Keynote Speaker
Lisa Highfill describes herself as a thinker, philosopher, debater, and geek. She was a classroom teacher for over twenty years, and is currently Pleasanton Unified School District’s technology integration specialist. Working in the ed tech field since 1998 when she earned her Master's Degree in Ed Tech Leadership, she went on to become a Google Certified Innovator, a YouTube Star Teacher, a Merit Fellow, and a Leading Edge Digital Educator. Lisa is the co-creator and co-author of The HyperDoc Handbook and Teachers Give Teachers. 
Spotlight Speakers
Chris Betcher
Chris Betcher has taught in a range of educational settings in Australia and overseas. He has a passion for helping others creatively explore their world through computational thinking, digital media and the social web. Chris is a blogger, podcaster, speaker, author, and an active member of the Australian edtech scene. He is an Adobe Education Leader, Google Certified Innovator, Trainer and Administrator. In 2013 he was awarded ICT Educator of the Year by both ICTENSW and ACCE.
Te Mihinga Komene
Te Mihinga is committed to the promotion and revitalisation of te reo Māori through education. She has years of experience in creating quality teaching and learning resources - both digital and print. Using Twitter as her main social media platform, her drive is to normalise te reo Māori in mainstream Aotearoa and globally.
Steve Smith
Steve Smith is a Geography and Social Studies Teacher based in Auckland. He is a Level 2 Google Certified Teacher and Certified Trainer, and a passionate educator who believes that every student should reach their own personal excellence, whatever that may be. Steve believes that technology can help to open minds, connect learning and include all if used well. The reason behind everything he does is the question 'Why?'
Local Speakers
Cristy Yonetani
Cristy Yonetani is a level two certified Google Educator, Mind Lab graduate, and the E-Learning Lead Teacher for St Mark's School. She currently teaches year 8. She loves connecting with other educators and sharing ideas.
Mark Maddren
Mark Maddren has been a facilitator at CORE Education Tātai Aho Rau based in Christchurch since 2013. He has supported the development of cluster-wide goals, values and processes and supporting future-focused teaching and learning approaches as part of Learning with Digital Technologies. He works with with learners and teachers in the Te Ara Tuhura Cluster in Christchurch to enable learner agency by strengthening good pedagogy using 1:1 technologies.
Jill Pears
Jill Pears is currently Principal at Diamond Harbour School and a doctoral candidate exploring the issues around the participation on girls/women in STEM. Jill has a strong interest in STE(A)M education and how it aligns with problem/project based learning to provide students with authentic experiences where they can facilitate change. She has presented nationally and internationally at conferences on STEM, Educational Robotics and Student Wellbeing. Recently Jill was awarded the New Zealand Lego Teachers Award
Monika Limmer
Monika is a Specialist ICT Teacher at a Special Education School in Christchurch. She is passionate about promoting equal access to digital technology for all learners, and supporting teachers and students with the new Digital Technologies Curriculum and all things GSuite and IT. Monika is a Google Certified Educator, Innovator and Trainer, an Apple Teacher, and a CORE eFellow 2019. She is especially interested in VR and AR, creating videos, coding and robotic.
Sam Gibson
Sam Gibson is the Google for Education program manager for New Zealand. Being the only Google for Education employee on the ground in NZ, he works with PD partners, re-sellers and most importantly schools, helping them adopt Google for Education technologies successfully. He has spent 12 years as a teacher in New Zealand, Vietnam and the UK. Sam is a Google Certified Educator, Trainer and Innovator and is passionate about helping educators transform learning through technology.
Joanne Roberts
Joanne is a registered primary school teacher experienced in total immersion Māori, bilingual, and mainstream classrooms. First introduced to computational thinking in 2017, she is passionate about tamariki being exposed to the new Digital Technologies curriculum content and where it can take them in the future. Currently working with the University of Canterbury Computer Science Education Research Group (aka the Department of Fun Stuff, seriously!).
MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED
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