ESL, Special Needs and Technology Conference Program
February 17-19, 2014 Madrid, Spain
Hosted by the American School of Madrid
Make plans now to attend the upcoming Combined ESL, Special Needs and Technology Conference
held February 17-19, 2014. Participants will have the opportunity to listen to speakers address today's
major issues in the fields of special education and technology, as well as to attend smaller break-out
sessions addressing specific topics followed by hands-on opportunities in the computer labs. Copies of the
adaptive software programs will be given to participants.
This year’s presenters are: biographies below
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Dr. Susan Grant, National and International Consultant (Special Needs)
Samuel Nofziger & Leslie Cox, Fresno County Office of Education (ESL & Special Needs)
William Reeder and Eric Fleming, Fairfax County Public Schools (Technology to support Special
Needs)
Fernando Montalbán and Jeremy Schwartz, American School of Madrid (Moodle for Techies and
Teachers)
Hotel Information
Rooms, at an excellent rate, have been blocked at the:
Hotel Agumar Madrid ****
Hotel Prices:
Paseo de Reina Cristina 7
Single room 55€ includes tax
28014 Madrid - Spain
Double room 58€ includes tax
Tel: +34 91 552 6900
Breakfast Buffet 15€ pp per day, includes tax
www.h-santos.es/en/hoteles/Hotel-Madrid-Agumar/
Participants are in charge of making their own hotel reservations. Please make your hotel reservation by
filling out the attached “Hotel Agumar Reservation” sheet and send it directly to hotel by either fax or
email: Email: hotelagumar@h-santos.es or Fax: +(34) 91433-6095
Schedule *for the complete schedule click here
February 17th:
February 18th:
February 19th:
Monday Evening: 19:30 Welcome Reception at the Hotel Agumar
Tuesday: Day 1 Conference
Wednesday: Day 2 Conference. Conference ends at 15:50
Participant Information
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Conference registration:
 MAIS Member: No fee includes opening reception, bus hotel/school, coffee & lunches.
 MAIS Non-Member: 200€ fee includes opening reception, bus hotel/school, coffee, & lunches.
 To register please send an email to shannon@mais-web.org with your full name, title/position and
school.
Graduate Credit: (2 units) from SUNY Buffalo are available, the forms are attached
Conference Reimbursement: One $300 reimbursement per MAIS Full Member School sending a
delegate to the conference. Please email hotel and airfare/train receipts to shannon@mais-web.org
FEBRUARY 18, TUESDAY: KEYNOTE AND WORKSHOP SESSIONS
Keynote Session I
Technology Success Stories: What’s Really Working in Our Classrooms Today
Bill Reeder, Retired Director of Assessment, Assistive Technology and Support Services, Fairfax County
Public Schools in Fairfax
This keynote presentation will feature current stories describing the role of technology can play in helping
struggling students. In addition, the speaker will also address the ways that technology is addressing a wide
variety of content in classrooms today, with emphasis on how it is being implemented and why it is making
a positive difference in student achievement.
General Sessions
Creating a school and classroom environment where all students can be successful with Positive
Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS).
Leslie Cox, MA, Program Manager, Special Education, Fresno County Office of Education
Implementing School wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) will improve student
academic and behavior outcomes by teaching and encouraging pro-social skills and behaviors. This
workshop will explore how to set up positive interventions and supports in your school and classroom by
creating clear and explicit behavior expectations and standards for all students. It will also discuss how to
address those students needing more behavior interventions. If you are struggling with behavior problems,
this workshop is for you.
Listening and Speaking Strategies
Sam Nofziger, Coordinator of English Learner Program Support, Fresno County Office of Education
Participants will discover a multitude of structures to encourage speaking and listening in their classrooms
of young children. The academic language that needs to be fostered in our students often requires direct
instruction from the teacher. A collection of interactive structures will be shared to develop the kind of
academic language they need to be successful in our classrooms. Beyond the strategies of “think-pairshare” and “sentence frames,” what can teachers specifically do to encourage regular use of academic
language in classrooms of young children? Come and learn.
The Greatest and Latest: Free Internet Resources for the Primary and Elementary Classroom
Bill Reeder, Retired Director of Assessment, Assistive Technology and Support Services, Fairfax County
Public Schools in Fairfax
Come explore the latest and best free interactive web resources for a variety of skill levels and subject
areas. This hands-on session will focus on primary and elementary students. Learn how these sites can be
used to engage students while supplementing the curriculum!
The Easy Way to Make Online Quizzes in Moodle
Fernando Montalban, Head of Technology, American School of Madrid
Jeremy Schwartz, Technology Integration Specialist, American School of Madrid
Creating online quiz assessments that are graded automatically can be easy using Articulate Quizmaker
software. Teachers can assemble quizzes using various question types, such as multiple choice, true/false,
matching, hotspot, sequencing, short answer, and more. Multimedia image, video, and sound files can be
added to questions. Scoring is instantaneous and automatic, reducing the amount of time is takes to
obtain valid grades for teacher’s quizzes. Participants using are encouraged to bring a laptop to this
session to practice creating and importing quizzes into Moodle (software works on any version of
Windows, and also on Mac OS X 10.7.0 or later running Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion).
Creative Adaptations and Accommodations for Students with Special Needs
Leslie Cox, MA, Program Manager, Special Education, Fresno County Office of Education
Many students have special needs and struggle with reading and writing. Teachers can implement specific
strategies to help overcome or lessen students’ challenges with the curriculum. This workshop will offer
ideas for accommodations and modifications to support these students and help them progress through
their academic material. If you have students who seem to be falling further and further behind, this
workshop will provide specific strategies to help.
The Greatest and Latest: Free Internet Resources for the Secondary Classroom
Bill Reeder, Retired Director of Assessment, Assistive Technology and Support Services, Fairfax County
Public Schools in Fairfax
Come explore free interactive web resources for a variety of skill levels and subject areas with this handson session focused on students in the secondary classroom. See how these sites can be used to engage
students while supplementing different curriculum areas.
The Poetry Cafe – Getting Involved -- Strategies and Support
Fernando Montalban, Head of Technology, American School of Madrid
Jeremy Schwartz, Technology Integration Specialist, American School of Madrid
Language Arts teachers and technology integrators will explore strategies and topics for Lower School,
Middle School, and Upper School students/classes interested in learning more about the Poetry Cafe. This
is an online international exhibition of student poetry videos (original poems and published
recitations). Submissions can be filmed videos, Voicethreads, podcasts, and more. MAIS schools are
encouraged to get involved and collaborate with participating schools from AISA and NESA regions. Learn
more at: www.medmood.com/poetry
How Materials and Technology can help Struggling Students
Leslie Cox, MA, Program Manager, Special Education, Fresno County Office of Education
Technology can help reach and motivate struggling students, especially those with special needs. This
workshop will explore materials, apps, and other technology that can assist students in their learning by
modifying the environment or providing additional practice. Participants will leave with a list of resources
and information which can be used in the classroom to support struggling students.
Using Children’s Music to Develop Literacy
Sam Nofziger, Coordinator of English Learner Program Support, Fresno County Office of Education
Participants will build their knowledge and experience of children’s music in classrooms of young children.
Music develops literacy as students hear, practice, repeat, and chorally engage in rhythm, rhyme, and
English syntax. The workshop will model how children’s music can be integrated into the literacy
classroom, even if the teachers are not literate in music. Each participant will leave with resources,
including a CD of children’s music to immediately use in their classroom.
Oh My Word! I Didn't Know It Did That? (Reading and Writing Strategies)
Eric Fleming, Assistive Technology Resource Teacher, Fairfax County Public Schools
This session will focus on integrating strategies for using Word 2010 to extend beyond regular word
processing. The session will feature uncommonly used tools that are included in MS Word 2010 and will
demonstrate how they may help struggling learners become more successful in reading and writing
instruction. New features will be explored and compared to previous versions.
Facilitating and Exhibiting Student Achievement in Moodle
Fernando Montalban, Head of Technology, American School of Madrid
Jeremy Schwartz, Technology Integration Specialist, American School of Madrid
Make the focus of your Moodle page a place where students and parents can view class projects, artwork,
photos, videos, etc. Not only can teachers post relevant academic resources on Moodle pages, they can
also post showcases and examples of student work and achievement. Take advantage of your students’
interest in being published online to draw them to your Moodle page more frequently. Moodle can
become a place where students create and produce, not just submit and download. Participants will
explore simple ways to transform a Moodle course into a place where students and teachers are both
adding and creating online contents.
FEBRUARY 19, WEDNESDAY: KEYNOTE AND WORKSHOP SESSIONS
Keynote Session II
Behind the Screens: The Neurobiology of Technology
Dr. Susan Grant, National and International Consultant
Technology and social media has descended on us so quickly and pervasively there has been little time to
consider the neurological impact. Let’s start the discussion!
General Sessions
The Neuroscience of Language Acquisition
Dr. Susan Grant, National and International Consultant
This workshop on language acquisition will discuss the current neuroscientific research findings in brain
development, normal language milestones and “critical periods” for language and learning. This workshop
is designed for preschool and early elementary teachers and specialists to better understand neurological
development relevant to language acquisition. Strategies for enriching language development,
differentiating second language challenges from language disabilities and “at risk” behaviors will be
presented.
Classroom Structures, Strategies, and Scaffolds To Promote Student Achievement
Sam Nofziger, Coordinator of English Learner Program Support, Fresno County Office of Education
Participants will take a walk through the critical elements of classroom instruction: setting up effective
Classroom Structures for Learning, using Instructional Strategies effectively, and when necessary,
developing and using Instructional Scaffolds. Participants will analyze the implementation of each
component, and reflect on specific improvement toward their own professional learning.
Using Technology to Support Vocabulary Instruction – Marzano’s Steps 1 – 3 (Double Session)
Eric Fleming, Assistive Technology Resource Teacher, Fairfax County Public Schools
Come discover technology techniques, templates, and strategies correlated to Marzano’s Six Step Process
For Building Academic Vocabulary. Learn how to integrate Office 2010, web resources, and pre-made
templates to increase academic vocabulary and add meaning to curriculum lessons. This session focuses
on steps 1-3 (introducing new terms) and includes collecting & organizing pictures, flash cards, posters,
worksheets, templates, web resources, and more.
Moodle? or GoogleApps? Choosing the right tool for your objectives.
Fernando Montalban, Head of Technology, American School of Madrid
Jeremy Schwartz, Technology Integration Specialist, American School of Madrid
Many schools are now using GoogleApps for Education in addition to a online course management system
like Moodle. Participants will explore, compare, and contrast the features of these 2 unique online tools,
with the goal of gaining a solid understanding to assist in making the best choice for each assignment
and/or learning objective. Teachers will be provided with examples to highlight the benefits (and
shortfalls) of using GoogleApps or Moodle in a variety of circumstances for different purposes.
DIFFERENTITAL DIAGNOSIS: The Primary Symptoms of Dyslexia, Language Processing Disorders and
Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Dr. Susan Grant, National and International Consultant
Differential diagnosis is essential to determining intervention and remedial strategies. Since many behavioral
characteristics are “shared” by different disabilities it is important to be able to identify critical features. This session
will provide an overview that highlights the constellation of behaviors that represent the “hallmark” of these
disorders and the assessment tools that can help with identification.
Using Technology to Support Vocabulary Instruction – Marzano’s Steps 4 – 6
Eric Fleming, Assistive Technology Resource Teacher, Fairfax County Public Schools
Come discover technology techniques, templates, and strategies correlated to Marzano’s Six Step Process
for Building Academic Vocabulary. Learn how to integrate Office 2010, web resources, and pre-made
templates to increase academic vocabulary and add meaning to curriculum lessons. This session focuses
on steps 4-6 (ways for students to review vocabulary and gain deeper insights) and includes PowerPoint
hidden puzzles, PowerPoint vocabulary activities, PowerPoint game templates, game boards & cards, and
more.
Reducing Clutter: Making Your Moodle Course Easier to View
Fernando Montalban, Head of Technology, American School of Madrid
Jeremy Schwartz, Technology Integration Specialist, American School of Madrid
Adding content to Moodle courses has become so simple that teachers are increasingly faced with having
“too many” resources on their course pages. This can often complicate finding a desired resource or
activity efficiently. Participants will explore several innovative methods for making Moodle courses easier
to view and navigate. The overall objective of this session will be to provide participants with an
opportunity to improve the design and layout of courses, thereby providing students with a more intuitive
and direct way to access content and activities.
Keynote Session III
Acquiring and Learning and Second Language
Sam Nofziger, Coordinator of English Learner Program Support, Fresno County Office of Education
Learning a second language is a complex phenomenon. Students acquire certain elements of English as a
natural process, as they live and work in English speaking communities. They also learn certain elements
through instruction that we give to them. Through a research based conversation, participants will walk
through the complex phenomenon of language acquisition/learning. The two processes complement each
other, they do not contradict each other.
Roundtable Discussions
Technology Roundtable
ESL & Special Needs Roundtable
Biographies
Cox, Leslie
Leslie Cox is a Special Education Program Manager and has been in the field of Special Education for 25 years. As a
parent of a deaf child, she has firsthand experience of a special needs child. Leslie has been a Deaf and Hard of
Hearing teacher, speech therapist, resource support teacher and a Special Education administrator. She has
overseen a variety of Special Education programs and has been effective in improving instruction and monitoring
student outcomes. Leslie has taught courses in teacher training programs at the California State University, Fresno.
She managed a grant funded training program to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in
over one hundred schools and has presented the results to education leaders in California. lcox@fcoe.org
Fleming, Eric
Eric is an Assistive Technology Resource Teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools in Fairfax, Virginia. He has
previously served as a general education teacher in first and sixth grade inclusion classrooms and also as a
Mathematics Resource Teacher and Communication Technology Teacher at the elementary level. He spent the last
seven years as an Assistive Technology Resource Teacher under the Office of Special Education Instruction servicing
a diverse level of students in varied classroom environments. Eric has presented on numerous topics at schoolbased trainings, local conferences, the annual Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE) conference, and
the national Technology, Reading & Literacy Disabilities (TRLD) conference. All of Eric’s sessions will include access
to resources, handouts, and templates that relate to the presentation topics.
Grant, Susan R.
Dr. Grant holds a Ph.D. In Neuroscience having trained in an MD./Ph.D. Program at the University of Maryland. She
specializes and did research in Neurolinguistics, the study of the relationship between brain and language
development. She also holds a Masters of Science and Maryland license in Speech and Language Pathology. Dr.
Grant has been in private clinical practice for 20 years, diagnosing and developing treatment plans for children with
speech-language and learning disabilities, working closely with many public and independent schools throughout the
State of Maryland, Washington D.C. Virginia and Pennsylvania. She has taught at the University of Maryland as
visiting faculty and has been involved with the State Department Office of Overseas Education for 18 years. Dr. Grant
lectures and has given many workshops nationally and internationally on the applicability of brain research to
teaching practice, language and reading acquisition, and learning disabilities.
Montalban, Fernando
Fernando is currently the Head of Technology at the American School of Madrid. Previously, he worked as the
Technology Manager for the College of Business Administration at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. His duties
include the day to day managing of all aspects of technology in the school, including running the network and
servers, helpdesk supervision, planning for the future of technology in the school, etc… He also teaches the upper
school Information Technology course. Formerly, Fernando taught Information Technology courses at the university
level, including courses in Network Management. He is certified by Microsoft via the MCP (Microsoft Certified
Professional) program and by Novel in the CNA (Certified Network Administrator) program. He holds an
undergraduate degree in Computer Information Systems and a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA)
both by the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
Nofziger, Sam, MA Ed.
Sam Nofziger is currently the Coordinator of English Learner Program Support for the Fresno County Office of
Education. His responsibilities include professional development for administrators and teachers in the area of
English Learner academic achievement. Throughout his career, he has focused on improving student achievement
for English Learners, as a bilingual teacher, a teacher coach, a site administrator, a district administrator, and a
county office administrator. He is currently engaged in doctoral study in the area of English as a Second Language.
Email: snofziger@fcoe.org
Reeder, Bill
Bill is a longtime friend of MAIS. He is now retired after 32 years in Virginia schools, finishing his career in Fairfax,
Virginia as the Director of Assessment, Assistive Technology and Support Services. He developed the Fairfax assistive
technology (AT) model into one that is nationally recognized for innovation and AT leadership. He is a national and
international consultant and presenter on technology topics and the author of the book, Gettysburg: Missing in
Action, co-authored Developing Your Assistive Technology Leadership: Best Practices for Success, and is about to
release his third book in the Spring, 2014. Since 1993 he has continuously consulted for the US Department of State’s
Office of Overseas Schools, providing trainings, support, and presentations in over 25 countries. Bill is the co-founder
of the Jefferson Overseas Schools Technology Institute (JOSTI), an annual five-day technology training experience for
overseas educators held in Fairfax each summer since 1995. All participants attending Bill’s sessions will receive a CD
with handouts and templates.
Schwartz, Jeremy
Jeremy Schwartz is a Technology Integration Specialist at the American School of Madrid in Spain. He also serves as a
MAIS Regional Coordinator for the World Virtual School project. Mr. Schwartz started his career 12 years ago as a
Science and Math teacher at both Middle School and High School levels. Throughout the past several years he has
gradually shifted his area of emphasis to technology integration for both teachers and students. Previously, Mr.
Schwartz has worked in Valencia, Spain and Santa Rosa, California. He earned a B.S. from the University of California
in Berkeley and a M.S.T. from the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Conference Schedule
February 17th, Monday
Arrivals- Take a taxi or metro/train to the Hotel Agumar Madrid (5 minutes walking form the
“Atocha” train station)
19:30 Welcome Reception at the Hotel Agumar Madrid, meet in lobby
Free for dinner
February 18th, Tuesday
8:20 Bus Pick up at the Hotel Agumar Madrid to the American School of Madrid
8:40 Coffee and snack available
9:00-9:15 Welcome Introductions
9:15-10:15 Keynote
10:15-10:30 Coffee Break
10:30-13:35 Workshops
13:40 -14:25 Lunch
14:30-16:30 Workshops
16:35 Transportation to Hotel
Free for dinner
February 19th Wednesday
8:20 Bus Pick up at the Hotel Agumar Madrid to the American School of Madrid
8:40 Coffee and snack available
9:00 - 9:55 Keynote
9:55-10:10 Coffee Break
10:10 -13:15Workshops
13:20-14:05 Lunch
14:10 -15:10 Concluding Keynote
15:15-15:45 Technology and Special Needs Roundtable, Conference finished
15:50 Transportation to the Hotel Agumar Madrid or request a taxi from the school to the airport