keynote

=**KEYNOTE SPEAKERS FOR MNLI 12**=

Don Leu


Don is the John and Maria Neag Endowed Chair in Literacy and Technology and holds a joint appointment in Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut. He directs the New Literacies Research Lab at the University of Connecticut and is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Reading Association and the Reading Hall of Fame. He is a past President of the National Reading Conference. A graduate of Michigan State, Harvard, and Berkeley, Don’s work focuses on the new skills and strategies required to read, write, and learn with Internet technologies and the best instructional practices that prepare students for these new literacies. He has more than 100 research publications and seventeen books on topics that range from phonics and phonemic awareness to teacher education and the new literacies of online reading comprehension.

Tom Daccord
Tom Daccord is an educational technology specialist and author of //Best Ideas for Teaching with Technology: A Practical Guide for Teachers by Teachers// and //The Best of History Web Sites//. A veteran "laptop teacher" who instructed in a wireless laptop environment for seven years, Tom has been featured in the Boston Globe ("Making Tech Connect," December 29, 2003) for his contributions to teaching with technology. Tom has worked with schools, districts, and colleges in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia and presents on educational technology at various national and regional conferences. A former social studies teacher, Tom currently serves as President of the National Council of Social Studies Technology Committee and is a featured speaker at the 2010 NCSS Conference. He is creator and co-webmaster of [|Best of History Web Sites], an award-winning portal, and the [|The Center for Teaching History with Technology], dedicated to helping K-12 history and social studies teachers incorporate technology effectively into their courses. Tom also created [|Teaching English with Technology] to help K-12 English and Language Arts teachers incorporate technology effectively into their courses. Tom serves as a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) project consultant, is an advisor to Massachusetts Computer Users in Education (MassCUE), and is a board member of the Massachusetts Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (MASCD). A graduate of Princeton University and the University of Montreal, Tom has taught in Quebec, France, Switzerland, and the United States. Tom's presentation in PDF format.



====During the 2011 Massachusetts New Literacies Institute, Polly Parker co-lead a team of content experts to develop an institute that translated how the New Massachusetts Framework for ELA and Literacy in Informational text (Common Core State Standards) integrates 21st century skills, and further, demonstrated how digital text and tools root these standards into what many deem as necessary preparation for College and Career readiness. Additional presentations include the Massachusetts DESE Curriculum Summit (2010) on //Preparing Students for the 21st Century with New Literacies//, MassCUE and METAA’s 6th Annual Technology Leadership Symposium – 2011 on the //201////0 Massachusetts New Literacies Institute//, and the MassCUE/MASS conference for the Massachusetts DESE in 2010 on //Online Learning for At-Risk Students//. Polly has a master’s degree in Educational Policy, and she is currently a doctoral candidate in the Research and Evaluation Methods Program (REMP), which is a division of the Educational Policy, Research and Administration (EPRA) department at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst (UMASS). She is the Director of Curriculum and Professional Development at the LPVEC. Polly is also a member of the Massachusetts Association for Vocational Administrators (MAVA) and is a former Adult Basic Education (ABE) instructor. (Tuesday Framework Talk)====

**Greg McVerry**
====Greg is a researcher and teacher at Southern Connecticut State University. He was a Neag Fellow at the University of Connecticut's New Literacies Research Lab where he studies educational psychology. Greg researches the intersection of literacy and technology and has published over a dozen articles in leading teacher and research journals. He also presents at National Conferences including National Conference of Teachers of English, International Reading Association, Literacy Research Association, and MIT's Learning and the Brain Conference. Greg was a former middle school language arts and math teacher.====