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In striving to provide educators with a national quality inservice, the NWEA has committed to inviting some of the best presenters in the nation and midwest to speak at the 2008 conference. These presenters are known for their unwavering commitment to education and their dedicated support of educators. If you are interested in becoming a speaker at the conference, please contact Cheryl Hopkins, Executive Secretary. Alvin Law 
Over 13,000 babies around the world were deformed in the early 1960’s because of a morning sickness drug, Thalidomide. Alvin Law was born without arms after his birth mother, thinking it was completely safe, used just a couple of the tiny pills and their lives were forever altered. Yet, what may have become a tragic life-story did not turn out that way. Today, Alvin is not only a completely independent, remarkably successful professional speaker, but proof that out of nothing can arise one of the most inspiring stories you will ever witness. Faced with no hope in their minds, Alvin’s birth family courageously gave him up for adoption, hoping and praying that someone else may be more prepared for the welfare of this pitiful newborn. Their prayers were answered. Hilda Law was a fifty-five year old foster mother, who, along with her husband, Jack, took in neglected and abused children, loved and encouraged them back from their hopelessness and through social service programs, sent them to couples yearning for adoptions. They were truly special people. One day in 1960, the most disturbing case they had ever seen was presented to them. Take in a sickly, deformed baby whose future seemed certain. He would never possess any quality of life but he deserved more. Who knew? Not only did Hilda nurse him back to health, but her intuition said lurking inside this impossible scenario was hope. Through the Law’s faith, dedication and infinite belief, little Alvin learned to use his feet for hands. Alvin attended regular schools in a day when handicapped children were relegated to institutions or at best, schools that segregated them from the normal students. Remarkable teachers saw his potential and worked with the family to encourage that potential. Then like a genie in a bottle, Alvin was recognized for his musical ability and he joined the band. Within an impossibly short time, he became an award winning musician and graduated from high school with honors. He then graduated, again with honors, from College and embarked on a career in Broadcasting. In 1981, he took a hiatus from disc-jockeying in FM Radio and joined a company who, through a federal grant of the International Year of Disabled Persons, conducted awareness seminars in hundreds of schools across the province of Alberta, Canada. Thus began his adventures in the field of motivational speaking. After working for the Saskatchewan Abilities Council, an Easter Seals agency, he ran, unsuccessfully, for a seat in the Provincial Legislature. He also worked in advertising, public relations and the civil service of his beloved home province. In 1985, his pride and joy, Vance, was born. In 1988 he quit a lucrative government job, fulfilled a long-time dream and created AJL Communications Ltd. His career as a full-time professional speaker was born. Since 1976, Alvin has played a direct role in raising over $150,000,000 for charity. He’s also dabbled in acting, playing a role in a quirky creative film, Julien: Donkey Boy and in a life highlight, played an armless preacher in an episode of the hit television series, The X-Files. Alvin has appeared on countless telethons, media features and has been the subject of two award winning television documentaries. The first, "Alvin, His Best Foot Forward" was shown across Canada in 1978. The second, "Broken Promises", focused on the plight of Canada's Thalidomide victims and after its Canadian showing was seen on American Public Broadcasting's "Frontline". Re-named "Extraordinary People", it was nominated for an Emmy Award. Alvin has appeared on The Joan Rivers Show, "How'd They Do That" on CBS, CBC's "What On Earth" and ABC's "Frontrunners". This segment about Alvin received an Emmy Award. Alvin often says, he always knew angels existed. In 1991, he met one and in 1993, he married Darlene. In 1995, his son Vance came to live with them, and in 2000, they moved to Calgary, Alberta, where they now reside with Jazper, Ray and Dexter the dogs and Trixie, the cat. Back to topJean Schreiber 
Jean Schreiber, M.S. in Ed., is an Early Childhood Educational Consultant based in the New York metropolitan area. She earned her M.S. in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street College of Education. Jean has developed and directed Early Childhood programs and Parenting Centers for over two decades. Jean designs and presents workshops for parents and teachers and serves as a consultant to a wide variety of early childhood programs and admissions departments. Working with clients privately, or in “round-table” discussion groups, she teaches parenting skills and provides developmental guidance. Jean has been a workshop presenter at the annual meetings of the National Association of Education for Young Children, the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools, the Association of Teachers of Independent Schools in New York City, and the Jewish Educational Services Early Childhood Conference in NJ. She is married to a child psychiatrist and has three grown children Fostering Self-Esteem What are the three key ingredients of self-esteem? How do boys and girls differ in building healthy self-esteem? How can adults help or hinder the process? These are some of the questions that will be explored as we examine the factors that help determine whether a child becomes confidently secure and connected in the world or tentative and insecure. Positive self-esteem can help a child navigate social pressures and is one of the major antidotes to being bullied. The following handouts are available for Jean's session: Doug Goodkin 
Doug Goodkin is an internationally recognized teacher of Orff Schulwerk, having taught courses in over 35 countries worldwide. He is in his 34th year at The San Francisco School, teaching children between three years old and eighth grade. Doug teaches regularly at The Orff Institut, directs The San Francisco Orff Certification Course and his own course on Jazz and Orff Schulwerk. He is the author of six books, most recently The ABC's of Education: A Primer for Schools to Come. The following handouts are available for Jean's session: Dr. Nanci Smith 
Nanci Smith is currently a full-time consultant in the areas of differentiated instruction as well as mathematics. She will complete her Ph.D. in mathematics education this summer. Nanci has taught math at the high school level, as well as at Arizona State University. She is Nationally Board Certified in Adolescent and Young Adult Mathematics. Nanci has been a national and international consultant in Differentiated Instruction for ASCD for six years. She has taught Differentiated Instruction as a Masters course for Arizona State and Northern Arizona Universities and for teachers at the Singapore American International school through Buffalo State University. She haa developed a CD/DVD-based, professional development series for middle school math teachers. Nanci’s classroom has been featured in ASCD’s video series on Differentiation, and she has a chapter in the ASCD book, Differentiation in Practice, grades 5 – 9. Please download the following handouts for Dr. Smith's session: Handout 1 (PDF Document) Ellen Shrager 
Ellen Shrager is the author of “Teacher Dialogues – A Survival Guide to Successful Dialogues with Low-Performing Students, Indulged Students, and Enabling Parents.” Ellen uses a blend of current research, personal classroom anecdotes, and humor to present five different workshops. Her first topic is how she overcame her feelings of “teacher burn-out” with today’s students. She shares how she learned to compassionately bridge the gap between attitudes and behaviors students bring to the class and the attitudes and behaviors they need to appropriately function in the classroom. Ellen’s second topic is how to deal with the few, but very time-consuming, parents who constantly question teachers’ authority. Ellen shares the five steps necessary to protect a teacher’s authority, and how teachers can guide enabling parents to identify their illusions about their children; putting the responsibility for the consequences back on their children. Ellen Shrager has worked with many children from rural and urban poverty. For her third topic, she helps teachers create successful dialogues with students who struggle to learn the organizational secrets and inner dialogues needed to become successful students. Ellen Shrager has over 20 years experience in the World Language classroom. She has presented at ACTFL many times as well as been the keynote speaker at a dozen state conferences for world language teachers. For her last two topics, she is presenting the two most-requested workshops specifically geared towards world language teachers. Although Ellen averages ten presentations a year, including at the national convention for the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and the National Middle School Association, she is committed to staying full time in the classroom. Her wish is to help teachers find their own 'teaching voice' that rekindles their joy in the classroom. Handout 1 (PDF Document) Kaye Randall 
Kaye Randall works in private practice providing clinical services to children and adolescents in inpatient and outpatient settings. She specializes in working with adolescents who self-injure. Kaye also has extensive experience in crisis intervention, assessments and counseling services for victims of child abuse and neglect. She has also assisted with recruitment and adoptive services for children and prospective adoptive families. In March of 2001, she was selected social worker of the year by COAC-Council on Adoptable Children, a national organization. Back to topThe following handouts are available for Kaye's session: |
