DET/CHE 30 2015 Annual Conference December 1-4 in Monterey, CA

DET/CHE 2015 Keynote Speakers


Tanya Joosten photoTanya Joosten

Dec. 1, 5:00-6:00 pm

Tanya Joosten is the director of eLearning Research and Development at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) where she works to guide strategic eLearning efforts at the campus, state, and national levels, to develop innovative programming for the UWM campus, and to lead a team of researchers to advance the field of eLearning.  She is the co-director of the National Research Center for Distance Education and Technological Advancements supported by the U.S Department of Education.  

Tanya has been recognized by the Sloan Consortium as a fellow for her work in blended and online learning.  She is a teacher of tech-enhanced, blended, and online courses in the field of communication for over 15 years, including online courses in human communication and technology and organizational communication at UWM, published author in communication technology in teaching and learning, including her recent book, Social Media for Educators, and chapter in, Blended Learning: Research Perspectives, a social scientist researching technology-mediated pedagogy and its impact on student outcomes, and a well-known speaker and consultant across the globe.         

As a practitioner, Tanya Joosten previously led the Learning Technology Center, including efforts in faculty development for online and blended teaching, development of UWM’s blended and online faculty development program, supervised administration of the campus LMS, including faculty training and support, and led campus efforts for certification, recognition, and engagement initiatives for blended and online teaching.  She has worked together with the Provost’s office, schools, colleges, and units to help in the development of over 40 blended and online degree programs at UWM over the last decade. 

Tanya Joosten’s efforts have been highlighted in many national news and media outlets, including the Chronicle of Higher Education, Ed Tech Magazine, eCampus News, and have led to her involvement in planning for the future of education, including the UWM Campus and Digital Futures Planning, State of Wisconsin Superintendent's Digital Learning Advisory Council, NMC Horizon Project Higher Ed Advisory Board,  EDUCAUSE Evolving Technologies Steering Committee, and EDUCAUSE IT Status committee.

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Gordon Freedman photoGordon Freedman

Dec. 2, 9:00-10:00 am

Gordon Freedman is an executive in the education, education policy and technology-in-education field and a former executive producer in film, television and media.

Freedman is President of the National Laboratory for Education Transformation (NLET), a California-based 501(c)(3) non-profit committed to transforming 20th century education into 21st century learning. Freedman founded NLET to create an organization that could look three to five years into the future, acting as a broad social, research and organizational platform for the alignment of education with the knowledge economy and youth culture. Freedman is also a Fellow at SRI (www.SRI.com).

Freedman has helped evolve the field of eLearning and is an advocate for broad-based change across the K to College education spectrum while serving in a variety of firms and non-profits and through his former consulting firm, Knowledge Base, LLC. Freedman’s background in film and television started at ABC News in Washington, DC and then migrated to the Los Angeles entertainment community, where Freedman served as executive producer of every type of production except comedy, winning Emmy nominations and a Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Freedman formerly served as Vice President Global Education Strategy, Blackboard Inc, a Washington, DC based academic technology corporation with software implementations for higher education, training and schools in over 50 nations. Freedman works extensively with and serves on the board of non-profit organizations in the education change space, including www.innovate-educate.org and www.K20CETC.org.

Freedman lives in California and is the co-founder of the International School of Monterey, a K-8 California charter school.

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Frank King photoFrank King

Thursday, December 3rd, 8:00pm

Frank King was a quarter-finalist on "Star Search"…he lost to a puppet. He's also appeared on A&E's "An Evening at the Improv," Showtime's "Comedy Club Network," and CNN's "Business Unusual."

In addition to telling jokes he's been busy selling jokes. He's written for Jay Leno, Joan Rivers, and Dennis Miller.

He's opened up for Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, Jeff Foxworthy, Rosie O'Donnell, Carrot Top, and Ron White, and most recently was himself opened up, by a crack team of cardiac surgeons, at the Oregon Heart and Vascular Institute…who, performed an aortic valve replacement, his second, and tossed in a double bypass, his first…so he truly is, Funny at Heart.

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