Katie McKnight | SpeakerHub

Personal Details

Bio

Dr. Katherine McKnight is a dynamic presenter, dedicated teacher, and award-winning author. Administrators and teachers welcome her expertise, witty good humor, and hands-on approach to education. In addition to speaking at professional development conferences, she is a regular consultant in schools and classrooms in the United States and worldwide. A passionate student advocate, Katie stays true to her roots in the Chicago Public Schools where she began her career. She is recognized for her in-depth knowledge of changing educational standards, and is known for her ability to connect with fellow educators.

Katie served as a Distinguished Professor of Research at National Louis University and is the founder of Engaging Learners, an educational company built around her successful Literacy & Learning Center model. Her work in educational leadership, literacy, and student skill development has resulted in unprecedented academic achievement in many struggling schools.

Dr. McKnight has received several awards for her publications and teaching at the university level. She has authored 18 books that support educational strategies to engage all learners. Her titles include the best-selling The Teacher’s Big Book of Graphic Organizers, winner of the 2013 Teachers’ Choice Award. She’s also written The Second City Guide to Improv in the Classroom; Literacy and Learning Centers for the Big Kids; and Literacy & Learning Centers: Content Area and Disciplinary Literacy Tools for Grades 4-12 (Volume 1). Dr. McKnight edited and contributed to the 2016 book Addressing the Needs of All Learners in the Era of Changing Standards: Helping Our Most Vulnerable Students Succeed through Teaching Flexibility, Innovation, and Creativity.

Current position (1)

CEO and Founder

Engaging Learners, LLC

Achievements (4)

Founder and CEO

Engaging Learners, LLC is an educational company built around my successful Literacy & Learning Center model. Visit www.EngagingLearners.com

Distinguished Professor of Secondary Education Department

National Louis University, Chicago, IL (2014-2018)

Onsite Professional Development National Consultant

National Council of Teachers of English

Professor (tenured), Secondary Education Department

National Louis University, Chicago, IL

Degrees (3)

Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction: Reading, Writing, and Literacy

University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

1995 to 2000

M.Ed. Teaching English in Secondary Schools

Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, Illinois

1991 to 1993

B.A. American Civilization

George Washington University, Washington, D.C.

1984 to 1988

Presentations

Presentations (4)

Building Growth Mindset for Education Leaders to Foster Academic Success

There are strong connections between educator growth mindset and student achievement. Dr. McKnight discuss how educators created a school program in which the affective, behavioral and cognitive domains work together to create unprecedented gains in student achievement. Featuring two school districts, Dr. McKnight will detail how the administrators, teachers, and students developed a growth mindset that led to unprecedented gains in literacy achievement.

Yes...AND for the Classroom

Improvisation is an ideal pedagogical strategy. It builds growth mindset and promotes literacy skill development because it encourages creation, analysis, and interpretation of text. With lively stories and classroom case studies, Dr. McKnight chronicles how improv and Yes...and transforms classrooms that are rooted in social emotional learning and student achievement. See https://youtu.be/j5xSuFcTQgc.

Growth Mindset and Literacy Success

What is the secret sauce for student growth and achievement in literacy skill development for students? Dr. McKnight shares her classroom experiences and work with educators all over the world as she presents the strategies that DO work. Her engaging keynote is presented in humorous and practical Do This, Not That format.

Literacy and Learning Centers for the Big Kids (grades 4-12)

In this session, Dr. McKnight answers the question, "How do I develop literacy skills within the content areas and disciplines"? Drawing from the best research and practices, Dr. McKnight shares her highly effective model that improves student literacy skills and content knowledge within a highly interactive and engaging collaborative learning model.

Workshops (1)

YES, and: Improv, Movement, and Active Learning for Today’s Classroom (grades k-12)

4 hours

The connections between play, creativity, and learning are essential components for the development of critical thinking. Improv increases movement and develops reading, writing, speaking and listening with kinesthetic movement. Improvisation is an ideal pedagogical strategy for teaching and learning because it has both inherent structure and flexibility. Based on Dr. McKnight’s best-selling The Second City Guide to Improv in the Classroom: Using Improvisation to Teach Skills and Boost Learning, this on-your-feet workshop/presentation will provide ready-to-use activities that teach vocabulary, content knowledge, and develop literacy skills.