Building Outside the Blocks

Jeff Kubiak is the principal of Nelda Mundy Elementary School. He taught for ten years as an elementary school teacher in grades 4, 5, and 6 and has seven years of administrative experience. Jeff strives to connect with students by bringing real world experiences to them, getting to know their names, engaging in lessons and play, and becoming a part of the learning process with them. He's always looked at education from a different lens: from someone who hated and struggled with school. Jeff vows to always do his best to help increase opportunities for all students to feel heard, noticed, celebrated, challenged and safe. There is not a day that goes by that he is not looking ahead to improve teacher pedagogy, student engagement and digital access for all. 

Jeff works hard to push back against the old model of "Industria...

Kyle Kitchen has been teaching for almost 20 years with the District School Board of Niagara and has been one of the IT4 Learning consultants who specializes in infusing technology and pedagogy into classrooms, for the last 9 years.  He is a Makey Makey Ambassador and trainer, Google Certified educator, STEAM teacher, a Maker and Breaker and the creator of Kinders Who Code. He loves working directly with K-8 students and teachers to create curiosity for learning and is often seen speaking at many conferences about his adventures in design thinking, inquiry and making.  

Kyle got his job 9 years ago, and it was first called SWAT: Software, Workshops, and Technology Training Team. While the name changed (for obvious reasons), the work that he does really fulfills him. Kyle loves to learn and see how kids learn....

Jen Apgar is in her 6th year as the 21st Century Technology Coach with the Upper Grand District School Board. She taught in the junior gifted program for 10 years and holds her specialists in Integration of Information and Computer Technology in Instruction as well as Special Education. Jen is curious, connected, playful, passionate and purposeful, a hopeful optimist that strives to use the tension of reality to stay grounded while keeping the spirit of her 'What if?' 8-10 year old self. She used to imagine that she was a character from a lost Steven Spielberg movie, which could only be described as a Goonies-E.T.-Explorers-Gremlins-Cloak and Dagger-Stand by Me mash-up, and then Stranger Things happened. Now she is working on creating new characters that represent the the fun adventurous spirit of the 80’s more inclusi...

Geoff Ruggero has been teaching in YRDSB for 15 years. He began in the  junior division but has spent the last 7 years as Teacher-Librarian. In that time, he has transformed the classic library space into a modern learning commons. Geoff enjoys coaching basketball, soccer and track, and he is also into STEAM, Making, Coding, Lego, and Edtech.

Geoff and I met for the first time at The Youth Edtech Summit (YES) last year for YRDSB. We reflected on how amazing it was to watch our students lead and share their learning so effectively. Geoff fosters that space through his Learning Commons. “I have, actually,  zero computer science background, but I jumped full on-board with the coding and edtech part of the gig because students...know more than we do… they learn so quickly, and I learn alongside them…The celebration of learn...

Vernon Wright is an entrepreneur, speaker, leader, veteran educator, show host, associate editor, and consultant with 15 years of experience in large, urban school districts. He has served as a teacher, teacher leader, campus administrator, and central office leader.  Vernon has collaborated literally across the world with some of the biggest names in educational leadership and entrepreneurial pursuits. Vernon has shared his experiences numerous times over the years at the campus, district, regional, state levels and beyond garnering acclaim from recognized industry leaders. He espouses the three cornerstone values of Connect, Impact, and Scale as the foundation of his pursuits. Vernon welcomes you to the #ZeroApologyZone. 

Vernon, The Wright Leader, and the #ZeroApologyZone brand represent those people that take a...

Tim Cavey is an 8th grade educator teaching in Surrey, BC, Canada. He recently completed his Master’s of Educational Leadership. Tim’s Masters program re-invigorated his passion for education and led the way to the Teachers on Fire podcast, where Tim profiles agents of growth and transformation in K-12 education. Each week, he chats with an inspiring educator to bring his listeners their, “highs and lows, passions and goals, and the voices and influences that are shaping their thinking and inspiring their practice.”

Tim did his Masters to open doors for administrative opportunities, but he also really wanted to take his learning to the next level. He is in his 19th year of teaching, and he feels that it is a richer experience having teaching years behind him and knowing the profession as he did, although he wishes that...

Craig Shapiro has been a Health and Physical Education Teacher/Coach for 30 years.  He’s married with two children and 3 dogs. Being a teacher was a choice that’s completely shaped his life.  Making a difference for students each day is an amazing way for him to spread happiness and wellness.

It was his freshman year at Penn State, and it was then that Craig realized that Business was not for him. That summer, he told his parents that he wanted to take his lifetime in sports to his profession and become an educator. Craig said, “If I can get a job and get paid to exercise and coach, and teach kids about health and wellness, that would be the thing for me.” On top of being a Phys. Ed teacher, Craig coaches cross country, wrestling and track. 

Craig deeply believes in choice and voice. “We want kids to enjoy their lea...

Eric Alper started his own PR firm, Eric Alper Public Relations, after being the Director of Media Relations and Label Relations for eOne Music Canada

for the past 18 years. He's a regular music industry contributor to Bell Media, Rogers, Shaw Media, among others. Eric is the host of

@ThatEricAlper show on SiriusXM, a one-hour talk show about music.  With over a million followers on social media, he's been named to Billboard

Magazine, Paste Magazine and The National Post's best on social media. Eric also goes to schools as a music industry expert to talk about how to find your spark- the thing that you love to do - opening eyes to the possibility of building outside the blocks. 

Eric has loved the music industry since he was little. “I know that I’m very very lucky to be able to do what I do for so long. I knew what I want...

Nicole has a Bachelor's Degree in Spanish from the University of Florida and a Master's Degree in Secondary Education from the University of Phoenix.  She is currently a Spanish Teacher and World Languages Department Chair in a public high school. She is a certified translator and interpreter, as well. Nicole is writing a book with her 9 year old son about ADHD that is being published by EduMatch®. Nicole is proud to be an educator and believes that everyone should have access to a quality education that connects them with their purpose.  She seeks to bridge understanding, spark conversations, and inspire through her writing.

Nicole loves to write. Her son, Jason, has had a lot of negative experiences at school with teachers and peers as a result of his ADHD. She encouraged him to journal about his experiences as a tool...

Teresa Gross is currently a Reading Specialist in Rochester NY and has been in education for 19 years as both a speech therapist and reading teacher. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Speech Language Therapy, a Master's Degree in Literacy and an advanced study degree in Educational Administration. Teresa is active on social media and currently moderates Twitter chats on Tuesday evening and Saturday mornings, #CodeBreaker and #PD4uandme. She had the honor of contributing to the book Stories in EDU: Sail with a Fleet (Volume 1) as well as peer editing a section of a book being published by EDUMatch coming out later this year. Her most recent accomplishment was being awarded the Golden Apple Award, by a student who nominated her, from a local news station. 

Teresa’s favourite past of the writing process is editing....