Tech EDGE Spring 2022 Conference

The pandemic has disrupted and changed the world as we knew it. We invite you to join a group of forward-thinking, purpose-driven community of educators and leaders for a day of learning, and connect with others who will challenge your thinking while inspiring you forward. The goal of Tech EDGE is to bring together educators and administrators from K12 as well as higher education faculty, and educational researchers to exchange and share experiences and expertise on all aspects of education.

Tech EDGE provides a platform for practitioners, educators, and researchers to present and discuss recent innovations, trends, concerns, challenges, and solutions in the areas of teaching, learning and digital education. Conference attendees can expect to find sessions on evidence-based practices, educational innovation, and practical applications of theories and research that can be replicated and immediately used in their specific situations. You’ll find opportunities to network, share, and collaborate with peers from across the state and beyond. You'll go back to your schools, institutions and organizations with your toolbox packed with ideas that will help you emerge stronger in the post-pandemic era.

Date: Saturday, February 12, 2022

Time: 8 AM
Location: UNK College of Education

Register for the Tech Edge Conference

Keynote Speaker

Brad McLain is a social scientist who serves as a Director of Corporate Research at the National Center for Women & IT, and as Executive Director for the Center for STEM Learning at CU Boulder.  Brad’s research focuses on identity development, diversity and inclusion in relation to STEM learning and career pathways, including the nature and impacts of transformative experiences and how such experiences may change our sense of self and life trajectories at different ages. Brad has served as principal investigator on several research and project grants funded by both government and corporate entities. He also has extensive experience in informal and formal science education and teacher professional development. In his role at NCWIT, Brad participates in research, research application, and the creation of resources and strategies that organizations can use towards diversification and inclusion in workplace environments and cultures.

Prior to joining NCWIT, Brad was an assistant professor of education at the University of Colorado Denver; an educational researcher at the Space Science Institute; a multimedia instructional designer in the online learning industry; a NASA educational lead for the Space Shuttle Program, the Office of Biological and Physical Research, and the Space Science Mission Directorate; and a social science researcher at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). He is also an accomplished filmmaker, having produced and directed three documentary features and dozens of short films. Brad has also served on the Board of Directors for the Jane Goodall Institute and as the chair of Dr. Goodall’s Roots & Shoots education program.  He is a nationally recognized writer and speaker — with a new book coming out in the Fall of 2022 on Designing Transformative Experiences: A Guide for Leaders. His TEDx and TEDx Youth talks can be found online along with his podcasts and blogs.