Theme

Celebrating diversity and transformative innovations in teacher education

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.”

- Maya Angelou

We have a reason to come together

… to learn about ourselves

….to teach each other

… to discover similarities

… to understand differences

… to appreciate uniqueness

… to create alternatives

… to grow.

So we come together TO CELEBRATE!

Celebrating Diversity

We are diverse people. Diversity defines our shared humanity. It is our strength, not our liability. Celebrating diversity enriches us. It makes us more aware of ourselves, broadens our perspective, helps us understand others, shows us the beauty of different cultures, and opens doors to peaceful co-existence. Diversity enriches and educates us. So we should enrich education by celebrating diversity.

Celebrating Transformative Innovations

We are constantly changing and the society we live in is rapidly evolving. We live in exciting times. We recognize the wisdom of the past even as we address the realities of the present and prepare to meet the demands of the near future. We can not stay in our comfort zones nor rest on our laurels. We need to change. We need to create change. We need to challenge our assumptions and principles, our ways of thinking and doing, and our ways of teaching and learning. This is what education is about. Education changes us. It makes us better. We need to make education work and we need to work at it. So we should change education for the better by celebrating transformative innovations.