REBEKAH POE, M. ED.

TOPIC: MAKING IT STICK WITH MULTISENSORY INSTRUCTION

Research has shown that when students use multiple senses at the same time, learning occurs faster and information is retained longer. Award-winning special education teacher Rebekah Poe explains the ins and outs of multisensory learning and how to transform your lessons to incorporate multiple learning styles at once.

ABOUT. Rebekah Poe is an award-winning special education teacher and national teaching conference presenter with over a decade of experience in the special education field. As an educator, Rebekah focuses on providing equitable education and establishing connections to students of all ability levels in an inclusive setting. She can be found on social media as RebekahPoeTeaching

 

ALEXANDRA ROSENBLATT, ESQ.

TOPIC: MAKING SUFFICIENT PROGRESS—BEYOND THE DROP DOWN MENU

Making sufficient progress is one of the cornerstones of a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE.) Every quarter teachers write and parents receive (or should receive) an IEP progress report. This workshop will explore what it means to say a student is making sufficient progress on their IEP goals both educationally and legally and will explore the teams’ obligations when a child is not making sufficient progress to achieve a goal.

ABOUT. Alexandra Rosenblatt is an attorney at the Law Offices of Mark B. Martin in Baltimore, MD, representing clients throughout the state of Maryland in the areas of education law, special education law, special needs planning, as well as other civil and disability rights. Attorney Rosenblatt represents children and families in the areas of special education, suspension and expulsion and guardianships, bringing with her a special kind of compassion for families facing challenges in their advocacy for their children. Prior to joining the Law Offices of Mark B. Martin, P.A., Ms. Rosenblatt worked at the Public Justice Center as a staff attorney representing workers in class action lawsuits when employers failed to pay minimum wage and overtime. In 2012, Ms. Rosenblatt’s daughter was born with Down syndrome, which changed the trajectory of her life both on a personal and professional level. Since then, she has been her daughter’s fiercest advocate, immersing herself in special education and disability law.

 

Diana Lombardi, M.Ed with a Specialization in Reading Instruction

TOPIC: THE SCIENCE OF READING: PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR THE INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT

The Science of Reading culminates over 40 years of research regarding how children learn to read. Explore instructional strategies grounded in this research that promote development in both word recognition and language comprehension, with cross-curricular benefits.

ABOUT. My love of reading stemmed from my mother, an educator of 36 years as both a classroom teacher and a literacy coach. I have been an educator for 11 years, working as a classroom teacher for 9 years. During that time, I earned my Masters of Education with a Specialization in Reading Instruction. I currently support both students and teachers as a Literacy Coach in Anne Arundel County. I reside in Anne Arundel County with my husband, daughter, and twin boys.