Speakers 2026 – IDA Ontario Conferences

Literacy & Learning Educator Conference

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Speakers 2026

2026 Speakers

Thanks to the overwhelming interest from speakers, we’re excited to reveal an expanded lineup for our 2026 conference! We’ve added six new breakout sessions so we can bring even more valuable learning to our community. It’s going to be an unforgettable year you won’t want to miss! Choose between 21 breakout sessions plus 2 keynote sessions! Stay tuned for more speaker announcements coming soon. An event app will be available to choose sessions, view your schedule, and much more. Login details will be sent closer to the event date.

Keynote Speaker: Melissa Flynn

Executive Director, First Nation School Board

Drin Hozo! Shozre Melissa Flynn, Tr’ondek Hwech’in dich’e. I am a Tr’ondek Hwech’in citizen from the Yukon. I grew up fishing, hunting and berry picking with my parents, grandmother and aunties. I have worked in Education in the Yukon for the last 14 years as a Han language teacher, Vice Principal and now as the Executive Director of the newly formed First Nation School Board.

I have the honour of working with our Yukon students, families, First Nation Governments and school teams delivering an enriched learning experience that is embedded in local culture and worldview.

Keynote Speaker: Megan Norris

Manager of Instructional Leadership, First Nation School Board

Megan was born and raised on Treaty 6 Territory in central Alberta, the traditional lands of the Cree, Dene, Blackfoot, Saulteaux, Nakota Sioux, and Métis peoples. With Dutch, English, and Irish ancestry, she is the great-great-granddaughter of European settlers. Megan began her career as a teacher and speech-language pathologist in Edmonton. In 2021, she moved to Whitehorse, Yukon, on the traditional lands of the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council and Kwanlin Dün First Nation, to work with rural Yukon First Nation communities. Now serving as the Manager of Instructional Leadership for the First Nation School Board (FNSB), Megan supports the implementation of the FNSB Literacy Plan. This plan, guided by the wisdom of Yukon First Nation communities and literacy leaders nationwide, strives to improve literacy outcomes through a culturally responsive approach. Megan is honoured to be part of this meaningful journey!

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Nathaniel Swain

Teacher, Researcher, Coach, and Writer

Dr. Nathaniel Swain is a dedicated teacher, researcher, coach, and writer. He is currently a Senior Lecturer in Learning Sciences and Learner Engagement at La Trobe University and the founder of Think Forward Educators—a vibrant community of teachers united by a science-based approach to learning.

When “Research Says…” Isn’t Enough

In this session, Dr. Nidhi Sachdeva and Dr. Jim Hewitt will give educators a clear, practical framework for evaluating instructional claims before they influence teaching. Using real examples from PD, curriculum resources, and common school initiatives, we will unpack how to spot red flags, differentiate between strong and weak evidence, and ask the right questions when confronted with new practices.

Speakers:

Dr. Nidhi Sachdeva

Sessional Instructor, University of Toronto

Bio

Dr. Nidhi Sachdeva is a leading Canadian researcher in the Science of Learning, specializing in the intersection of educational technology and evidence-informed learning design. Her work spans a wide range of contexts, including teacher education, post-secondary instruction, continuing professional education, and health education and patient literacy. She teaches online learning and microlearning from a cognitive science perspective at Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. A recognized expert in translating educational research into practical classroom strategies, Dr. Sachdeva coauthors the globally-read Science of Learning newsletter and currently serves as Chair of researchED Toronto conference.

Dr. Jim Hewitt

Professor, University of Toronto

Bio

Dr. Jim Hewitt is a professor in the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. He also serves as the head of OISE’s Online Teaching and Learning field. Dr. Hewitt’s research focuses on the educational applications of computer-based technologies. He is the designer and developer of PeppeR, a second-generation knowledge building technology for online and face-to-face courses. The software is currently in wide use at the University of Toronto. Dr. Hewitt’s courses focus on the science of learning, which examines how instruction can be improved by aligning teaching methods with how the brain best acquires and retains information.

Session: Reading Assessment Done Right: 8 Tips For Teachers

Do you have questions about reading assessment? Dr. Stephanie Stollar and Kate Winn are sharing their top 8 tips for teachers from their new book, Reading Assessment Done Right. Screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring, outcome assessment – it’s all covered, plus how assessment fits in the MTSS framework, and how to use your data to change instruction and improve outcomes.

Speakers:

Dr. Stephanie Stollar

School Psychologist, Professor, and Literacy Consultant

Bio

Dr. Stephanie Stollar is passionate about using MTSS as the framework for helping all students become skilled readers. Her books include MTSS for Reading Improvement, Promoting Effective MTSS Implementation, and Reading Assessment Done Right. She’s the founder of the Reading Science Academy, an online community where over a thousand educators support each other to improve results in their schools. She supports effective educator preparation through her work with the national network, STARS in Higher Education. Dr. Stollar serves on the boards of the Evidence Advocacy Center and the Innovations in Education Consortium. Her past roles include Assistant Professor, Vice President at Acadience Learning, Inc., consultant to hundreds of schools, and School Psychologist. Dr. Stollar believes that by supporting all educators, high achievement is possible for every student.

Kate Winn

Educator, literacy advocate, and author

Bio

Kate Winn is an Ontario educator, literacy advocate, and coauthor of Reading Assessment Done Right: Tools and Techniques for Data-Driven Instruction from Scholastic, 2026. She has 25 years of classroom experience including literacy instruction in K-8. Kate hosts and coproduces the popular Reading Road Trip podcast from IDA Ontario and presents widely across North America on evidence-based reading instruction and assessment. She serves as Content Lead for ONlit and is an Acadience Reading Mentor dedicated to advancing structured literacy through teaching, training, and advocacy.

Session: Strengthening Foundational Skills in Adolescent Readers

Despite progress in early literacy, data continue to show stagnant reading proficiency among older learners. Many adolescents still struggle with inefficient word recognition, creating a “bottleneck” that limits comprehension and increases cognitive load. This session explores how multisyllabic word complexity, morphological structure, and orthographic depth interact to challenge older readers, especially those with dyslexia. Grounded in the Simple View of Reading and the Lexical Quality Hypothesis, participants will learn four practical, evidence-based routines for strengthening adolescent foundational skills: Essential Skills (phoneme–grapheme fluency), Syllabication (vowel flexibility and stress), Morphology (affix and base-word instruction), and Oral Reading Fluency (connected text practice). Attendees will leave with tools to integrate these routines across content areas to improve access and equity for all learners.

Speaker:

Dr. Brennan Chandler

Assistant Professor of Dyslexia

Bio

Brennan Chandler, PhD, is an assistant professor of dyslexia at Georgia State University where his research focuses on developing and testing interventions for students with dyslexia and other reading difficulties. He leads studies on spelling, word reading, and writing instruction, with a particular emphasis on adolescent literacy and implementation science. A former classroom and special education teacher, Dr. Chandler is deeply committed to bridging research and practice to support students with persistent literacy difficulties. He regularly partners with educators, schools, and districts to focus on what works, and to translate evidence into meaningful, lasting change.