DSY 2009 Concurrent Sessions

"AUTISM: Motivational Strategies for Students, Parents, and Professionals” – Lay Hall Room 206

“Exposing Students to Principles and Compassion Through Learning Communities” - Lay Hall 311

"The Story of Stuff": Reading Advertisements through Critical Eyes” - Olin Library – Olin Rm

"A Biological and Ecological Framework for Identifying the Risk Factors or Juvenile Violence and/or Delinquent Behavior” - Lay Hall 308

"Motivating Gifted Students Through Creativity“ – Lay Hall Technology Lab

“Equipping Parents, Educators, and other Professionals to be Partners in Detecting Children Who May Be At-Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder” - Olin Library 006

“Improving Literacy Instruction K-12: Strategies for Every Classroom” - Lay Hall 211

“Why do Dyslexia and ADHD get Confused: What Parents, Teachers & Administrators Need to Know ” - Lay Hall 306

“Panel Discussion: An Up-date on the Services Provided to Children and Youth with Visual Impairments in the Ozarks” - Lay Hall Auditorium (113)

“AUTISM: Motivational Strategies for Students, Parents, and Professionals” – Lay Hall Room 206
Luminita Marcus, M. Ed., and Tiffany Revelins, M.S.

This presentation will focus on motivational strategies that have been effective when working with students who have autism, as well as the debate on how to better motivate parents and professionals to follow through with such methods. We will look at some behavioral techniques such as discrete trial training, verbal behavior, errorless teaching, and incidental teaching. This presentation will provide practical experiences and video examples outlining the behavioral strategies that have been most successful.

Luminita Marcus, M. Ed. (University of Illinois-Ph.D. candidate) – Lumi received her undergraduate degree from The Banatului University in Timisoara , Romania in 2004. She then completed her Master's Degree at Drury. Currently a graduate student in Special Education at the University of Illinois-Champaign , Lumi works as a therapist with special needs children and their families.

Tiffany Revelins, M.S. (The Lovaas Institute-Behavioral Consultant) - Tiffany Revelins is a consultant with 10 years of experience implementing behavioral techniques for children with autism. She also has worked with many families and is an advocate for students in the school community.

“Exposing Students to Principles and Compassion Through Learning Communities” - Lay Hall 311
Kyle Wallace, B.A.

This session will focus on strategies for using literature circles to create community in the high school classroom. Kyle will describe a class where students ventured beyond the school building to become teachers/leaders in the community. He will use the literature circle structure to demonstrate that students can be peer teachers - that they can actually help their teachers to learn more about what they can bring to a classroom learning environment.

Kyle Wallace is a Communication Arts teacher at Springfield 's Central High School where he is in his fourth year teaching. A Springfield native, Kyle graduated from Missouri State University in 2005. He was Big Brother of the Year in 2001. He is the father of two young children.

"The Story of Stuff": Reading Advertisements through Critical Eyes” - Olin Library – Olin Rm
Shannon Cuff, Heather Statz,

How does advertising shape our worldview and perpetuate the culture of consumerism? We'll explore the persuasive techniques advertisers employ with two short films and an activity that attempts to figure out the “so what” of it all using critical literacy. You'll walk away with classroom ideas, multiple resources, and a new awareness of consumerism.

Shannon Cuff — A Drury graduate, Shannon began her teaching career as a high school English teacher in southwest Missouri . She is now a student at the University of Missouri pursuing her Ph.D. in Literacy Education. Shannon is passionate about informing teachers about critical literacy and the best practices in literacy instruction.

Heather Statz — Heather is a learning specialist at Hickman High School in central Missouri and is pursuing her doctorate in English Education at the University of Missouri . Her research interests include critical and media literacy and gender studies.

This presentation will identify the risk factors for juvenile violence and/or delinquent behavior. With the Safe School Act and the mass media's portrayal of increasing rates of violence among juvenile youths, this is an appropriate subject matter for the zeitgeist of today. Any individual who works with juveniles would benefit from having a working knowledge of the risk factors that may contribute to increased rates of delinquency and violent behavior, particularly those who work in fields where the primary interest is to raise “healthy” youths. In an effort to be comprehensive, a biological and an ecological framework will be presented in the discussion.

Dr. Seth R. Allen obtained his undergraduate degree from Drury University in Psychology and Business Administration, and earned his master and doctoral degrees in Counseling Psychology from Boston University in Boston , MA . He is currently practicing as a Licensed Psychologist at Burrell Behavioral Health where he works with adolescents and adults on an outpatient basis. Dr. Allen has also worked as the on-site clinician at the Greene County Juvenile Justice Office since January of 2008 where he assists the Juvenile Office with meeting the mental health needs of the youths and families they serve. He can be reached at Seth.Allen@coxhealth.com

Participants will learn how to teach concepts such as: fluency, flexibility, originality, elaboration, imagery, SCAMPER, listing attributes, brainstorming, and creative problem solving while making applications of past experiences in novel ways. They will participate in practical ways to implement creative thinking in the classroom. By participating in this session participants will understand that:

• when students are motivated many learning problems can be resolved
• peak motivation is achieved when the learner is presented with tasks with ‘just the right degree of difficulty' (Csikszentmihalyi; Vygotsky)
• choice is a powerful motivator
• imagination and creative thinking are motivating

Laurie Boen is a Texas native who is a second generation educator, following in the footsteps of both her mother and father. She earned her Bachelor's Degree at the University of Texas , then went on to complete a Master's degree is in gifted education from Drury University . Laurie is currently a doctoral student in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Arkansas . A teacher at Branson High School , Laurie has taught for 17 years - as a classroom teacher she has worked in heterogeneous classes at the elementary, junior high and high school levels as well as in special classes for gifted learners. Before moving to Branson, Laurie served as the Gifted and Talented Coordinator for Greenwood Independent School District in Midland , Texas . Laurie also currently works for Sara Lampe and Associates, as a teaching assistant and educational consultant. She is also a faculty member in the Education Department at Southwest Baptist University .

From Oprah to CNN to People Magazine, stories reflect the ever increasing number of individuals being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Early identification is key to helping children and their families access needed services in order to maximize outcomes. Families, educators, and communities need to work closely together if we are to identify children who are at-risk for neurodevelopmental disorders like autism. This session will provide an overview of ASDs and equip parents, educators, and other professionals to be partners in detecting children who may be at-risk for ASDs.

Dawn Huber, Ph.D. - After completing her M.Ed. at Drury University and spending 6 years as an educator, Dawn Huber earned her Ph.D. in School Psychology at The University of Iowa. During her doctoral training, Dr. Huber provided services in a variety of settings including early childhood programs, public and alternative schools, community mental health, and university- and hospital-based clinics. She worked as a research and clinical assistant at the Connie Belin and Jacquline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development. She completed her pre-doctoral internship in clinical psychology and neuropsychology at The University of Minnesota Medical School in the Departments of Pediatric Neuroscience and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. During 2007-2008, she completed a post-doctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology with The University of Missouri Department of Health Psychology and the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Dr. Huber's areas of expertise include pediatric neuropsychology, autism spectrum disorders, cognitive behavioral therapy, school consultation, and gifted students, including twice-exceptional students. Based on her prior experience as an educator, Dr. Huber is strongly committed to working collaboratively with schools and families to develop interventions that are effective in home and school settings.

“Improving Literacy Instruction K-12: Strategies for Every Classroom” - Lay Hall 211
Dr. Laurie Edmonson and Ms. Shela Lovewell

Dr. Laurie Edmondson, Drury Associate Professor of Education; Director, Drury Reading Clinic
Ms. Shela Lovewell , Instructional Specialist for School Improvement and Continuous Classroom Improvement Specialist

In this session, participants will learn meaningful and practical strategies that you can use with students in grades K-12 to improve reading and writing in every subject area. Edmondson and Lovewell will talk about engaging students in authentic reading and writing experiences to improve overall achievement

Dr. Laurie Edmondson has worked in the field of literacy for twenty years. She is the past President of the Missouri Council of the International Reading Association and currently serves on the International Rural Literacy Education board for IRA. Laurie is a former Reading Recovery teacher, Reading Specialist, and Instructional Specialist for Springfield Public Schools. Laurie is the Director of the Reading Clinic at Drury University and works with teachers and students in the area of literacy instruction.

Shela Lovewell has been with Springfield Public Schools for many years. She taught Business Education at Parkview High School and is now working in the curriculum office supporting instruction. Shela has been a literacy leader in the district working with middle school and high school cadres of teachers to support adolescent literacy instruction. This format has literally transformed many classrooms in the Springfield School District and the program continues to thrive.

“Why do Dyslexia and ADHD get Confused: What Parents, Teachers & Administrators Need to Know ” - Lay Hall 306
David P. Hurford, Ph.D. and Kara A. Lasater, Ed.S.

The presentation will address the common symptomologies of dyslexia and ADHD and how to insure that accurate evaluation of these conditions occurs. Reading difficulties/dyslexia and ADHD will be discussed in terms of characteristics, etiology and effect on society. The focus will be on proper strategies for identification.

David P. Hurford, Ph.D. is a developmental psychologist who directs the Center for the Assessment and Remediation of Reading Difficulties (CARRD). He has worked and published in the field of reading disabilities/dyslexia and ADHD for 22 years and was the recipient of a Spencer Fellowship from the National Academy of Education. His interests include developing instruments to identify individuals at-risk for reading difficulties and ADHD and strategies to improve the academic skills of individuals who have reading difficulties/dyslexia and ADHD.

Kara A. Lasater, Ed.S. is the Director of Operations of the CARRD. Her training in counseling has proven quite useful as many of the children who visit the CARRD have behavioral and psychological issues in addition to attentional and reading difficulties. Her interests include working with children and families with low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

“Panel Discussion: An Up-date on the Services Provided to Children and Youth with Visual Impairments in the Ozarks" Lay Hall Auditorium (113)
Dr. Chris Craig, Julie Anderson-Ituarte and Calvin Churchwell

The panel will provide an overview of some of the basic program needs for students with visual impairments. The roles of key professionals who provide these services will be discussed. These include the teacher of the visually impaired, Orientation and Mobility Specialist, and other supports. Overview of training and the direction of the field will be presented.

Dr. Chris Craig, Director of the Drury University 's School of Education and Child Development completed his undergraduate degree in Music Education from Drury College in 1982. He completed his master's degree in special education from Drury four years later. Dr. Craig completed his doctoral work at George Peabody College for Teachers of Vanderbilt University. His research interests are in the areas of early literacy and programming for children and youth with visual impairments. In addition to working as a teacher of students with disabilities in the Springfield Public Schools for over 10 years, and serving as the Coordinator of Special Education for the district, Dr. Craig is the current President of Missouri Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (MACTE).

Calvin Churchwell is an Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Specialist who has worked for over 30 years in the public schools serving children and youth with VI. He was instrumental in establishing a low vision center in Joplin and in the operation of Project DIVERSE.

Julie Anderson-Ituarte is a professor of special education at MSU. She has worked for over 20 years as a teacher of students with visual impairments and is also responsible for establishing the first O&M program in Missouri and implementing Project DIVERSE.