Summit_Guidebook

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WORKSHOP PRESENTERS GALLERY 83
Sandi Novak
Sandi Novak has been a teacher, principal, curriculum director, and an assistant superintendent. She
currently works as a consultant for Scholastic Book Fairs® , as well as individual school districts, and is the
author of Student-Led Discussions. She has two books scheduled for release in summer 2016: Let Us
Talk: Giving Students a Voice Through Student-Led Discussions and Literacy Classroom Visits: A Leader’s
Guide to Effective Reading Instruction. In April 2016 she released a digital course in partnership with
Scholastic and ASCD on developing a whole-school culture for independent reading.
Workshop: iDEAL: Inspiring, Developing, Empowering, Assessing, and Leading an Independent
Reading Culture (AM); Workshop: Let’s Talk! Students Talking About Books (PM)
Mike Oliver
Mike Oliver is the progressive principal of Zaharis Elementary School in Mesa, Arizona. He is passionate
about theory and practice, teaching and learning, and has taken a stand with innovation in his public
school. Strongly grounded in learning theory, Mike believes, as Dewey did, that “learning is life” and
encourages authentic learning and teaching, taking an inquiry stance and workshop pedagogy.
Workshop: Inspire, Instill, Ignite: Sparking a Love for Reading in Your Classroom!
Dr. Kimberly Parker
Dr. Kimberly N. Parker currently teaches English at the Cambridge, Rindge and Latin School in Cam-
bridge, Massachusetts. She believes in the promise of underserved young people and is currently
piloting a program to increase the number of students of color in honors English classes. Kim has re-
ceived several honors, including the Marion Gleason Most Promising New Teacher Award from the New
England Association of Teachers of English (NEATE) and was named one of five Literacy Champions
from the Massachusetts Literacy Council. She is the former Secondary Representative At Large for the
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and a current Trustee for the NCTE Research Founda-
tion. She is the current president of NEATE.
Workshop: Beyond a Magical Year: Designing Cohesive Independent Reading Experiences for
Students
Dr. Michael Shaffer
Dr. Michael Shaffer is a veteran principal and district educational leader who is currently focusing on the
development and training of principals and superintendents through the Ed Leadership Department
at Ball State University as an assistant professor. His major professional passion is getting books in the
hands of students and teaching them to love reading. Michael has successfully led schools and districts
in significant school improvement processes.
Workshop: BC4BOYZ: Getting Boys to Read
Colby Sharp
Colby Sharp is a third grade teacher in Parma, Michigan. He’s a husband, a father, and a middle school
football coach. Colby is the co-founder of the blog, Nerdy Book Club. He co-hosts the monthly Twitter
chats #Titletalk with Donalyn Miller, and the #SharpSchu Twitter book club with John Schumacher. He is
also the co-creator of Nerd Camp.
Workshop: Falling in Love With Reading: A Journey Through the Lens of a Third Grade Classroom
Katherine Sokolowski
Katherine Sokolowski has taught for 20 years—from kindergarten through sixth grade—and currently
teaches fifth grade in Monticello, Illinois. Her thoughts about the power of relationships to engage read-
ers and writers have appeared on NPR and Choice Literacy. She co-facilitates the Nerdy Book Club blog
and also blogs at
Workshop: Audience Matters: Engaging Student Readers Through Community