8:30 – 9:00 a.m.

Welcome and OSEP Remarks

• Tracy Gray, Director, National Center for Technology Innovation
• Patricia Guard, Acting Director, Office of Special Education Programs
• Lawrence Wexler, Director, Research to Practice, Office of Special Education Programs

Madison Ballroom

9:00 – 10:15 a.m.

Keynote Address: Addressing the Needs of Students with Disabilities
With more data and research on the performance of students with disabilities in U.S. schools, administrators are now focusing on effective strategies for boosting achievement, inclusion, and outcomes for all students. Dan Domenech reflected on the significant role technology plays in these promising strategies.

• Dan Domenech, Executive Director, American Association of School Administrators
  Dan Domenech has served as executive director of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) since July 2008. Dan has more than 36 years of experience in public education, 27 of those years as a school superintendent. Prior to joining AASA, Dan served as senior vice president for National Urban Markets with McGraw-Hill Education. In this role, he was responsible for building strong relationships with large school districts nationwide. In addition, Dan has served on the U.S. Department of Education’s National Assessment Governing Board, on the advisory board for the Department of Defense schools, and on the board of directors of the Association for the Advancement of International Education. He currently serves on the board of overseers for the Baldrige Award and on the boards of the Institute for Educational Leadership, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and the Education Policy Institute. 

Montpelier Room

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Panel Discussion: Back to the Future
Social media is proliferating, inside and outside the classroom, adding to the different available channels to reach students, consumers, and potential collaborators. What have we learned and what is on the horizon? This panel discussed trends and possibilities.

• Andy Carvin, Social Media Strategist, National Public Radio (Moderator)
  Andy Carvin is a social media strategiest at National Public Radio and founding editor of the Digital Divide Network, an online community of more than 9,000 Internet activists working to bridge the digital divide. He is the author of the pioneering online education resource EdWeb: Exploring Technology & School Reform launched in 1994. He and his work have been featured in many news outlets, including the New York Times, CNN, BBC Radio, Harvard Educational Review, Education Week, the Washington Post, Rolling Stone, and Wired. In 2005, Technology Review magazine named him one of the 35 leading high-tech innovators under the age of 35. In December 2001, Andy was named by District Administration magazine as one of America’s top 25 edtech advocates. Andy received similar honors from eSchoolNews in 1999 when he was named a member of its Impact 30 list of edtech leaders. He is a former member of the board of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), which advocates policies advancing the role of information technology in schools.
• Steve Hargadon, Founder, Classroom 2.0
  Steve Hargadon is a social learning consultant for Elluminate, the director of the K12 Open Technologies Initiative at the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), and the founder of the Classroom 2.0 social network (www.classroom20.com). He blogs, speaks, and consults on educational technology and is particularly passionate about Web 2.0, social networking, Free and Open Source Software, computer reuse, and computing for low-income populations. Steve runs the Open Source Pavilion and speaker series for the North-American National Educational Computing Conference (NECC)and Comupter-Using Educators, Inc. (CUE) edtech shows, is the organizer of the annual EduBloggerCon, and holds a series of free workshops (Classroom 2.0 LIVE) around the United States to help in-the-trenches educators learn about the uses of Web 2.0 in the classroom. Steve is also the emerging technologies chair for NECC, a regular columnist at School Library Journal, and a blogger at www.SteveHargadon.com. He has consulted for PBS, Intel, Ning, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, and others on educational technology and specifically on social networking.
• Michael Levine, Executive Director, Joan Ganz Cooney Center
  Michael Levine is executive director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center and oversees their efforts to catalyze and support research, innovation, and investment in educational media technologies for young children. Prior to joining the center, Michael served as vice president of new media and executive director of education for the Asia Society, managing the global nonprofit organization’s interactive media and educational initiatives to promote knowledge and understanding of Asia and other world regions, languages, and cultures. Previously, Michael oversaw Carnegie Corporation of New York’s groundbreaking work in early childhood development, educational media, and primary grades reform. Michael has been a frequent adviser to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, writes for public affairs journals, and appears frequently in the media. He serves on numerous nonprofit boards, including the We Are Family Foundation, Ready To Learn, the Talaris Institute, and Teach For America. Michael is also currently a senior associate at the Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy at Yale University.
• Lee Rainie, Director, Pew Internet & American Life Project
  Lee Rainie is director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project, a nonprofit, nonpartisan “fact tank” that studies the social impact of the Internet. The project has issued more than 200 reports based on its surveys that examine people’s online activities and the Internet’s role in their lives. Lee is a co-author of Up for Grabs and Hopes and Fears and the just-released Ubiquity, Mobility, Security, a series about the future of the Internet published by Cambria Press. He is also co-authoring, with sociologist Barry Wellman, a book for MIT Press about the social impact of technology, which will be published in mid-2010 and titled Networking: The New Social Operating System. Prior to launching the Pew Internet Project, Lee was managing editor of the newsweekly magazine U.S. News & World Report.

Montpelier Room

12:30 – 1:15 p.m.

Lunch with Keynote Speaker

• Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President, Disability Policy
  

  Kareem Dale grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He is blind. He obtained three degrees, became a successful lawyer and was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve in the White House. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor’s degree in Advertising in May 1995. He received his JD/MBA in May 1999 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He graduated Cum Laude.

  In February 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Mr. Dale to be the Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy, the highest ranking position on disability ever to be created by a President. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Dale served as National Disability Director for the Obama for America campaign and held a similar position in the Obama-Biden transition. Mr. Dale also served on then Senator Obama’s Arts Policy Committee and Disability Policy Committee.

  Before joining the Obama for America campaign, Mr. Dale was the Founder and Managing Partner of The Dale Law Group (“DLG”). DLG was a law firm that successfully represented individuals and their families in the areas of personal injury, wrongful death, products liability, catastrophic injuries, and medical negligence. Mr. Dale also has been an adjunct Professor on the faculty of Northwestern University School of Law where he taught Trial Advocacy.

  Mr. Dale has been actively involved in community service. He is the past President of the Board of Directors for the Black Ensemble Theater. Furthermore, during his legal career, he dedicated numerous hours to those persons unable to afford legal representation, for which he received the Probono Commitment to Legal Service Award in 2000. In recognition of his achievements, Mr. Dale was featured in the 2006 inaugural edition of Who’s Who, Black in Chicago. He also was recognized in the November-December 2001 issue of Ebony magazine as one of the 30 Leaders of the Future under 30.

  
  

Montpelier Room

1:30 – 2:45 p.m.

Panel Discussion: This is Your Brain on Technology
Cutting edge brain and cognitive science research is shedding light on what really goes on in our heads. This panel explored how teaching and learning can take advantage of these findings.

• Daphne Bavelier, Professor, Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Center for Visual Science; Director, MindSpace Virtual Reality Laboratory, University of Rochester
  Daphne Bavelier is professor at the University of Rochester in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences. She is also associate director of the Rochester Center for Brain Imaging and director of the MindSpace Virtual Reality Laboratory. She obtained her doctorate in brain and cognitive sciences at MIT. Her research focuses on brain plasticity. In particular, Daphne asks how dependent are our perceptual, attentional, and cognitive skills on our previous experience. To address this issue, she and her team examine the effect of altered experience on the organization of the brain. They also study how videogame playing modifies perceptual and attentional skills.
• Barry Gordon, MD, Therapeutic Cognitive Neuroscience Professor and Director of The Memory Clinic, Johns Hopkins University
  Barry Gordon is a behavioral neurologist and cognitive neuroscientist with expertise in experimental and neuropsychology. He is a founding member of the Mind/Brain Institute and directs the Division of Cognitive Neurology/Neuropsychology and The Memory Clinic, which he also founded at Johns Hopkins. Former president of the Behavioral Neurology Society and Division of the American Academy of Neurology, Dr. Gordon has authored more than 100 papers and book chapters. His interests are in memory and language, particularly early detection and treatment of memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease, communication and language deficits in autism, direct brain mapping of language and memory functions, aphasia, and head injury.
• David Rose, Founder and Chief Education Officer, Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)
  David Rose, chief education officer at the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), helped found the organization with a vision of expanding opportunities for all students, especially those with disabilities, through the innovative development and application of technology. David specializes in developmental neuropsychology and in the universal design of learning technologies. In addition to his role as founding director/chief scientist of cognition and learning at CAST, David lectures at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, where he has been on the faculty for 20 years. He has been the lead researcher on a number of U.S. Department of Education grants and now is the principal investigator for two national centers to develop and implement the National Instructional Materials Standard (NIMAS). He is the co-author of Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning (ASCD, 2002), as well as numerous other books and articles, and is frequently a keynote speaker at regional and national educational conferences.
• Yong Zhao, University Distinguished Professor, Michigan State University, Founding Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning as well as the U.S.-China Center for Research on Educational Excellence, (Moderator)
  Yong Zhao is University Distinguished Professor at the College of Education, Michigan State University, where he also serves as founding director of the Center for Teaching and Technology and executive director of the Confucius Institute and the US-China Center for Research on Educational Excellence. He is a fellow of the International Academy for Education. His research interests include computer gaming and education, diffusion of innovations, teacher adoption of technology, computer-assisted language learning, and globalization and education. Yong has extensive international experience. He has consulted with government and educational agencies and spoken on educational issues in many countries on six continents. His current work focuses on designing 21st century schools in the context of globalization and the digital revolution.
  

Montpelier Room

3:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

I. The Future of Assessments for Students with Disabilities
How are assessment efforts making use of the power of technology to differentiate and accommodate diverse test takers? This session focused on challenges and solutions.

• Kevin Bushweller, Editor, Digital Directions (Moderator)
  Kevin Bushweller is executive editor of Digital Directions, a print and online magazine about K–12 educational technology that is published by Editorial Projects in Education Inc., the publisher of Education Week. Kevin is also an assistant managing editor for Education Week, specializing in coverage of edtech issues, and he serves as project editor of Technology Counts, Education Week’s annual report about K–12 technology. Prior to working for Editorial Projects in Education, Kevin was a senior editor for the American School Board Journal and Electronic School magazine. He is the proud father of four children ages 6, 11, 14, and 17.
• John Castellani, Associate Professor, Teacher Development and Leadership, Johns Hopkins University
  John Castellani specializes in instructional design and development, assistive technology, and telecommunications. He is currently an adviser and instructor for Technology in Special Education programs and Technology for Educators programs at Johns Hopkins University. He is program director for the Maryland State Department of Education partnership grant in assistive technology, in collaboration with the Center for Technology in Education, and is coordinator of the Technology for Educators partnership program. John’s research interests include data mining and neural networks, special education technology and multimedia development, and the use of emerging technologies for teaching, learning, and school leadership.
• Michael Russell, Associate Professor, Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation Department, Boston College
  Michael Russell is an associate professor in the Lynch School of Education, a senior research associate for the Center for the Study of Testing Evaluation and Educational Policy, and the director of the Technology and Assessment Study Collaborative. Mike directs several projects, including the Diagnostic Algebra Assessment Project, the e-Learning for Educators Research and Evaluation Study, the On-Line Professional Education Research Study, and a series of computer-based testing accommodation and validity studies. Mike is the founder and chief editor of the Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment. He has also been affiliated with the Center for the Study of Testing, Evaluation, and Educational Policy (CSTEEP) since 1994. His research interests lie at the intersection of technology, learning, and assessment and include applications of technology to testing and impacts of technology on students and their learning.
• Arthur VanderVeen, Executive Director, Educational Technology and Knowledge Management, Division of Accountability and Achievement, New York City, Department of Education
  Arthur VanderVeen is executive director for assessment and knowledge management at the New York City Department of Education (DOE). Arthur joined the DOE in 2008, where he manages the administration and development of New York City’s portfolio of summative and formative assessments. He also directs the city’s Knowledge Management Initiative designed to leverage local expertise and innovation happening across the city’s 1,400-plus schools to strategically disseminate promising practices and quality resources systemwide. From 2003 to 2007, Arthur helped lead the design and development of the College Board’s comprehensive systemic reform model to increase the number and diversity of students prepared for college. He led the development of the College Board Standards for College Success in Mathematics and Statistics and English Language Arts. He also helped lead the redesign of the College Board Advanced Placement exams in science. From 1997 to 2002, Arthur founded and directed ActiveInk Corporation, a curriculum development and publishing company in Austin, Texas, which provided consulting and curriculum development services to state education agencies, K–12 school districts, university programs, and publishers in multiple disciplines.

Montpelier Room

II. The Net Generation — Powered by Technology
Developing the next generations is critical to meeting national and international challenges. Social entrepreneurs and educational innovators spoke of how they are creating new solutions powered by technology.

• Alan Brightman, Senior Policy Director, Special Communities, Yahoo!, Inc (Moderator)
  Alan Brightman is senior policy director of Special Communities for Yahoo! Inc. Since joining Yahoo! in May 2006, he has been responsible for ensuring that Yahoo! provides an accessible user experience for all individuals, focusing especially on children and adults with disabilities and children with chronic illness. Earlier, in his career Alan founded Apple Computer’s Worldwide Disability Solutions Group and served as its director for 13 years. He was also the executive producer of the musical called PULSE: The Rhythm of Life, based on a web site that he created with Apple for seriously ill children, and was the producer of an award-winning PBS television series called Feeling Free. Alan’s books for children and adults have been translated into seven languages. His most recent book is titled DisabilityLand.
• Sheryl Burgstahler, Director, DO-IT, University of Washington
  Sheryl E. Burgstahler directs project DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology) at the University of Washington. DO-IT promotes the success of students with disabilities in postsecondary programs and careers. It sponsors programs that increase the use of assistive technology and promote the development of accessible facilities, computer labs, electronic resources in libraries, web pages, educational multi-media and Internet-based distance learning programs. DO-IT has received many awards, including the President’s Award for Mentoring, the Golden Apple Award in Education, and the AHEAD Program Recognition award. Also, Sheryl is also co-director of the National Center on Accessible Information Technology in Education (AccessIT). This center, funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the U.S. Department of Education, coordinates a nation-wide effort to assist educational and governmental institutions in reaching the goal of making education-based information technology accessible to all students and employees, including those with disabilities. She is the author or co-author of six books on using the Internet with pre-college students.
• Monica Martinez, President, New Tech Network; Vice President, Education Strategy, KnowledgeWorks Foundation
  Monica Martinez, vice president for Education Strategy, guides the KnowledgeWorks Foundation’s work to transform the national education landscape, overseeing the development of new initiatives and coordination of strategic planning that result from the 2006-2016 Map of Future Forces Affecting Education. Prior to being named vice president, Monica was an adviser to the foundation as senior fellow, providing expertise on issues related to educational access and achievement for low-income and minority students. Monica founded the National High School Alliance, a partnership of more than 40 organizations sharing a common commitment to promoting excellence, equity, and development of high-school-age youth, while she was at the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) in Washington D.C. She also served as a Senior Associate overseeing IEL’s work with the Pathways to College Network. Monica has contributed to many policy and research initiatives to reform education, including a University of Maryland effort to improve the quality of teaching through engagement in collaborative action research and conducting research at the New York University Institute for Education and Public Policy to support the development of small schools in New York City.
• Jan Morrison, Executive Director, Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM (TIES)
  Jan Morrison is executive director of the Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM (TIES) and serves as senior STEM education consultant for the Ohio STEM Learning Network, a senior STEM consultant for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, NASA, the Battelle Memorial Institute, and the National Governors Association among others. After earning her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Rochester, and a master’s in administration from George Washington University, Jan has taught, designed, and implemented innovative STEM curriculum and instructional programs in public and private schools across the nation for more than 30 years, working to ensure student engagement in education.

Montpelier Room

III. The Future of Marketing of Assistive Technology
Where are the next markets for assistive technology and how can innovators engage them? Industry leaders shared their business strategies for conducting and using market research, creative partnerships, and tapping new channels.

• Alan Gershenfeld, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, E-Line Ventures
  Alan Gershenfeld has spent the last 20 years at the intersection of entertainment, technology, and social entrepreneurship. He is currently co-founder and managing partner of E-Line Ventures, a “double bottom line” early-stage venture fund focused on empowering individuals, small businesses, and disenfranchised communities through innovative uses of personal fabrication, digital media, and on-demand business services. Prior to E-Line, Alan spent 7 years as CEO and co-founder of netomat, a leader in mobile-web community solutions, and 6 years at Activision, a global leader in entertainment software. Earlier, Alan spent nearly 10 years in the film industry where he worked in development, production, and post-production with credits on such films as Waiting for the Light, To Sleep With Anger, Reversal of Fortune, and Homicide. He also directed an award-winning documentary, The Expatriates.
• Michael Levine, Executive Director, Joan Ganz Cooney Center

  Michael Levine oversees the Joan Ganz Cooney Center’s efforts to catalyze and support research, innovation, and investment in educational media technologies for young children. Prior to joining the center, Michael served as vice president of new media and executive director of education for the Asia Society, managing the global nonprofit organization’s interactive media and educational initiatives to promote knowledge and understanding of Asia and other world regions, languages, and cultures. Previously, Michael oversaw Carnegie Corporation of New York’s groundbreaking work in early childhood development, educational media, and primary grades reform. Michael has been a frequent adviser to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, writes for public affairs journals, and appears frequently in the media. He serves on numerous nonprofit boards, including the We Are Family Foundation, Ready To Learn, the Talaris Institute, and Teach For America. Michael is also currently a senior associate at the Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy at Yale University.

• Annuska Perkins, Senior Accessibility Program Manager, Accessible Technology Group, Microsoft Corporation
  Annuska Perkins is an accessibility program manager, product planner, and user experience strategist in the Accessibility Business Unit for Microsoft. She has extensive experience in product planning and customer research for Windows accessibility features, deep knowledge of accessibility user needs, and expertise in accessible technology. She drove the redesign of the accessibility control panel in the Windows operating system; on the basis of market data, she defined necessary changes in the end-user presentation of the Windows accessibility features and created prototypes to illustrate the new design. Annuska is a former Microsoft representative to the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative’s working group that defines how to design accessible web content. She is a renowned industry resource for insights into accessibility and usability.
• Cheryl Volkman, Founder and CEO Emeritus, AbleNet, Inc.
  Cheryl Volkman is co-founder and former CEO of AbleNet Inc. She stepped down as the company’s CEO in 2006 to drive a new initiative that focuses on merging academic research with market research. Her efforts are dedicated to delivering assistive technologies and curricula that consistently meet the highest standards for academic rigor and that can also be brought to market in a timely manner to benefit persons with disabilities. Prior to launching AbleNet, Cheryl, a certified occupational therapist assistant, served as the director of United Cerebral Palsy Center’s Preschool Developmental Achievement Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She also founded, and serves as CEO of, White Pines Concepts LLC, a company that holds several U.S. patents for accessibility products used by people with and without disabilities. Cheryl has served as board president, board member, and/or advisor to the Alliance for Technology Access (ATA), the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA), the National Center for Technology Innovation, the Illinois State University Special Education Assistive Technology Program, and the Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities.

Montpelier Room

IV. Games for Therapy for Students with Disabilities
The fastest growing categories of U.S. special education are Other Health Impaired and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Researchers shared the exciting ways gaming and simulations can meet student and clinical needs with positive outcomes.

• Mark Barlet, Editor-in-Chief, AbleGamers.com
  Mark Barlet was motivated to found AbleGamers.com while he watched his best friend of nearly 20 years, Stephanie Walker, suffer through incredible amounts of frustration. Stephanie had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and though she had been an avid gamer, her illness forced her to abandon the games that brought her joy. Seeing a void, Mark set out to fill it—and to help others. Disabled himself after sustaining a spinal cord injury while on active duty in the Air Force that left him with some demised use of his left leg, Mark could relate to hitting limitations. Thus, AbleGamers was born. In his years of working in the Washington, DC, area, Mark became a thought leader in compliance and 508 testing (a law about how people with disabilities interact with government’s public information, such as websites). Mark has a master’s degree in information systems, with 15 years in software quality assurance. Mark has been the lead on major development efforts for the U.S. government, major online retailers, and an international web operation.
• John Foley John Foley, currently an associate professor of physical education at SUNY Cortland, was recently elected to the position of president-elect of the North American Federation of Adapted Physical Activity (NAFAPA). NAFAPA is an international organization dedicated to the conduct, implementation, and dissemination of research in the practice of adapted physical activity. John works with his fellow researchers to increase the physical activity levels of individuals with disabilities and reduce the health disparity that exists between individuals with and without disabilities. and Stephen YangStephen Yang is a parent of two and a long-standing exergame guru. He is also an assistant professor at SUNY Cortland, teaching undergraduate courses in physical education teacher preparation. Stephen researches the effects of exergames and technology on adolescent health. His research deals with the use of innovative technology in both teaching and research settings. His master’s thesis investigated the effectiveness of a web-delivered problem-based learning module in applied exercise physiology. Stephen’s main area of research is increasing the physical activity levels for adolescents through integrating technology in the physical education curriculum. His dissertation explored the use of video games (exergames) as a stimulus for voluntary physical activity. Specifically, he measured the duration and intensity of the physical activity of adolescent while playing exergames and their attractiveness to playing these games., Associate Professor, Physical Education; Co-Director Exergame Lab, State University of NY-Cortland
• Christina WhalenChristina Whalen is a licensed psychologist and board certified behavior analyst specializing in autism and related disorders. She is one of the founders of TeachTown and is co-founder, president, and chief science officer of Jigsaw Learning, a merged company of TeachTown and Animated Speech Co. Christina has more than 15 years of experience in research and clinical practice with children with autism and their families. She is the editor of the book Real Life, Real Progress for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Strategies for Successful Generalization in Natural Environments. TeachTown was a recipient of the NCTI Technology in the Works grants and was a runner-up in the 2008 Technology in the Works competition. The research from this grant has been presented at several conferences and was recently submitted for publication in the journal Autism., Co-Founder, TeachTown (Autism Clinical Game) and Debbie Moss, Specialist Technical Expert in Autism, Los Angeles Unified School District

  
  

  Debbie Moss is an autism specialist for the Division of Special Education of the Los Angeles Unified School District. She has been working with children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) for over 30 years. Debbie co-wrote and developed the Intensive Comprehensive Autism Program (ICAP) as well as programs for the school district addressing the needs of students with high-functioning autism and Asperger syndrome. She also designed an intensive training program for teachers working with students with ASD. Debbie serves on the educational committee of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism and is on the advisory board to develop the document ASD: Guidelines for Effective Interventions. She is a member of the executive board of the Southern California Autism Training Collaborative (SCATC), which consists of educators throughout southern California (Regions 8–11).

Montpelier Room

8:30 – 9:00 a.m.

Welcome and Opening Comments

• Tracy Gray, Director, National Center for Technology Innovation

Madison Foyer

9:00 – 9:45 a.m.

Keynote Address: The Federal Perspective on Technology and Innovation

The unprecedented increase in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Education presents unique opportunities to unleash the creative power of innovation to meet the needs of all students. Key leaders discussed pending initiatives and priorities that can create solutions for breakthrough learning.

• Kwasi Asare, Special Assistant, Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education (Keynote Speaker)
  Kwasi Asare is special assistant to Jim Shelton, Assistant Deputy Secretary for innovation and improvement at the U.S. Department of Education, where he drives strategy and policy for learning technology programs. Prior to joining the department, Kwasi was a senior product manager in the Tivoli brand of IBM’s Software Division. In this role, he was responsible for the profit and loss of compliance software helping customers satisfy regulatory requirements. Previously, Kwasi was the worldwide product marketing manager for IBM’s energy management portfolio and brand manager. In that capacity, he was a key leader in the establishment of IBM’s market presence in energy efficiency as part of a larger program for a smarter, greener, more efficient planet. Kwasi also serves as the college relations director and a mentor for the Simmons Memorial Foundation, a mentoring organization for college bound high school students.
• Karen Cator, Director, Office of Educational Technology, U.S. Department of Education
  Karen Cator is the new director of the Office of Education Technology at the U.S. Department of Education. At Apple, she directed leadership and advocacy efforts in education. In this role, she focused on the intersection of education policy and research, emerging technologies, and the reality faced by teachers, students and administrators. Karen was responsible for strategic relationships and initiatives, Apple Professional Development, the Apple Distinguished Educator Program and the publishing of media rich teaching and learning practices on the Apple Learning Interchange. She also served as special assistant for telecommunications for the Lieutenant Governor of Alaska. Karen holds a masters in school administration from the University of Oregon and bachelors in early childhood education from Springfield College. She is the past chair of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and has served on the several boards including the Software & Information Industry Association – Education.
• John Kemp, Principal, Powers Pyle Sutter & Verville, PC (Moderator)

  John Kemp has more than 45 years of direct experience in the disability movement and currently serves as a principal at the Washington, DC, law firm of Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville, P.C. In his practice, he serves as the CEO of American Congress of Community Supports and Employment Services (ACCSES) and The One Percent Coalition, as well as the executive director of and general counsel to the US Business Leadership Network. He has also led, partnered, worked for, and served on the boards of directors of many of the leading disability and nonprofit organizations, including the United Cerebral Palsy Associations and the U.S. International Council on Disabilities. In addition, John serves on the State Department’s Advisory Committee on Persons with Disabilities. He is widely respected for his many achievements, in both the corporate and the nonprofit worlds. As a person with personal disability experience who uses four prostheses, he inspires others to achieve the impossible through knowledge, experience, vision, personality, and persistence.

Madison Ballroom

9:45 – 10:30 a.m.

Panel Discussion: Policy Perspective
Which new initiatives will have a direct impact on students with disabilities? Policy makers from various agencies shared their perspectives, priorities and outlooks for 2010.

• Richard Bernstein, Chair, Board of Governors, Wayne State University; Attorney, The Bernstein Law Firm
  Richard Bernstein is a tireless advocate for disability rights and providing a voice to those who would otherwise be forced into silence. Blind since birth, Richard is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Northwestern University School of Law. He is an attorney with the Bernstein Law Firm in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Richard is committed to taking action to help clients who need him. He fought successfully to preserve special education funding throughout the State of Michigan. He represented the Paralyzed Veterans of America in an action against the University of Michigan’s plans for disabled seating in Michigan Stadium with the United States Department of Justice and represented disabled residents who sued the Oakland County (Michigan) Road Commission after “roundabout” traffic circles were built without disabled access. Richard is chair of the Board of Governors at Wayne State University in Michigan, elected by voters statewide. He also serves in the Board of Directors for several not-for-profit organizations and teaches a political science course in social activism at the University of Michigan.
• Larry Goldberg, Director, Media Access, WGBH
  Larry Goldberg is the director of Media Access at WGBH where he oversees the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM), the Caption Center, and the Descriptive Video Service (together known as the WGBH Media Access Group). Larry has been deeply involved in national and international efforts to ensure that the design and implementation of media and information systems address the needs of people with disabilities. Larry has long been a pioneer and recognized world expert in the technology, policy, and business aspects of making media and technology accessible to all. Larry initiated the development of the recently implemented captioning system for digital television in the United States and served as the founding chair of the Working Group of the Electronic Industries Association responsible for designing a captioning system for the country’s Advanced Television system. He has served on the Federal Communications Commission’s Technological Advisory Council and is a board member of the Alliance for Public Technology and of the Institute for Human-Centered Design (formerly Adaptive Environments) of Boston.
• Linda Roberts, Senior Advisor, National Education Technology Plan
  Linda Roberts, senior advisor, National Education Technology Plan, directed the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology from its inception in September 1993 to January 2001 and served as the Secretary of Education’s senior adviser on technology. While project director and senior associate at the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, Linda led three landmark technology studies: Power On! New Tools for Teaching and Learning; Linking for Learning: A New Course for Education; and Adult Literacy and Technology: Tools for a Lifetime. Linda advises leading technology companies, foundations, and government agencies. She is a trustee of the Sesame Workshop and the Education Development Center and is a board director of Wireless Generation.

Madison Ballroom

10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Panel Discussion: Foundation Perspective
Foundations are responding to the economic downturn and emerging national trends at the same time. Key foundation leaders spoke about how they balance priorities and set the pace for innovation.

• Jillian Darwish, Executive Director, Institute for Creative Collaboration, KnowledgeWorks Foundation
  Jillian Darwish, executive director of the Institute for Creative Collaboration, leads a team that supports the development of state-based education transformation through systemic dialogue founded on shared purpose and values. Jill is an award-winning educator who has taught a wide range of students from primary through graduate school. After leaving the classroom, she developed and led Educational Services for WCET/Channel 48, the PBS affiliate in Cincinnati. While at WCET, she and her team created numerous multimedia educational offerings for K–12 teachers and students. As director of organizational learning at the Hamilton County Educational Service Center, Jill received national recognition as she led the design and implementation of an organizational learning system serving 500 colleagues and the school leaders within the 22 public school districts of Hamilton County. In her prior work as Collaborative Knowledge Management program director with KnowledgeWorks Foundation, she and her team created a vibrant peer-to-peer learning network with 1,100 teachers across 52 small schools in Ohio.
• Leah Hamilton, Program Officer, Urban Education, Carnegie Corporation of New York
  Leah Hamilton joins Carnegie Corporation of New York after five years working on education reform at the New York City Department of Education. As Executive Director of The Office of Multiple Pathways to Graduation (OMPG), launched in September 2005, Ms. Hamilton worked to drive system innovation and reform by targeting graduation rate improvement for New York City’s most at-risk youth. She oversaw the Multiple Pathways to Graduation strategy’s aggressive growth from start-up through full implementation of a rigorous model of data-driven strategic planning, partnership capacity building and model portfolio development for a system of recuperative education representing more than $50 million dollars in targeted investments. She has also served in the Department of Education as the Director of Community-Based Organization Networks and Interim Director of Student Support Services. Ms. Hamilton offers ten years of experience leading diverse teams in large-scale, long-term strategic planning and implementation in both the private and public sectors. She has a B.A. in philosophy from Williams College and an M.B.A. and M.S.W. from Columbia University.
• Lance Potter, Senior Evaluation Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
  Lance Potter is the senior evaluation officer in U.S. Program Advocacy at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He is responsible for evaluation of the foundation’s policy and communications efforts in the United States. Previously, he was senior study director and director of health communication research at Westat, a social science research organization, where he directed numerous studies assessing the outcomes of health communications campaigns. Prior to Westat, Lance was director of evaluation for the Corporation for National and Community Service, the community service agency that includes AmeriCorps. There he directed evaluations of federal community-service initiatives and led technical assistance efforts to enhance the evaluation capacity of non-profit organizations.

Montpelier Room

12:00 – 12:15 p.m.

Closing Comments by Tracy Gray