Shai Fenwick was born in Trinidad and Tobago to two economists and has been involved in both politics and education since she was a toddler. She has copy-edited engineers in Houston; edited and written for a daily newspaper and a monthly state magazine; worked with hearing and visually impaired students on behavior modification; taught science and social studies; and worked with faculty, staff, and a diverse array of students, faculty and staff at the University of Oklahoma. Her history is multinational and multiethnic.
She has served on the board of the Oklahoma Coalition for Reproductive Justice; the steering committee for Take Root Conference on Red State Reproductive Justice; the board of the Future Society of Central Oklahoma; currently serves on the Diversity Committee of the Oklahoma Council of Teachers of English; and is a union representative in the OEA.
Fenwick earned her Bachelor’s in Anthropology, her Master’s in Professional Writing, and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum. She is a founding partner of Cobalt Prairie Consulting LLC in Norman, teaches high school senior English, and is a fierce advocate for equity, inquiry, and justice everywhere.
Noon | Location: Embassy Hotel: JQH Boardroom
Genre YA allows teachers to provide mirrors, windows, and sliding doors for students to see analogous experiences of themselves and their peers in the classroom as part of rigorous curriculum and instruction. As school literary choice becomes more of a curricular necessity for teachers in Oklahoma and nationwide, YA lit provides an opportunity to engage students in transferable analytical skills in the classroom while providing multilevel scaffolding for reading exploration and mastery. Please bring your curriculum standards. We will work to help identify texts and strategies for decoding and using YA lit in the classroom! (1 hour. Limit 14 participants.)
Moderator: Shai Fenwick
Panelists: Shai Fenwick
Tracks: Professional Development, Writing & Publishing, Workshop
9:00 AM | Location: Embassy Hotel: Interior Courtyard - Fountain
Join panelists in the hotel breakfast area for morning networking and conversation. BYO coffee, please.
Moderator: Mark Alfred
Panelists: Mark Alfred, Alice-of-Hearts, Aoi Kitsu, Beku.Cos, Blair Bartlett - Alternate Realities Studio, Aaron Bossig, Brook Bullock, David Carrico, Cat of WhiskersandBeans, Peri Charlifu, Rosemary Clement-Moore, Crazy Red Artist, EBA Comedy, Daniel Erickson, Rhonda Eudaly, Everyday Futurist, Shai Fenwick, Mark Finn, Caleb Haldane, Sally Hamilton, Teddy Harvia, Lyde Van Hoy, Barrett Huddleston, Nick Johnson, Jovial Juggernaut, vickey malone kennedy, Knightmage, Julia S. Mandala, A. Lee Martinez, Moe, Tracy S. Morris, Kathleen M O'Brien, Remy Domino, Joey “Okie Space Queen” Rodman, James Simpson, Seth Skorkowsky, A C Smart, Tommy B. Smith, Squirrelly Jedi Photography, Stevo the Gutter Nerd, B J Thrower
Tracks: General Interest, Meetup, Food & Drink
10:00 AM | Location: Boomer A
There are many ways to research for a story. Certainly, a strong Google-fu is needed, but what other research resources and hands-on practicums are available for writers?
Moderator: Gwenna Laithland
Panelists: Charles Dane Clark, Daniel Erickson, Shai Fenwick, Brian A. Hopkins, Craig Wolf
Tracks: Writing & Publishing
4:00 PM | Location: Boomer B
Modern fantasy and urban fantasy often draw from oral and academic histories of folktales worldwide. How are these best incorporated into today's sf stories? And what's the line between appreciation and appropriation of these cultural myths in making new media mythologies?
Moderator: Rhonda Eudaly
Panelists: Rhonda Eudaly, David Carrico, Shai Fenwick, A. Lee Martinez, Ted Pennella, Steven E. Wedel
Tracks: History, Pop Culture & Entertainment, Supernatural & Paranormal, Writing & Publishing, Fantasy
7:00 PM | Location: Embassy Hotel: Interior Courtyard - Atrium
Join panelists in the hotel lounge for lively conversation. BYO beverages, please.
Moderator: Rosemary Clement-Moore
Panelists: Rosemary Clement-Moore, Daniel Erickson, Everyday Futurist, Shai Fenwick, Mark Finn, Dara Fogel, PhD, Tyrell Gephardt, Sally Hamilton, Sheila Hartney, Carolyn Kay, Chaz Kemp, vickey malone kennedy, Melinda LaFevers, Julia S. Mandala, A. Lee Martinez, Tracy S. Morris, Michael Mosley, Ethan Nahté, Ted Pennella, Rook Riley, Rie Sheridan Rose, Seth Skorkowsky, Karen Thrower, Mel. White, Craig Wolf
Tracks: Food & Drink, Writing & Publishing, Meetup, General Interest