Fall 2024 Conference Iowa Featured Speaker
Matt Beatty
Matthew Beatty is a dedicated 4th grade teacher entering his 10th year in education. With five years of experience teaching English Language Learners (ELL) and a passion for connecting learning to real-world contexts, he strives to make education relevant and engaging for his students. In his role, Matthew Beatty emphasizes the importance of community connections, believing that when students relate their learning to the world around them, their educational experience is enriched.
As an advocate for integrating technology in the classroom, he utilizes AI to enhance lesson planning and creation, ensuring his teaching remains innovative and effective. Additionally, Matthew Beatty is committed to implementing Agile and Scrum frameworks, empowering his students to take ownership of their learning journey.
Driven by the desire to combat the notion of “boring” school experiences, Matthew Beatty actively encourages fellow educators to transform education, fostering an environment where students feel excited about learning. Recently, he has begun collaborating with the Iowa Clearinghouse for Work-Based Learning, further strengthening ties between schools and local businesses to provide students with valuable, real-life learning opportunities.
Matthew Beatty looks forward to sharing his insights and strategies at the conference, as he continues to inspire both his students and his peers in the pursuit of a dynamic and engaging educational experience.
Caleb Bonjour
Caleb Bonjour is the Superintendent of Gladbrook-Reinbeck Community School District in Iowa, where he works passionately to build a strong, unified school community across the district. As a resourceful educational leader, Caleb has developed a reputation for his ability to cultivate a safe learning environment, ensuring that school culture encourages continuous improvement for both teachers and students. His leadership is marked by open communication with all stakeholders and a strong commitment to mentoring educators in developing class instruction, lesson plans, student achievement, and professional growth.
Caleb understands the power of storytelling in education and is a firm believer in the importance of effectively marketing and telling your personal and school’s story. Through initiatives like The Rebel Legacy Project, he focuses on building personal and collective legacies for students and staff, helping them connect with their unique strengths and contributions. Caleb emphasizes the power of stories to bring communities together and foster a lasting, positive impact.
In his leadership role, Caleb combines traditional values with innovative approaches, particularly in leveraging technology to advance educational practices. He is an advocate for utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve productivity and streamline decision-making, allowing educational leaders to focus more on meaningful interactions with students and staff. His focus on the balance between AI and human-centered leadership helps schools run more efficiently while staying grounded in their core values.
Outside of his professional endeavors, Caleb is a dedicated husband and father, drawing on his personal experiences to enrich his approach to education. His belief in the transformative power of education is not only professional but also deeply personal, as he strives to build a legacy of lasting impact for both his students and his own children.
As a speaker, Caleb brings a wealth of knowledge and practical insights on leadership, the power of storytelling, and the integration of AI in education. He provides valuable strategies for fellow educational leaders to enhance their efficiency, foster growth, and tell the stories that define their schools’ legacies.
Dr. Kim McCoy-Parker
Dr. Kim McCoy-Parker is in her ninth year of teaching fifth grade at Four Mile Elementary in the Southeast Polk CSD. She also serves as the STEAM lab coordinator and model teacher. In 2022, Kim was awarded the PLTW Outstanding Teacher Award. She completed her doctorate degree in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Northern Iowa in December of 2022. Kim is currently pursuing her Computer Science 5-12 Endorsement to better understand the technological opportunities she can provide her students with to deepen their understanding across multiple grade bands and content areas. She continues to work on authentic integration of technology into her daily instruction.
Katie Schroder
Katie Schroder is a middle and high school instructional coach for the Sibley-Ocheyedan Community School District. Becoming a coach early in her career, she pursued countless professional learning opportunities to best serve her colleagues. These included earning her Master’s Degree in Teacher Leadership, Curriculum, and Instruction from Buena Vista University and becoming a Google Certified Coach. Through these learning experiences, Katie has become passionate about creating and providing quality professional development opportunities that positively impact teacher practice and student learning. From leading the mentoring and induction program in her district to partnering with teachers in coaching work to building district-wide professional learning, Katie strives to eradicate the traditional sit-and-get PD and provide applicable, relevant learning opportunities for her fellow teachers.
Cedar Falls Community School District
The Cedar Falls Community School District is excited and honored to be a part of the ITEC Fall Conference as the Featured District. Our district is the 15th largest in the state of Iowa, serving just under 6,000 PK-12 students. We are proud to be part of the Cedar Valley and share our town with the University of Northern Iowa. As one of the largest employers in Black Hawk County, the school district has nearly 800 employees, full and part time.
Cedar Falls CSD is made up of 7 elementary schools, 2 junior high buildings, and a brand new high school which opened this year. Our district is a Professional Learning Community, which embodies everything we do as we strive to teach every student, every day.
Technology access, integration, and professional learning has been one of the district’s emphasis over the past 10 years. All students have access to technology with a 1:1 ratio of iPads in K-2 and Chromebooks in grades 3-12. Our teachers are supported by four Technology Integration Coaches and a team of Building Technology Integration Leaders who are classroom teachers in each of our buildings.
