What a week it has been. We are so thankful Hurricane Harvey has moved away from us in Houston and pray it does not harm any others on its path. We took in some water and dealt with some flooded streets, but that is nothing compared to the devastation so many have suffered. We have so much to be thankful for. Just one mile from here, homes and businesses were under water. The pictures on the news cannot truly capture what has happened. We are extremely thankful and have appreciated all of the calls, texts, Facebook messages, and e-mails—your support and prayers have been felt deeply. My heart breaks for those who have lost so much, but the people here and beyond will help all of those needing support to rebuild. Those hands and that support will be needed for a long time to come. We will do what is needed. But I do have news of colleagues and friends to share now so let’s turn to that good news!
A new role for a colleague and friend….
I have had the privilege of knowing, working with, and calling Tom Deliganis my friend for a several decades now. Tom has a new role as Principal Consultant at Deliganis and Associates.
Many of you know Tom. He has over twenty-five years of successful sales management experience in the technology industry. Much of his career was with PLATO Learning under several ownership groups, including Control Data Corporation and The Roach Organization. While at PLATO, Tom held the positions of Vice President, Regional Vice President, and District Manager. Additionally he has held leadership positions at leading industry companies including AdvancePath Academics, Pearson, Ignite Learning, and Capstone Publishing. He has also consulted with and provided lobbying services for a variety of industry firms including K-12 Inc., LG Create, and Tech-Labs. In 2011 he led efforts in Texas with the state adoption of eight digital science textbooks.
Tom holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Houston and participates in a variety of community and church activities. He and his family reside in Katy, Texas, a suburb of Houston.
Join me in congratulating Tom on his new role. And I will be reporting soon on his newly published book, Behavioral Selling, which will be out within a wek.
So happy for you, Tom, and wishing you every continued success!
A proud Grandma!
I loved working with Paige Johnson, K12 Education Solutions, Amazon Web Services, this year. Paige served on the EdNET Advisory Board and, along with her peers, provided so much insight and excellent recommendations into helping frame this year’s conference program. Unfortunately, she cannot join us in Scottsdale but for very good reasons! The first is that her family has just welcomed new grandson, Morrie Swanson Dennis. I love how she described him as “the most delicious 9 pound, 7 ounce bundle of love” she has ever held. She reports they are all are over the moon happy to have Morrie join their family. And if that is not enough, they are in the final days of wedding planning for her daughter, who will be married next month. I have seen pics of the adorable little Morrie and also of her equally gorgeous daughter and the wedding dress. Paige’s family has much love and joy to celebrate. I will miss seeing her at EdNET but am so thrilled for her and her family!
Authors in our midst!
Our friend Mary Ann Wolf, director of Digital Learning Programs for the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University’s College of Education, has authored a new book, Leading Personalized and Digital Learning: A Framework for Implementing School Change. Her co-authors are Elizabeth Bobst, a writer, editor, and educator focusing on ESL and international education; and Nancy Mangum, the digital learning lead at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation at North Carolina State University’s College of Education.
Mary Ann said it was wonderful and a bit surreal to see the book in print! She added that the authors are grateful to many educator friends and family who definitely played a big role in the process.
The book provides needed guidance for principals, aspiring principals, and other school leaders at a critical time when educators are looking to put the power of technology to work for student-centered learning. The authors identify eight leadership essentials that school leaders must attend to if they are to lead an effective and sustainable transition to a new way of teaching and learning. They also offer resources and wisdom gleaned from years in the field. Check it out and get your copy!
Congratulations to Mary Ann and her co-authors on this accomplishment!
Showcasing EdNET 2017 presenters….
I have been busy with planning calls with this year’s stellar group of speakers for EdNET 2017, and the program is going to be awesome. Check out this roster and see if you don’t agree!
General Sessions/Keynotes:
– Jordan Bower, a strategic storyteller, to discuss why trust has become your business
– Whitney Johnson, recognized as one of the 50 leading business thinkers in the world, on putting the power of disruptive innovation to work
– Elissa Tomasetti, a data-driven CMO who has played both entrepreneur and “intra-preneur,” taking start-ups to success and helping businesses redefine themselves in the digital age, to talk about E-tail strategies – with Steve Gross, Chief Executive Officer, Calvert Education
– Lisa Gelobter, with an expansive background in strategy development, business operations, user-centered design, product management, and engineering, to discuss digital disruption in education
– And a conversation with Dr. Gail Pletnick, Superintendent, Dysart (AZ) Unified School District, and AASA President; and Kristen Amundson, President/CEO, National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE), regarding how states and districts are responding to ESSA and what they need from education companies – moderated by Chad Aldeman, Principal, Bellwether Education Partners
Presenters:
– Linda Andries, Head Genius, Marketing Genius Group
– Jamie Bajgert, Marketing Manager, Quill.com
– Danielle Barr, Director of Social Strategy, WeAreTeachers
– Mike Baur, Program Manager, Data Driven Education, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
– Kevin Bushweller, Executive Editor, EdWeek Market Brief
– Jon Castelhano, Executive Director of Technology, Gilbert (AZ) Public Schools
– David Clemen, Digital Products Director, MDR
– David DeSchryver, Senior Vice President, Co-director of Research, Whiteboard Advisors
– Kate Finnefrock, Chief Executive Officer, ProjectEd
– Emily Garner Sumner, Founder, Underscore Creative
– Abi Gilman, Senior Program Manager & Strategist, MDR
– Marci Goldberg, President, K-12 Market Advisors
– Scott E. Gutowski, Chief of Information and Technology, Pittsburgh (PA) Public Schools
– Maureen Hance, EdNET Insight Product Manager, MDR
– Jacob Hanson, Managing Partner, PR with Panache!
– Linda Ingersoll, Leader, Strategic Engagement, MDR
– Kristina James, Director of Marketing, MDR
– Michael Jay, President, Educational Systemics
– Dayton Johnson, President, Dayton Johnson Executive Search and Consultancy
– Vivek Kamath, Partner and Managing Director, Tyton Partners
– Rick Lenkey, VP National Sales Manager, McGraw-Hill Education
– Gail Lewis, Director of Product Strategy, myON
– Robert S. Lytle, Managing Director, Co-Head of Education, Parthenon-EY
– Jim McGarry, President/CEO, Education Market Association
– Amy McGrath, Associate Vice President, Educational Outreach, and Chief Operating Officer, ASU Prep Digital, Arizona State University
– Ann McMullan, M.Ed., Speaker, Writer, Consultant
– Dr. Stephanie Miller, Superintendent, Congress (AZ) Elementary School District
– Katharine Mobley, Vice President, Marketing, First Advantage
– Michele Molnar, Associate Editor, EdWeek Market Brief, and Industry and Innovation Writer, Education Week
– Erin Mote, Executive Director, InnovateEDU, and Co-Founder, Brooklyn (NY) Laboratory Charter School
– Nathan Myers, Educational Technology Director, Mesa (AZ) Public Schools
– Neal Nachtigall, Director, Sanford Initiatives, Sanford Health
– Stephanie Nash, Senior Education Marketing Strategist, MDR
– Chris Piehler, Lead Storyteller & Editorial Director, PR with Panache!
– Nina Rees, President and CEO, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
– Tara Robertson, Agency Business Development Lead, Sprout Social
– Thomas Ryan Ph.D., CEO, eLearn Institute, Inc.
– Skip Stahl, Senior Policy Analyst and Co-Director, National Center on Accessible Educational Materials (AEM Center), CAST
– Polly Stansell, SVP, Product Development, Voyager Sopris Learning
– Elizabeth Trimaloff, Director, Retention Marketing, Odysseyware
– Amelia Vance, Policy Counsel, Education Privacy, Future of Privacy Forum
– Judy Wade, Senior Advisor, McKinsey & Company
– Lisa Wolfe, President, L.Wolfe Communications
– Holly Yettick, Director, Education Week Research Center, Education Week
What a line-up! We are so honored to have these people bringing their expertise and experience to the programming at EdNET this year!
Tune in to Education Talk Radio on Wednesday!
On Wednesday, September 6th, I will be interviewed by our friend Larry Jacobs, Education Talk Radio, about programming for this year’s EdNET conference. EdNET 2017 Advisory Board member, Megan Harney, Chief Executive Officer for MIDAS Education; and long-time EdNET supporter and sponsor Robert Iskander, Executive Vice President at West (SchoolMessenger solutions) will be joining me. Please tune in at 10:30 ET on Education Talk Radio. It will be fun!
Participate in the EdNET Community
In addition to using the attendee directory, stay connected with friends and colleagues, follow the conversation, and join in the fun! Check out the EdNET Community page.
I hope you’re already following the EdNET conversation on Twitter at EdNETbiz and #EdNET17, on the EdNET Community Page on Facebook, and in the EdNET Community Group on LinkedIn. Be sure to also check out the EdNET Flickr albums. Take a stroll down EdNET’s memory lane and please send photos you’d like to see added to our community.
See, I told you—stay connected and join in the fun!
Look who’s coming to EdNET!
Now, let me fill you on the updated list of organizations coming to EdNET 2017. Here you go:
95 Percent Group
A Pass Educational Group, LLC
AlphaBEST Education
American Community Corrections Institute, Inc.
Andamio Games
Aperture Education
Apperson, Inc.
Apptegy
Arizona Department of Education
Ascend Education
ASU Prep Digital
Bellwether Education Partners
Big Deal Media/Marketing Projects, Inc.
Bigham Technology Solutions, Inc.
Blackboard
Blue Skies Direct
Booksource
Boys Town
C. Blohm & Associates, Inc.
Calvert Education
Capstone
CAST, Inc.
CEV Multimedia
Chessiecap Securities, Inc.
ClassLink
Co9 Consulting
CodeMonkey Studios
Committee for Children
Congress Elementary School District
Cox Business
CPM Educational Program
Crescerance
Davis Publications
Dayton Johnson Executive Search, LLC
DeSilva & Phillips Investment Bank
Desmos, Inc.
Discipline Associates, LLC
DMW Direct
DNB
Dysart Unified School District
EdGate Correlation Services
Education Market Association
Education Networks of America (ENA)
Education Talk Radio
Education Week
Education Week Research Center
Educational Systemics, Inc.
EDUMETRIX INC
edWeb.net
EdWeek Market Brief
Empirical Education Inc.
eSchool Media, Inc.
ESGI Software
EvoText
FableVision
Facilitron Inc.
First Step / ClassLink
Forward Thinking EDU
Fuel Education
Future of Privacy Forum
Gander Publishing
Gibbs Smith Education
Gilbert Public Schools
Glynlyon, Inc.
GuideK12
HighScope
Hispanic Information & Telecommunications Network
HTML5alive
Infinite Campus
InnpvateEDU/Brooklyn Lab
Interactive Educational Systems Design (IESD)
J Daly Associates
K-12 Market Advisors
Kajeet, Inc.
Kathy Hurley LLC
KEH Communications
Knovation
Kurland Consulting
L. Wolfe Communications
Laurel Springs School
Learning A-Z
Learning Resources
Learnosity
Lesson Planet
Ligature Partners
Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
LTGO
Magic Software Inc.
Marketing Genius Group
Matchbook Events
McGraw-Hill Education
MCH Strategic Data
McKinsey & Co.
MDR
MDR/WeAreTeachers
Measured Progress
Meemic Insurance Company
MetaMetrics
MHT Partners
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
MIDAS Education
MMS Education
myON
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
National School Boards Association
NEA
Nepris, Inc.
Nibletz Media Ventures
NWEA
Oates Associates
Odysseyware
Parthenon-EY
Paula Maylahn Consulting
PCG Education
Penguin Random House
Perfection Learning
PR with Panache!
ProjectEd
Promethean
Quill.com
Renaissance
Renaissance Learning
Sanford Health
Santa Fe Public Schools
School Specialty, Inc.
SchoolCity
Search Inc.
Second Avenue Learning
SETDA
SIIA
Spectrum Enterprise
Sprout Social
Teach n’ Kids Learn (TKL)
Teacher Created Materials
Teacherlists
Texthelp
The Douglas Stewart Company
The Meemic Foundation
The Munn Group
The Source for Learning, Inc.
Transformational Storytelling
Tyton Partners
Underscore Creative
Varitronics, LLC
Vector Solutions, Education Division
Vernier Software and Technology
Victory
Virtual Schools Of Excellence
Voyager Sopris Learning
West (SchoolMessenger solutions)
Westchester K-12 Publishing Services
Westchester Publishing Services
Winter Group
WLJ Advisors, LLC
It’s not too late….
It’s not too late for you to register and join these and other companies at EdNET. Just go online and get that taken care of! You don’t want to be left out!
Now friends, it is time for a weekend. I hope all of you plan to enjoy time with family and friends this Labor Day weekend—a time to salute the American workforce, bid farewell to summer—and put away those white shoes and bags lest we commit a major fashion faux pas, right? We continue our prayers for all those on the Gulf coast. Be safe and make memories that matter! Till next week….Vicki, the Snoop
[Send me your scoops at bighamv@aol.com and be sure to follow me on Twitter @Snoops4Scoops #SheSnoops]
