Keynote Presentation 1 by Dr. Kevin Yee on December 17, 2024 at 10:00 am (EST)
Dr. Kevin Yee
Kevin has worked in educational development since 2004, serving as director of various teaching centers since 2012. He has also previously held 9-month faculty positions at Duke University, Pomona College, and the University of Iowa. He earned his Ph.D. in German Literature from UC Irvine in 1997, and has taught a wide assortment of German language and culture courses, as well as many courses in general humanities, film, and cultural studies, with a particular emphasis on popular culture. Recent examples include Cultural Analysis Through the Hunger Games, Interpreting Marvel’s Avengers, Critical Analysis of the Harry Potter Movies, Princess Fairy Tales, and Deconstructing Walt Disney World.
In the classroom, Kevin believes the science of learning provides a crucial foundation for instructors, influencing everything from course design and assessment structure, to classroom management and lesson planning. He is an avid believer in interactive teaching, and has curated a popular list of interactive techniques since 1992. More recently, he’s been developing resources for faculty related to AI Fluency and how to use generative AI (such as ChatGPT) in the college classroom, as well as ways faculty can use AI in their day job.
Opportunities and Challenges of Teaching in the GenAI Era
We know our students will need AI Fluency as they enter the workforce, but what exactly does that mean? Which skills are we talking about? And how do we adjust our assignments to imbue this in them? What are the ways we can use GenAI in our own lives to make teaching, research, and service faster and easier? We will tackle the opportunities and challenges of GenAI in the college context, and dive deeply into specific steps to take next. We will remain laser-focused on practical tips, tools, and strategies faculty can start implementing immediately.
Keynote Presentation 2 by Dr. Denise Davis-Cotton on December 18, 2024 at 10:00 am (EST)
Dr. Denise Davis-Cotton
Dr. Denise Davis-Cotton is recognized as a leading authority in arts integrated-teaching, an accomplished curriculum designer for education, arts integration, and new school/program development addressing minoritized and racialized students. She is the Director of the Florida Center for Partnerships for Arts-Integrated Teaching (PAInT Center) at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus. PAInT focuses on developing evidenced-based and cutting-edge methods to inform effective arts integration teaching practices for learning. The Center’s reach extends to 50 national Superintendents, Principals, and Arts Outreach Leaders, along with 250 national participants, including teachers, arts educators, and teaching artists in national school sites, have enhanced their knowledge of the arts and improved their ability to implement standards-based arts programming and arts integrated curricula, instruction, and assessments, impacting t an estimated 40,000 students across participating districts, based on average district enrollment figures.. These initiatives serve as effective vehicles for developing arts learning and arts integration professional development in schools. Through this comprehensive approach, as the Center Director, she creates a sustainable and scalable model for arts integration across diverse educational settings.
Her multifaceted approach spans instruction, assessment, curriculum development, and program implementation. Her scholarship includes an extensive 188-page curriculum handbook, Moving through Movements, which provides educators with a comprehensive framework for arts-integrated teaching. To highlight the practical outcomes of arts integration, she has also developed a rigorous curriculum publication that examines the effectiveness of teaching visually impaired students, showcasing student artwork as evidence of their creative accomplishments. In her commitment to accessibility, she has adapted her children’s book The Legends of Azaliya, into Braille. Her research has garnered recognition in prominent academic circles, with two articles published in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) journal and content featured on the Smithsonian Digital Platform.
She was invited to the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics to speak to student in a Study Group about Activism and Advocacy in Arts Education. Her life’s work in education centers on fostering inclusive teaching and learning environments through solution-building activities and programs that prominently position the arts within a balanced values-alignment in academia. She is a Milken Foundation internationally-recognized educator, a National Past President and active Board member of Arts Schools Network. She is the Founder and was the First Principal of Detroit School of Arts; and author of Losing My Mind over Education (Finding My Way Back to Me). She has established the reputation as a community/civic leader for comprehensive culturally-inclusive arts-integrated education. She shares with others her belief in the importance of arts integrated-teaching and learning in schools; thereby, garnering the distinct honor as a woman of vision, keen insight, and action. She received two Keys to the City of Montgomery (Alabama), the Congressional Record Recognition by the 106th Congress, and Distinguished Alum of Alabama State University.
Arts Integration for a Well-Rounded Education: Empowering Leaders, Engaging Faculty, and Inspiring All Learners
Discover how arts integration creates equitable learning environments that celebrate student voice and validate varied forms of cultural expression. This keynote delves into the transformative power of integrating the arts across educational disciplines to foster a holistic, well-rounded learning experience. Arts integration is more than adding an art form to the curriculum; it is a research-based approach that deepens critical thinking, fosters creativity, and drives innovation. This address highlights how educational leaders and faculty cultivate inclusive, vibrant classrooms where students of all backgrounds can thrive through meaningful artistic experiences that honor diverse cultural perspectives and learning styles.
The address underscores how the arts serve as powerful catalysts in education, driving three core areas of student development: academic achievement, social growth, and mental wellness. Through strategic integration of visual, performing, and media arts into the curriculum, educators can amplify student engagement, deepen content understanding, and develop essential skills for lifelong learning and success .By the close of this session, attendees will be empowered to position arts integration as a foundational element of a well-rounded education, inspiring an enriched learning environment where each student can excel, connect, and express themselves with confidence and creativity. Participants will leave equipped with actionable frameworks and implementation strategies to begin transforming their educational practices through meaningful arts integration, supported by a professional learning community dedicated to ongoing growth and innovation in arts-integrated instruction.
Closing Keynote Presentation by Dr. Bendegul Okumus on December 18, 2024 at 1:30 pm (EST)
Dr. Bendegul Okumus
Dr. Bendegul Okumus is an Associate Professor at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management. She has an undergraduate degree in Nutrition and Home Economics, Master’s and PhD degrees in Food Hygiene and Technology, and a second Master’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management. Her primary teaching areas include Nutrition Concepts and Issues in Food Services, International Cuisine and Culture, Sanitation in the Food Service Industry and Health and Wellness in Hospitality and Tourism. Her research focuses on food safety, eating behavior and eating habits, food and culinary tourism, food waste and health & wellness in hospitality and tourism. She has over 70 academic journal articles and two books. Her publications received over 5100 citations. Dr. Okumus has worked in multidisciplinary research teams, secured and completed research grants. She has authored/co-authored numerous academic journal articles, conference presentations, book and book chapters. Dr. Okumus has coauthored a book titled, Wellness Management in Hospitality and Tourism.
Wellness Education: Opportunities and Challenges
This keynote will cover the evolving landscape of wellness education, highlighting the critical need for comprehensive wellness programs in educational institutions for students, faculty and staff. The keynote will share strategies to integrate wellness into curricula, emphasizing the importance of mental, physical, and emotional health in fostering holistic student development. Attendees will learn about the opportunities presented by technology and community partnerships to enhance wellness initiatives, while also addressing the challenges of limited resources, stakeholder engagement, and the stigma surrounding mental health. This session should inspire attendees to collaborate in creating a supportive environment to make wellness as a fundamental part of education.