Distinguished Presenters a Major Draw at SDE's Extraordinary Educators Conference

PETERBOROUGH, N.H., May 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- K-12 educators nationwide are registering to attend the Extraordinary Educator's Conference, a brand new and unprecedented national professional development conference from Staff Development for Educators (SDE), taking place in Chicago, July 21-24, 2013. And the lineup of presenters is a major factor in the popularity that the conference is experiencing.

The first-of-its-kind conference is a fresh and timely four-day event that is designed to meet the most current and demanding needs of educators—needs that they have shared with SDE for helping every student become successful. Conference content is aligned with cutting-edge pedagogical thinking and today's evolving classroom technology innovation.

The lineup of presenters is replete with education luminaries. "This is a dedicated team of truly extraordinary educators," reports Kate Maggs, SDE's Program Planning Manager. "They are thought leaders who, as individuals, are the movers and shakers in K-12 education, committed to improving learning success for all children. Participants will learn things that they have not encountered at any other event."

Included on the list of top presenters is Yong Zhao, Ph.D., an internationally known scholar, author, and speaker whose work focuses on the implications of globalization and technology for education. He has designed schools that cultivate global competence, developed computer games for language learning, and founded research and development institutions to explore innovative education models. He has published over 100 articles and 20 books.

Joining Yong Zhao will be Rick Wormeli, award-winning author, renowned educational consultant, and one of the first Nationally Board Certified teachers in America. He was the recipient of Disney's American Teacher Awards 1996 Outstanding English Teacher of the Nation. His work in middle school instruction is considered by many to be the defining work in that subject.

"If you haven't met Rick Wormeli, you're missing out on something very special," adds Maggs. "He is a riveting presenter. He's incredibly committed to improving teaching and learning. He's as smart as can be—and a super-nice guy."

Literacy expert Tim Shanahan, Ph.D. is Professor of Urban Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he is Director of the UIC Center for Literacy. He has been president of the International Reading Association and director of reading for the Chicago Public Schools, serving 437,000 children. His research focuses on the relationship of reading and writing, school improvement, the assessment of reading ability, and family literacy. He has published more than 150 research articles, chapters, and books on literacy.

Math expert Greg Tang is the author of eight math books, including "The Grapes of Math" and "Math for All Seasons," Today, Greg is working to develop a more intuitive approach to teaching math, one that combines problem-solving and arithmetic and integrates math with language and art.

Internationally renowned speaker, educational consultant, and best-selling author Principal Baruti Kafele is on a personal mission to motivate, educate and empower educators, parents, and children toward the elimination of the attitude gap—the world over. Convinced that school climate and culture are the vehicles toward transforming student attitudes, he provides school leaders and teachers with a framework for completely overhauling the climate and culture of their schools and classrooms. Not only does he talk about what works, but he has also lived it as the leader of four urban public schools for fourteen years as a popular award-winning principal in New Jersey.

The cadre of top conference presenters also includes multiple-award-winning school-improvement and literacy expert Douglas Fisher, Ph.D.

About SDE

SDE provides professional development for preK through grade 12 educators. Through Onsite PD, PD Events, Web-based PD, and PD Resources, the company empowers teachers and administrators across the country with ongoing professional development that is not only research-based, innovative, and rigorous, but also practical, motivating, and fun. All SDE training is presented by the nation's top authors and educational experts, with the goal of creating extraordinary classrooms that prepare students for the evolving demands of the 21st century.

Educators interested in learning more about SDE's national conferences and the many other professional development opportunities offered by SDE can visit the company's website, www.SDE.com, or call 1-800-462-1478.

SOURCE Staff Development for Educators