2015 Keynote Speakers

The only thing Tony Vincent likes better than teaching is learning. He currently resides in Council Bluffs, Iowa, but he used to teach fifth grade in Nebraska. Since 1998 he’s been a pioneer in digital learning, having a classroom website before many classrooms even had internet access. In 2001 he had a 1:1 classroom full of Palm Pilots, and in 2004 he started one of the first podcasts from an elementary school. Tony experienced how empowering it was for students to be equipped with tools to help them be productive and creative. Later he became his school’s technology coach and helped his colleagues integrate technology.

Today Tony Vincent works as a self-employed consultant. He has traveled to 40 states, Canada, Australia, England, and the Caribbean to facilitate workshops and to make presentations to K-12 educators. He has authored books, produced videos, developed an iPad app, and blogged about learning and technology. Tony believes that students learn best when they are engaged in authentic tasks–tasks that matter to them. He has many examples to show, advice to give, and technology to demonstrate.

Tony is known for not only talking about technology, but also for using it during his presentations. Be sure to bring a computer or tablet so that you can join in on the learning. To learn more about Tony’s work, visit his home base on the web at learninginhand.com.

Rebecca Mieliwocki is the 2012 California and National Teacher of the Year.  She was chosen from a group of 54 state teachers of the year to represent America’s 3.2 million public school teachers in a year of travel, speaking, & advocacy that took her to 30 U.S. states and 8 nations.  Mrs. Mieliwocki is a dynamic, enthusiastic, proud member of the education community who set out to restore admiration to the profession of teaching and to remind Americans of just how much is going right in classrooms across the country.

Mrs. Mieliwocki is a 7th grade English teacher at Luther Burbank Middle School in Burbank, California. She has been teaching for 18 years and has taught every grade from 7th grade to college level composition classes to graduate level education classes with Cal State Northridge. Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication from California Polytechnic State University and her professional clear credential in Secondary English Education from California State University Northridge. She is the 2005 California League of Middle Schools Educator of the Year for Southern California, a 2009 and 2013 PTA Honorary Service Award Recipient, a BTSA mentor, and has also served as a teacher expert and conference presenter for the CSUN College of Education and their Center for Teacher Quality.  She has contributed to a variety of media outlets including CBS This Morning, CNN, PBS television, Scholastic’s Teacher Magazine, KPCC public radio, EdWeek, Real Simple Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, CTA Magazine, & California Educator.

A child of two veteran public school teachers, Rebecca initially shied away from becoming a teacher, but she soon realized there is no nobler, exciting, or rewarding profession than teaching. Her own K-12 teachers serve as her heroes and she models her teaching style on the example they set for her. She works hard to provide her students with exciting and dynamic lessons that are educational, relevant, and amusing.

Rebecca says, “Students learn best when they have the most enthusiastic, engaged teachers possible.” She believes strongly in the importance of good teacher preparation programs, continuous support, collaboration, and leadership opportunities for veteran teachers, and a strong school leadership team to guide and drive achievement. She values the teaching profession as a sought-after career and one that can transform our nation for the better. She says, “I firmly believe that our students are our future, so we, their teachers, must do our best to inspire them and guide them to greatness.” There is no one group of professionals whose work knits the fabric of this nation more together tightly than teachers and she is incredibly proud to be one.