Select Keynotes & Presentations
I've enjoyed speaking at many wonderful venues and in support of many good causes. This photo was taken shortly before I spoke at a benefit for preservation of the Kensal Rise Library (pictured) in London, a library founded by Mark Twain.
TESOL International Conference
March 2024 - “I Want a Big Book of ESOL Activities!” with Dr. Jane Govoni
Florida Foreign Language Association Conference
October 2023 - “TESOL Activities to Recharge Your Teaching Style” with Dr. Jane Govoni
Emerald Coast TESOL Conference
April 2023 - “The Big Book of ESOL Activities: Preparation for Educators, Administrators, and School Counselors” with Dr. Jane Govoni
NABE (National Assoc. for Bilingual Education) Conference
February 2023 - “Professional Development: Hands-On Activities for District Trainings and ESOL Workshops” with Dr. Jane Govoni
GATESOL Conference
October 2022 - “Teaching from the Heart: Engaging Activities for ESOL Training” with Dr. Jane Govoni
Sunshine State TESOL Conference
October 2022 - “Opportunities to Engage in Hands-On, Practical Activities for TESOL Courses” with Dr. Jane Govoni
TexTESOL Conference
February 2022 - “Using Activities to Generate TESOL Engagement” with Dr. Jane Govoni
WFATE 6th Biennial Conference
Virtual Conference
October 2021 - "Preparing the Way: Teaching English Learners in the Pre-K - 12 Classroom" with Dr. Jane Govoni
Sunshine State TESOL
Virtual Conference
October 2020 and October 2021 - "Applying Language Principles in the K-12 Mainstream Classroom" with Dr. Jane Govoni
Mark Twain House & Museum
Virtual Program
April 2021 - "Hal Holbrook Remembered" with Mark Dawidziak and Shelly Fisher Fishkin
April 2021 - Film Discussion with Scott Teems and Laura D. Smith
Live Filmmakers Commentary/Aspiration Entertainment
"Holbrook/Twain: An American Odyssey"
September 2020 - "Screening and Talk-Back with Director, Producer, & Scholar" with Scott Teems and Laura D. Smith
7th Annual U.S. Grant Symposium
Missouri Humanities Council
July 2020 - Keynote: "The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant"
The Twain Shall Meet Lecture Series
Hannibal, MO
October 2019 - "Mark Twain Today: His Relevance and Reach:
Tri-States Civil War Roundtable
Civil War Symposium II Quincy, IL
October 2019
University of Central Florida
Adage Gifted Conference
April 2018 - "Stetson University's HATS Program Collaborates with Educators to Serve High Achieving and Gifted K-12 Students" with Lynn Albinson
Oxford University, Magdelan College
Oxford, England
December 2015 - "Mark Twain's 1907 Honorary Doctorate from Oxford"
Bermuda National Library
Hamilton, Bermuda
November 2015 - "When Mark Twain Was Still a Ginger"
Kensal Rise Library
London, England
September 2014 - "Mark Twain in England"
The Big Read
National Endowment for the Arts
2007-2016 - Keynotes and Teacher Workshops for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
College of William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
March 2010 - "Teaching Twain in the 21st Century"
7th Annual Literacy Conference
University of Arkansas
June 2012 - "Common Core Standards in Mark Twain: Words & Music"
7th Biennial M. Jean Greenlaw Children's Literature Conference - Stetson University
April 2012 - "Controversial Literature and Critical Thinking: Why 'Banned' Books are Best"
'Trouble Begins' Speaker Series
Elmira College
November 2011 - "The Making of Mark Twain: Words & Music"
Academic Speaker Series Lindenwood University
St. Louis, MO
February 2009 - "Don't Shoot the Messenger: Controversies of Huckleberry Finn"
Primary Education Conference
Osage Beach, Missouri
November 2008 - "Real Life, Real Writing: Mark Twain Shows the Way"
42nd Annual TESOL Conference
New York, NY
April 2008 - "Trading Places: Using Technology to Reverse Roles in the Classroom" with Samir Zarqane
College of William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
March 2008 - "Mark Twain in the Gifted Classroom: Personal, Meaningful, and Relevant"
Tennessee Association for the Gifted
Nashville, TN
September 2007 - Keynote: "From High School Dropout to PhD"
Florida Association for the Gifted
Daytona Beach, Florida
October 2006 - "Was Mark Twain 'Gifted'?"
Mensa World Gathering
Orlando, FL
August 2006 - "Gifted Summer Programs and Scholarship Opportunities"
Minnesota Educators of the Gifted and Talented Conference - Brainerd, MN
February 2006 - "Powerful Strategies for the Gifted" and "Practical Ways to Integrate Reading, Writing, and Thinking"
Kappa Delta Pi Convocation
Orlando, FL
November 2005 - "Fostering Resiliency: Literature Can Help" and "Modeling and Incidental Learning: Practicing What You Teach"
5th Biennial M. Jean Greenlaw Children's Literature Conference - Stetson University
May 2005 - "Diversity is More Than Ethnicity: How Literature Promotes Empathy"
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conference - Anaheim, CA
April 2005 - "Enhancing Math Instruction for English Language Learners" with Dr. Mercedes Tichenor
Florida Association for the Gifted Conference
Orlando, FL
October 2004 - "Behind the Facade: Risk Factors, Resiliency, & Coping"
Wallace Research Symposium
University of Iowa
May 2004 - "Gifted Black Males in Prison" preliminary findings
Kappa Delta Pi Convocation
St. Louis, MO
November 2003 - "Got ESOL? Strategies that Work" with Dr. Carol Corcoran and Dr. Mercedes Tichenor
Florida Association for the Gifted Conference
Orlando, FL
October 2003 - "'Gifted ESOL' is Not an Oxymoron" and "Summer Programs, Above-level Testing, and Scholarships:
College of William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
March 2001 - "Celebrating Curiosity at Celebration"
Wallace Research Symosium
University of Iowa
May 2000 - "How Elementary Teachers Identify Gifted ESOL"
34th Annual TESOL Conference
Vancouver, BC
March 2003 - "How Elementary Teachers Identify Gifted ESOL"
Too Many To Lose Conference
West Palm Beach, FL
January 2000 - "The Realities of At-Risk Black Males"
Florida Association for the Gifted Conference
Altamonte Springs, FL
November 1999 - "Identification of Gifted ESOL Elementary Students"
College of William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
March 1998 - "Passionate Pedagogy: Teaching Twain"
Kappa Delta Pi Convocation
St. Louis, MO
November 1997 - "Portfolios: Showcasing the Pre-service Teacher to Reflective Practitioner" with
Dr. Carol Corcoran
World Council for Gifted & Talented Children Conference - Seattle, WA
August 1997 - "Animating Your Summer Program" with Dr. Robert Leahy
Florida Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Daytona Beach, FL
November 1996 - "Model Building: Conceptual Math Can Be Hands-On"
Kappa Delta Pi Convocation
Birmingham, AL
November 1995 - "Flourishing in Florida as First Year Teachers" with Dr. Carol Corcoran
Florida Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Fort Lauderdale, FL
November 1995 - "M.A.T.H. I.S. F.U.N. (Making Activities to Teach How to Integrate Subjects for Understanding Numbers)"
Multicultural Education Institute
Stetson University
January 1995 - "Using Your Second Language in the Elementary Classroom"