Keynote Session

Keynote Speaker: Rajni Shankar-Brown, Jessie Ball duPont Endowed Chair of Social Justice Education, Stetson University
Location: Main Room
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:10 PM, EST
Unleashing Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Power:
Leveraging Educational Technologies for Good
Join us as we explore the changing landscape of education and gain insights into harnessing the full potential of educational technologies inside the classroom and beyond. In today’s interconnected and complex world, educational technologies (EdTech) can be a powerful catalyst for social change. With growing social inequalities and humanitarian crises, it is imperative we reflect on the challenges and opportunities of EdTech. By mindfully leveraging EdTech in our schools and communities, we can better address persistent and growing disparities in learning opportunities and outcomes. Internationally renowned professor of social justice education, Dr. Rajni Shankar-Brown, will delve into the transformative potential of EdTech to promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI), along with the profound impact of EdTech on teaching and learning paradigms. From personalized learning supports to equity-centered data analytics, from arts integration to capacity building, from inclusive access to accessibility, from culturally responsive teaching to innovative professional development, we will examine and explore revolutionary tools, effective approaches, and promising strategies that leverage educational technologies for positive impact. Through research, narrative, history, poetry, art, reflective activities, and real-world examples, Dr. Shankar-Brown will illuminate how EdTech can enhance and reshape education, how EdTech can empower educators to support diverse learners more effectively, and how EdTech can individually and collectively help us to unleash JEDI power!
Biography
Rajni Shankar-Brown, MA, M-MA, MBA, PhD, is an internationally renowned, community-engaged Professor and the Jessie Ball duPont Distinguished Chair of Social Justice Education at Stetson University, as well as the recipient of Stetson’s most prestigious awards -- the McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Hand Award for Distinguished Faculty Achievement. Dr. Shankar-Brown is also the President of the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) Board, the Founder and the Executive Director of the Institute for Catalyzing Equity, Justice, and Social Change (I-CEJSC), a steering member of the National Environmental Justice Institute (NEJI), the Co-Chair of Equity and Justice for the International Society for Teacher Education and Information Technology, the Director of the Acts of Kindness and Justice Movement, curriculum designer and coach for the Racial Equity Action Lab, and a faculty member for the International Society of Experiential Education Academy. Dr. Shankar-Brown has worked in a variety of transformative leadership roles with communities, organizations, government agencies (federal, state, and local levels), corporations, PreK-12 schools, and institution of higher education in urban, rural, and suburban areas across the United States and around the world. She is a committed advocate for equity-centered approaches to educational technologies, as well as using and creating digital tools to advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Dr. Shankar-Brown was honored with the Outstanding Leadership and Service to Digital Equity Award from the International Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education. She has presented around the globe and written education articles, book chapters, and creative works in leading academic sources. She has published an education book series including books Bending the Arc Toward Justice: Equity-Focused Practices for Educational Leaders and Re-Envisioning Education: Affirming Diversity and Advancing Justice and has a new book in motion - EdTech for Social Change. In addition to being a passionate teacher-scholar, Dr. Shankar-Brown is a dedicated amma (mom) who loves sunflowers and masala chai.
Location: Main Room
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:10 PM, EST
Unleashing Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Power:
Leveraging Educational Technologies for Good
Join us as we explore the changing landscape of education and gain insights into harnessing the full potential of educational technologies inside the classroom and beyond. In today’s interconnected and complex world, educational technologies (EdTech) can be a powerful catalyst for social change. With growing social inequalities and humanitarian crises, it is imperative we reflect on the challenges and opportunities of EdTech. By mindfully leveraging EdTech in our schools and communities, we can better address persistent and growing disparities in learning opportunities and outcomes. Internationally renowned professor of social justice education, Dr. Rajni Shankar-Brown, will delve into the transformative potential of EdTech to promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI), along with the profound impact of EdTech on teaching and learning paradigms. From personalized learning supports to equity-centered data analytics, from arts integration to capacity building, from inclusive access to accessibility, from culturally responsive teaching to innovative professional development, we will examine and explore revolutionary tools, effective approaches, and promising strategies that leverage educational technologies for positive impact. Through research, narrative, history, poetry, art, reflective activities, and real-world examples, Dr. Shankar-Brown will illuminate how EdTech can enhance and reshape education, how EdTech can empower educators to support diverse learners more effectively, and how EdTech can individually and collectively help us to unleash JEDI power!
Biography
Rajni Shankar-Brown, MA, M-MA, MBA, PhD, is an internationally renowned, community-engaged Professor and the Jessie Ball duPont Distinguished Chair of Social Justice Education at Stetson University, as well as the recipient of Stetson’s most prestigious awards -- the McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Hand Award for Distinguished Faculty Achievement. Dr. Shankar-Brown is also the President of the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) Board, the Founder and the Executive Director of the Institute for Catalyzing Equity, Justice, and Social Change (I-CEJSC), a steering member of the National Environmental Justice Institute (NEJI), the Co-Chair of Equity and Justice for the International Society for Teacher Education and Information Technology, the Director of the Acts of Kindness and Justice Movement, curriculum designer and coach for the Racial Equity Action Lab, and a faculty member for the International Society of Experiential Education Academy. Dr. Shankar-Brown has worked in a variety of transformative leadership roles with communities, organizations, government agencies (federal, state, and local levels), corporations, PreK-12 schools, and institution of higher education in urban, rural, and suburban areas across the United States and around the world. She is a committed advocate for equity-centered approaches to educational technologies, as well as using and creating digital tools to advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Dr. Shankar-Brown was honored with the Outstanding Leadership and Service to Digital Equity Award from the International Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education. She has presented around the globe and written education articles, book chapters, and creative works in leading academic sources. She has published an education book series including books Bending the Arc Toward Justice: Equity-Focused Practices for Educational Leaders and Re-Envisioning Education: Affirming Diversity and Advancing Justice and has a new book in motion - EdTech for Social Change. In addition to being a passionate teacher-scholar, Dr. Shankar-Brown is a dedicated amma (mom) who loves sunflowers and masala chai.