ESL, Special Needs and Technology Conference Program
February 16-18, 2015 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 16-18, 2015. 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 are below



Samuel Nofziger & Leslie Cox, Fresno County Office of Education (ESL & Special Needs)
Jeff Sisk, Fairfax County Public Schools (Technology to support Special Needs)
Erik Lovaas, Founder The Lovaas Center (Special Needs)
Hotel Information
Rooms, at an excellent rate, have been blocked at the:
Hotel Agumar Madrid ****
Paseo de Reina Cristina 7
28014 Madrid - Spain
Tel: +34 91 552 6900
www.h-santos.es/en/hoteles/Hotel-Madrid-Agumar/
Hotel Prices:
Single room 75€ includes tax
Double room 75€ includes tax
Breakfast Buffet 15€ pp per day, includes tax
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 click here for full schedule
February 16th:
February 17th:
February 18th:
Monday Evening: 19:30 Welcome Reception at the Hotel Agumar
Tuesday: Day 1 Conference
Wednesday: Day 2 Conference. Conference ends at 14:45
Participant Information
Conference registration:

MAIS Member: No registration fee includes opening reception, bus hotel/school, coffee & lunches.
o Conference Reimbursement: One $300 reimbursement per MAIS Full Member School sending a
delegate to the conference

MAIS Non-Member:150€ fee includes opening reception, bus hotel/school, coffee, & lunches.

To register please send an email to shannon@mais-web.org; claudia@mais-web.org with your full
name, title/position and school.

Graduate Credit: (2 units) from SUNY Buffalo will be available.
ESL, Special Needs and Technology Conference Program
February 16-18, 2015 Madrid, Spain
FEBRUARY 17 (TUESDAY) & 18 (WEDNESDAY): KEYNOTE AND WORKSHOP SESSIONS
Keynote Sessions I & II
Academic Language: The Essential Components
Sam Nofziger, Coordinator of English Learner Program Support, Fresno County Office of Education
The register of academic language is a set of essential tools needed for students to thrive in their grade level
academic classrooms. Developing the key language features of academic collaboration: reading and writing
complex text, and developing the language necessary for academic speaking and writing, are essential to all
of our students. Teachers and administrators can come together to insure all our students are prepared for the
21st Century.
The Cloud in your Classroom
Public Schools and Jeff Sisk, Technology Integration Specialist , Fairfax County Public Schools
iPads, iPhones, Android, Chromebooks, Amazon Fire, laptops, and desktops, are just a few of the devices
found in homes and schools today. Technology tools continue to diversify at an exponential rate, well
beyond what some can remember as a decision to be a “Mac” person or a “Windows” person. Bring Your
Own Device (BYOD) implementation has become a popular strategy to manage the abundance of
technology devices commonly used in schools. These devices employ the use of shared resources in what is
often referred to as “the cloud”. How can shared cloud tools be beneficial to you? In what ways can you
determine the best instructional tools for your classroom?
General Sessions
Integrated and Designated English Language Development (2 hour session)
Sam Nofziger, Coordinator of English Learner Program Support, Fresno County Office of Education
Teaching English is considerably different that Teaching IN English. Whether the focus of the lesson is to
directly teach English or to develop the English necessary for academic content, concentrating on the current
English proficiency level of our student(s) is the key. Participants will be discuss all their instructional
contexts, and how best to develop English, whether English language or grade level content is the focus.
Changing Student Behavior with Positive Interventions (2 hour session)
Leslie Cox, MA, Program Manager, Special Education, Fresno County Office of Education
Some students misbehave, others are so disruptive they interrupt the learning process. This workshop will
address research based strategies to address behavior problems in the classroom. Topics discussed will
include behavior support plans, behavior contracts, visual schedules, check in-check out methods, and other
methods to encourage positive student behavior.
Reading and Writing Tools for Google Documents
Jeff Sisk, Technology Integration Specialist, Fairfax County Public Schools
Google Documents offers added functionality through the use of extensions that can be accessed through the
Google Chrome browser. Discover add-ons that can be handy tools for reading and writing instruction in
your classroom.
ESL, Special Needs and Technology Conference Program
February 16-18, 2015 Madrid, Spain
Your Google Classroom
Jeff Sisk, Technology Integration Specialist, Fairfax County Public Schools
Google Classroom was released last September as a convenient way to distribute, collect and manage
assignments in a paperless environment. Organizational tools are accessible for students so they may easily
track due dates and receive instant feedback on classroom tasks. Learn how to set up your Google
Classroom!
Reaching Challenging Students through Intensive Intervention and a Little Detective Work.
Leslie Cox, MA, Program Manager, Special Education, Fresno County Office of Education
Some students lack focus, are uninterested, or fail to engage in the classroom. Often redirection and
reminding them to pay attention is ineffective because the underlying problems are not visible. This
workshop will address systematic procedures to help educators recognize factors that may be interfering
with student learning. Participants will leave with a list of areas to address with struggling students and a
greater understanding of how teachers can make a difference when they use a different lens to view the
problem.
Voice Thread in Your Classroom
Jeff Sisk, Technology Integration Specialist, Fairfax County Public Schools
A picture can be worth a thousand words. VoiceThread is an online tool which conveniently enables your
students to annotate a picture prompt with text, audio or video comments. Explore ways you can use
VoiceThread with your students.
Sensitivity Training for Teachers of Students with Special Needs (2 hour session)
Leslie Cox, MA, Program Manager, Special Education, Fresno County Office of Education
This workshop is designed to give educators a clearer perspective of what it means to have special
needs. Participants will experience hearing and vision loss, symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD), and learning disabilities and then learn how teachers can make accommodations in the
classroom to help these students succeed. If you have students who wear hearing aids or glasses, or who are
hyperactive, impulsive, or who struggle to learn curriculum, this workshop will provide specific strategies
that can make a significant difference in their academic success.
Classroom Structures, Strategies, and Scaffolds, To Promote Student Achievement (2 hour session)
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 as a classroom
teacher.
ESL, Special Needs and Technology Conference Program
February 16-18, 2015 Madrid, Spain
Free Internet Resources for Students and Teachers
Jeff Sisk, Technology Integration Specialist, Fairfax County Public Schools
There are thousands of online resources for students and teachers. Finding the teacher-tested and approved
sites is often frustrating and time-consuming. This session features internet sites that are highly
recommended by teachers across all curriculum areas and grade levels.
The Lovaas Approach
Erik Lovaas, President, The Lovaas Center
The Lovaas Institute provides behavioral treatment utilizing the principles of applied behavior analysis. The
Lovaas Model of Applied Behavior Analysis has undergone rigorous research at UCLA under the direction
of Dr. Lovaas, proving its effectiveness in treating children with autism.
Google Forms and Flubaroo
Lori Livesay and Alan MacLean
Data, data, data! That’s all anyone’s talking about these days. How do you keep track of it all? Google
Forms to the rescue! Learn how to create a simple form to easily gather the data you need in one
spreadsheet. Quizzes, surveys, polls and questionnaires can all be used to collect and analyze data either
from your students or for your students. The data can also be compiled and used to create graphs, charts and
analyze statistics. Quiz data can be automatically graded through the Flubaroo add-on, giving your students
immediate feedback.
Robotics in the Lower School classroom - WeDo and BeeBots
Ronald Perez, Jacki Brick and Lori Livesay
WeDo, Sequential programming first concepts for elementary school, based on Lego activity packs. Build a
model, then program its behavior. Imagination is the only limit!
BeeBots, are programmable bee robots which have been used to teach young children the basic concepts of
computer coding. Come join us to see how these little bees can teach so much more!
If yoo tipe lik this yoo prbly ned ko riter
Lori Livesay and Alan MacLean
Do your students need support with spelling? Is research an issue for your students because they can’t read
what’s online? Come learn how Co:Writer can help your students improve their writing through auditory
feedback and word prediction.
Flipped Classroom Tools
Lori Livesay and Alan MacLean
Looking for ways to maximize teacher/student contact time? Come learn about tools such as the NEW
Office Mix, Explain Everything and eduCanon.
ESL, Special Needs and Technology Conference Program
February 16-18, 2015 Madrid, Spain
Biographies
Leslie Cox
Leslie Cox is a Program Manager in Special Education and specializes in working with students with Low
Incidence disabilities including deafness, vision loss, and orthopedic impairments. She began her career
over 25 years ago as a parent of a deaf child and has experience as a classroom aide, 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 including Emotional Disturbance and Specific Learning
Disabilities. She has extensive experience in helping schools modify academic instruction and improve
behavior in struggling students. Leslie is also on the faculty of California State University, Fresno and
prepares future teachers to work with students who have special needs. Recently, 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
Erik Lovaas
Erik Lovaas received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from California State University Los
Angeles, where he made the Dean\'s List in 1998 and 1999 and graduated Magna Cum Laude in June 2000.
In addition, Erik has completed his Master’s coursework where he earned Special Recognition for
Outstanding Scholastic Achievement in Graduate Studies (2005), completed the Certificate Program in
Autism, Division of Special Education and Counseling and coursework for his Board Certified Behavior
Analyst certification. Erik is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and Golden Key National Honor
Society.
In 1999, Erik co-authored the parent training manual: The Reading and Writing Program: An Alternative
Form of Communication for Children with Developmental Disabilities. Erik worked as a teacher’s assistant
for Psychology 170 A: Behavior Modification, UCLA, where he taught undergraduate students the history
and principles of behavior modification. Erik previously served as a board member with the Autism Task
Force with the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services, and is an active Board Member with the
Autism Coalition of Nevada (ACON). Over the years, Erik has conducted multiple major news and
television interviews, and has been invited guest speakers across the United States.
Sam Nofziger, 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
Jeff Sisk
Jeff is a Technology Integration Specialist in Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia. He is also an
Adjunct Instructor at George Mason University and continues to develop diverse strategies for classroom
technology integration. He has taught Algebra 1, Earth Science, World History, and US History as a high
school teacher. He holds an Ed.S. in Instructional Technology, a M.Ed. in Special Education, and a B.A. in
History. He is a frequent presenter at the annual Jefferson Overseas Schools Institute (JOSTI) held in
Fairfax, Virginia, each summer.
ESL, Special Needs and Technology Conference Program
February 16-18, 2015 Madrid, Spain
Conference Schedule
February 16th, 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 17th, 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 I
10:15-10:30 Coffee Break
10:30-12:30 Workshops
12:40 -13:40 Lunch
13:45-15:45 Workshops
16:10 Transportation to Hotel
Free for dinner
February 18th, 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 II
9:55-10:10 Coffee Break
10:10 -13:15Workshops
13:20-14:05 Lunch
14:15 -14:40 Technology and Special Needs Roundtable, Conference finished
14:45 Transportation to the Hotel Agumar Madrid (stopping at Atocha train station first)
or request a shuttle from the school to the airport