Jodi DeVries is an experienced educator who taught middle school for many years in Calgary. Her journey then led her to Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she completed a Master of Education, and then to Landmark School, a high school for students with language-based learning disabilities. Jodi has previously worked in Alberta Education to create literacy resources for teachers, and as a sessional instructor at Mount Royal University. Currently, Jodi is a PhD student in Special Education at the University of Alberta. Jodi is passionate about the need for knowledge and use of evidence-based literacy practices in schools, and she works with a number of schools in Alberta to support their capacity to deliver such instruction.

Karri Johnson is part of the Learning Team at Calgary Academy, serving as a Literacy Lead. With a passion for nurturing the skills of young readers and writers, Karri has spent over two decades dedicated to the field of education. Her expertise lies in developing innovative instructional programs for writing, tailored to empower students to express themselves with confidence and clarity. Currently, Karri is working on building an integrated approach to literacy education that underscores the profound interconnectedness of reading and writing.

Tienneke Calder’s passion is literacy. In her role as a Literacy Lead at Calgary Academy, Tienneke plays a pivotal role in designing and implementing innovative educational practices that cater to a wide spectrum of learning styles. Her pedagogical approach is characterized by a dedication to empowering learners to reach their full potential. She is an enthusiastic educator with over 15 years of teaching experience. Over the past few years, Tienneke has worked extensively with the development of foundational reading skills in diverse learners, implementing professional teacher learning and evidence-based early literacy practice.

Andria Slipp is the Head of Literacy, Admissions Officer, and senior high teacher at Rundle Academy, an independent day-school in Calgary, Alberta which specializes in supporting students with Learning Disabilities. Her areas of professional interest include structured literacy for older students (grades 4-12), writing interventions, ADHD, and educational leadership. Away from the school setting, Andria enjoys experiencing the world through travel, exploring the Rocky Mountains in her backyard, and watching her teenage children grow into amazing people.

Lisa Kohel is dual trained as an Elementary Teacher and as a Speech Language Pathologist. She has been practicing speech language pathology for 18 years and has spent the majority of her career supporting students and educators in schools.  She has a small private practice and currently supports school districts, children, and their families looking for support in language, literacy, speech sound disorders.  She works with schools and teachers to implement whole-class, evidence-based language and literacy practices and is interested in collaborative efforts to improve student outcomes, especially for children at-risk or have identified speech-language needs.  Lisa is completing her first year of Doctoral studies at the University of Alberta, Faculty of Education, Department of Educational Psychology-Special Education under the supervision of Dr. Lesly Wade-Woolley.  Lisa’s interests include understanding the linguistic profiles of students with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) as they progress through the grades, early identification of those students typically identified as late-emerging struggling readers, Teacher and SLP self-guided learning journey experiences around the science of reading, and Teacher SLP collaboration to meet the needs of children identified with oral language and reading impairment.

Kristy Dunn, Ph.D., is a researcher and learning consultant at the University of Alberta, specializing in literacy and reading intervention development for at-risk readers. She has over 15 years of teaching experience in elementary and post-secondary classrooms. Kristy recently developed an early reading intervention for Alberta Education that is being used across Grades 1 to 3 and trains teachers nationwide in structured literacy. She co-authors The Phonic Companion: 120 Lessons for Teachers and is the Senior Series Consultant for Bug Club Morphology with Pearson Education.