Virtual Literacy Conference 2021

Keynote Description:
Current debates about "technology addiction" and "excessive screentime" place educators in a bind. On the
one hand, educational expectations demand that we teach with technology while, on the other hand, we know we must attend to our students' emotional and intellectual development. In this session, we will explore empathetic, intentional approaches that help students protect their privacy, maximize their attention, pop their filter bubbles, and understand the ways knowledge is created and circulated in a digital world. With practical teaching tips and suggested text sets to spur dialogue, we will develop our own alert, intentional stance, discovering ways in which we can teach with digital diligence.

Troy Hicks is Professor of English and Education at Central Michigan University, where he teaches master's and doctoral courses in educational technology. He is also Director of the Chippewa River Writing Project, a site of the National Writing Project. A former middle school teacher, he has received numerous accolades, including from the Michigan Reading Association (Teacher Educator Award), Central Michigan University (Excellence in Teaching Award), and the Initiative for 21st Century Literacies Research (Divergent Award for Excellence). An ISTE Certified Educator and trained as a facilitator in digital storytelling through StoryCenter, Hicks consults with a number of educational companies and non-profit organizations and presents regularly at national educational conferences. He has authored dozens of books, including The Digital Writing Workshops, Creating Confident Writers: For High School, College, and Life, and Mindful Teaching with Technology: Digital Diligence in English Language Arts.