Big Noise Makers!

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Wade Whitehead, a 2016 inductee to the National Teachers Hall of Fame, is a fourth generation Virginia public school teacher who served for 30 years in elementary school classrooms. He is Executive Director of the Teachers of Promise Foundation, which identifies and honors the best future educators in America. He is also CEO of Causing Thinking, which provides professional learning experiences and leadership development, both inside and outside the K-12 education space. Wade met Peter, then Paul, in 1996 and has treasured almost 30 years of collaboration, shared mission, and info-flow as FableVision has grown its mission and impact around the planet.

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Dr. Cyndi Burnett is the Director of Possibilities at Creativity and Education. She taught deliberate creative thinking for 20 years at the Center for Applied Imagination and now consults with K-University schools on how to infuse creative thinking into classrooms. She has written four books on Weaving Creativity into Education, and co-hosts the Fueling Creativity in Education podcast with Dr. Matthew Worwood.

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Hi Everyone, I'm Katie! I live and work in Sydney, Australia, where I blend roles as a designer, artist, educator, creativity advocate, and researcher. My passion lies in nurturing creativity among teachers, inspiring them to recognize and harness creativity as an essential tool in their professional practice. I advocate for learning environments that prioritize emotional well-being alongside intellectual growth, fostering environments that are both nurturing and relational for everyone involved. As the Founder of InsideOut Creativity™, I believe that empowering teachers to embrace creativity from the ‘inside out’ can catalyze meaningful change in education. I hold a Master of Science in Creativity and Change Leadership from Buffalo State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communications from UTS, Sydney. Currently, I’m pursuing a Master of Education (Autism), with research focused on bridging neurodiversity and applied creativity in teacher education.

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I spent 40 years of my life in the toy industry with LEGO, Playmobil, and Faber-Castell. All 3 family owned European companies. Now in semi-retirement, I am reflecting on what I learned and seeking to live in the space of "fewer, better" "less, is more". My focus is on keeping our humanity ignited and intentional integration of Purpose, Culture, Creativity and Culture to drive success and fulfillment. I exercise my humanity in Northern Michigan (Traverse City) at a home on a lake.

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Rachel is the Co-Founder of The Creative Learning Company, with over 25 years of experience working with youth, educators, and parents in both public schools and community-based programs. She has a passion for integrating creativity into learning, creating opportunities for children to explore and realize their potential. Rachel has collaborated with organizations such as MIT Media Lab's Lifelong Kindergarten Group, The Clubhouse Network, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and Boston Public Schools. She specializes in program development, curriculum design, and leading professional development for educators, parents, and children.

Matthew Worwood is a full-time university professor at the University of Connecticut and an experienced learning designer dedicated to fostering classroom innovation through a unique blend of Design Thinking, Creativity, and Adult Learning Theory. As a modern academic and education practitioner, Matthew's work, writing, and research are dedicated to Teacher Creativity and Co-Creativity using Generative AI tools and Digital Media. Matthew co-hosts the Fueling Creativity in Education podcast, produces a documentary roundtable series called TeacherRoundtables.com, and is currently writing and presenting on The Future Creative: A Case for 21st Century Skills and the Pursuit of Excellence. In his nearly two decades in education, Matthew has consistently demonstrated an ability to develop innovative K-12 education programs and coach schools and educators toward a sustained culture of innovation and long-term professional growth. Learn more about Matthew's work at Worwoodclassroom.com, TeacherRoundtables.com, and FuelingCreativityPodcast.com, or follow him on LinkedIn.

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An arts and creativity educator, Donna is currently Head of Inly School, an all-gender independent, Montessori based day school in Massachusetts for students ages 2 – 14. She is a member of the Leadership Development faculty for the Creative Education Foundation, where she teaches courses in creativity, innovation, arts and leadership to educators and business professionals worldwide. As an adjunct faculty member at Lesley University, she has taught in the national and international M.Ed. program for Creative Arts in Learning. She has presented at conferences throughout the United States and in Brazil, China, South Africa and Israel. Donna is founding director of Summer Stars Camp for the Performing Arts, a transformative program for underserved teens

Jimmy, an unwavering seeker of uncharted territories, ignites insightful discussions with straightforward queries. Embracing a nine-year journey in Montessori spaces, he excels at disrupting and reshaping cultural norms as a seasoned consultant and facilitator. Jimmy's influence extends to over 30 organizations across Massachusetts and the wider U.S. At the core of his practice lies the liberation of self, employing diverse methods from somatic work to hypnosis and facilitative mediation. Facilitation, a transformative modality for meaning-making, empowers participants to express themselves authentically and boldly. Being a living commitment to imagination involves silencing the world enough to heed the soft, authoritative voice, reminding individuals of their essence and purpose.

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Katie Trowbridge has over two decades of experience as a teacher and mentor, where she helped educators incorporate engagement and deeper thinking strategies into their existing curricula and build creative classroom environments. Katie believes that when teachers collaborate, there is great power and potential for educational change. Katie spearheads the development of the CREATE method along with a team of education and creativity experts. Along with winning several Teacher of Excellence and Outstanding Educator awards, Katie earned a Master's degree in both Teaching and Administration. She is currently pursuing her ED.D. while traveling around the nation, speaking at conferences, and training educators. She is the best-selling author of Deeper Thinking in the Classroom, Deeper Thinking in the Classroom Companion Guide, and the Adventures of the Curious Creators’ Club.

Peter H. Reynolds is a New York Times best-selling author and illustrator. His books The Dot, Ish, The Word Collector, and Say Something!, among others, inspire children and “grown up children” with messages about authentic learning, creativity, bravery, empathy, and courageous self-expression. Peter illustrated the best-selling I Am series and the Judy Moody series by Megan McDonald. Peter and his twin brother Paul launched the Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning, and Creativity (TLC). He lives in the Boston area where he founded The Blue Bunny, a family-owned and operated children’s book, toy & creativity store.

Paul is also an award-winning children’s book author - creating stories about creativity and innovation. His story book about the 4Cs entitled Going Places is illustrated by his twin brother Peter H. Reynolds, and recently won the Library of Congress MassBook Award for Best Picture Book of the Year. Paul has also been teaching creative media production and digital storytelling at Boston College for over 20 years. He also oversees Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning & Creativity - Reynolds TLC - a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering purposeful, creative human potential around the globe.

Storytelling is a strength of all of the members of the Reynolds’ family. Jane was never happier than when reading out loud to her younger siblings, including Peter H. Reynolds and his twin Paul. When she was director of Lammas School in England, Jane became passionate about improving the educational environment to allow for creative thought. Now as President for FableVision Learning, she works with her brothers and the FableVision team to develop programs to support teacher creativity around the world, using the messages of Peter and Paul’s books in PD, curriculum and activities for both in and out of the classroom.

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Leo Burd is a researcher at the MIT Media Lab and the founder of the Brazilian Creative Learning Network, a social movement that gathers thousands of teachers, artists, researchers, decision-makers, families, and students who aim to transform Brazilian education so that it becomes more hands-on, creative, and relevant for all. Leo has worked for groups such as the World Bank, Microsoft, and the Brazilian government. He has also coordinated a non-profit organization that builds "computer and citizenship" schools in Sao Paulo slums, and was a key contributor to several international initiatives that foster technology and education innovation for youth empowerment.

Sara is an experienced K-12 educator, creativity facilitator and curriculum designer. She is an amateur but enthusiastic ukulele player and improv actor. She earned her master's degree in creativity from SUNY College at Buffalo. Now she works with FableVision Learning to inspire creative thinking in teachers and students through professional development and joyful learning experiences. She lives in Charlotte, NC, where she can happily and unabashedly use the word y'all.

With a background in storytelling and a focus on education, Andrea works closely with schools to customize programs that weave in the special magic found in the books by Peter H. Reynolds, ensuring that all learners have the tools to succeed. She has been on the forefront of the product launch and classroom-implementation of FabMaker Studio, the first digital fabrication software tool developed specifically for use in the classroom. She speaks nationally and runs workshops on the importance of STEM and story. In her previous life she was a newspaper editor. Andrea earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and a master’s degree in Journalism from Regent University.