Presenters

Margaret E. Bausch, assistant professor in the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling at the University of Kentucky, earned a Master of Science Degree in Special Education Learning Disabilities and a Ph.D. in Special Education Technology from the University of Kentucky. Dr. Bausch spent nine years as a teacher of students with learning and behavior disorders before devoting her efforts to research and development projects in assistive and instructional technology. She has served as a co-principal investigator of the National Assistive Technology Research Institute, a federally funded project designed to examine factors related to the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of assistive technology services in schools. Currently, Dr. Bausch is serving as the principal investigator of the Kentucky Assistive and Rehabilitative Technology Training grant that is providing scholarships to prepare personal from varying fields to integrate instructional and assistive technology into the school curriculum, post-secondary education, employment situations, and the daily lives of persons with disabilities.

Assistant executive director for the National Middle School Association (NMSA), and author and editor of Classroom Connections, Jack Berckemeyer has a B.A. in education from the University of Northern Colorado, and a K-12 certificate in school administration. He has been a far-reaching classroom teacher—of language arts, social studies, health, expressions skills, and physical education, among other subjects—named outstanding educator after two years of teaching at Scott Carpenter Middle School and then in all of the Adams County School District. He has presented worldwide on middle level topics; he coordinates on-site professional development for schools and school districts; for several years now has been a judge for the Disney American Teacher Awards; and he served on the selection committee for the USA Today All Teacher Team.

Dr. Victoria L. Bernhardt is Executive Director of the Education for the Future Initiative, whose mission is to build the capacity of learning organizations at all levels to gather, analyze, and use data to continuously improve learning for all students. She is also a Professor (currently on leave) in the College of Communication and Education at California State University, Chico. Dr. Bernhardt works with learning organizations all over the world to assist them with their continuous improvement and data analysis.

Alan M. Blankstein is founder and president of the HOPE Foundation (Harnessing Optimism and Potential through Education) and author of the best-selling book Failure Is Not an Option: Six Principles That Guide Student Achievement in High-Performing Schools, which has been awarded "Book of the Year" by the National Staff Development Council (NSDC). A senior editor of the eight-volume series,The Soul of Educational Leadership, Blankstein co-authored the "Reaching Today's Youth" curriculum with Rick Dufour and has published articles inEducational Leadership,The School Administrator,Executive Educator,High School Magazine,Reaching Today's Youth, andInside the Workshop. Once labeled a "high risk" youth, Blankstein has been working in youth-serving organizations since 1983, including the March of Dimes, Phi Delta Kappa, and the National Educational Service (now Solution Tree), which he founded in 1987 and directed for 12 years. Blankstein served as board member for Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health; sat on the board of trustees for the Jewish Child Care Agency (JCCA); serves on Harvard's International Principals Center's advisory board; is co-chair of Indiana University's Neal Marshall Black Culture Center's Community Network; advises the Faculty and Staff for Student Excellence (FASE) mentoring program; and sits on the advisory board member for the Forum on Race, Equity, and Human Understanding with the Monroe County Schools in Indiana.

Hope Blecher-Sass is the creator of hope4education.com, an organization whose mission is to facilitate learning through especially dynamic educational communities. She has been an educator for over two decades as a reading coach, teacher of English as a second language, and teacher of special education. A state-registered professional development provider, she also assists adult learners, primarily through presentations for local school districts (often in collaboration with Sharon Russell-Fowler), as well as statewide associations. After earning her B.A. in sociology and M.A. in early childhood education, Blecher-Sass recently completed a Ph.D. in education leadership, through an online graduate program.

Dr. Brulles is the director of Gifted Education Services in the Paradise Valley Unified School District in Arizona where she has developed an array of gifted education programs. As a faculty member at Arizona State University, Dina serves as director of the Herberger Academy Outreach Program and teaches graduate courses in gifted education. Publications include, The Cluster Grouping Handbook: How To Challenge Gifted Students and Improve Achievement For All by Free Spirit Publishing, and Helping All Gifted Children Learn: A Teachers Guide to Using the NNAT, by Pearson Assessment Inc. Dina can be contacted at: www.giftededucationconsultants.com.

A graduate of Pennsylvania State University, Darryl Bundrige is the director of afterschool education programs for FOUNDATIONS, a nonprofit organization that serves children, families, and their communities across the country by expanding content-based enrichment programs during the non-school hours. Bundrige was previously dean of students for the Family Charter School and supervisor of an AmeriCorps program. He currently co-chairs Pennsylvania's 21st Century Community Learning Center advisory board.

The developer of a nationally acclaimed instructional model based on Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, Bruce Campbell is a writer and classroom teacher. Gardner'sFrames of Mindprovides the basis for Campbell'sThe Multiple Intelligences Handbook andTeaching and Learning through Multiple Intelligences(co-written with Lee Campbell and Dee Dickinson). Campbell has presented for many state departments of education, as well as for the U.S. Department of Education, and has consulted for schools, districts, and universities worldwide. A popular keynote speaker and former director and head teacher at Horizon School in Washington, he is also the author of Our Only Earth: The Ocean Crisis.

Kim Chester began as a regular education teacher in an inclusive classroom for many years. During this time, she implemented effective principles of co-teaching and differentiating instruction to meet the diverse needs in her classroom. After her youngest child was born with cerebral palsy, she went back to school to receive her M.Ed. in special education from Kennesaw State University. Currently, she works as a parent mentor in her local school system, as a region AYP consultant, and an educational consultant for Wesley Educational Services. In addition, Mrs. Chester serves on various committees, including the Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities in Georgia. She offers her range of perspectives to educators, parents, and administrators. Mrs. Chester enjoys working with students and teachers in classroom settings providing practical strategies for raising student achievement through inclusion, co-teaching, differentiated instruction, behavior management, and RTI.

Carolyn Coil, who earned her Ed.D in Educational Leadership at the University of Southern Florida, is an internationally known speaker, author, trainer, consultant and educator. Dr. Coil works with teachers, parents and students offering practical strategies for raising student achievement, differentiating curriculum, implementing a variety of assessment strategies, and dealing with the problems and challenges associated with preparing ourselves and our children for living and working in the 21st Century. Dr. Coil has worked in the field of education and training for over 30 years. She currently teaches courses in gifted and talented education and does workshops for schools and school districts on a wide variety of topics. She has been an adjunct professor at several different universities and has worked in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Bermuda, the Marshall Islands, Spain, Germany, Ecuador, Croatia, and South Korea.

Charlotte Danielson, who earned her Master's of Education in Educational Administration and Supervision at Rutgers University, is a former economist and an educational consultant based in Princeton, New Jersey. She has taught at all levels, from kindergarten through college, and has worked as an administrator, a curriculum director, and a staff developer. In her consulting work, Danielson specializes in teacher quality and evaluation, curriculum planning, performance assessment, and professional development. Danielson is the author of a number of books supporting teachers and administrators. These includeEnhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching(1996, 2007),Teaching for Understanding Professional Inquiry Kit(1996),Teacher Evaluation to Enhance Professional Practice(in collaboration with Tom McGreal) (2000),Enhancing Student Achievement: A Framework for School Improvement(2002), andStrengthening the Profession Through Teacher Leadership(2006), all published by ASCD. In addition, she has writtenCollections of Performance Tasks and Rubrics, published by Eye on Education,Teaching Methods(2009), published by Merrill, andTalk about Teaching: Leading Professional Conversations(2009), published by Corwin Press.

Nancy Dean is an assistant professor at the P.K. Yonge Developmental School, University of Florida. With an Ed.S degree, Dean is a consultant in secondary literacy; director of Leadership Through Reading, a cross-age tutoring program; author of Voice Lessons: Classroom Activities to Teach Diction, Detail, Imagery, Syntax, and Tone; Discovering Voice: Voice Lessons for Middle and High School; and a co-author of Succeeding in Reading: A Complete Cross-Age Tutoring Program. She has spent decades teaching middle and high school, including English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), remedial classes, and Advanced Placement classes. In 1989, she was the Crown Region teacher of the year; and in 1995, she was the state English teacher of the year. Dean also serves as a lead trainer on the leadership teams of the National Literacy Project and the Florida Reading Initiative.

Don Deshler is a professor in the School of Education and director of the Center for Research on Learning (CRL) at the University of Kansas. With an M.A. and Ph.D. in learning disabilities and special education, respectively, from the University of Arizona, Deshler focuses his work at the CRL on the validation of academic and social strategies for at-risk adolescents. He and his colleagues at the CRL have designed and substantiated the Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) - a comprehensive instructional model for improving student outcomes. Through the center's International Professional Development Network, over 400,000 educators have been trained to use different components of the SIM model. Deshler's most recent text (written with Keith Lenz),Teaching Content to All: Evidenced-Based Inclusive Practices in Middle and Secondary Schools, details several of the instructional practices corroborated through CRL research. Deshler is the recipient of the J. E. Wallace Wallin Award from the Council for Exceptional Children, and the Learning Disabilities Association Award from the Learning Disabilities Association of America for outstanding research and service for at-risk populations.

Michelle Flaming is a mathematics, curriculum, and assessment specialist for Educational Services and Staff Development Association of Central Kansas (ESSDACK), with a primary focus on elementary mathematics. Supported by a B.S. degree from McPherson College and an M.S. from Kansas State University, Flaming joined the Kansas State Mathematics Standards committee in 1996; has taught at various levels; and was a member of the state writing team for the revised Kansas curricular standards for mathematics. The author of Math Write-On Models, Flaming facilitates schools in the implementation of standards-based math programs and improved student learning. She has presented for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSCO).

Eileen Griffin is the director of the Griffin Center for Human Development, a national organization committed to promoting continuous school improvement by applying sound principles of human development. The author of Developmentally Appropriate Practices Training Materials for the Pennsylvania Department of Education, published by the Griffin Center, she has been an educational therapist, a teacher of kindergarten, special education, and the gifted and talented; she also coordinates and consults on curriculum for the Gesell Institute of Human Development.

Dr. Hasselbring is a graduate of Indiana University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree, the Master of Arts in Teaching degree, with a major in biology, and an Ed.D. in special education. He has authored more than one hundred books, book chapters, and articles on learning and technology and serves on the editorial boards of several professional journals. Dr. Hasselbring is the former president of the Technology and Media Division of the Council for Exceptional Children, and has served as a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Committee on Goals 2000 and the committee on Inclusion of Students with Disabilities. He was a member of the National Governor’s Association Committee on Improving High Schools as well as a member of Japan’s National Institute of Special Education. Currently he serves on the board of the George Lucas Education Foundation.

Michael R. Hattman, who earned an M.A. in political science from Marshall University, was named Outstanding Educator by the National Catholic Educational Association in 1998. A presenter at conventions sponsored by High Schools That Work (HSTW) and National Community Education Association (NCEA), among others, Hattman runs two websites, Teachers in the Movies, whose mission is to help educators incorporate movies into their curriculum, and Every Teacher is a Religious Educator, whose goal is to improve religious education.

Carole Helstrom specializes in differentiated instruction, brain-compatible learning, and mentoring—and as such has been a featured speaker for such organizations as the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), National Staff Development Council (NSDC), Brain Expo, Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), Special Education Regional Resource Centers (SERRCS), and at conferences organized around issues of learning disabilities and gifted students. She has been a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, university instructor, and author.

A professor at Florida State University, Judith Irvin has been executive director of the National Literacy Project; chaired the research committee for the National Middle School Association; editedResearch in Middle Level Education Quarterly; and contributes regularly to the "What Research Says to the Middle Level Practitioner" column of the Middle School Journal. An active speaker and consultant, she has written and edited material on adolescent literacy, most notablyReading and the High School Student: Strategies to Enhance Literacy;Strategies for Enhancing Literacy and Learning in Middle School Content Area Classrooms; andTeaching Middle School Reading. She is an active member of the Commission on Adolescent Literacy of the International Reading Association.

Lynda Irvin is the Illinois Leadership and Technology for Change (ITLC) co-director for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Leadership grant for the state of Illinois. (Under the auspices of the Illinois School Administrators Institute, based at Illinois State University, the grant is responsible for the training of 1700 superintendents and principals in data-driven decision-making.) She is one of six principals nationally who served on the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) of the Council of Chief State School Officers. She has also been a teacher, principal, staff developer, personnel administrator, and college professor.

Robyn R. Jackson earned her Ph.D in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Maryland. In her work with teachers, administrators, schools, and non-profit organizations, Dr. Jackson focuses on key principles of education rather than isolated strategies. Dr. Jackson founded Mindsteps Inc. in 2006 to help teachers learn how to help every students meet or exceed rigorous learning standards. Her work with administrators helps them effectively train and support teachers and create highly rigorous school programs that ensure equitable access to college readiness for all students. She also works with school systems and non-profits to remove institutional barriers to equity, access, and rigor for all students, particularly students of color who are traditionally under-represented in advanced courses.

President of From Lto J Consulting Group, Inc., Lee Jenkins writes, speaks, and consults in the educational fields of standards, assessment, accountability, and data-based decision-making. Equipped with a B.A. from Loma Nazarene University and a Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University, Jenkins taught in the California public schools and at Oregon State University. During his fourteen years as a school district superintendent, he studied the principles of quality organizations, eventually presenting his analyses in his booksImproving Student Learning andPermission to Forget. An accomplished editor as well as author, Dr. Jenkins has addressed educators in most states plus several other countries regarding improving classroom, school, and school district systems for the benefit of student learning.

Elizabeth Jiménez is the CEO of GEMAS, a consulting and advocacy firm dedicated to improving the education of English learners and their families. Jiménez earned an MBA from the Peter F. Drucker Graduate Management Center at Claremont Graduate University and a BA in Spanish from CSU, Fullerton. Jiménez taught English learners for nine years; then, she cut her teeth in politics working in her state legislature on pioneering legislation for English learners. She has taught literacy methods courses in English and in Spanish for college teacher preparation programs. Jiménez has written over 25 textbooks for Pre-K-12 English learners. Jiménez is a highly sought after keynote speaker, coach, and professional developer, having worked with school districts and charter schools in over 20 states and Puerto Rico. Her many projects include working with the Department of Education in Puerto Rico; Bassett Unified School District; and Riverside, Inyo, Mono, and San Bernardino Counties in California to improve learning outcomes for English learners. She has been a panelist, session speaker, moderator, or keynote speaker for national and local organizations and conferences including NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials), Latino Leadership Conference, LAUSD Achieving A+ Summit, Milken Institute Global Conference, and Puerto Rico TESOL Conference.

Ian Jukes has been a teacher, an administrator, writer, consultant, university instructor, and keynote speaker. He is the d irector of the InfoSavvy Group, an international consulting group that provides leadership and program development in many areas, including assessment and evaluation, strategic alignment, professional development, change management, and hardware and software acquisition.

Nica Lalli, artist and writer, earned her AB from Vassar College and her MFA from American University. She attended the New York Studio School for Painting and Sculpture where she concentrated in painting and museum studies. The winner of the prestigious Rose Prize for Creative Arts from Vassar College, a highly competitive award given to one creative artist each year, Lalli has taught art at Lebanon College, in the New York City public schools, and freelance at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She has also worked with Lincoln Center, ArtsConnection, and Studio in a School, the last as coordinator of a three year study conducted in New York City public schools. The author of Nothing: Something to Believe In, Lalli is an active writer and artist.

Paul Lawrence has been involved in mathematics education for over forty years, teaching high school, working as a math supervisor for grades K-12, and lecturing part-time (as a visiting instructor) at Rutgers University. A past president of the Association of Math Teachers of New Jersey (AMTNJ), Lawrence has sat on committees to assess New Jersey state tests in mathematics. He is a frequent presenter at local, state, and national conferences, and he has conducted hundreds of workshops throughout the United States. Lawrence was named by AMTNJ as the Max Sobel Outstanding Mathematics Educator for 2000.

Cheryl Lemke is President and CEO of the Metiri Group, a consulting firm dedicated to advancing effective uses of technology in schools that has been conducting research and evaluations into every major education technology movement of the last decade for the United States Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and numerous state-funded programs. She also serves as the practice leader for Metiri Group Policy Consulting. Prior to launching the firm, she was the executive director of the Milken Exchange on Education Technology for the Milken Family Foundation. Lemke specializes in public policy for K-12 learning technology, working at many levels with governors, legislators, superintendents, business leaders, and teachers. Last year, she facilitated public hearings in Silicon Valley, CA, and Atlanta, GA, for the Web-based Education Congressional Committee. This year, she is working with several states on leadership in technology initiatives, and most recently authored the definitive work on 21st century skills, published by the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory and the CEO Forum. Lemke's 25-year career in the public sector and her work with Metiri Group have included projects related to assessing the impact of technology on learning; gauging the progress of states, districts, and schools in bringing technology to the learning process; conducting surveys and focus groups; convening national experts in discussions on policy issues; and designing and prototyping educational technology frameworks. Lemke has most recently turned her attention to the effective use of Web 2.0.

Keith Lenz, who earned his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in special education, at Bradley University and the University of Kansas, respectively, is an associated professor of special education; the executive director for the Strategic Learning Center; and a senior research scientist at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. He offers his expertise in the development of inclusive educational programs; has directed over 10 million research and development dollars to advance different programs and training; and has written over 100 books, chapters, and research articles for teachers and program developers.

Co-author of three books on assessment, including the best-sellingUnderstanding by Designseries, Jay McTighe is a member of the National Assessment Forum and writes many for educational journals, including those published by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), the National Education Association (NEA), and the National Staff Development Council (NSDC). He earned a B.A. from the College of William and Mary and an M.A. from the University of Maryland; directed the development of the Instructional Framework, a multi-media database on teaching; directed the Maryland Assessment Consortium; directed the Maryland Summer Center for Gifted and Talented Students; and is a former committee chair for the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). He is a member of the National Assessment Forum and has also served as classroom teacher, resource specialist, and program coordinator.

Jim Moulton, an independent K-12 educational consultant focused on technology integration and project-based learning, is a former classroom teacher who has worked under contract for the national Department of Education and individual state departments. Based in Maine, he travels across the country to support teachers, schools, and districts in their efforts to make best use of technology. He writes regularly for the Spiral Notebook blog at Edutopia.org.

Dr. Carol Mowen has taught in PreK-12 grade settings as a music educator and college instructor. After earning an M.A. from Spring Arbor College in education (with additional coursework in educational administration at Michigan State and Eastern Michigan University), she completed her Ph.D. online with Capella University. Dr. Mowen's compass as a teacher has been far-reaching; now an educational consultant, she has taught reading, mathematics, vocal and instrumental music, social studies, early childhood literacy, secondary school literacy, speech and language development, applications of quantitative research in the educational setting, graduate level statistics, education leadership, and curriculum and instruction. A national speaker, Mowen also conducts in-services and seminars on current best-practice.

David Noyes is a coach in English language development and sheltered instruction for the Long Beach Unified School District. The author of Astronomy Made Fun andOceans Made Fun—both English learner support resources—Noyes is also a writer for McGraw Hill'sOpen Court English Learner Support Guide. He has an M.A. in early childhood education and curriculum; writes children's songs and poetry; and earned a 2005 Parents' CD Choice award forOceans Made Fun. Noyes has presented for California Elementary Education Association/Staff Development Resources and been awarded 2006 Outstanding Teacher of the Year by Long Beach Unified and the Los Angeles County Office of Education, for meeting the needs of English language learners.

Patrick M. O'Shea received his M.S. in General Secondary Education and his Ph.D. in Urban Services, both from Old Dominion University. Currently a post-doctoral fellow in instructional technology, Dr. O'Shea is the project director of the Handheld Augmented Reality Project (HARP). He is also an adjunct faculty member at Boise State University, Walden University, and Old Dominion University, teaching courses in augmented reality curriculum design, integrating technology in the classroom, teaching as a profession, action research, and a range of other subjects in education and technology. Among other positions, O'Shea has been a consultant for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and an assessment specialist for Virginia Beach Public Schools; he has built online testing protocols and has extensive experience with practical applications of technology in the educational setting. A prolific presenter and recipient of grants from a number of institutions, he has written for the Journal of Online Learning and Teaching,The Chronicle of Higher Education,The International Journal of Games and Computer Mediated Simulations,The Journal of Interactive Online Learning,The Journal of Experimental Education, andTechTrends.

A highly active presenter, keynote speaker, and writer, Meg Ormiston is the author of ConqueringInfoclutter: Timesaving Technology Solutions for Teachers, and, with Mark Standley,Digital Storytelling with PowerPoint. Her research focuses on how curriculum can be delivered through visual images, simulations, and multimedia, coupled with real-time assessment to check for comprehension. She has been a classroom teacher, curriculum coach, website developer, grant writer, consultant, and a founding member of the Educational Foundation for Excellence. Ormiston earned her Bachelor of Science in elementary education at Eastern Illinois University, and her Master's of Education in curriculum and instruction at the National College of Education in Illinois.

Terri Peckham taught English and social studies for twelve years before joining Educational Services and Staff Development Association of Central Kansas (ESSDACK), where she now coordinates and oversees student services and provides curriculum support for the fourteen ESSDACK Learning Centers that offer high school completion programs and credit recovery for high school students. She also offers professional development for English as a second language (ESL) instructors and paraprofessionals, and trains other educators in the new Kansas professional development regulations and in Blackboard technical support. She is currently engaged in working to develop project-based curriculum for implementation into the many instructional venues with which she is associated.

The 2000 Kentucky Middle School Principal of the Year and 2001 National Middle School Principal of the Year, Michelle Pedigo has served on the executive council for the National Forum to Accelerate Middle Grades Reform and on the faculty of the National Middle School Association's (NMSA) Institute for Middle Level Leadership. She is the author of Differentiating Professional Development: The Principal's Role, published by the NMSA.

Rosemary S. Planz has a B.S. and Ed. M. in elementary education from SUNY Buffalo. Certified in New York in special education and elementary school teaching, as well as school district and educational administration, she has also pursued additional coursework in computer technology and telecommunications. She served the Hicksville public school system as a teacher and administrator for over two decades, and has also been an adjunct professor, assistant superintendent, sales representative, and department director. The winner of three awards from the Hicksville Counsel of PTA's, Planz specializes in the legal issues surrounding the education of students with educational disabilities, with a focus on how the student's entire community can collaborate to construct effective learning environments.

Karla Reiss is the founder of The Change Place, where, as a certified professional coach, she uses her experience in the education field—as a coordinator of professional development at Western Suffolk Board of Cooperative Education Services; and as director of planning and funding at Southern Westchester Board of Cooperative Education Services—to offer customized support to school systems and other organizations and individuals. Also a certified school district administrator, with an M.A. and professional diploma in special education, Reiss is the author of Leadership Coaching for Educators; Bringing Out the Best in School Administrators.

Todd Risley, a professor of psychology, earned his M.S. and Ph.D. at the University of Washington and taught at the University of Alaska where he explored the impact of early family experiences on children's language development and subsequent academic abilities. The author of many professional articles and book chapters, as well as of five books—including (with Betty Hart) the renownMeaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children andThe Social World of Children Learning to Talk—Dr. Risley studied the experiences of children with autism and other severe disabilities; he specialized in the structure of 'living environments' and the organization of human services programs; and was a passionate advocate for children. Dr. Risley, who was also a senior scientist at the Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies at the University of Kansas, died in 2007.

After receiving her Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Woman's University, Roebuck began her professional career as a probation officer with the Shelby County Juvenile Court in Memphis but has spent most of her adult life as an educator. She holds the Master of Science in Education in Counseling from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia and serves as president of her own consulting company, Managerial and Leadership Concepts. She has delivered workshops and seminars throughout the United States on topics such as organizational culture, leadership and student motivation. As a special education teacher and administrator for 17 years in several states, Roebuck decided the most effective way to make a difference for students like hers was to change the way school district building and district level leaders are trained. [Excerpted from: www.uark.edu]

Sharon Russell-Fowler has used her B.A. in elementary education and psychology from Rowan University, and her M.A. in language education from Rutger's University, as a teacher of English as a second language for students from kindergarten through college. While pursuing additional coursework at Thomas Edison College, Phoenix University, and Kean College, Russell-Fowler collaborates in presentations with Hope Blecher-Sass. She provides workshops as a state-registered professional development provider and teaches fifth grade.

After 18 years as Special Education Director of Massapequa Union Free School District, NY, Dr. Concetta Russo retired to become president of Crossroads for Educational Services and a specialized reading consultant. Dr. Russo is certified in regular education, special education, reading, and school district administration. Dr. Russo's dissertation on the effects of Fast ForWord (Scientific Learning Corporation) andRecipe for Reading(Orton Gillingham) on central auditory processing and phonological processing deficits among learning disabled and language disabled reading students in grades 1-6 informs her current private practice, teaching dyslexic children to read. Dr. Russo has been contracted by public and private schools nationwide to implement alternative reading programs.

Ferdi Serim's experience includes board membership for the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and for the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), director of the New Mexico State EdTech; and editor of MultiMedia Schools Magazine.

Cara Shores, EdS, began her career as a special education teacher and taught children in both pullout and inclusive classrooms. She received her master's degree and educational specialists's degree from the University of West Georgia and has since served as Student Support Services Coordinator and District Director of Special Education. Mrs. Shores has trained thousands of teachers and administrators across the United States and Canada on practical strategies for inclusion, co-teaching, and increasing achievement for all students through differentiated instruction and RTI. She provides regional and national training for the Council for Exceptional Children. Mrs. Shores is author of A Comprehensive Approach to RTI: Integrating Academic and Behavioral Interventions(in press). She is co-author of Response to Intervention: A Practical Guide for Every Teacher andUsing RTI for School Improvement: Raising Every Student's Achievement Scores.Mrs. Shores now serves as the President of Wesley Educational Services.

Debbie Silver has 30 years experience as a classroom teacher, staff development instructor, and university professor. A Louisiana State Teacher of the Year, Dr. Silver has been an invited author for several educational journals and has given keynotes at state, national, and international conferences in 49 states, Canada, Europe, and Asia. A featured teacher for the PBS OnLine Teacher Chat, Silver has authoredDrumming to the Beat of Different Marchers: Finding the Rhythm for Teaching Differentiated Learning, which has been updated and re-released by Incentive Publications. Songs she co-wrote with Monte Selby are featured on his CDs.

Grace E. Smith earned her Ph.D. from Wayne State University in instructional technology and organizational communication and has taught for the Chippewa Valley Schools, Wayne State University, and Northwood University in Michigan. The co-author of such texts asDifferentiating Instruction with Technology in Middle School Classrooms,Differentiating Instruction with Technology in K-5 Classrooms, and the online course,Differentiating Instruction in the K-12 Classroom Using Simple Technologies,Smith has co-presented on similar themes at many conferences. Among other leadership positions, she has served as the instructional technology curriculum coordinator and social studies curriculum coordinator for the Grosse Pointe Public School System; as corporate-wide curriculum coordinator for a Fortune-500 company; as a senior human resources consultant; as executive director of a women business owners association; as the director of continuing professional education for a business college; and as a lead systems analyst and senior systems analyst for Wayne State University. Smith was also the director of the Reading and Learning Center and chair of the English department for a high school in Detroit.

An educational neuroscience consultant, Marilee Sprenger has taught pre-kindergarten to graduate school and now teaches brain-compatible strategies and memory courses as an adjunct professor at Aurora University. A member of the American Academy of Neurology, the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, and the Learning and Brain Society, as well as of many education organizations such as Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and Phi Delta Kappa, she is the author of Learning and Memory: The Brain in Action,Becoming a Wiz at Brain-based Teaching;Differentiation through Learning Styles and Memory;andHow to Teach So StudentsRemember.Sprenger assists schools by translating and aiding in the application of current educational neuroscience and memory research.

Mark Springer is the developer (with Ed Silcox) of the Watershed Program, now widely recognized as one of the nation's foremost integrated curriculum models. A decade later, he developed the Soundings Program as a model of a full integrative curriculum. Both launchings were accompanied by publications:Watershed: A Successful Voyage into Integrative Learning;The Watershed Whole-Learning Activities Book; andSoundings: A Democratic Student-Centered Education. Springer has devoted decades to teaching seventh and eighth grade students at the Radnor Middle School in Wayne, Pennsylvania, where he has designed and taught a variety of integrated curricula, including interdisciplinary humanities, American Studies, and that of his school's gifted program.

Dr. Hui Fang Huang "Angie" Su is a professor of mathematics education for Nova Southeastern University's Graduate Teacher Education Program at the Fischler School of Education and Human Services. She is the creator of Project M.I.N.D.—Math Is Not Difficult—a K -12 mathematics enhancement project implemented in several school districts. Prior to her professorship, Dr. Su was the K-12 mathematics specialist for the Palm Beach County School District. Partnering with the Annenberg Foundation, the Quantum Foundation, and the Toppel Family Foundation, Su initiated the state's first Teacher Incentive program. As an instructional specialist in the Palm Beach County School District's Department of School Improvement and Staff Development, Su designed and managed the Technical Assistance Plan for the District to help students in critically low-performing schools improve their achievement. The recipient of many awards and recognitions, including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching from the National Science Foundation, the William T. Dwyer Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Women of Distinction Award from the Soroptomist International, Su was also named 2003 Professor of the Year by Fischler School. She has also received the Governor's Points of Light Award for her innovative work with homeless women. Su garners significant attention from the media for her expertise in mathematics education, curriculum development, early childhood education, gifted education, and child rearing.

Clifton Taulbert, a Pulitzer nominated author forOnce Upon a Time When We Were Colored(1989) and the president and founder of the Building Community Institute, speaks worldwide on the critical issue of building community. His booksEight Habits of the Heart andEight Habits of the Heart for Educatorsadvance the theory that "unselfish leadership...ensures student success." Before he became an author (including of the Little Cliffchildren's series) and professional speaker, Taulbert worked in the banking industry. After a stint as a sergeant in the US Air Force, Taulbert earned his B.A. at Oral Roberts University, and earned continuing professional education credits (toward an MBA) from Southwest Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University. Recipient of the 17th annual National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Award for literature, Taulbert was one of the first African American writers to win the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award for nonfiction, and was named byTimemagazine one of America's outstanding black entrepreneurs.

Stephanie Throne earned her Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures from the University of Michigan and has been a professor of Spanish and German. The co-author of such texts asDifferentiating Instruction with Technology in Middle School Classrooms,Differentiating Instruction with Technology in K-5 Classrooms, and the online course,Differentiating Instruction in the K-12 Classroom Using Simple Technologies, Throne has presented on similar topics at many conferences, workshops and webinars. In addition, Throne teaches/tutors Spanish, math, reading and writing for various instructional and private organizations. For the last ten years, she has served as a faculty consultant for the Educational Testing Service, for which she supervises and trains faculty consultants to score the audio section of Advanced Placement examinations in Spanish and to evaluate examinations. Throne is the co-author of a forthcoming Spanish text for upper elementary and middle school students, and is a frequent editor/proofreader for several publications. Prior to her work as a language professor, Throne served as a trainer and course developer for a large financial services corporation.

Donna Walker Tileston is the author of 23 books on educational topics. Eleven of her books have won the Distinguished Achievement Award for Excellence in Educational Publishing by the Association of Educational Publishers. Her book on working with children from poverty also won the coveted Bronze Award from ForeWord Magazine. She has served education as a leader in teaching, administration, research, writing, software development, national consulting, curriculum development, management, technology, finance, grants management, public relations, and drug abuse prevention programs. Dr. Tileston specializes in brain research, the effects of poverty on learning and how to create and maintain powerful RTI programs. Dr. Tileston has made presentations world-wide on her research, including The Hague, Prague and Istanbul.

Carol Ann Tomlinson, who has both an M.Ed. and Ed.D. from the University of Virginia, is a professor at the Curry School of UVA, as well as program coordinator for their educational psychology/gifted education program, and co-director of their Institutes on Academic Diversity. Tomlinson's career as an educator includes 21 years as a public school teacher, with 12 years as a program administrator of special services for struggling and advanced learners. She was Virginia's Teacher of the Year in 1974, Tomlinson was named Outstanding Professor at Curry School of Education in 2004 and received an All University Teaching Award in 2008. A reviewer for journals and prolific author, Tomlinson has published in addition to other materials, these seminal documents:How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed Ability Classrooms;The Differentiated Classroom: Responding to the Needs of All Learners;Leadership for Differentiated Schools and Classrooms; the facilitator's guide for the video staff development sets,Differentiating Instructionand At Work in the Differentiated Classroom; as well as a professional inquiry kit on differentiation. Most recently, she co-authored a book with Jay McTighe,Integrating Differentiated Instruction and Understanding by Design: Connecting Content and Kids, and another with Kay Brimijoin and Lane Narvaez,The Differentiated School: Making Revolutionary Change or Teaching and Learning.For Corwin Press, she is co-author (with five others educators) of The Parallel Curriculum Model: A Design to Develop High Potential and Challenge High Ability Learners.

Diane Wagenhals brings over 25 years of experience in the field of family education. She has been a childbirth educator, a family therapist and founder of a parenting education company, has designed extensive training programs for family professionals and parents and has authored many published articles and curricula. Her training has touched over 400 parenting educators and since the inception of The Institute for Family Professionals in 2003, close to 1,000 family professionals and early childhood educators in Philadelphia. Diane received a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from West Chester State College (now West Chester University) and taught elementary school for two years. She did graduate work at the University of Pittsburgh and University of Maryland in Rehabilitation Counseling. She received a Master’s of Education in Psycho-Educational Processes specializing in Family Therapy from Temple University and worked as a family therapist with a local psychiatrist for ten years before shifting her focus entirely to psycho-educational processes. She is a Certified Family Life Educator. She is a Fellow with the Child Trauma Academy in Houston, TX. She is working with Dr. Bruce Perry on creating his Neurosequential Model for Educators and with Dr. Sandra Bloom to incorporate her Sanctuary Model into the field of Early Childhood Education. She is currently the Program Director for Institute for Professional Education & Development of Lakeside Educational Network and The Institute for Family Professionals.

A professor of education leadership at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana, Todd Whitaker earned his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia. A former middle and high school teacher, Dr. Whitaker has also served as a middle school and high school principal and as a middle school coordinator. He has published widely in the areas of teacher leadership, instructional improvement, change, leadership effectiveness, technology, and middle level practice, including these titles:Dealing With Difficult Teachers, Motivating & Inspiring Teachers, Dealing With Difficult Parents, What Great Principals Do Differently, and the best seller,What Great Teachers Do Differently. Dr. Whitaker has provided professional development to teachers and administrators through over 700 presentations at the state, national, and international levels.

Joyce Whitby began as a NYC elementary school teacher working with English language learners. She then spent over ten years teaching educational technology at Long Island University, focusing on the emerging field of instructional technology. She developed key initiatives targeting at-risk learners in urban environments for several organizations including WICAT Systems, Jostens Learning, Scientific Learning, and the Education Division of Apple Computer. She is currently the Director of NYC Metro Strategic Initiatives for Headsprout Early Learning.

SUSAN WINEBRENNER is a consultant and author who works with school districts to help them translate current educational research into classroom practice. She is president of Education Consulting Service, Inc., a speakers' bureau for educational topics, which she founded in 1986, She has taught students in mixed-ability and gifted classes. She presents workshops on a variety of topics, including Teaching Gifted Students, Teaching Students with Learning Difficulties, and The Schoolwide Cluster Grouping Model. She also works as a consultant with individual schools and districts. She has written numerous articles for various publications, and has presented at national conferences for several educational organizations.

Rick Wormeli is a National Board Certified Teacher and a columnist forMiddle Groundmagazine, published by the National Middles School Association (NMSA). Awarded in April 2008 the prestigious New England League of Middle School's James P. Garvin Award for distinguished service and the winner of Disney's American Teacher Award for English in 1996, Wormeli has an international reputation for his presentations on middle-level education, innovation, and teacher professionalism. The author of Day One and Beyond: Practical Matters for New Middle Level Teachers;Differentiation: From Planning to Practice, Grades 6 – 12;Fair Isn't Always Equal: Assessing and Grading in the Differentiated Classroom; andMeet Me in the Middle: Becoming an Accomplished Middle Level Teacher, he consults for National Public Radio,USA Today, and the Smithsonian Institute.

Karyn Wright is currently the Director of K-12 Teacher Development for the Clark County School District. She has been an educator for 27 years serving as a teacher, curriculum consultant, building level administrator and district level administrator. In her current role, she directs Preservice Development and the New Teacher Induction programs for the fifth largest school district in the nation. Karyn also designs, develops, and presents numerous district training sessions and workshops on a variety of topics for both teachers and administrators.