Theme: Innovation and Inspiration

Our theme for this year is “The Future of Education: Innovation and Inspiration”. To that end, we’re bringing together educators, parents, and professionals from a wide-range of backgrounds to share their personal vision for reshaping how education works in our community.

9096 Trattle Street
Langley, British Columbia, V1M 2S6
Canada

Langley Children's Choir

The goals of the Langley Children’s choir are to promote enthusiasm and a love of singing, to introduce singers to a wide variety of musical styles, to develop vocal technique and music reading skills, and to foster commitment and build community. Directors Patti Thorpe and Kim Hardy, and accompanist Heather Hicks have all worked with the choir for more than twenty years of great music making and fun activities, and they and the choir are thrilled to be a part of TedX. The singers are in grades 3 – 8 and come from many different schools in the Langley area and rehearse weekly at Langley Secondary School.

Alexander Magnussen

Student/Thriving with Autism

Alexander is a 27 year old man who lives with Autism. His goal is to convey to the world that Autism can be a thing to be celebrated, not feared. People with Autism could have some really big potential with the right support and understanding. Through his own valuable life experiences he can communicate what it feels like to have Autism and how to navigate through the "prickly parts" of Autism, creating an understanding for both those with and without Autism. His talks are called “Bridging the Gap” as he is able to connect the worlds between people with Autism and those without Autism.

Amanda Wormald

Amanda Wormald is a 15 year old Artist Formation Program student at The Circus Lab, a circus school located in Langley, BC. Amanda trains upwards of 18 hours a week in the circus arts, with the hopes of becoming a professional circus artist. She performs locally and internationally, presenting her work at events ranging from community events to circus festivals. Ever since discovering the circus arts at The Circus Lab two years ago, her passion for this new form of expression has not stopped growing, and has led her to the become the emerging aerial artist she is today.

Cecelia Reekie

Former School Trustee & Community Volunteer

Cecelia Reekie is a member of the Haisla First Nation. Cecelia has been involved in Langley Schools for many years, from being involved with Parent Advisory Council's to serving as a Trustee on the Board of Education from January 2011 - November 2014, and now is a Cultural Presenter with the School District's Aboriginal Program. Cecelia has an important and poignant story to tell as a child of survivors of Canadian Residential Schools. Cecelia is married and a mother of two sons!

Chris Wejr

Elementary Teacher/Principal and Strengths based learning advocate

Chris is a father of 5 year-old twin girls and a former high school teacher and coach. He currently works as a teacher/principal of James Hill Elementary in Langley. Previous to this, as a teacher/principal in the community of Agassiz, he worked with the staff to create positive changes in school climate as well as student motivation and engagement based on a strength-based school culture. He has also advised and worked on committees with the BC Ministry of Education, the Canadian Education Association and other agencies to help promote educational change in areas such as curriculum, professional learning, assessment, and technology. Chris learns from and shares with others through his learning network on Twitter at @chriswejr as well as on his blog at chriswejr.com. Chris is a strong believer using the power of social media to share stories that drive educational change and has presented online as well as in Western Canada and the United States.

Dan Pontefract

Chief Envisioner of TELUS Transformation Office

Dan is the author of “FLAT ARMY: Creating a Connected and Engaged Organization” (May, 2013) and “THE PURPOSE EFFECT: Building Meaning in Yourself, Your Role and Your Organization” (May, 2016). He is Chief Envisioner of TELUS Transformation Office; a future-of-work consulting group that helps organizations enhance corporate culture, leadership, learning, work styles & collaboration practices. You can reach Dan on Twitter (@dpontefract) or via his personal site at http://www.danpontefract.com.

Hannah Perkins

Hannah Perkins is a grade 4 student from Langley B.C. She enjoys a wide variety of hobbies ranging from Art to Hockey. Hannah also dedicates much time and energy to caring for and learning about her rescue pets. She loves to learn and is excited about the endless possibilities for the future.

Holly Clark

Ed Tech Consultant - Google Certified Teacher

Holly Clark: She is an award-winning educator and speaker based in San Diego, CA and Portland, Oregon. She is both a National Board Certified Teacher and Google Certified Innovator. A long time teacher and administrator, Holly consults globally with schools to help them successfully and purposefully innovate instruction through the use of learning theory, technology integration and design thinking strategies. Holly holds an MA in Education from Columbia University, New York. She is an internationally recognized keynote speaker - passionately spreading the idea that we need to disrupt education and innovate our classroom curriculum. She is the Educational Strategist for EdTechTeam and head of their new publishing division - EdTechTeam Press. She authors a successful blog and her first book - Are You Ready to Disrupt? is due out in 2016.

Hugh McDonald

Intermediate Educator / Teacher

Hugh is an intermediate educator with 15 years of experience with the Surrey School District and has resided in Langley, British Columbia with his family for 8 years. Currently he teaches Grade 6/7 students at Fraser Wood Elementary. Hugh earned his Masters of Educational Leadership degree through Simon Fraser University and his teaching degree from the University of British Columbia. He is the Past president and vice-president of the Surrey Elementary Schools Athletic Association. Hugh coaches a variety of sports in schools and now has started coaching his kids in soccer and baseball in the community of Langley. Hugh's interest areas include youth in sports, coaching, passion based learning (Genius Hour), leadership, and the power of a growth mindset. He is a proud husband to Denni and Dad of Cole and Danica.

Jennifer Lee

Jennifer Lee is a third grade student of RC Garnett Elementary School in Langley. Her speech won the prize at 2015 Langley School District Speech Fest. She also won the Scholastic Poetry Contest in the same year. Even at her young age, Jennifer has proved her talent in writing and public speaking. Inspired by her speech, she has been writing her own novels featuring the same animal character as the main character of her story.

Jos Chois

Jos is a spirited 10 year-old boy in grade 4 attending R.C. Garnett Elementary School in Langley, BC. He loves competing in International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, long distance running, riding his scooter, hiking in the forest, making music on the drums, creating music videos with his brother, traveling the world, having sleep overs with his friends, public speaking and playing Skylanders on his Wii-U. He is very proud and grateful to be a part of TEDxLangleyED and to have the opportunity to share his message with you called "You Are Amazing"

Maria LeRose

Moderator/Facilitator - Dalai Lama Centre

We are excited to once again have Maria as the facilitator of our TEDxLangleyED event. She recognizes a good story when she hears it. Thirty years as an award-winning television producer and interviewer has taught her what makes some stories stick. Whether she is producing a television documentary or an educational video, moderating a dynamic dialogue or doing personal performance coaching, Maria has an unerring sense of what is engaging and memorable to audiences. Maria has a Masters of Education with a focus on Social and Emotional Learning, and is an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC. She recently moderated the visit to Vancouver of the Dalai Lama and will bring her amazing skills to the TEDxLangleyED event.

Nancy Crawford

Personal Renaissance Coach, Artist & Teacher

Creativity colours every aspect of Nancy's life including her relationships, service as a teacher and coach, and her expressions as an artist, author and speaker. For three decades her energies have been focused on visual art, art history and the creative process - exploring its depth and mystery - both in her own life and work, and in helping others to foster their own creativity enjoying lives of greater meaning, purpose and joy.

Ryan Radford

Secondary Science and Tech teacher & passionate computer 'geek'

Ryan is currently a secondary teacher at Walnut Grove Secondary in Langley, BC. He left behind the land of teaching science for the exciting world of teaching computer geeks, offering courses in video production, visual effects, graphic/web design, and 3D modelling & printing. Ryan’s educational passions are deeply rooted in the development of student leadership and building community within his school (the creation of annual teacher videos and choreographed dance numbers provide a tweak of pride on his YouTube channel). Spoiler alert... he's also a geek.

Samantha Ettus

Parenting and Career Consultant & Author

Samantha Ettus is a work/life wellness and parenting expert. She has worked with thousands of celebrities, CEOs and professionals who aim to perform at the highest levels in their professional and personal lives. Since earning her undergraduate and MBA degrees from Harvard, Sam has become a bestselling author of four books, a writer for Forbes, a sought after speaker and host of a nationally syndicated call-in radio show. Sam's fifth book, The Pie Life: A Woman’s Recipe for Success and Satisfaction, will be published in September, 2016. Sam has a powerful social media following and is consistently called on by traditional media outlets for her parenting and career advice. She makes regular national television appearances on shows including Access Hollywood, The Today Show, The Security Brief, Home and Family and Fox and Friends, among others. Sam splits her time between Los Angeles and New York with her husband and three children.

Shelley Moore

Educational Inclusion Specialist

Shelley Moore has worked in both elementary and secondary schools supporting students with and without special needs in inclusive contexts in Alberta, New York and British Columbia. She is currently an inclusive consultant in the Richmond School District, as well as various other districts throughout the province. She has presented conferences both nationally and internationally, and is a sessional instructor at Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia and University Of British Columbia - Okanagan

Vikram Vij

Entrepreneur & Restauranteur

Vikram Vij did his culinary diploma from Austria and then came to work at the Banff Springs Hotel as a line cook. Finally after working in the Industry for a long time, He decided to open his first Vij's restaurant in Vancouver, Canada in 1994, Soon he met Meeru and they both co-own Vij's,Rangoli and Vij's Lantern. Both the market and restaurant are also in Vancouver. Vikram has been a judge on various cooking shows and other reality TV shows on CBC and the Food Television networks.