2023 LCEEQ Annual Conference Archive

Dr. Jean Clinton is a Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster, division of Child Psychiatry. She is on staff at McMaster Children’s Hospital with cross appointments in Pediatrics and Family Medicine, and an Associate in the Department of Child Psychiatry at Sick Children’s Hospital. She is a member on the MindUP Scientific Advisory Board as well as a MindUP for Families Advisor. She was a Fellow of the Child Trauma Academy, and is a Zero to Three Academy Fellow since 2013. She has been a consultant to children and youth mental health programs, child welfare, and primary care for over 30 years. Dr. Clinton was appointed as an education advisor to the Premier of Ontario and the Minister of Education 2014 - 2018.

Dr. Clinton is renowned nationally and internationally as an advocate for children’s issues. Her special interest lies in brain development, and the crucial role relationships and connectedness play. Jean champions the development of a national, comprehensive child well-being strategy including a system of early learning and care for all young children and their families. She is equally committed to ensuring that children’s and youths’ needs and voices are heard and respected.

Dr. Clinton has also authored her first book, Love Builds Brains which can be ordered online through Tall Pines Press, on Amazon and in book stores everywhere.

Margaret Wheatley began caring about the world's peoples in 1966, as a Peace Corps volunteer in post-war Korea. In many different roles-- speaker, teacher, consultant, advisor, formal leader--her work has deepened into an unshakable conviction that leaders must learn how to invoke people's inherent generosity, creativity and need for community. As this world tears us apart, sane leadership on behalf of the human spirit is the only way forward. She is co-founder and president of The Berkana Institute, an organizational consultant since 1973, a global citizen since her youth, and a prolific writer. She has authored nine books, including the classic Leadership and the New Science. She has been honored for her ground-breaking work by many professional associations, universities and organizations.

Dwayne Matthews is a “future of education” strategist and innovation evangelist. He converges and shares knowledge on the future of education, disruptive technology, and the evolution of work.

Matthews is currently the Head of School, Innovation & Partnerships, at Ontario Virtual School. OVS has over 20K active students, a 98% university acceptance rate, and a 99% 5 star Google rating from students and parents.

Matthews is also an XPRIZE Education Domain Brain Trust Advisor and advises the XPRIZE Global Visioneering Team on the education prizes and challenges that are presented to benefactors like Elon Musk, Sir Richard Brandson and senior members of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Dwayne is also the founder of TomorrowNow Learning Labs, which creates future focused learning lab models that emphasize personalized learning, student success innovations and connection points to the digital transformation of the economy. Matthews has addressed the UN on issues and opportunities around digital literacy, cognitive abilities and the 54 countries of Africa. Matthews has also addressed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the importance of education transformation and its relationship to national prosperity and regional security.

Dwayne can be seen on national Canadian television on CTV’s Your Morning and The Marlyn Denis show. Over the last 24 months Matthews has had over 1.8 million views on his collective social media posts focused on the relationship between the future of work and education.

Kevin Lamoureux is a faculty member at the University of Winnipeg and a well known public speaker. As an award winning scholar, Lamoureux has published several books including the popular and award winning Ensouling Our Schools (with Dr. Jennifer Katz), has written many academic articles, and has taught for several universities, colleges and institutions across Canada. He formerly served as Associate Vice President of the University of Winnipeg and Education Lead for the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Lamoureux has been seen on TV, in the media, documentaries, and is a three time TEDx speaker. He has consulted for business, government, schools and other organizations across Canada. More than anything, Lamoureux is committed to Reconciliation and a better Canada for all Canadians.

Dr. Ai Addyson-Zhang is the CEO and founder of Classroom Without Walls. She is an award-winning educator and career and life coach. She received her MA from Syracuse University and PhD from the University of Maryland, both of which are in the US. Dr. Ai also serves as an Adobe Education Leader, Adobe Insider, and HubSpot Academy Instructor. Dr. Ai’s work has been featured in Glamour Magazine, Forbes, Inside Higher Education, Pearson Education, Entrepreneur, The Today Show, & others. Dr. Ai is also a highly sought-after speaker, having spoken at TEDx, Inbound, and VidCon, among numerous other flagship conferences in academia. Known as an education disruptor, Dr. Ai enjoys sharing her perspective on education on various platforms and her own podcast.

Paul W. Bennett, Ed.D. (OISE/Toronto) is Director of Schoolhouse Institute, Halifax, and Adjunct Professor of Education at Saint Mary’s University. His most recent book is The State of the System: A Reality Check on Canada’s Schools (McGill-Queen’s University Press, September 2020). As Founding Director of Schoolhouse Consulting and Lead Researcher at Schoolhouse Institute in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Dr. Bennett roams at large raising critical issues and producing commentaries right across Canada. He is also the national coordinator for researchED in Canada, a UK-based teacher research organization committed to advancing evidence-based policy and practice. His blog, Educhatter, is currently ranked as the Top Education Blog in Canada. Dr. Bennett is well versed on education policy, teaching and governance practice. From 1988 until 1997, Paul served as an elected Public School Trustee on the York Region Board of Education, now the York Region District School Board and was very active in the Ontario education reform movement. Widely recognized for his Canadian history textbooks, Paul was twice honoured as a Top Ten Finalist for the Governor General’s Awards for Teaching Excellence (Ontario, 1996 and Quebec 1999). After serving as Chair of the History Department and Vice-Principal Academic at Upper Canada College, he went on to head two of Canada’s leading independent day schools, Lower Canada College (Montreal, 1997-2005) and the Halifax Grammar School (Halifax, 2005-2009). Dr. Bennett served as an Adjunct Professor of Education at Saint Mary’s University from 2011 to 2016 and has produced more than a dozen major policy papers for research institutes, including the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies (2010-2019) and the Northern Policy Institute (2014-2016). Among his consulting clients are leading education organizations, a variety of local governments, policy institutes and human resource firms in the education sector. Dr. Bennett served as Chair of the Halifax Regional Library Board (2012-2016) and was instrumental in the creation of the design award-winning Halifax Central Library. Currently, Paul is Board Chair at Churchill Academy, a Dartmouth school for students with severe learning challenges and a regular education columnist for two regional daily newspapers, The Telegraph-Journal Provincial (New Brunswick) and The Chronicle Herald (Nova Scotia)

Kelly Gallagher-Mackay is an Associate Professor and program coordinator in the Law and Society Program at Wilfrid Laurier University. The main focus of her research is educational inequality. Since 2020, she has had a major focus on the impact of COVID-19 on schooling, work that has included leading the team who prepared an education brief for the COVID-19 Science Advisory Table in Ontario, a number of linked research projects on tutoring, and coordinating a multi-stakeholder workshop on educational recovery with 28 education leaders across Ontario. Previous roles include Director of Research and Evaluation for the Future Skills Centre, Director of Research for People for Education, and Northern Director of the Akitsiraq Law School in Iqaluit, Nunavut.

Bradley Heaven, born with nonverbal spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy never lets anything hold him back! He was a student at John Rennie High School from 2010-2015. Brad's journey through John Rennie High School exemplifies what can be achieved when we're committed to equity, diversity, dignity, and inclusion. His integration aide Dan started working with Brad when he was in grade 7. Now, 12 years later, they are best friends and run a nonprofit business together. They've decided to use their experience and knowledge of assistive technology and adaptive products to empower others with disabilities to live their best life.

Michael is an award-winning teacher and education advocate in Los Angeles whose work focuses on digital and civic literacy, social justice, and student-centered learning experiences. As an author, speaker and consultant, he works with educators around the world to develop curriculum that fosters creativity, curiosity, and passion within the context of a global community. His presentations at conferences in the U.S. and abroad for ISTE, SXSW EDU and Apple Education focus on the transformative power of technology, and innovative teaching and learning strategies. He is currently writing a book about student-created digital storytelling projects as a framework for learning.

Michael was selected by National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions as a Grosvenor Teacher Fellow for 2021. He is an Apple Distinguished Educator, Adobe Education Leader, and PBS Digital Innovator.

Laurie is an executive coach, a team coach, speaker and leadership development practitioner whose purpose is to help others examine and create their most courageous selves as they rumble with the daunting unknown arenas they navigate in this world. She is a sought-after speaker who is known to create an engaging and powerful learning climate. Her current certifications include Dare to LeadTM, the Fearless Organization and LeaderFactor based on three inspiring thought leaders, Dr. Brené Brown, Dr. Amy Edmondson and Dr. Timothy Clark. Laurie’s mission in life is to support vulnerable, shame-free and psychologically safe workplaces and classrooms, starting with leaders. Megatrain, her company is a youthful 30 years old and she is loves to learn and share her learning with other keeners.

Jennifer Llewellyn (FRSC) is the Chair in Restorative Justice and the Director of the Restorative Research, Innovation and Education Lab at the Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University (www.restorativelab.ca). She previously held the Yogis and Keddy Chair in Human Rights Law and Viscount Bennett Professorship. Her teaching and research focus on relational theory, restorative justice, truth commissions, peacebuilding, international and domestic human rights law. Professor Llewellyn has supported governments, NGO’s and communities in Canada and internationally on the implementation of a restorative approach across a range of systems and sectors including education. She was awarded the Social Sciences and Humanities Council Impact Award in 2018.

Kristina R. Llewellyn is Professor of Social Development Studies at Renison University College, University of Waterloo. She is a member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists. Her teaching and research address equitable education and a restorative approach to education, with a focus on history and civics in schools. Dr. Llewellyn is the award-winning author of four books, including Oral History, Education, and Justice: Possibilities and Limitations for Redress and Reconciliation (Routledge, 2019). She is Director of the project Digital Oral Histories for Reconciliation: The Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children History Education Initiative (www.dohr.ca) and Executive Member of the project Thinking Historically for Canada’s Future (www.thinking-historically.ca). Dr. Llewellyn is a regular commentator for local and national media on education issues.

Kathryn holds a degree in psychoeducation and opted for the training and development field after fourteen years of work as a counselor to people suffering from different addictions.

Having led more than 800 workshops, trainings and keynotes in Canada, the United States and Europe, Kathryn is passionate about helping her clients rise to their challenges. She is a lecturer at Concordia University and regularly works with employees and managers of all levels in various industries (engineering, finance, higher education, manufacturing pharmaceutical, etc.) She easily connects with audiences from all backgrounds.

Three of Kathryn’s books have been published. Two of them for school-aged children and the third, OSER avec ceux qui vous compliquent la vie, for people seeking to understand and find strategies for dealing effectively with difficult behaviors.

In 2016, Kathryn was appointed Governor of the Montreal chapter of the Financial Management Institute and received a recognition award from the Order of Chartered Administrators of Quebec.

Kathryn regularly appears in the media (television, radio, and print) to address different workplace issues: difficult behaviors, future of the workplace, emotional management, etc.

Dr. Gordon Porter is the Director of Inclusive Education Canada and has been engaged in creating inclusive schools in Canada and globally. He has consulted and provided training in Canada and more than 40 countries. A former president of the Canadian Association of Human Rights Agencies, he received the Canadian Education Association’s - Whitworth Award for Research in Education and is a member of the Order of New Brunswick as well as the Order of Canada, the country’s highest honour. He has shared systemic and practical strategies to make schools inclusive throughout his career through articles, videos, book chapters and commentaries. He most recently hosted and produced the “Let’s Chat About Inclusive Education” series posted on www.inclusiveeducation.ca – 30 conversations with Canadian educators, researchers, parents and others working to make schools inclusive.

Ainsley Rose retired after 35 years in education. As the former Director of Education and Curriculum for the Western Quebec School Board in Gatineau, Quebec, he has presented to small and large audiences across Canada, the United States, Bermuda, Hawaii and Lusaka Zambia, as well as, at the International Effective Schools Conference in Rotterdam. Ainsley is a contributing author for several recent publications; The Teacher as Assessment Leader, The Principal as Assessment Leader, The Collaborative Teacher, all with Solution Tree publishing. Ainsley works as a senior professional development associate for the Leadership and Learning Centre, the Marzano Research Laboratory, Solution Tree, and the Wayne Hulley School Improvement Model. He is also the lead trainer for Visible Learning, the work of Dr. John Hattie, from Auckland, New Zealand.

 The conference met my expectations

4.4 / 5

 The Conference will be of value to me in the future

4.4 / 5

 The Conference had enough variety to maintain my interest

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 The Conference's online format was satisfactory

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