Preconference Workshops
Full Day Preconference Workshops
Paula Kluth, Ph.D., Consultant, Educator, Author, Advocate, and Independent Scholar, Oakbrook, IL
“You’re Going to Love This Kid”: Educating Students with Autism in Inclusive Schools”
Dr. Paula Kluth is a consultant, teacher, author, advocate, and independent scholar who works with educators and families to provide inclusive opportunities for students with disabilities and to create more responsive and engaging schooling experiences for all learners. Her research and professional interests include differentiating instruction, and supporting students with autism and significant disabilities in inclusive classrooms.
Paula is a former special educator who has served as a classroom teacher, consulting teacher, and inclusion facilitator. She works with educators in K-12 schools, pre-schools, and early intervention programs. She also regularly works with family organizations and disability-rights and advocacy groups.
She is the author of “You’re Going to Love This Kid”: Educating Students with Autism in Inclusive Classrooms ; the lead editor of Access to Academics: Critical Approaches to Inclusive Curriculum, Instruction, and Policy, and the co-author of four upcoming texts: A Land We Can Share: The Literate Lives of Students with Autism; Joyful Learning: Active and Collaborative Structures for the Inclusive Classroom; You’re Welcome: 30 Innovative Ideas for Inclusive Schools, and Just Give Him the Whale: 20 Ways to Support & Honor the Passions & Interests of Students with Autism.
Participants will learn practical ways of supporting students with autism spectrum labels & other disabilities within a general education classroom. Topics addressed include defining autism, listening to the voices of those with autism, differentiating instruction in the diverse classroom, encouraging literacy development, making the classroom comfortable for all learners, and supporting behaviors and bodies of students with a range of needs. This interactive presentation will focus on the importance of pushing beyond participation and inclusion to asking schools to understand every student as complex, as capable, and as a learner.
Russell Sabella, Ph.D., Author, Professor of Counseling - College of Education, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL
“Guarding Kids Against High Tech Trouble: How Counselors, Parents and Care Takers Can Help Kids Stay Out of High-Tech Trouble”
The goal of this full-day workshop is to alert counselors, parents, educators and other caretakers about the dangers that technology poses to children and to give them tools they can readily use to keep kids safe and away from high tech trouble. The workshop covers topics such as social networks (e.g., Myspace.com), sexual predators, threats to privacy such as online diaries/blogs, cyberbullying and hate, inappropriate web sites and other materials, inappropriate use of gadgets such as cell phones, mp3 players, game appliances, and electronic communication such as e-mail, instant messaging, chatrooms and bulletin boards. Visit http://www.schoolcounselor.com/safety for more details.
Dr. Russell A. Sabella is Professor of Counseling in the College of Education, Florida Gulf Coast University. His concentration of research, training, and publication includes counseling technology, comprehensive school counseling programs, peer helper programs and training, sexual harassment risk reduction, Internet Safety, and Solution Focused Brief Counseling/Consultation. Russ is author of various articles in journals, magazines, and newsletters. He is co-author of two books entitled Confronting Sexual Harassment: Learning Activities for Teens (Educational Media; 1995) and Counseling in the 21st Century: Using Technology to Improve Practice (American Counseling Association; 2004). He is also author of the popular SchoolCounselor.com: A Friendly and Practical Guide to the World Wide Web (2nd edition; Educational Media; 2003), editor of School Counseling Principles: Foundations and Basics, and well-known for his Technology Boot Camp for Counselor workshops conducted throughout the country.
Dr. Sabella is past President (2003-2004) of the American School Counselor Association.
Half Day Preconference Workshops
Bill Bond, Specialist for School Safety, / Trainer / Speaker, National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP),
“Lessons Learned from Responding to School Crisis”
On December 1, 1997, during his tenure as principal at Heath High School in Paducah, Kentucky, a tragic school shooting occurred. A freshman student shot eight (8) fellow students at Heath High School in Paducah, KY. Three (3) girls died and two (2) others suffered paralyzing injuries. As principal, Bill Bond had to deal with the aftermath of this tragedy.
Bill Bond served as principal of Heath High School for eight years before becoming the Specialist for School Safety for the National Association of Secondary School Principals. This shooting, along with other shootings across the nation, has precipitated his keen involvement in safe school awareness.
In this workshop, Bill Bond will cover the details of responding to a “School Crisis,” including control of the shooter, caring for injured students, emotional parents, a very aggressive media and the long-term effects of healing the school.
In his role as “Specialist for School Safety,” Mr. Bond has spoken in all 50 states on the topic of safe schools. He is a featured speaker, conducts training sessions, and is available as a resource for principals’ organizations across the country. He represents NASSP on national committees for school safety and is co-chair of the National Anti-Bullying Campaign.