Opening Plenary Speaker: Mark Federman

"No Educator Left Behind: The present future of educator reform."

Tuesday, Febrauary 24

Mark's talk will contextualize the contemporary storm of change in higher education in the context of 3000 years of Western history, and the nexus periods that bridge each of the three major cultural epochs. In particular, it will focus on the dynamics of the nexus period that our society is now traversing, and why our students are experiencing a completely different world than we are in our role as educators.

A strategic thinker, Mark Federman (email) has more than twenty-five years' experience in the high-technology industry as executive, manager and consultant spanning disciplines including applied research and development, marketing, sales, operations and strategic leadership. Mark is dedicating much of his time to his current research, namely, developing an emergent model of the "future of organization" that is consistent with our present conditions of ubiquitous connectivity and pervasive proximity, or "UCaPP."  Until recently, Mark played the role of Chief Strategist at the McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology at the University of Toronto, and continues his private consulting practice. He is the author (with Derrick de Kerckhove) of McLuhan for Managers - New Tools for New Thinking, published in September, 2003 by Viking Books. 

Mark is currently completing his PhD at OISE, University of Toronto. Learn more about his rich and varied activities at his weblog, What is the (Next) Message?

 

Closing Plenary Speaker: Laurie Maslak

Wednesday, February 25

Laurie will help us synthesize our conference experience in an interactive session using Appreciative Inquiry, a process that helps us address issues by focusing on what is working.

A facilitator, consultant, and educator with over 20 years' experience, Laurie holds a PhD of Organization Development, Specialization in Leadership from Capella University (2008), a Master of Arts in Leadership and Training from Royal Roads University in Victoria, BC (1998) and a Bachelor of Nursing from the University of Calgary (1984). She is also a Certified Human Resources Professional, and an active member of several Human Resources Associations. After a successful 15 year career in nursing and nursing administration, Laurie spent seven years consulting to the corporate, manufacturing, financial and educational sectors. She is currently serving as the Executive Director-Organizational Effectiveness at Alberta Health Services - Calgary Health Region.

Laurie serves as an Associate Faculty member of Royal Roads University in Victoria, B.C. and an Instructor with the University of Calgary in the Continuing Education - Workplace Management Certificate programs. She has authored, published and presented various papers and presentations at local, national and international levels; has received advanced training in the use of Appreciative Inquiry.  When Laurie isn't working, she is a grandmother of 5 and a mother to 5 grown children.  She and her husband love to travel and pursue interests in golf and scuba diving.