Michael Ford, nationally known writer and educational consultant, will be the keynote speaker at Penn State Lehigh Valley's Best Practices Conference from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12, on the Penn State Lehigh Valley campus. This conference, sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Writing Project, is designed for elementary and secondary education teachers, and will count for six ACT 48 hours. The conference features interactive workshops and informal presentations by Summer Institute participants, Lehigh Valley Writing Project fellows and classroom teachers based on their classroom inquiry. The Lehigh Valley Writing Project is a federally funded National Writing Project program established in 1989 at Penn State Lehigh Valley.
Ford, associate dean of the College of Education and Human Services at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, will speak on "Best Practice in Reading and Writing Programs: What We Can Learn from Exemplary Teachers." Ford is the co-author of "Reaching Readers" and "Where Have All the Bluebirds Gone." He has written professional articles for The Reading Teacher, Reading Today, Language Arts and The Learning Disabilities Forum. He has spent the past 17 years working on reading issues and ideas with both preservice and inservice teachers throughout the world.
In addition to the keynote address, Ford will present a breakout session, "Don't Forget the FUNdamentals of Reading and Writing." Other workshop topics include "Pennsylvania Literacy Framework," "Literacy Coaching: Effective Communication Strategies for Teachers," "The Challenge of National Teacher Certification," "Writing and Technology Equals Lots of Fun and Learning" and "Using Multicultural Literature in an ESL Classroom."
The cost of the conference is $40, which includes a continental breakfast and lunch. Registration is due by Jan. 31. For more information, call Nancy Coco at (610) 285-5026 or e-mail nxc4@psu.edu.