Honoring the 2022 Winners and Contenders of the Innovative Leader Awards at a fresh event, presented by Tech & Learning
Tech & Learning Innovative District Leader Summit Celebrates Innovation in Education
Tech & Learning, a leading resource for education technology and learning solutions, recently hosted its first Innovative District Leader Summit at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey. The 300,000-square-foot learning center, located near the Statue of Liberty, played host to a gathering of some of the nation's most innovative district leaders.
The summit aimed to recognize and celebrate district leaders who are reimagining and reinventing education. The Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Award 2023 was presented to these exceptional administrators, with the winners announced at the closing session of the summit and featured in an issue of Tech & Learning magazine.
The day began with a keynote from educator, author, and international speaker Carl Hooker, who spoke about the importance of risk-taking and celebrating failure in driving innovation. Hooker emphasized the need for educators to embrace change and not fear making mistakes, as these are often the stepping stones to significant advancements.
After lunch, attendees were divided into teams to discuss the future of education. The question posed was: "What does the ideal future school district look like?" With unlimited funds and no political or state/federal mandates to accommodate, the teams brainstormed ideas to create a vision for the perfect learning environment.
Throughout the day, each discussion session kicked off with a short case study presentation from some of the 2022 T&L Innovative Leader Award winners. These presentations served as inspirational examples of the unique and forward-thinking programs, policies, and best practices that have shown to have a positive impact and are replicable at other districts.
Mike Gaskell, principal of East Brunswick Schools in New Jersey, shared a program his school uses to reach disadvantaged children, making positive connections between students/families and law enforcement. Andrew Wallace, Director of Technology for South Portland Schools in Maine, spoke about an initiative that focused on audio to improve learning, while Glenn Robbins, Superintendent of Brigantine School District in New Jersey, discussed the importance of building psychological safety nets with staff to encourage them to try new approaches.
In addition to the awards, all finalists received an invitation to the Tech & Learning Regional Summit in their region, including a two-night hotel stay. Winners also received a Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Award Seal that can be added to all district websites.
The Tech & Learning Regional Innovative Leader Awards are part of Tech & Learning's Regional Live Summits and are given to district leaders who are leading innovation in their schools. For those interested in participating in the 2023 awards, the regions and application details can be found on the Tech & Learning website.
The event concluded with attendees breaking into working groups to review different scenarios that could impact their districts and collaboratively discuss solutions to these challenges. The day was filled with productive discussions, innovative ideas, and a shared vision for the future of education.
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