Michelle Pacansky-Brock

“Michelle provided a very informative and engaging keynote for our virtual conference in 2021. QMConnect attracts educators – faculty, instructional designers, administrations – who are focused on delivering high quality online and blended learning. Our community found her message to be “transformational” and were energized by the topic and the way she was able to engage them in it. They valued her message and the way she connected it “to what we are trying to do every day in our field.” She was real, she was engaging, and she provided useful, practical advice and resources that participants could put to use immediately. It’s rare to find a speaker who can be simultaneously inspirational and practical – Michelle achieves both in a very relatable way. She created a great opening for our conference.”

“Dr. Pacansky-Brock served as the keynote for the Colorado Community College System’s 2020 Virtual Connect conference. Even though the conference was virtual, Dr. Pacansky-Brock’s virtual presentation skills conveyed warmth, empathy, and truly set the tone for the virtual community-of-practice at the conference. The tangible techniques she presented for humanizing online courses was transformative for both new and experienced online instructors. According to one participant, her presentation “was exactly what we needed at a conference and in a moment in time like now.” ”

“Michelle is a fantastic speaker with a thorough knowledge and passion for Humanizing online courses. She received great reviews from our faculty and staff for her presentation style in a webinar format. I highly recommend her and hope to work with her again in the future!!”

“Michelle was the keynote speaker at our statewide conference and her talk was the perfect way to kick off the event. She brought a combination of experience, credibility, and humanity that truly focused the discussions that followed. As educational technology continues to advance—and will become ubiquitous during the post-pandemic era—it is only by understanding how it can be applied in appropriate and humane ways that we will be successful. Michelle will serve as our guide as we navigate this new landscape.”

“Michelle was invited to delivery the keynote speech at the Oregon State Ecampus Faculty Forum, an annual conference for faculty and others involved with online education. Michelle kept a 300+ member audience informed, engaged, and inspired with her talk on humanizing online education. I found her talk to be well-grounded in research and experience. I was impressed with how she was able to move from the big picture to small details and suggestions without getting too bogged down in either place -- it was perfect for our audience. Highly recommend! ”

“Michelle Pacansky-Brock is a very talented faculty member and technologist. I have observed her work with faculty to build skills and understanding concerning the infusion of technology in the classroom. She is both effective and efficient in her delivery...knowing just how much content to deliver and how much time to allow for assimilation. She has great knowledge of the subject matter and is very engaging in her delivery...keeping a classroom of teachers totally engaged...which is not small task.”

“Michelle is a seriously talented and passionate educator with an extensive knowledge of emerging technologies and how they can be used to improve teaching and learning. She mesmerizes faculty with her stories of implementing tools in a manner that makes a difference in the lives of her students. Her ability to touch the hearts and change the minds of her fellow faculty sets her apart in the field of online education as a true thought leader. I was honored to work with Michelle at Academic Partnerships and was impressed with the work that she did. I continue to work with her on various projects and we have continued to lean on her expertise in a variety of ways.”

“Michelle was a wonderful asset for Sierra College and I hated to see her leave.”

“Michelle Pacansky-Brock is not only a true expert in the area of technology's benefits to education, she's also an expert communicator, able to clearly and passionately convey critical, timely, and engaging information about the latest tech innovations. Beyond that, when it comes to writing, she's an editor's dream -- always nailing the topic, and always beating the deadline. I look forward to reading her new (2012) book, "Best Practices for Teaching with Emerging Technologies."”

“Michelle is an expert in the use of technology in teaching and learning, possessing a depth of understanding about theh proper integration of technology, selection of appropriate technologies, and appropriate and innovative application of technology. She is a teacher, first and foremost, and that sensibility comes into play, but she also conveys a wonderful sense of enthusiasm and creativity in regard to technology in teaching. Michelle is an excellent writer and regularly expresses herself in blogs and other short forms, but as a book author, she was also able to convey that expertise, enthusiasm, and sense of purpose in book-length format. As her editor, I found her willing to entertain suggestions and different approaches, while at the same time she was able to retain her vision and continuity as she implemented changes.”

“It was a great pleasure to work with Michelle as a colleague at Cal State East Bay, and I look forward to working with her in the future. Michelle brought a unique and invaluable blend of capacities to the higher education environment: her experience is grounded in the classroom and collaboration with faculty and her expertise opens the educational experience to the latest developments in hybrid and online technology. At CSUEB, Michelle effectively provided the needed bridge for faculty between familiar teaching technologies and student-centered hybrid learning environments. Michelle brought a love of learning and pedagogy, excellent communication skills, along with creativity and innovation to our campus, and I recommend her whole heartedly.”

“Michelle gave a keynote speech at a conference focusing on teaching and learning with technology in April, 2011. Her talk was right on target for the audience and a number of people have used the word inspiring. In a follow-up survey, participants ranked her keynote as the second most important part of the conference, barely behind the breakout sessions themselves. If you have a higher-ed audience eager to hear about a thoughtful journey through the technology landscape related to teaching, I highly, highly recommend Michelle.”

“From the moment Michelle arrived on campus, everyone knew we had someone special – her enthusiasm, energy, and knowledge of the use of emerging technology in teaching were obvious. Her understanding of the way these technologies could be used in online classes, and the eagerness with which she passed on this information to others was outstanding. We miss her passionate dedication to teaching and students.”

“I worked with Michelle on the MoblEd10 conference at Pasadena City College this year - she was fantastic to work with: not only was she insightful and inspiring, but totally organized and practical at the same time.”

“Michelle is a brilliant and articulate educational innovator. As a student-centered teacher, she uses technology to break barriers and promote learning in the classroom and online. She is an outstanding writer and speaker on the past, present, and future of technology in learning. In addition, she is a talented organizer and collaborator whose creativity and good spirit makes her a pleasure to work with.”

“I have had the pleasure of working with Michelle in several different capacities and have always been impressed with Michelle's attention to detail and professionalism. Recently, I arranged for her to present an online webinar for CUE's e-learning special interest group (eLSIG). She delivered a fantastic session for us on building online communities. Michelle definitely impressed everyone who was in attendance with her fresh approaches to engaging online learners.”

“Michelle is one of the most innovative instructors I have had the pleasure of knowing. She has led the charge into the online instruction world at Sierra College, encouraging her fellow professors (myself included) to try new things in our classes. Over the past eight years, she has seen the writing on the wall: traditional lecture-only classes are out and online instruction is in. Every semester we offer professional development workshops to the faculty and staff to help improve instruction and services. Michelle always had something to new to show us, ranging from roll-your-own music videos on Animoto to social networks on Ning, many of which have been adopted by faculty to spice up their class content. Throughout the semester, Michelle offered additional workshops to help teachers develop online content. She constantly encouraged teachers to go above and beyond simply posting assignments online. Michelle has the vision to see what the future of online instruction can be and it fuels her enthusiasm for pushing the envelope. Not a month goes by when she hasn't found something new online that helps fulfill that vision, which she then shares with her colleagues through workshops and her blog. She has inspired us to change our teaching methods and adapt to the new generation of Internet-savvy students. She is not only a proponent for 21st century teaching, but she's also an outstanding teacher in the classroom. She was highly rated by her students who loved her zeal for the subject and made learning fun, informative, and life-changing. If you are looking for an educator who is interested and invested in developing online instruction and bringing your organization forward into the new century, Michelle will be a tremendous asset.”

“Michelle is the rare person who has both the vision to understand how technology can transform and enhance learning, as well as execute a plan to completion. Tree shakers who can also make jam are a rare commodity, and a pleasure to work with on any project.”

“Michelle has an abiding passion for the application of technology to improve instructional delivery. An "early adopter" and an innovator, Michelle, is also a natural leader and instructor. She is known for generating excitement about technology among her colleagues and for her ability to teach others to use, adapt, and apply that technology to their specific discipline or situation.”

“Michelle is an energetic, caring, and knowledgeable instructor and leader in the field of technology and education. She is a fantastic colleague who is always willing to share her expertise and always puts the students first.”

“Michelle is a joy to work with. Not only is she cheerful and enthusiastic, she has wonderfully creative ideas and always gets the job done on time and on budget. What more can you ask for?”