Vibrant Living and Learning: Celebrating Body/Brain Enhancements for All Ages - (Jeff Haebig) Capture the exhilaration of whole body/brain-enhanced learning, exploring current neuroscience suggesting the most effective ways to capture attention, boost motivation, extend memory, and enhance academic performance for all ages and learning styles. Watch or participate in dozens of novel activities designed to heighten physical, mental, emotional, and social states essential for peak performance. Explore wholesome ways to balance mental harmony with high body energy through diet, exercise, stress and feeling management, communication, rest, sleep, humor, optimism and elation. Inspire yourself and others to be their best and celebrate your successes along the way.

Vibrant Living and Learning Follow-up - (Jeff Haebig) Come in with your questions and comments regarding the Vibrant Living and Learning Keynote. Responses will be presented in an audience-active way, role-modeling the active approaches to learning being advanced.

Technology: Ed-Line - (John Dorn) Edline is a total online solution for schools. Edline enabled the faculty at Salem Lutheran to take their GradeQuick student data and other information and place it securely online. Parents can then be "in the know" quickly and easily. Edline gives teachers the capability to be in direct contact with parents at all times.

Multicultural Education: Christ-centered Education for All - (Dr. Scott Gostchok) The overall arching principle is equity and excellence based upon our sure foundation Jesus Christ. Education in schools must be for all students: All students regardless of age, sex, SES, cultural or ethnic background, disabilities, aspirations, or interest and motivation in education, should have the opportunity to attain high levels of educational achievement. Multicultural education, based on God's Word allows us to provide the best for ALL students now and for generations to come.

The Importance of Parental Involvement in the LES - (Gene Martens) Parental involvement in school can be a hot button for teachers and parents alike - especially as children get into the middle school years. How much is too much? What is a teacher to do when you'd like more involvement from parents? This session will not offer a silver bullet but will discuss research and strategies to create a positive climate that welcomes parental involvement.

Learning Is Fun Experiences: Active Learning - (Dominic Jacobs) Your students like to have fun. You want them to learn. Can you have it both ways? YES! If you want to broaden your scope of teaching methods, you must think outside the desk. Based on brain-body research, you will take with you a wealth of ideas to use in your classroom. Come prepared to play as many activities are demonstrated. Bring an idea to share.

Minnesota for Mini-Sotans - (Debby Anderson) Minnesota for Mini-Sotans is a curriculum for children from age 3 to 8+. During the workshop I will introduce the attendees to creative and fun ways to teach "Mini-Sotans" the geography, culture, natural resources, history, and industries of the North Star State. Original songs will be sung, art and science projects will be demonstrated, and they will be introduced to wonderful children's literature with Minnesota themes. They will also see how they can use the curriculum as a self-contained unit, along with teaching the alphabet, or in conjunction with other themes in the class.

Identifying and Accommodating Students with Autism and Asperger Syndrome - (Philip M. Zahn) Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) includes autism and Asperger Syndrome. What are the tell-tale signs of ASD that you can observe in your classroom? An overview of these characteristics of ASD will precede an survey of the many ways in which children with ASD can be served not only in a school classroom, but in your classroom. You'll discover that what works for students with ASD will work with all your students. Topics will include: How do students with autism learn? How can I address sensory differences? How do I address social and behavioral challenges? What adaptations make learning easier? Bring along questions and be ready to take with you references and resources for serving students with ASD in your classroom.

How to Welcome Insects into Your Classroom without Going Buggy - (Phil Moll) Join Phil Moll and Lae D. Bug as they share fun and instructive ways of welcoming Class Insecta into your classroom. Lots of “live” doorprizes to take home as well as some fun surprises.

Body/Brain GAIN - Get Students Ready to Excel in School through Movement - (Jeff Haebig) Many students falling behind in school possess immature body/brain systems that make simple writing, reading, math and other academic pursuits more difficult to master. This is particularly true today as many children spend more time with television, computers and play station – than playground and active sports. Sedentary living with less robust movement activities weakens the vestibular, reflex, proprioceptive, visual, auditory and motor systems involved with learning. As a result, many students lack the visual acuity and auditory discrimination needed to excel in reading – they lack the fine-motor skills involved with writing – and the gross motor and body-in-space skills involved with math and staying focused and attentive. Frustrations grow leading to lower esteem and behavior problems that further interfere with learning. Today, there are dozens of handy ways to stimulate body/brain maturity using well-proven methods. By going beyond the cultural norm, increasing the frequency, intensity and duration of each physical activity, body/brain cells and systems are strengthened, readying learners to excel in their academic pursuits.

We Are the Body of Christ - (Rev. Tony Schultz) We will look at powerpoint slides as we consider law and gospel--sin and grace--opportunities to grow in our personal faith and in faithfulness shepherding Jesus' lambs and sheep.

Body/Brain BOOGIE - Capture the Neurobiology of Learning through Dance - (Jeff Haebig) Experience a rhyming, rhythmical sequence of movements to music showing how body/brain cells and system work together to learn. We will make dendrites dance, get myelin smiling, synapses singing, and the cerebellum ringing. Use this information, teaching students, parents and staff members how essential movement is to learn and extend memory. Put hip to lip -- shake, rattle n’ role model body/brain-based learning through playful movements.

Vibrant Living and Learning Follow-up: Celebrating Body/brain Enhancements for All Ages - (Jeff Haebig) Come in with your questions and comments regarding the Vibrant Living and Learning Keynote. Responses will be presented in an audience-active way, role-modeling the active approaches to learning being advanced.

Helping Children with Reading and Spelling Problems - (Bryon Strei) Bryon Strei has recently authored three editions of his Exploring Words to Achieve Reading and Spelling Success program. He has done this following over thirty years as a specific learning disabilities teacher in the Rochester Public Schools. Bryon will provide an overview of his dynamic program, highlight how it relates to current brain research, and present the case for the necessity to refocus our instructional efforts.

Oodles of Art - (Lori Shaver) "Biocolor-The Imagination Playground" - This fun workshop introduces dozens of creative art ideas using Biocolor, an exciting and award winning paint. Learn creative new techniques for making colorful Rainbow Paintings, Magic Comet, Balloon Painting, Resist Art, Mask Making, Ornaments, Bioputty & more. Includes a comprehensive handout.

School Recruitment 101 - (Jodeen Britton and Roberta Peters) It's time to maximize your school's potential as an outreach tool! Jodeen and Roberta will share their three years of recruiting experiences that will jump-start your program.

Reaching Preadolescents - (Brent and Wendy Baumler) Brent and Wendy will be identifying emotional concerns of pre-teens, developmental and behavioral considerations as well as general trends in the area of pre-teen mental health. They will address practical interventions for teachers to apply in the classroom, promoting effective outreach to their students.

When Children Struggle to Learn: Vision and Learning Problems - (Gerri Struss) Did you know that one out of four children enter your classroom without the visual skills necessary to learn? Strong tracking, eye teaming, and focusing skills are necessary to learn. Do any of your at-risk students fit the "seems bright but can't read" model? Delays in visual development cause students to struggle with reading, spelling, and handwriting. The presentation includes: symptoms of visual problems, how visual problems impact learning, and how vision therapy corrects visual problems.

How to Spot Emotional Problems in Children - This three (3) hour session is specifically designed to fulfill the requirements for renewal of professional licenses. Applicants must include in their professional development activities which provide an understanding of key warning signs for early-onset mental illness in children and adolescents. Any Minnesota licensed teachers who will be renewing their licenses in 2006 or later will be benefited by this offering. We will look at various indicators of mental illness in children and adolescents. The session will be informative and interactive with an additional emphasis on giving the participants ample time for sharing their experiences and for asking questions. Participants will receive certificates of attendance so that proper credit can be received.

Walking in the Shoes of a Person with Dyslexia - (Dorothy Peterson) How does it really feel to have dyslexia or a learning disability? The Simulation Workshop is a hands-on workshop, in which the participants experience the kinds of problems those with language-based learning disabilities encounter when performing ordinary language-related tasks. Participants rotate between five stations where they complete activities simulating classroom and work experiences. Time for discussion at each station and questions at the conclusion help participants to understand the experience and the student who has a specific learning disability. It is designed to increase awareness of the difficulties and the frustrations those with dyslexia or learning disabilities encounter daily. The purpose of the simulation is for understanding and education. The results often include increased awareness and empathy on the part of teachers in the classroom, parents in the home, and employers in the work place. Some of the comments from teachers after participating in the simulation include: “I never realized how much frustration an individual with dyslexia experiences”; “Every teacher should have this in their teacher training”; “It really helps the teacher to feel how the student feels”; and “It has an emotional component absent in most textbooks”. Staff teachers of the Reading Center in Rochester are the supervisors of the stations for this workshop. See thereadingcenter.org for more information about this internationally recognized dyslexia training center. You must register for this course to attend! There will be a 1:8 ratio of presenters to attendees, so an accurate count of participants is necessary.

Debby Anderson was a speech clinician in public schools for four years, taught preschool in a private preschool for thirteen years, taught early childhood curriculum development at Crown College for four years, and also stayed home with her children for ten years. She currently is a director of children’s ministries.

Brent and Wendy Baumler have almost 23 years of combined experience in the field of community mental health. Nineteen of these years have been dedicated to providing Christ-centered counseling to individuals, couples and families in the Twin Cities and surrounding regions. Brent has a Master's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in counseling psychology and is a licensed professional counselor in Minnesota and Wisconsin as well as maintaining national licensure as a certified counselor. Wendy has a Master's degree from St. Mary's University in counseling psychology and is a licensed marriage and family therapist for the state of Minnesota. Brent and Wendy currently reside in Minneapolis with their two daughters, Livinia and Celise, and currently serve as Christian therapists for Bachmann and Associates, Inc.

Jodeen Britton teaches first and second grade at Good Shepherd Lutheran School in Burnsville.

John Dorn has completed 14 years of teaching. The last 4 years have been at Salem in Stillwater where he serves as 5th grade teacher and Technology Coordinator.

Dr. Scott Gostchok serves as the Director of Christian Development at Pilgrim Church and School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and he serves as the director of the Excellence Factor program (public school based character development program), and as an advisory member for the Twin Cities Chapter of Kingdom Workers (WELS) Urban Ministries program. He is a former teacher, principal, and university professor, and as an adjunct professor, he still teaches a variety of graduate level classes for a number of colleges and universities in the areas of leadership, multicultural education, classroom management, and more. He has served the Lord in cross cultural ministries in Atlanta and the Twin Cities for over 10 years.

Jeff Haebig , Ph.D., a health educator for over thirty years, has presented wellness lessons using body/brain-based teaching and learning methods to regional and national audiences. Founder and president of Wellness Quest, a company that has specialized in health promotion since 1984, he has produced three audiocassettes and published eight books in the Health Care-toons and Toon Ups series.

Jason Hahn

Rodney Herbison

Dominic Jacobs graduated from Dr. Martin Luther College in 1995 and continued his studies, receiving a Master’s Degree in Teaching and Instruction in 2002 from St. Mary’s University, Winona. Active learning and community building were a large component of his course work. Since then he has used some form of active learning almost everyday. Having been an athletic director and coach for 11 years, he understands the benefit of movement and physical activity to a child’s well-being and academic achievement. He wants to foster those benefits as often as possible and in whatever way he can.

Gene Martens serves WLCFS as a Family Minister in the areas of Peer Leadership and Faith Stepping Stones. His undergraduate work was done at DMLC, and he holds a Master of Science Degree in Education from the University of Wisconsin focused in marriage and family. Gene taught elementary school at Christ the Lord, Houston, TX, and Emanuel (Crown of Life), W. St. Paul, MN, for nine and a half years. He served as Family Minister at Bloomington/Living Hope Lutheran Church in Bloomington and Shakopee, MN for seven years. Gene has written articles for The Lutheran Educator, Lutheran Leader, and Lutheran Parent, and has served on the WELS Commission for Adult Discipleship. Gene and his wife, Nicole, married in 2001, make their home in Savage, MN, and are blessed to be the parents of three-year-old Selah and one-year-old Levi, as well as foster children.

Phil Moll has had the privilege of serving elementary schools in Moline, Illinois, and Waukesha, Wisconsin, and an area Lutheran high school, Michigan Lutheran High School in St. Joseph, Michigan. He currently is serving at St. Matthew’s, Winona, Minnesota. He and his wife, Peggy, have three children and enjoy sharing the truths of God’s love and beauties of His creation wherever they go.

Roberta Peters is a free-lance graphic designer with 20 years of experience in the corporate world.

Dorothy Peterson Dorothy Peterson will be facilitating this workshop. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from the University of Minnesota and is currently licensed to teach Kindergarten through sixth grade. She taught elementary school students in the Robbinsdale School District in the Twin Cities and has been with the Reading Center for 15 years where she is an educational therapist for students from first grade through high school. She has been a Master Teacher in the Reading Center’s Summer Institute, training teachers in the Orton-Gillingham method of teaching. She also is an educational consultant for the Reading Center and tests students from all over the Midwest for dyslexia and other learning disabilities.

Matt Schiebel

Rev. Tony Schultz Pastor Schultz has served parishes in Loves Park, IL; Dundee, WI; and for the last 15 years at St. Luke's in Watertown. He has been privileged to travel to Greece, Israel and Egypt; to Nigeria, Benin and Togo in Africa; to Paris; and to Peru--up the Andes, through Lima and down the Amazon River. He also had the privilege of preparing devotions for Kid's Connection.

Lori Shaver is a dynamic presenter for Discount School Supply. She has been traveling the nation presenting educational workshops for the past 11 years. Lori has been an early childhood resource in the areas of art, science, literacy and motor skills. She is the mother of 2 boys ages 7 and 9.

Bryon Strei's background includes a bachelor’s degree from St. Cloud State University, a master’s degree from the University of Oregon, and doing additional graduate work at a number of different educational institutions. Bryon is certified in Minnesota to teach elementary education , special education cognitive impairment, and special education specific learning disabilities. He has spent 34+ years teaching in the Rochester, Minnesota, public schools, primarily in the area of specific learning disabilities. Following early retirement in 2001, he wrote Exploring Words Ensure Reading and Spelling Success. This is a program designed for students of any age having difficulties learning to read and spell based on current brain research and on his own teaching experiences. New additions of the program have been written for use in mainstream kindergarten and primary grade classrooms.

Gerri Struss , COVT has a degree in Elementary Education/Early Childhood Development, along with a Parent Educator/Adult Vocational license. Gerri is a Certified Vision Therapist and has additional training in infant vision development. She has taught ECFE classes, preschool, kindergarten, and currently is a vision therapist working with children and adults experiencing visual processing difficulties.

Philip M. Zahn has a seventh grade son who was diagnosed with autism at age three. He has attended numerous workshops and conferences on treatments and adaptations for children with autism. He has served on a local autism task force working to improve services in the classroom for students with ASD. A teacher for 19 years, Phil also has MA in Curriculum and Instruction. Phil and his wife Tina have three other children ages 15, 11, and 10.