2015 Summer Institute to Focus on Stress and Learning
by Solvegi Shmulsky
PUTNEY, Vt.--The Landmark College Institute for Research and Training (LCIRT) will host the 25th annual Landmark College Summer Institute on June 23 to 26, 2015, in Putney, Vermont. Stress and learning will be the theme of keynote speaker Dr. Sian Beilock and special guest speaker Dr. Jerome J. Schultz. The Institute will also offer workshops in the neuroscience of teaching and learning, executive function coaching, and academic reading and writing. An optional Pre-Institute Workshop will be held on June 23. Fees are lowest during early-bird registration, which is in effect until May 31.
Pre-Institute Workshop: Pre-Institute attendees will select one of the following day-long tracks: "25 Years of ADA: Navigating the Shifting Legal Landscape" or "Ubiquitous Technology: Using Apps Strategically."
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Track 1: "25 Years of ADA: Navigating the Shifting Legal Landscape"
This event will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The session will start with a historical retrospective on the ADA by Dr. Loring Brinckerhoff, Director of the Office of Disability Policy, Educational Testing Service, and a 30-year veteran in the field. Brinckerhoff will share personal experiences and expert advice on student support services and high stakes testing. Jeffery Nolan, Esq., Attorney with Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew, P.C., will discuss milestone legal cases and class action law suits that have shaped the field of LD, ADHD, and ASD. Dr. Manju Banerjee, vice president and director of LCIRT, will conclude with a discussion on the unintended consequences of the ADA and ways to find common ground among stakeholders.
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Track 2: "Ubiquitous Technologies: Using Apps Strategically"
LCIRT researchers and trainers Linda Hecker, M.Ed.; Ibrahim Dahlstrom-Hakki, Ph.D.; and Zachary Alstad, Ph.D. will share time-tested Landmark College approaches to supporting students who learn differently using tablet-based apps. Instructors will find out how to employ apps strategically to take advantage of what these technologies have to offer. The workshop will feature iOS-based apps, with supplementary information about other platforms.
Landmark College Summer Institute: This three-day teaching workshop is designed with class-sized sessions so that audience interaction is maximized, and participants can learn, share, and feel a part of a unique community, while enjoying summer in Vermont.
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The keynote address, which is free and open to the public, is titled “Helping All Students Perform Their Best Under Stress” It will be held on Tuesday, June 23, at 7:30 p.m. in the Brooks M. O’Brien Auditorium of the East Academic Building at Landmark College.
Keynote speaker Dr. Sian Beilock is a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago and author of two books about neuroscience and performance, which are accessible to a wide audience. How the Body Knows Its Mind, published in 2015, is about the influence that movement and physical gestures have on brain function. Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting it Right When You Have To (2010) provides a neurological explanation of how not to choke, or perform poorly in high pressure situations. Beilock holds a Ph.D. in psychology and kinesiology from Michigan State University, and her research is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Education.
On Friday, June 26, Dr. Jerome Schultz will present “Unique Aspects of Stress in Students with LD, ADHD, and High-Functioning ASD.” Schultz is a clinical neuropsychologist, author, and speaker who has provided clinical services, consultation, and staff development to hundreds of schools in the U.S. and abroad. He is the author of Nowhere to Hide: Why Kids with ADHD & LD Hate School and What We Can Do about It, a book about the toxic effect of stress on brain functioning and how schools and families can help students de-stress and perform better. Schultz’s talk will be held at 1:15 p.m. in the O’Brien Auditorium.
In addition to sessions on stress and learning, the Summer Institute will offer three concurrent learning strands that participants may select. Each strand offers up-to-date research and hands-on opportunities for participants to develop their own knowledge and skills. In keeping with a universal design approach, content will be presented in a variety of formats and participants will be invited to engage actively. The highlight of the Summer Institute is the student panel, where audiences will hear the experiences, travails, and triumphs of students who learn differently.
Strand I: The Challenge of Text in a Multimedia World
Academic reading and writing are among the most challenging tasks for struggling students, especially given the distractions and affordances of the digital world. This strand will review current research in comprehension and model effective instructional strategies that promote academic success for high school and college students who learn differently.
Strand II: New Neuroscience of Teaching and Learning
Researchers will share insights into how the brain works to process information, exploring the scientific basis for best practices in teaching. Participants will learn effective, brain-based strategies to motivate student learning. The strand will include a presentation by Dr. Elizabeth Norton of the Gabrieli Lab at MIT.
Strand III: Executive Function Coaching
Many students struggle in school, not because the work is too hard, but because of the executive function (EF) challenges they face when trying to juggle academics, social life, athletics, and jobs. Participants in this interactive strand will deepen their understanding of EF, and they will be introduced to coaching skills that support students who struggle with EF challenges.
The Summer Institute has been an annual event for 25 years of Landmark College’s 30-year history. It is an opportunity for educators and professionals to “reboot their learning and refresh their enthusiasm for supporting students who learn differently.” The LCIRT staff work throughout the year to envision, design, and run this three-day event. LCIRT’s mission is to conduct and disseminating research to improve education for students who learn differently.