St Thomas Aquinas College to Host 21st Annual Rockland Literacy Professional Conference

St. Thomas Aquinas College will host the 21st annual Rockland Literacy Professional Conference for teachers, administrators, teacher educators, support personnel, pre-service teachers, and all others interested in education on Saturday, October 22, 2016, 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. in the College’s Romano Student

Alumni Center in Sparkill, announced Dr. Michael Shaw, Professor of Education at the College. The event provides professional development that focuses on teaching all students, Pre-K through 12th grade, for 21st century success.

This year’s conference will feature longer 90 minute workshops for more interactive learning. Our major focuses to prepare students for 21st century success center on best practices for teaching new digital literacies: STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics), ENL (English as a New Language), teaching struggling readers
and writers, close reading and academic writing, early childhood and helping every child to be a “super reader.” There will be more than 20 professional workshops (PreK–12) by exemplary educators, a publisher’s display and author signings, free raffles for professional books and classroom resources, complimentary continental breakfast, and certificates of attendance for professional requirements.

The major keynote speakers include nationally recognized giants in literacy education, Pam Allyn and Ernest Morell (courtesy of Scholastic, Inc.), and Donald Leu. Allyn is the director of LitWorld, author of multiple professional books and a world renowned literacy expert and motivational speaker. Morell is an award winning author, teacher and researcher, past president of the National Council of Teachers of English and has been named a top university-based education scholar. Together, Allyn and Morell are co-authors of “Every Child A Super Reader”. Leu is director of New Literacies Research Lab at University of Connecticut, an international authority on literacy education, especially new skills and strategies with internet technologies, has authored more than 100 research publications and 17 professional books and is a member of the Reading Hall of Fame. He will be discussing “Teaching Our Way to Success: New Literacies for New Times”.

Dr. Shaw said, “This is our most important Literacy Professional Conference because it directly addresses all teaching skills and strategies needed to prepare all students, Pre-K through 12th grade, to achieve Common Core State Standards success while also preparing students for future life success.”

The event is being sponsored by Child Care Resources of Rockland, SUNY New Paltz, Pace University, Rockland Reading Council, Rockland Teachers’ Center, Scholastic, St. John’s University, and St. Thomas Aquinas College.

The event is open to the public. The early registration fee is $40 or $25 for full-time students if registered by September 30th. If registering between October 1 and October 19, the fee is $50 or $25 for full-time students. The on-site registration fee is $60 at the door or $40 for full-time students. Educators who pre-register with a friend are eligible for a $25 voucher redeemable at one vendor of choice the day of the event. There is also a complimentary continental breakfast and a free raffle. Register online at http://www.rockteach.org/ or contact Dr. Shaw at mshaw@stac.edu or Deborah Studnitzer or dstudnitzer@rockteach.org for mail-in registration form or more information.

St. Thomas Aquinas College is an independent liberal arts and sciences college located on 60 acres in Rockland County, NY which provides education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The College’s 2,800 full and part time students can choose from more than 100 different majors, minors, specializations, and dual degree programs across three Schools: Arts & Sciences, Business, and Education. The College is recognized by U.S. News & World Report in the Top-Tier for Regional Universities, by Colleges of Distinction in both its New York and Catholic editions, by Affordable Colleges Online as a top College in New York for Return on Investment, and is included as a Military Friendly School®. St. Thomas Aquinas College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; its School of Education is accredited by National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education(NCATE); and its School of Business is accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE). For more information, visit www.stac.edu.