2012+Speakers+and++Facilitators

= Looking Up and Out Speakers =

**Dr. Hiller Spires,**is a Professor of Literacy and Technology in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction; she received her Ph.D. in literacy education from the University of South Carolina. She served as the founding director of The William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovationfrom 2002-2006 and currently serves as FI Senior Research Fellow. Her research focuses on the effects of digital literacies on learning, including emerging literacies associated with gaming environments. Hiller is co-PI on the NSF-funded projects, Crystal Islandand Narrative Theatre. She has published in Journal of Educational Psychology, Cognition & Instruction, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, Literacy Research & Instruction, Journal of Computing Education Research, among other journals. She received the NC State Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Award in 2012. Hiller coordinates the New Literacies & Global Learning graduate program and co-directs the Friday Institute’s [|New Literacies Collaborative]. Check out her [|website]. She likes to create large-scale non-representational paintings as a hobby. Hiller was one of the original creators of the NLI in 2009.

**[|Donald J. Leu, PhD]**, 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. Don was one of the original creators of the NLI in 2009.

==== **Richard Beach** is Professor Emeritus of English Education at the University of Minnesota. A former high school English teacher, he is a native of Durham, North Carolina. He is author or co-author of 18 books, including Teaching to Exceed the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards (http://englishccss.pbworks.com); Teaching Writing Using Blogs, Wikis, and Other Digital Tools (http://digitalwriting.pbworks.com); Literacy Tools in the Classroom: Teaching Through Critical Inquiry, Grades 5-12 (http://literacytooluses.pbworks.com); Teaching Literature to Adolescents (http://teachingliterature.pbworks.com); and the forthcoming iBook, Using iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch Apps for Learning with Literacy Across the Curriculum (http://usingipads.pbworks.com). He is currently President-Elect of the Literacy Research Association. ====

**Eugene Wheeler** taught 5th grade for 11 years in Harnett and Wake County, and recently completed his master's degree in the New Literacies and Global Learning (K-12 Reading Licensure) in the College of Education at NC State University. View his NLGL Creative Synthesis project [|here]. He is currently pursuing employment with organizations that will allow him to work in a global context with teachers and students. He has taken educational trips to China and Vietnam with the North Carolina Teaching Asia Network (NCTAN) and to Mexico as a Fulbright-Hays Seminar Abroad award recipient. He has also worked in Mexico, Chile, and Indonesia using LEGO products for educational and charity purposes. View a documentary on LEGO Serious Play that he and a colleague created [|here].

= = = Digging Deeper Speakers =

[[image:nli2012/Juliephoto.jpg width="173" height="186" align="left"]]
[|Dr. Julie Coiro] will be a facilitator for the //Online Reading Comprehension// area of the Digging Deeper Breakouts. She began her teaching career as a special education teacher after graduating from the University of Connecticut. She received her Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in Reading from the University of New Orleans. Upon returning to Connecticut, Julie worked as a technology specialist at LEARN, a regional educational agency, before pursuing her doctorate in Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut. Currently, Julie is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at the University of Rhode Island. Among her research interests are strategic reading comprehension instruction, new literacies of the Internet, online reading comprehension, and effective practices for technology integration, assessment, and professional development. Selected publications have appeared in Reading Research Quarterly, The Reading Teacher, and Educational Leadership. Julie is also co-editor of The Handbook of Research on New Literacies (Erlbaum, 2008). Julie was one of the original creators of NLI in 2009.

**Dr. Hiller Spires,**is a Professor of Literacy and Technology in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction; she received her Ph.D. in literacy education from the University of South Carolina. She served as the founding director of The William and Ida Friday Institute for Educational Innovationfrom 2002-2006 and currently serves as FI Senior Research Fellow. Her research focuses on the effects of digital literacies on learning, including emerging literacies associated with gaming environments. She is co-PI on the NSF-funded projects, Crystal Islandand Narrative Theatre. She has published in Journal of Educational Psychology, Cognition & Instruction, Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, Literacy Research & Instruction, Journal of Computing Education Research, among other journals. She was awarded NCSU's Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professorship in 2012. She provided leadership for the New Literacies & Global Learning graduate program and co-directs the Friday Institute’s [|New Literacies Collaborative]. Check out her [|website].Hiller was one of the original creators of NLI in 2009.


 * [|Dr. John K. Lee]**, is an associate professor of social studies and middle grades education. He conducts research on digital history, and is specifically interested in the development of innovative ways for supporting teachers and students as they make use of online historical resources. He is author of the book Visualizing Elementary Social Studies Methods and co-author of the book Guiding Learning with Technology. He is also involved in efforts to theorize and develop tools and materials related to new literacies. For more see http://www4.ncsu.edu/~jkleeand @http://dhpp.org/.John was one of the original creators of NLI in 2009.

**[|Carl A. Young]**, a former middle grades and high school English teacher, is associate professor of English education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at North Carolina State University. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. At NC State, he teaches courses in English methods, teaching composition, content area reading and writing, and new literacies and emerging technologies. He conducts research on new literacies, participatory media, eportfolios, and other technology applications in English education. In addition, Dr. Young serves as chair of the CEE Commission on Technology and Teacher Education and as co-editor for the English language arts section of //Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education// //(//[|//http://www.citejournal.org//]//).// He is a member of the New Literacies Collaborative ([|http://www.newlit.org]) and co-facilitator for the annual New Literacies Teacher Leader Institute ([]), a summer professional development initiative. Selected publications have appeared in //English Education, English Journal, Journal of Literacy Research,// and //Learning & Leading with Technology//. He is currently co-editing a book highlighting research in technology and English education. Carl was one of the original creators of NLI in 2009.

[[image:nli2012/Erin.jpg width="149" height="217" align="left"]]
**Erin Krupa** is an Assistant Professor at Montclair State University in the department of mathematical sciences. She earned her Ph.D. in mathematics education at North Carolina State University (NCSU). Erin’s dissertation focused on the impact of an integrated mathematics curriculum on student achievement in high need schools, using hierarchical linear to account for variation in student achievement. It also analyzed the impact teacher’s participation in a state-funded professional development had on student achievement and on teachers’ implementation of the curriculum. Prior to returning for her Ph.D., Erin taught secondary mathematics at W.G. Enloe High School in Raleigh, NC. She a masters degree from Wake Forest University in mathematics. Erin was a Teaching Fellow at Elon University, where she earned her bachelors degree in mathematics. Erin was part of the NLI 2010 team that conducted the NLI at Beijing Royal School.

=** Cool Tools Speakers **= = =

[|Dr. Julie Coiro] will be a facilitator for the //Online Reading Comprehension//area of the Digging Deeper Breakouts. She began her teaching career as a special education teacher after graduating from the University of Connecticut. She received her Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus in Reading from the University of New Orleans. Upon returning to Connecticut, Julie worked as a technology specialist at LEARN, a regional educational agency, before pursuing her doctorate in Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut. Currently, Julie is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at the University of Rhode Island. Among her research interests are strategic reading comprehension instruction, new literacies of the Internet, online reading comprehension, and effective practices for technology integration, assessment, and professional development. Selected publications have appeared in Reading Research Quarterly, The Reading Teacher, and Educational Leadership. Julie is also co-editor of The Handbook of Research on New Literacies (Erlbaum, 2008). Julie was one of the original creators of NLI in 2009.


 * Gail Holmes** is a NCDPI Educator on Loan from Guilford County working with K-12 teachers to integrate technology into the curriculum. She is currently working on developing an information and technology toolkit to provide support for teaching and learning the Common Core and New Essential Standards. Follow the url to view the toolkit (@http://informationtechnologytoolkit.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/). She is a business education teacher who earned her Masters Degree in Business from UNC-Greensboro and a Masters Degree in Library Science from East Carolina University. Gail is a 2011 Kenan Fellow.

John was one of the original creators of NLI in 2009.
 * [|Dr. John K. Lee]**, is an associate professor of social studies and middle grades education. He conducts research on digital history, and is specifically interested in the development of innovative ways for supporting teachers and students as they make use of online historical resources. He is author of the book Visualizing Elementary Social Studies Methods and co-author of the book Guiding Learning with Technology. He is also involved in efforts to theorize and develop tools and materials related to new literacies. For more see http://www4.ncsu.edu/~jkleeand @http://dhpp.org/.

=

 * [[image:nli2012/Beachphoto.jpg align="left"]]Richard Beach ** is Professor Emeritus of English Education at the University of Minnesota. A former high school English teacher, he is a native of Durham, North Carolina. He is author or co-author of 18 books, including //Teaching to Exceed the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards// (http://englishccss.pbworks.com); //Teaching Writing Using Blogs, Wikis, and Other Digital Tools// (http://digitalwriting.pbworks.com); //Literacy Tools in the Classroom: Teaching Through Critical Inquiry, Grades 5-12// (http://literacytooluses.pbworks.com); //Teaching Literature to Adolescents// (http://teachingliterature.pbworks.com); and the forthcoming iBook, //Using iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch Apps for Learning with Literacy Across the Curriculum// (http://usingipads.pbworks.com). He is currently President-Elect of the Literacy Research Association. =====

**Laura B. Fogle** has twenty years of experience in educational technology. She worked in computer support for private industry and has taught in elementary and middle school. She has developed online graduate courses and regularly conducts in-person training for teachers. She has also written for //Tech&Learning//. Fogle has presented at the North Carolina Technology in Education Society conference (NCTIES), Middle Educators Global Activities, and National Educational Computing Conference (NECC). Currently, she is a technology facilitator for Durham Public Schools. Fogle holds a BS in Electrical Engineering and a teaching certificate for K-6 education, middle grades technology with a computer endorsement.

**Julian Nichols-Wilson** is a graduate of Fairmont High School, Fairmont, NC, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she majored in Speech/Language Pathology and Audiology. She served as a speech pathologist in the states of Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Desiring to continue as a lifelong learner, she later earned a Master of Education degree in Instructional Technology, from East Carolina University. She has experience in the classroom; has served as a Technology Facilitator, and trainer for teachers. She has also (as a volunteer) facilitated the development of websites for churches and charities across North Carolina.

As Chief Academic Advisor of VIF International Education, **MarkOtter** ensures that VIF’s programs and teachers promote student achievement and global awareness. He joined VIF as a teacher in 1998 and has been on staff since 2008. Otter taught high school Math and Science for over 10 years in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Otter is a graduate of Acadia and Concordia Universities.


 * Dr. Kevin Oliver** is an Associate Professor in Instructional Technology at NC State University's Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education.He received his Ph.D. in Instructional Technology from the University of Georgia in 1999, and his M.Ed. in Educational Media and Instructional Design from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1993. Prior to his employment at NCSU, Kevin was Project Director for the federally-funded SEIR*TEC initiative, based in Durham, North Carolina (2002-2004), providing technical assistance and evaluation-related services to state departments of education throughout the southeast. Kevin formerly served as an Instructional Design and Evaluation specialist with Virginia Tech's Educational Technologies division (1999-2002), and as Instructor with Southern Illinois University's Curriculum and Instruction department (1998-1999).

==== **Erin Krupa** is currently an Assistant Professor at Montclair State University in the department of mathematical sciences. She earned her Ph.D. in mathematics education at North Carolina State University (NCSU). Erin’s dissertation focused on the impact of an integrated mathematics curriculum on student achievement in high need schools, using hierarchical linear modeling to account for variation in student achievement. It also analyzed the impact teacher’s participation in a state-funded professional development had on student achievement and on teachers’ implementation of the curriculum. Prior to returning for her Ph.D., Erin taught secondary mathematics at W.G. Enloe High School in Raleigh, NC. She holds a masters degree from Wake Forest University in mathematics. Erin was a Teaching Fellow at Elon University, where she earned her bachelors degree in mathematics. ====


 * Bethany Smith,** is the Asst. Director of Learning Technologies for the College of Education at NC State University. She has worked in Middle School & High Schools, as well as Industry, before coming to work at the College of Education. Bethany has her undergraduate degree in Technology Education, and her Master's of Science in Instructional Technology, both from NC State University. Bethany conducts technology integration training both at the university and state-wide level.

==== **Nancy Mangum** is an Education Consultant working at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation. Her role at the Friday Institute includes working with district leadership and principals across North Carolina to design and deliver training for educators as they work to create 21st century classrooms. With over 12 years of experience as a classroom teacher, technology facilitator and district leader, Nancy is passionate about the work that she does! Her goal is to transform teaching practices by training educators to use web 2.0 tools and other technology and help them find their own passion for learning and teaching! To contact her: nkmangum@ncsu.edu ====

P**enny Crooks** is currently an assistant principal at Asheboro High School in Asheboro, North Carolina. Her responsibilities related to the 1:1 digital conversion include scheduling, planning and implementing Professional Development, modeling 1:1 implementation at the high school, and facilitating the Moodle learning management system. Crooks is also a doctoral candidate at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she is studying adolescent literacy and identity. Prior to being an assistant principal and beginning her graduate studies, Crooks was a high school English teacher for ten years. Contact her at Pcrooks@asheboro.k12.nc.us

= Project-Based Inquiry (PBI) Facilitators =

**Charley Norkus** is a history teacher at Athens Drive High School working with at-risk students in a virtual learning environment. He completed his M.Ed. in New Literacies and Global Learning this past spring at State and is currently a teacher assistant for Dr. Lee's ECI 524 class - Theory and Research in Global Learning. As a teacher leader at Athens, Charley shares new technologies with coworkers and offers them assistance in globally collaborating with foreign classes. For more on what Charley does at Athens, see [|http://vlathens.weebly.com], and for NLGL, see [|http://nlglcharleynorkus.weebly.com].

**Aaron Johnson** is a recent graduate of the New Literacies and Global Learning Masters program at North Carolina State University. Aaron taught 8th grade social studies in Lee County for six years. This fall, he will begin a graduate assistantship at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, where he will be working on a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction. Aaron's professional interests include contemporary approaches to the social studies curriculum and the development of alternative forms of student assessment.


 * Gail Holmes** is a NCDPI Educator on Loan from Guilford County working with K-12 teachers to integrate technology into the curriculum. She is currently working on developing an information and technology toolkit to provide support for teaching and learning the Common Core and New Essential Standards. Follow the url to view the toolkit (@http://informationtechnologytoolkit.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/). She is a business education teacher who earned her Masters Degree in Business from UNC-Greensboro and a Masters Degree in Library Science from East Carolina University. Gail is a 2011 Kenan Fellow.

 **Celeste Bryant** is a teacher for the Wake County Public School System in Raleigh, North Carolina. She completed her Master’s Degree in Middle Grades Education with a concentration in Social Studies at North Carolina State University. Celeste received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. For the past ten years, she has also taught piano lessons and general music classes in Wake Forest and Raleigh. Celeste was a participant in the 2011 New Literacies Teacher Leader Institute. Her goal is increase her knowledge in Web 2.0 tools and technologies to enhance student learning in the classroom.

**Laura B. Fogle** has twenty years of experience in educational technology. She worked in computer support for private industry and has taught in elementary and middle school. She has developed online graduate courses and regularly conducts in-person training for teachers. She has also written for //Tech&Learning//. Fogle has presented at the North Carolina Technology in Education Society conference (NCTIES), Middle Educators Global Activities, and National Educational Computing Conference (NECC). Currently, she is a technology facilitator for Durham Public Schools. Fogle holds a BS in Electrical Engineering and a teaching certificate for K-6 education, middle grades technology with a computer endorsement.




 * Julian Nichols-Wilson** is a graduate of Fairmont High School, Fairmont, NC, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she majored in Speech/Language Pathology and Audiology. She served as a speech pathologist in the states of Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Desiring to continue as a lifelong learner, she later earned a Master of Education degree in Instructional Technology, from East Carolina University. She has experience in the classroom; has served as a Technology Facilitator, and trainer for teachers. She has also (as a volunteer) facilitated the development of websites for churches and charities across North Carolina.

** Melissa E. Bartlett ** is an experienced educator who holds North Carolina teaching certifications in K-12 ESL, 6-8 Language Arts, 9-12 English, and National Board Certification in Early Adolescent Language Arts. Her educational experience includes community college administration, K-12 system level administration, and teaching in traditional, charter, and innovative redesign high schools and middle schools in North Carolina. Bartlett has taught high school in the U. S. Virgin Islands and in Kenya and Freshman English at the American University in Cairo. Bartlett was chosen as North Carolina’s 2002-03 Teacher of the Year and currently serves as an at-large member of the North Carolina State Board of Education. Bartlett is now pursuing a Ph. D. in Curriculum and Instruction at North Carolina State University and working as a graduate research assistant at the Friday Institute.

**Andrea Gambino** is originally from West Palm Beach, FL but grew up in Raleigh, NC. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Middle Grades Education with duel certification in Language Arts and Social Studies at North Carolina State University in 2008. She is approaching her fifth year at Centennial Campus Magnet Middle School as a 7th grade social studies’ teacher and has previously taught English Language Arts. She is interested in professional development for educators in primary and secondary education particularly in the area of technology and new literacies. She has presented at NCTE and MEGA in the area of digital narratives, student produced video, and the implementation of web tools to support literacy and student engagement in the classroom. She completed her Master’s Degree in Middle Grades Education with a specialization in New Literacies and Global Learning at North Carolina State University in 2011 ([|click here to view her graduate synthesis]). She aspires to obtain her Ph.D in the area of social studies education and instructional technology. Outside of professional endeavors she is passionate about music, fashion, and loves spending time with her family and friends.


 * [[image:nli2012/Sinky.jpg width="160" height="160" align="left"]]Meixun (Sinky) Zheng** received her Ph. D. degree in Curriculum & Instruction with a specialization in Literacy Education at NC State University in Spring 2012. Her dissertation focused on student emotion and playful learning experience in a narrative-centerred game-based learning environment. She is currently working as a research associate at the Friday Institute, conducting research in the areas of technology-supported literacy education innovation and teacher education. During her graduate years at NCSU, she worked at Friday Institute on an NSF-funded game-based science learning project and taught reading education online courses in department of C & I. Prior to coming to the U.S for her Ph.D., she received her Master's Degree in Educational Administration and Bachelor's degree in English as a Second Language Education, both from East China Normal University in Shanghai, China.

==== **Erin Krupa** is currently an Assistant Professor at Montclair State University in the department of mathematical sciences. She earned her Ph.D. in mathematics education at North Carolina State University (NCSU). Erin’s dissertation focused on the impact of an integrated mathematics curriculum on student achievement in high need schools, using hierarchical linear modeling to account for variation in student achievement. It also analyzed the impact teacher’s participation in a state-funded professional development had on student achievement and on teachers’ implementation of the curriculum. Prior to returning for her Ph.D., Erin taught secondary mathematics at W.G. Enloe High School in Raleigh, NC. She holds a masters degree from Wake Forest University in mathematics. Erin was a Teaching Fellow at Elon University, where she earned her bachelors degree in mathematics. ====

 **Christine Christianson** is a graduate teaching assistant in The College of Education at North Carolina State University. An experienced educator with 15 years of combined experience teaching English in public secondary schools, community colleges, and universities, Christine is currently pursuing a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction at NCSU. Christine earned her BS and MS in English from Radford University in Virginia. Prior to moving to North Carolina in 2009, she taught academic writing at the University of Waikato and advised the Head of School, Design and Humanities at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic in Tauranga, New Zealand. Her research interests include trauma narrative, therapeutic writing, and multimodal learning. She is currently exploring the i ntegration of multimodal learning and how it affects learners of different backgrounds and their literacy experiences in the classroom.

**Abbey Heilmann** is a faculty member of the Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is a 2004 graduate of Clemson University. In 2010, she received her M.Ed. in Middle Grades Education with an emphasis in Social Studies and New Literacies and Global Learning from North Carolina State University. After completing her fifth year of teaching, she is experienced in both social studies and English language arts education. Abbey’s educational interests primarily focus on the integration of Web 2.0 tools and inquiry based learning. In addition, she uses social networking tools such as Twitter and Facebook to grow her professional learning network. http://heilmann.wikispaces.com/


 * [[image:nli2012/profile pic 2.jpg width="151" height="146" align="left"]]Crystal Simmons** is a Curriculum and Instruction doctoral student at North Carolina State University with a concentration in Social Studies Education. She received her bachelors in history and international studies at UNC-Chapel Hill. Also at UNC-Chapel Hill she obtained her Masters of Education in Social Studies Education. For six years she taught 8th grade social studies both in Asheboro City and Durham Public Schools . Her leadership roles within the schools included department chair for the social studies department, team leader, faculty council, and after school manager. While in her fifth year of teaching she was named teacher of the year for Githens Middle School in Durham. Currently as a full time doctoral student she teaches pre-service teachers in social studies methods for middle grades and an introductory course to education. Her research interests are critical race theory and racial identity development in social studies education.