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Thomas C. Murray
Director of Innovation for Future Ready Schools®
Thomas C. Murray
Director of Innovation for Future Ready Schools®
Biography
Tom serves as the Director of Innovation for Future Ready Schools®, a project of All4Ed, located in Washington, D.C. He has testified before the United States Congress and has worked alongside that body, the US Senate, the White House, the US Department of Education and state departments of education, corporations, and school districts throughout the country to implement student-centered learning while helping to lead Future Ready Schools® and Digital Learning Day.
An ASCD best-selling author, Murray serves as a regular conference keynote, was named one of the “Top 100 Influencers in Education,” the "National/Global EdTech Leader of the Year," by EdTech Digest, the "2017 Education Thought Leader of the Year," one of "20 to Watch" by NSBA, and the "Education Policy Person of the Year" by the Academy of Arts and Sciences.
His best-selling book, Learning Transformed: 8 Keys to Designing Tomorrow’s Schools, Today, co-authored with Eric Sheninger and published by ASCD, was released in June 2017. His most recent book, Personal & Authentic: Designing Learning Experiences that Impact a Lifetime, is also a best seller.
Prior to moving to his role in Washington, D.C., Murray served as an elementary teacher, middle school teacher, middle school principal, elementary principal, and at the district level in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
He is most passionate about creating cultures of innovation where teachers are empowered to create the types of learning experiences today's modern learners need to thrive. In addition to his role at Future Ready Schools®, Murray works directly with school and district leaders for administrative retreats, opening convocations, and professional learning days.
Speaker Videos
What Do You Do to Build Culture?
There's Opportunity in the Challenges
Make the First Day Count
The Power of What Teachers Do
Our Mindset Impacts Others
How Do You Impact Culture?
Redefining FEAR: Face Everything and Rise
Start by Looking in the Mirror
Every Day is An Opportunity
Contrasting Active vs. Passive Use of EdTech
Don't Let Others Rewrite Your Story
Be the Window, Not the Mirror (with Joshua Stamper)
Who Is That One Person?
Speech Topics
Personal & Authentic: Creating Cultures of Empathy
The past few years have brought uncertainty at every turn, creating significant anxiety and a loss of sleep for all educators, regardless of position. As we work to innovate and transform the learning experience, how can we create a culture where both students and staff can thrive? How can we work to overcome fear and fail forward when things don't go as planned? Grounded in relationships, cultures of empathy respect the hidden stories within each individual and are learner-centered by design. Regardless of what happens outside our school walls, together we can work to create meaningful opportunities for those we serve when we hyper-focus on the things that matter most. The work is hard, but our kids are worth it!
Leading with Purpose
What separates “leaders” from those who lead? As a school leader, are you walking in and toward your purpose? This session will help school and district leaders reflect on lessons of the past few years, as well as their unique leadership lens, connect their passion to their work, understand the research behind effective leadership and communication, and empower those around them to rise up and lead. Participants will take part in a handful of culture-building activities that they can bring back to those they serve to impact their schools and classrooms. Today’s modern learners need bold leaders who model the way and create a culture of innovation, and you are part of the solution!
The Art of Communication
The quality of your communication will make or break the quality of much of your work. From classroom instruction to working alongside your colleagues, to collaborating with parents, the best teachers and administrators are great communicators. Join Thomas C. Murray for this fun, engaging session around the importance of communication, and leave with practical ideas that you can use with your students and parents to take your communication to the next level!
Learning Transformed: 8 Keys to Designing Tomorrow’s Schools, Today
Having no historical precedent, the current speed of technological breakthroughs has led to the coming age of workplace automation, dramatically altering the world of work that our students will enter upon graduation. With the vast disparities of inequity that have existed for centuries, all that is known about how students learn, and the predictions regarding the world that our students will face tomorrow, and the lessons learned throughout the pandemic, utilizing a traditional, one-size-fits-all approach to teaching and learning is educational malpractice. Built upon the foundation of leadership and school culture, a redesigned learning experience fundamentally shifts the teaching and learning paradigm to one that is personal, while altering the use of authentic assessments, how technology is leveraged, the spaces in which the learning occurs, the way educators grow professionally, how schools collaborate with the community, and ultimately, the sustainability of the system as a whole. In this session, best-selling author Thomas C. Murray will dissect these eight keys, which each serve as a puzzle piece for redesigning the learning experience, to unlock tomorrow’s schools so that today’s modern learners leave ready to create new industries, find new cures, and solve world problems. We must create tomorrow’s schools today and you are part of the solution.
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