Speakers
Maurice de Hond
Maurice de Hond (1947) studied Human Geography at the University of Amsterdam.
After his study (1971) he became lecturer at the University of Amsterdam. During his study he learned how to program a computer.
In 1976 he started with a special model for measuring political preferences with the VARA broadcasting company.
In 1980 he became director and of Inter/View. He was responsible for automation and the introduction of CATI in Europe. He got the Dutch award of marketing researcher of the year.
In the second half of the eighties De Hond did several jobs for Vendex International. He started Micro Computerclub Nederland, a big project to introduce the homecomputer with educational software in the Netherlands.
From 1995 until 1998 he was CIO of a Dutch Publisher Wegener and responsible for the internet-strategy.
In 1998 he was founder and CEO of Newconomy, which was an investing company in internet-companies. This company, who participated in more than 20 Dutch internet companies, went successfully public in the beginning of 2000.
He wrote a book in 1995 "Dankzij de snelheid van het licht" (Thanks to the speed of light) about the future of internet. He became an internet-guru in the Netherlands and is asked often for giving speeches and advice about future developments by companies and government.
Since 2002 is De Hond active with his internet-panel Peil.nl (www.peil.nl) about current affairs. It is a virtual company without a physical office and without employees.
He started in 2012 the foundation a O4NT (Onderwijs 4 een Nieuwe Tijd). A completely new concept of school was developed and named: the Steve JobsSchool. The first elementary schools who worked with this approach started with a worldwide media coverage in august 2013. Currently more than 25 schools in the Netherlands work with this concept with remarkable results (www.stevejobsschool.world).; In the coming 12 months several schools in other countries will start with this concept too.
Daphne van Deursen
Daphne van Deursen is project manager at the National STEM Platform & Jet-Net in the Netherlands. The National STEM Platform has been commissioned by the Dutch government, the education and the business sectors to ensure sufficient availability of people who have a background in scientific or technical education. The aims: (1) to achieve a structural increase of pupils and students in STEM education, and (2) to use existing talent more effectively in businesses and research institutes. The goal is not only making careers in science more appealing, but also to introduce educational innovations that will inspire and challenge young people.
Barbara Isaacs
Barbara Isaacs trained with Montessori St. Nicholas in the early 1980’s and since then continued to study both in the field of Montessori education and early years, achieving Masters in Early Years Education under the guidance of Tina Bruce in 2000. She is the author of Bringing Montessori into Your Early Years Setting (2015) and Understanding the Montessori Approach (2012) both published by David Fulton Books.
Over the past twenty five years Barbara trained and supported training of Montessori teachers in her capacity of a lecturer both at Montessori St. Nicholas, London Montessori Centre and Montessori Centre International. In her current role as chief education officer for the Montessori St. Nicholas Charity, she has been involved with course development and promotion of Montessori education with the UK and internationally. Barbara is committed to bringing Montessori education to children of the 21st Century and making it assessable to children their families and early years educators.
Shary Marshall
Shary Lyssy Marshall is Director of Teaching & Learning at The Anglo-American School of Sofia, where she is responsible for curriculum, assessment, professional learning, and accreditation. She is an experienced senior leader and teacher in U.S. public and international schools. She is also a Member of the Curriculum & Assessment Committee at the European Council of International Schools and leader in the use of educational technology and teacher coach in the COETAIL program. Ms. Marshall has consulted with schools on the topics of professional learning communities, curriculum and assessment, and character education. She also coordinates a professional learning cohort for mathematics and a collaborative group of international educators of English language teaching and learning support in the Central and Eastern European region.
Ms. Marshall has previously served as elementary principal in Somers Public Schools in Connecticut, where she helped lead a 750-student public elementary school, with responsibility for academic and support programs, budgeting, recruitment and faculty supervision. She also served as Director of Curriculum in East Windsor, Connecticut where she oversaw all aspects of curriculum and instruction for an 1,800-student K-12 public school district. Ms. Marshall also served as Regional Center Director for the University of Vermont where she represented Continuing Education programs in the Southern Vermont region for a 12,000-student public university system. Earlier in her career, Ms. Marshall served as a teacher at schools in the Czech Republic, Taiwan, China, and the United States.
Ms. Marshall is active on Twitter at @slyssymarshall and on her current educational resource blog, available at teachingandlearninginsofia.wordpress.com
Yavor Djonev
Advisory board member
Yavor Djonev is the founder of the software company Sirma Group Holding, a member of the Management Board of the Bulgarian Association of Software Companies and one of the organizers of the citizens' initiative Dialogue for the future. Dialogue for the future implements Jump Math in Bulgaria, а system for teaching mathematics. The innovative system allows each child not only to increase its success in mathematics but also to like mathematical science. After switching from traditional teaching mathematics to Jump Math, many children, who previously had bad grades, are excellent and choose mathematics as one of their favorite subjects at school.
As Deputy Chairman of the Board of BASCOM Djonev is involved in developing strategic requirements of the software industry to reform the education system.
He initiated the dialogue between business, universities and line government agencies to implement such a reform.
Natalia Miteva
Advisory board member
Natalia Miteva is a Program Director, Education and Libraries at America for Bulgaria Foundation (ABF). Ms. Miteva joined ABF in August 2011 after having worked on a variety of USAID programs in Washington, D.C. and Serbia. Her assignments have included researching labor market indicators in developing countries, indicators and techniques for monitoring the integration of immigrants, and human rights and development interventions in post-conflict states. Natalia has also been involved with several UNDP projects in Bulgaria, has served as a strategy expert for the promotion of EU local development opportunities in Bulgaria’s rural communities, and has evaluated EU-funded programs related to labor market policies and education.
Ms. Miteva was the recipient of a Rotary Cultural Ambassadorial Scholarship to Costa Rica in 2004. She received a Bachelor of Arts (magna cum laude, honors program) in International Relations from Columbia College and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is also an alumna of the International Institute for Political and Economic Studies (Georgetown University and the Fund for American Studies) and American University in Bulgaria’s (AUBG) Certificate Program in European Project Management.