLORE EDTECH SHOWCASE

SPOTLIGHT KEYNOTE

Alana Winnick

Author • Podcaster (The Generative Age) • Keynote Speaker • Ed Tech Director • NYSCATE Board of Directors

Topic: Leading in The Generative Age: Preparing Students for Success in an AI-Driven World

Alana is an award-winning leader and both the author and host of The Generative Age, a book and podcast that explores the rapidly evolving world of generative artificial intelligence and its impact on education.

Alana Winnick

LUNCH TIME & NETWORKING & EXPLORING EDTECH SHOWCASE

DRAGON'S DEN STARTUP CHALLENGE

The 9th Dragon Den's Start-Up Challenge—featuring VIP Judging Panelist, Sam Ibrahim, President of Arrow Group of Companies, and inspired by the hugely popular TV show Dragon’s Den—offers EdTech startups across North America the opportunity to showcase their innovative solutions. Taking place at the 14th Canadian EdTech Summit 2023, participants will deliver 2-minute pitches to impress our expert panel of judges, comprised of North America's leading EdTech thought leaders.

The winning startup will receive 1 year of mentorship through MindShare Learning's EdTech Incubator Program and exclusive booth space at FETC. Please complete this form to enter your EdTech start up into this year's challenge!

EXPERT PANEL PRESENTATIONS

Option1: Canadian IT Leader Summit Track presented by CoSN and ECNO, 'An Interactive Forum on Key Trends and Strategies'

Moderator: Keith Krueger

AI and Beyond in K-12

How are Canadian school districts/boards thinking about Artificial Intelligence (AI), including the policies and guidance they are doing around the new opportunities and risks?  Hear the trends from the US around AI, as well as other urgent priorities such as cybersecurity and digital equity, from CoSN’s 2024 State of K-12 Ed Tech annual survey.  Explore new K-12 AI tools that CoSN and the Council of the Great City Schools have developed to assist districts in their thinking around their readiness and maturity.  Hear from key Canadian IT leaders on their priorities and engage in a discussion around innovation in K-12 that addresses the key Hurdles, Accelerators and Tech Enablers right now.

Keith Krueger

Chris Dale

Geoff Edwards

Evelyn Giannopoulos

Francis Mailloux

Option 2: C21 Canada and Dell Technologies’ AI Use Case National Project Panel Presentation & Update from the C21 Task Force on AI

Moderator: Karen Yamada

Katina Papulkas

Karen Yamada

Dr. Chris Kennedy

Dr. Ron Owston

Zelia Capitao-Tavares

Randolph MacLEAN

Annie Slater

Embracing AI and HI: A CanAm Perspective on Empowering Leadership for Sustainable & Equitable Digital Transformation in Education

Moderator: Kathy Hurley

Kathy Hurley

Jennifer Ferrari

Lisa Schmucki

Harry Zarek

Julia Fallon

Jennifer Womble

Dr. Kari Stubbs

HEALTH / NETWORKING BREAK / EXPLORE EDTECH SHOWCASE

STEM Classroom of the future learning environment panel

Moderator: Dr. Bonnie Schmidt

Dr. Bonnie Schmidt

Dr. Anju Bajaj

Benjamin Kelly

Dr. Chris Kim

Rahmatullah Arman

Bridging Innovation: Design Thinking with Architect Insights and U of T’s Sam Ibrahim Building

Moderator: Dr. Steve Joordens

Andrew Arifuzzaman

Dr. Steve Joordens

Klaudio Muca

Dr. Karen McCrindle

Sam Ibrahim

Option 3: Education Reimagined: Harnessing AI and Visual Tools to Shape the Future of Learning. Hosted by Canva for Education

Explore how AI-powered tools in Canva, the world’s leading visual communication platform, transform school leadership by streamlining collaboration, enhancing stakeholder communication, and simplifying complex tasks. This session provides practical strategies and real-world examples to empower educators to create, connect, and engage with ease, supporting their role as innovators. Attendees will learn to leverage AI to optimize workflows, boost engagement, and drive meaningful conversations about AI with outcomes rippling across their educational communities.

Scott Nunes

HEALTH / NETWORKING BREAK / EXPLORE EDTECH SHOWCASE

CLOSING KEYNOTE

Steve Brown

President & Chief Executive Officer, NELSON

Topic: Adapting Education to a Rapidly Changing World

Steve Brown has made his mark in Canada and Internationally by leading organizations through digital transformation. His career spans a diverse mix of industry and technology experience from multi-media entertainment, logistics services, automotive, and now to learning solutions. Steve’s passion and commitment to transforming education, and the student learning experience, continues to fuel the innovation pipeline at NELSON.

Steve Brown

PRESENTING The 9th CANADIAN EDTECH AWARDS

We are thrilled to announce our 9th Annual Canadian EdTech Awards Honouring Excellence in Innovation in Education (Nominate Here!).

WRAP UP & CLOSING REFLECTIONS

Conference Chairs, Closing Reflections and Call to Action.

Hosted by University of Toronto Scarborough

Sam Ibrahim Active Learning Spaces Building 1050 Military Trail, Scarborough, ON M1C 1G9

TEACHER STEAM AI E-Sports Symposium Makerspace Showcase

Registration

Opening and Kickoff with a Special Students Panel

Shaping Tomorrow: Student Perspectives on AI and the Future of Education

Ramy Ghattas

Adila Liu

Ethan Luong

Siddhanth Nittala

Simran Iqtidar

Elle Thompson

Making AI “Better than Average” in Schools and Classrooms. Hosted by Canva for Education

Artificial intelligence has the potential to be both transformative and disappointing, depending on the who, what, where, how, when, and why of its use. As educators and leaders move through the hype cycle and as AI tools become ubiquitous, it will become increasingly important to identify for ourselves what it means to add value through the use of AI, and even more so, to convey these principles and guidelines or such use to students, those newer to their careers, and those newer to the technology. Andy Shaw, K-12 North America lead for Canva for Education, will offer thoughts and a framework for what it means to use AI in value-adding ways in our classrooms, schools, and school boards.

Andy Shaw

Session 1

Option 1: Decoding AI: Helping Students Look Beyond (Gr. K-12)

Room:  ARROW HALL

Speaker: Let's Talk Science

Description: Support students in making smart choices about using technologies driven by artificial intelligence (AI). This Let's Talk Science session will also show you how AI can be used in math, making learning more contextual. You will also learn how to use AI responsibly, encouraging critical thinking and helping students become responsible digital citizens in a world where AI is everywhere.

Option 2: Digging into Design Thinking Strategies (Gr. 4-9)

Room: CAVE

Speaker: Let's Talk Science

Description: The Design Thinking process allows students to develop many skills that are transferable across curricula. In this Let's Talk Science session, you will explore the process in detail and have the opportunity to examine various learning strategies and scaffolds at various stages in the Design Thinking process.

Option 3: Esports Coaching for Minecraft Education (Gr 4 - 9)

Room: CONVEYOR

Speaker: Logics Academy

Description: A bootcamp for new esports coaches! Learn the ins and outs of competitive Minecraft. In this session, you'll get hands on time with the game so you can understand how it plays. Time will include a chance to learn more detailed gameplay strategies to help you coach your teams! Game on!

Option 4: Teaching Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) with CyberPi (Gr 4-12)

Room: CLOUD

Speaker: Logics Academy

Description: ** EACH PARTICIPANT WILL GET A KIT TO TAKE TO THEIR CLASSROOM ** Learn how to bring AI to your classroom with Makeblock. Learn how to use the Machine Learning extension of the mBlock 5 software to teach artificial intelligence (AI) to students. You'll learn how to program the CyberPi to recognize and react to different types of objects using AI - the future of today's generation!

Option 5: Coding for Littles (K-3)

Room: KEYSTONE

Speaker: Logics Academy

Description: In this interactive session, participants will explore foundational coding concepts through hands-on activities with the Matatalab Coding Set. Designed to align with early learning objectives, participants will have the opportunity to understand how early learners gain problem-solving, sequencing, and critical thinking skills while navigating their Matata-Bot robot using simple coding blocks. Through engaging, age-appropriate activities, this session blends early learning milestones with coding basics, helping spark curiosity and foster creativity in young minds - all screen-free!

Lunch & Showcase

Session 2

Option 1: Promoting Digital Wellbeing with Students (Gr. 7-12)

Room:  ARROW HALL

Speaker: Let's Talk Science

Description: Do you feel your students have the skills and strategies to be digitally literate? In today's increasingly digital world, it's more important than ever to equip your students with the skills and strategies they need to navigate online environments safely and effectively. This Let's Talk Science session will prepare you to help students become digitally literate by developing effective strategies for maintaining physical and mental health in the context of digital technology use.

Option 2: Makerspace Mindset: Designing and Building Solutions in Any Space (Gr. 4-9)

Room: CAVE

Speaker: Let's Talk Science

Description: Is your Makerspace currently sitting unused? Is it difficult in current times to incorporate hands-on learning in your classroom? Join this Let's Talk Science session to explore how the development of a Maker Mindset can help students build on skills and competencies associated with Makerspaces, in any space. Learn how integrating the Design and Build process, as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, can provide a supportive framework for Makerspaces or similar classroom/virtual spaces.

Option 3: AI tools for Educators (K-12)

Room: CONVEYOR

Speaker: Logics Academy

Description: Join us for this workshop where we will explore the strategic implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your school or district, focusing on tools within the Microsoft environment. We'll discover how Microsoft Copilot is helping to simplify workflows and reimagine education and uncover the AI-powered features built into the M365 tools such as Word, PowerPoint and Teams, demonstrating how they can enhance student engagement, efficiency and productivity.

Option 4: From Blocks to Bots: Hands-on Coding with CyberPi (Gr 4-12)

Room: CLOUD

Speaker: Logics Academy

Description: ** EACH PARTICIPANT WILL GET A KIT TO TAKE TO THEIR CLASSROOM ** Designed for every student to learn about Computer Science and STEAM, CyberPi is a single-board computer fully packed with advanced electronic sensors, actuators, and communication modules. It is one of the best tools for teaching Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Networks, and the Internet of Things. In combination with our impressive mBlock coding editor, it supports Block-based coding language and the text-based programming language Python. With activities aligned to curricular expectations for all provinces, this workshop will help you discover the many ways you can use CyberPi in your classroom.

Option 5: Elementary Coding with Dash & Dot (K-5)

Room: KEYSTONE

Speaker: Logics Academy

Description: In this session, participants will dive into the world of coding using Dash robots. Through interactive challenges and creative problem-solving, participants will explore fundamental coding concepts like sequencing, loops, and events. As they program Dash to complete tasks, participants will understand how students can build their essential skills in logical thinking, collaboration, and perseverance by coding with Dash. This hands-on session offers an engaging introduction to coding in a playful and accessible way for elementary-aged teachers and their students!

Closing Remarks