Please look carefully at the location for these workshops, they are not the same for each workshop. If you choose one of these CREST workshops and want to purchase lunch, please do so with the link at the bottom of the page.
Please also check the Special Education Leaders/Substantially Separate North Reading page for more SLSS workshop options
NORTHERN ESSEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Technology Ctr, 1st Floor, Haverhill Campus, 100 Eliot Street, Haverhill, MA
CREST1 8:30-2:30 Restorative Justice Practices for Teachers and Administrators
Edgar Vasquez, M. Ed.
Restorative justice (RJ) offers healthy alternatives to the traditional disciplinary approach of rules and the consequences of breaking those rules. RJ practices such as peer conflict resolution circles, reflection sheets that guide conversations with a teacher or administrator, and mediated student-student or student-adult conversations are practices that allow students and communities to feel safe and successful together. While traditional rules-and-consequences discipline is sometimes effective in stopping detrimental behaviors, it may have negative effects on the long-term resilience and connection within the community. It’s worth considering the impact that such discipline has on our relationships within our schools, and on students’ identity and self-esteem, and what RJ has to offer as an alternative.
Edgar Vasquez is passionate about working with adolescents. Currently, as Dean of Students at the Boston Arts Academy of the Boston Public Schools for 7 years, Edgar believes that young people are often misheard or misinterpreted. He encourages students to make their points clearly and respectfully, regardless of any obstacles that may be present. Mr. Vasquez’s background is in Psychology and Juvenile Justice. Before joining Boston Arts Academy, he was Dean of Students at the Lilla G. Frederick School in Dorchester, and Department of Youth Services. He was raised in Boston and currently resides in Upham’s Corner. Mr. Vasquez enjoys spending time with his son, staying active, and drawing.
CREST COLLABORATIVE, 9 Branch Street, Methuen, MA
CREST2A 8:30-11:00 Alexa…Alexa can you engage, empower, and educate all of my students, including those with complex educational needs?
Lindsay Marcoux, M.S., CCC-SLP, ATP and Jennifer Stylianos, M.S., OTR/L, ATP
Alexa…Alexa can you engage, empower, and educate all of my students, including those with complex educational needs? This workshop will offer live-demonstrations using a variety of Amazon devices including the Echo Dot, Show, Show 5, and Echo Buttons. Participants will observe and experience real-world applications of the virtual assistant’s actions, skills, routines, and blueprints. Don’t know what a blueprint is? We’ll show you! Learn about the built-in accessibility features for vision, hearing, and those who use communication devices. Topics will include Alexa basics, how to install available skills and create routines. Participants will leave the session empowered with the knowledge of how to support executive functioning, social skills, and increase engagement opportunities for AAC users.
Lindsay Marcoux is a licensed speech-language pathologist who has worked in the field of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) as a consultant since 2010. She received her Master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of New Hampshire in 2009. During that time, she also earned a Graduate Certificate in assistive technology. Ms. Marcoux specializes in working with students with complex communication needs that use alternative access methods. Lindsay holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence in speech-language pathology from the American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA) and is a member of ASHA’s Special Interest Division 12 (AAC Division). Ms. Marcoux currently holds her Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) credential through the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America, (RESNA).
CREST2B 11:45-2:30 The Accessible Chromebook
Jennifer Stylianos, M.S., OTR/L, ATP
Chromebooks come with a variety of accessibility features and functionalities built-in, which may be useful for your students. In this workshop, you will learn about built-in features such as text to speech, magnification, dictation and more. Explore the power of the Google search bar and universal access features of the Google app including Docs and Slides. We will also discuss several popular extensions for reading, writing, and executive functioning supports.
Jennifer Stylianos is a licensed Occupational Therapist and Adjunct Faculty at the University of New Hampshire. She obtained her B.S. with a double major and honors in Psychology and Health Sciences from Stephens College in Columbia, MO. Ms. Stylianos completed graduate school at Tufts University in Medford, MA where she obtained her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy.Ms. Stylianos has been working exclusively in the field of assistive technology for almost a decade and holds her ATP certification through RESNA. Her passion is blending technology with real tasks to create solutions that work now and help to build the student’s lagging skills. She has presented locally and nationally on a variety of subjects including emergent writing, executive functioning supports and switch access.
CREST COLLABORATIVE, 9 Branch Street, Methuen, MA
CREST3 9:00-2:30 Using Autism Curriculum Encyclopedia (ACE) ® Skills, Lessons, and Data to Build an MCAS-ALT Portfolio
Theresa Passmore, MSEd, BCBA, LABA, The New England Center for Children
Audience: Current ACE-users, Sub-Separate Special Education Teachers, Team Chairs, and Administrators
This workshop is designed to allow current ACE users to work hands-on independently, and with the guidance from ACE trainers in order to select MA entry point skills to meet the needs of your learners, select ACE lesson plans to teach those skills, and identify instruction and evidence that will contribute to the MCAS-Alternate Assessment Portfolios. Users should come with MCAS-ALT materials and personal internet-enabled devices. The workshop chairs will be available for the duration of the workshop to answer questions.
The New England Center for Children has served students with special needs for over forty years, leading curriculum development and research for autism education.
