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College of Education Professor to Attend ‘Education Nation’ Summit

University of Central Florida Professor Lisa Dieker will join more than 300 national leaders at NBC News’ Education Nation Summit to address issues facing education in America.

The summit, in its third year, brings together leaders in education, government, business, philanthropy and media to discuss challenges, solutions and innovations in education. Presenters at last year’s summit included President Bill Clinton, former First Lady Laura Bush and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Dieker, a professor and Lockheed Martin Eminent Scholar in the College of Education, is one of the creators of TLE TeachLivE™, an innovative teacher simulator developed at UCF that uses avatars in virtual classrooms to train future educators. The program, developed in collaboration with UCF Professors Michael Hynes and Charles Hughes, is currently being used by more than 15 universities across the country. In addition, a three-year research study is being conducted with teachers in mathematics and literacy across 10 universities annually to look at the impact of the simulator on teacher practice and student learning.

The “Education Nation” Summit will take place in New York City on Sept. 23-25. Portions of the education conversation will be showcased through NBC News platforms, including MSNBC, CNBC, Telemundo, social media, and local affiliates.