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Geoff Edwards

Superintendent of Learning Technologies Ottawa Catholic School Board

Geoff Edwards was appointed as the Superintendent of Learning Technologies since 2019. Previously, he served as a teacher at St. Mark and St. Mother Teresa, as a Vice-Principal at St. Paul and Sacred Heart and as a Principal at St. Paul and at St. Mother Teresa.

Geoff has been a facilitator for the Eastern Ontario Staff Development Network (EOSDN) Leadership Academy and he has taught the Principal Qualification Program (PQP) with the Catholic Principals Council of Ontario. (CPCO) Through CPCO, Geoff has also written a curriculum for the Technology Enabled Leading Learning Mentorship component of the PQP. He is currently on the board of the Education Collaborative Network of Ontario, known as ECNO.

Geoff has been the recipient of the Director’s Commendation award for his work in improving numeracy practice and for enhancing his schools’ protocols for tracking and planning for at-risk students. Geoff has his Master’s in Educational Leadership from Memorial University.

Geoff is married to Rebecca; a gifted Contemporary Studies teacher at Holy Trinity High School, and he has two wonderful daughters, Sophie and Hillary.

Geoff has been coaching various sports for over 30 years which has made him passionate about the role of extracurriculars in adolescent development. He is equally passionate about the role of technology to accelerate academic growth and to increase engagement. For students with learning challenges, learning technologies can be the vehicle through which these students can equitably access the curriculum and thus thrive as students.

He is also passionate about his work in leading and coordinating support for students in low socio-economic status situations. This work has been a cornerstone of his career and shapes his education worldview.

8:30 - 8:45 AM

Friday Day Two Nov 3rd

WELCOME, FIRST NATIONS LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND OFFICIAL GREETINGS

Robert Martellacci, Founder & Conference Co-Chair

Geoff Edwards, Co-Chair, Superintendent of Learning Technologies Ottawa Catholic School Board

Tom D’Amico, Director of Education, Ottawa Catholic School Board (Briefing on OCSB's Deep Learning Journey)

Michael Fullan, Summit MC, Professor Emeritus, OISE/University of Toronto, Co-Director of New Pedagogies for Deep Learnings

1:30 - 2:00 PM

Friday Day Two Nov 3rd

EXPERT PANEL PRESENTATIONS

1. CIO Panel Designing Scalable Futureproof Learning Environments with a Cybersecurity & Data Privacy Lens

Moderator: Geoff Edwards, Superintendent of Learning Technologies, Ottawa Catholic School Board

Panelists:

  • Diane Doersch, Senior Director of Information Technology, Digital Promise
  • Peter Singh, Executive Officer – IT Services, TDSB
  • Peter Prochilo, Superintendent of Education, Sudbury Catholic District School Board
  • Kurt Binnie, Director Innovation and Technology, Lester B. Pearson School Board
  • Timothy King, 2023 Cisco Netacad Innovation Architect & Shooting Star winner. IT & cybersecurity technician who thrives in emerging tech spaces, ICTC
1:30 - 3:30

Second Day Nov 1st

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.