Dr. John Almarode, an educator and staff developer for many years, has worked with all age groups in education from pre-kindergartners to graduate students. As a staff developer, John has presented locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. He has worked with thousands of teachers, dozens of school districts and multiple organizations such as the Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools, International Schools Group, Council for Exceptional Children, The Division for Early Childhood, P. Buckley Moss Foundation, the Virginia Association of Science Teachers, and most recently the Leadership and Learning Center. John’s action-packed workshops offer participants ready-to-use strategies and the brain rules that make them work. He has authored several publications on brain-based learning, including Captivate, Activate, and Invigorate the Student Brain in Science and Math, Grades 6-12, and has recently published a children’s book to help educators inform students about their amazing brains.

Jen Newton is an assistant professor at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Newton’s research interests include early childhood inclusion and inclusive teacher preparation. She regularly presents locally, regionally, and nationally on a range of inclusive educational topics. Dr. Newton earned her doctorate in special education from the University of Kansas and spent four years as an assistant professor at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., preparing inclusive educators before moving to St. Louis with her husband and their three children. Follow her on Twitter @jenrnewton for a few insights about inclusion, higher education, politics, and social justice.