That’s a wrap! Two down, and endless possibilities to go. February 18 saw the premiere of our second-ever Kami Connect. If the comments on our Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube pages are anything to go by, attendees from all over the world had just as much fun as we did! 

But we really can’t take too much credit. It was ultimately the fantastic lineup of speakers that really made Kami Connect 2021 what it was. For those of you who couldn’t be with us live, or maybe you’re just wanting to relive your favorite moments from the conference – we’ve put together a recap of some of the wisdom shared with us on the day.

An epic keynote: “The choice is yours” by Gerry Brooks

You had to be there to see it, but Gerry was awesome and we are glad to hear how many of you got so much out of his keynote. 

“Real-time collaboration to address all learners using Kami” by Stacey Roshan

Gerry was a tough act to follow – but Kami Hero, educator, author, and Director of Innovation and Edtech Stacey Roshan handled it brilliantly. 

The underlying theme of her session was how technology can help teachers develop a deeper level of empathy in the classroom and use it to get to know the individual needs of their learners on a personal level. Stacey also explored several ways educators can use Kami to open up more opportunities for meaningful classroom collaboration. This is particularly useful not only for group work but also as a way for teachers to see their students working in real-time and provide instant feedback – regardless if they are learning remotely or in person.

If you want to check out Stacey’s session you can do so below:

“Access, Engage, and Express using Kami’s Inclusive Tools” by Dr. Hillary Goldwaith-Fowles

Up next was Assistive Technology Specialist, Special Education Consultant and of course, Kami Connect Alumni Dr. Hillary Goldthwait-Fowles. Oh, and on the side, she’s been a dedicated Kami Hero since 2018.  Being passionate about making education accessible for all, Dr. Hillary’s talk centered around the ways Kami’s tools can help teachers work best with learners at any level (or develop a co-opt relationship, as she puts it).

She took us through a range of strategies educators can use Kami to empower students from all walks of life to access, engage, and express in ways that are most beneficial to them.  Thanks once again Dr. Hilary Goldthwait-Fowles, it’s always a pleasure.

Check out what Dr. Hilary Goldthwait-Fowles had to say here:

“I Second that Emotion” by Mark Sparvell

This session was brought to us by Mark Sparvell – The Director of Marketing Education at Microsoft and an expert in all things social-emotional learning. In his own words “emotional intelligence can unlock innovation and potential in both individuals and organizations”. Mark’s session focused on how this kind of learning is especially important for more people right now and explored what the benefits are for life, learning, and work.

He also walked us through introducing approaches shown to help develop emotional intelligence that can be adopted ‘Monday and not Someday’ to help make learners feel seen, heard, and know that they matter in this period of uncertainty. 

Thank you Mark, we look forward to seeing how emotions-social learning will continue to influence best (and next) practices. 

“Activating civic knowledge with Kami” by Molly Lanceford

We’ve recently formed a partnership with iCivics to help them continue to educate people (as well as educate people on how to educate people) on the what’s, how’s, and why’s of civics and the foundational role it plays in society. So it was only natural that we got them in to talk us through some of the ways we’re achieving this together. 

Lead by iCivics Curriculum assistant, Molly Lanceford, the session covered the courses and units offered by iCivics and how these learning materials can be applied in the real world.  

“Let Kami Transform Your Assessments” by Ben Sondgeroth

When used correctly, educational technology should go beyond just being a digitized version of a traditional pen-and-paper assessment. Instead, it should take full advantage of its capabilities to transform learning materials into an interactive experience. Join us as we explore how Kami allows users to do just that! 

In this session, led by veteran Kami Hero and Lead Edtech Coordinator, Ben Sondgeroth, we explored some of the amazing ways you can use Kami’s features to create exciting new learning experiences for your students, regardless of the subject. 

Check out Ben’s insightful and helpful tips for assessment transformation here:

“Whiteboard Wizardry with Kami” by Marcus Stein

Director of Professional Development / longtime Kami Hero Marcus Stein brought his signature brand of energy, humor and insight to his session on how Kami can be used as a digital whiteboard (and achieved what no amount of caffeine could ever do).

Just because our classes are more virtual than ever, that does not mean we have to say goodbye to our classroom essential; the chalkboard/whiteboard. With its multi-device compatibility and portable web-based platform, Kami can serve as the digitally enhanced whiteboard that can be used and taken anywhere. 

But words can’t really do Marcus’s performance the justice it really deserves, so give it a watch here:

Panel Discussion

To top it all off, we were then treated to a panel made up of some of the finest minds in their respective industries to give their insights on the ever-relevant issue of breaking down digital barriers in the workplace. 

Learn more about our fantastic panel speakers here. This is not a panel you want to miss out on, so watch their discussion below:

Product updates announced at Kami Connect

The unveiling of the exciting new features coming to Kami is basically our very own personal Christmas.  To find out what we have in store for the first half of the 2021/2022 school year, read our recent blog here.

A huge thank you

Last but certainly not least we want to express a massive thank you to everyone that attended Kami Connect. Your questions, engagement, and passion in the live chat and on social media are really what brought the event alive and reaffirmed what we love most about supporting educators.