About the Conference
The 23rd Annual Learning Differences Conference, examines the latest theory and neuropsychological research on executive function. The conference focuses on recently-developed methods for assessing and teaching executive function processes. Throughout, cutting-edge approaches are discussed for integrating these methods into the teaching of reading, writing, math, and other content areas. Presentations also address the implications for students with learning and attention problems.
During the conference you will address the following critical questions:
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How can we teach and assess executive function processes in the classroom?
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How can we embed the teaching of executive function processes into the classroom curriculum across the grades and content areas?
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How do we address the cognitive, motivational, and emotional components of executive function difficulties?
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How do we foster persistence and resilience in students with learning and attention difficulties?
The conference includes a combination of plenary sessions and smaller concurrent sessions to provide opportunities for in-depth discussion with faculty. Throughout, research findings are directly linked to improving classroom practice.
Plenary Sessions
Executive Function Strategies, Effort, and Persistence: The Pillars of Academic Success
In our 21st century technologically-oriented society, students’ academic success is increasingly dependent on their ability to plan their time, organize and prioritize materials and information, distinguish main ideas from details, shift approaches flexibly, monitor their own progress, and reflect on their work. In this presentation, Lynn Meltzer provides classroom-based strategies for teaching executive function processes. Meltzer discusses recent ResearchILD’s findings with an emphasis on the importance of enhancing motivation, resilience, and self-concept.
Executive Functions, Processes, Emotions, and Social Cognition in Educational Contexts
Social-emotional processing ability contributes to students’ academic and social success in the classroom. Paul Eslinger and Kathleen R. Biddle discuss how working memory and Theory of Mind contribute to students’ capacity to comprehend classroom situations that may be socially-emotionally complex. The effects of these abilities on school performance and peer relationships are explored.
Cultural Responsiveness:
"But that's just good teaching!"
By highlighting the ways in which typical classroom instruction is responsive to students from mainstream American backgrounds, Beth Harry focuses on the connection between cultural responsiveness and "good teaching". Examples from ethnographic research are used to show how the principles of cultural responsiveness can be adapted to instruction for students from all backgrounds.
Executive Function Processes and ADHD: Implications of Neuro-imaging Research
Mark Mahone explores recent clinical and research findings related to the neurobiology of ADHD, including recent neuropsychological and neuro-imaging findings emphasizing gender differences in patterns of development. The presentation emphasizes the clinical and research applications of neuropsychological assessment in children, along with the implications of these findings for classroom instruction.
Beyond Labeling: Reframing LD and ADHD
Emerging brain research suggests that many students labeled LD/ADHD have profound gifts for creative and visual thinking that go unrecognized in academic environments. Many bright and gifted students struggle with a devastating pattern of academic failure, learned helplessness, and low self-esteem. Jonathan Mooney tackles this paradox head on. In this presentation, Mooney speaks honestly, based on his personal and professional experience, about the systemic and cultural barriers to validating these unique learning styles.
Inattention and Working Memory:
Effects on Academic Performance
Rosemary Tannock examines the cognitive deficits associated with ADHD, with an emphasis on working memory deficits and their impact on academic performance and functioning in the classroom. Instructional issues such as how and where the student’s comprehension and academic performance break down and how to select effective instructional choices are addressed.
Reconsidering Resiliency: Risks and Opportunities for all Learners
Celebrating and fostering resiliency is an increasingly popular way of understanding and fostering children's success and progress. Far from a simple idea, resiliency offers both advantages and disadvantages as a framework for academic and socio-emotional learning. In appreciating the complexity of resiliency, Donald Wertlieb explores how to construct better environments for learning and living.
Panel Discussion:
Executive function: Implications for Assessment and Teaching in the Digital Age
Lynn Meltzer, Kurt Fischer, Anthony Bashir, Tom Hehir, and Kalyani Krishnan discuss the broad range of understandings and misunderstandings about executive function strategies and current approaches to assessment and teaching in the digital age.
Friday, March 7, 2008
8:45 -9:00
Welcome
Mary Grassa O’Neill
9:00-9:20
Conference overview
Lynn Meltzer
9:20- 10:10
Executive function strategies, effort, and persistence: The pillars of academic success
Lynn Meltzer
10:15-11:05
Inattention and working memory: Effects on academic performance
Rosemary Tannock
11:05-11:30
Break
11:35-12:25
Executive function processes and ADHD: Implications of neuro-imaging research
E. Mark Mahone
12:25-1:00
Questions & Discussion
1:00-2:00
Lunch
(boxed lunch provided)
2:00-3:45
Concurrent Sessions
A) Pathways for learning and teaching
Kurt Fischer
B) The strategic math classroom
Bethany Roditi
C) Teaching strategies in reading comprehension across the grades
Steve Wilkins
D) Evidence for education: Identifying research-based practices that are relevant, timely, and easy-to-comprehend
Stephen Luke
E) Understanding and Teaching Students with Nonverbal Learning Disabilities
Judith Stein and Joan Steinberg
3:45-4:05
Break
4:05-5:15
Panel Discussion
Executive function: Implications for assessment and teaching in the digital age
Lynn Meltzer, Kurt Fischer, Tom Hehir, Kalyani Krishnan, and Joan Steinberg
5:15-6:30
Reception-Join us as we celebrate our 23rd annual conference!
Saturday, March 8, 2008
8:30-8:45
Overview of Day 2
Lynn Meltzer
8:45-9:40
Executive function processes, emotions, and social cognition
in educational contexts
Paul J. Eslinger and
Kathleen R. Biddle
9:40-10:30
Reconsidering resiliency: Risks and opportunities for all learners
Donald Wertlieb
10:30-11:00
Questions & Discussion
11:00-11:30
Break
11:30- 1:00
Concurrent Sessions
F) The limitations and benefits of the RTI model for identifying LD
Tom Hehir
G) Executive and self-regulatory functions and their relationship to oral and written language production
Anthony Bashir
H) Fostering social emotional executive skills ("social executors") in the classroom
Kathleen Biddle and Paul Eslinger
I) The critical importance of executive function strategies for addressing attention and organizational problems: A personal perspective
L. Todd Rose
J) The SMARTS Peer Mentoring Program: Fostering self-understanding and resilience across the grades
Lynn Gray, Colin Meltzer,
and Matt Upton
1:00- 2:00
Lunch
(boxed lunch provided)
2:00-3:00
Cultural responsiveness:
"But that's just good teaching!"
Beth Harry
3:00-3:15
Break
3:15-4:30
Beyond Labeling:
Reframing LD and ADHD
Jonathan Mooney
4:30-4:45 Closing Comments
Tom Hehir
The Harvard Graduate School of Education affirms the right of all individuals to equal treatment in education without regard to race, age, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, handicap, national origin, or any other considerations that are extraneous to effective performance. The Harvard Graduate School of Education will accommodate anyone with disabilities.
Faculty
Conference Chair: Lynn
Meltzer, Ph.D.,
Director of Assessment & Research, Institute for Learning & Development & ResearchILD; Associate in Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Child Development, Tufts University
Conference Chair: Kurt Fischer,
Ph.D., Charles Bigelow Professor of Education; Director, Mind, Brain,
and Education Program, Harvard Graduate School of
Education
Conference Chair: Thomas Hehir,
Ed.D., Professor of Practice and Director of the School Leadership Program,
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Anthony S. Bashir, Ph.D., Director for Academic and Disability Support Services, Emerson College
Kathleen R. Biddle, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Education, Juniata College
Paul J. Eslinger, Ph.D., Professor and Clinical Neuropsychologist, Departments of Neurology, Neural and Behavioral Sciences, and Pediatrics, Penn State Hershey Medical Center
Lynn Gray, B.A., SMARTS Training Coordinator, ResearchILD
Beth Harry, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning, University of Miami
Kalyani Krishnan, M.A., Language and Learning Specialist, Director of Follow-up Assessment,
Institute for Learning and Development
Stephen D. Luke, Ed.D., Director of Research, National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities; Senior Research Officer, Academy for Educational Development
E. Mark Mahone, Ph.D., ABPP, Director of Training & Research, Department of Neuropsychology, Kennedy Krieger Institute; Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Colin Meltzer, B.A., Teacher, Carroll School; Co-founder, ResearchILD SMARTS Mentoring Program
Jonathan Mooney, B.A., Author, Public Speaker
Bethany Roditi, Ph.D., Director of Education, Institute for Learning and Development;
Vice President, Research ILD
L. Todd Rose, Ed.D., Research Scientist, Laboratory for Visual Learning, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; Adjunct Lecturer, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Judith Stein, Ph.D., Coordinator of Clinical Services, Institute for Learning and Development
Joan Steinberg, M.Ed., Assistant Director of Education and Educational Specialist;
Institute for Learning and Development
Rosemary Tannock, Ph.D., Canada Research Chair in Special Education and Adaptive Technology, Professor of Special Education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto;
Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
Matt Upton, B.A., Coordinator of Educational Programs and Research, ResearchILD; Educational Specialist, Institute for Learning and Development
Donald Wertlieb, Ph.D., Professor, Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development,
Tufts University
Steve Wilkins, Ed.M., Head of School, Carroll School
General Information
Who should attend
The conference is designed for professionals in education, psychology, child development, speech and language pathology, and other related fields.
Program fee
The comprehensive program fee of $750 includes all program and instructional materials, lunches, breaks, a reception, and a certificate of completion. Payment or a purchase must be made 30 days from registration and prior to program start.
Professional development points
At the conclusion of the program, participants will receive a letter confirming clock hours of instruction at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Cancellation policy
Cancellations must be made in writing. Full refunds will be granted until February 7, 2008. Cancellations received between February 8 and February 18 are subject to a $100 administration fee. Cancellations after February 18 and no shows are subject to full payment.
The Harvard Graduate School of Education reserves the right to cancel the program and change faculty at its discretion. In the unlikely event of program changes, the school is not responsible for non-refundable travel arrangements or other planning costs incurred.
Hotel reservations
If you have not already made accommodation arrangements for your stay in Cambridge, we encourage you to do so at your earliest convenience. Participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses.
We will be offering shuttle bus service to the conference site from the following three hotels which are conveniently located in the Harvard Square area. Please contact the hotels for rates and availability.
The Inn at Harvard
1201 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
Reservations: 800-458-5886
Sheraton Commander Hotel
16 Garden Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Reservations: 888-627-7121
Harvard Square Hotel
110 Mount Auburn Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
Reservations: 617-864-5200
All three hotels are approximately a 30-40 minute walk from the conference site. Shuttle bus service will be available to participants in the mornings and evenings.
Parking near the conference site will be available to participants on a first come, first served basis. The parking lot is a 5-7 minute walk from the main building.
Further Information
800-545-1849
ppe@gse.harvard.edu
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