
Boot Camp 2023
Virtual Conference

Empowering Families and Promoting Development
Join us for our annual virtual conference, "Boot Camp 2023: Understanding and Supporting Learning Processes." Through a series of detailed sessions, attendees will delve into topics aimed at helping educators, parents, and stakeholders. This event aims to address the different learning needs of all students, especially those needing extra educational support. Our goal is to share knowledge and strategies to improve learning experiences for every student.
Boot Camp 2023
Wednesday, Sep 27, 2023, 10:00 AM
FND Facebook Live - https://www.facebook.com/FamilyNetworkonDisabilities
Conference Agenda:
Keynote Presentations:
"Are We Paying Attention to Cognitive Load? Implications for Teacher Planning, Parent Engagement & Classroom Instruction"
"Differentiated Instruction: Tailoring Education to Support Individual Learning Needs"
"High-Leverage Practices: Teaching Students with Disabilities - and All Students Who Need a Learning Boost"
Dr. Michael Kennedy
We're honored to introduce this year's 2023 Boot Camp Digital's keynote speaker, Dr. Michael Kennedy. He is the distinguished head of the STORMED Lab, an innovative initiative that stands for Supporting Teachers through cOaching, obseRvations, and Multimedia to Educate students with Disabilities. Dr. Kennedy's passion for the betterment of education for students with disabilities comes from his deep-rooted personal experiences.
Before venturing into advanced academic pursuits and completing his doctorate, he immersed himself in the world of teaching. With six formative years as a high school special education teacher, he gained profound insights into the distinct challenges and rewards during this pivotal phase. Prior to this, he spent three years in the elementary teaching realm, laying a solid groundwork for understanding early education's nuances. Dr. Kennedy's unique blend of hands-on classroom experience and rigorous academic research positions him as a leading voice in the field, seamlessly connecting research insights with tangible classroom practices.
Panel Discussions:
"Strategies in Action: How Educators and Parents Can Collaborate to Enhance Executive Skills"
The realm of executive functioning remains a crucial yet often misunderstood aspect of education, especially when it comes to students with disabilities. These cognitive processes, which govern tasks like planning, attention, and self-regulation, play a pivotal role in learning and development. For students with disabilities, navigating these challenges can often be an uphill battle, impacting their academic journey.
The Technology Enhanced Learning Enabled by Partner Organizations, Research, and Teaching Success (TELEPORTS) prepares special education personnel at the doctoral level with specific skills in the area of teaching, research, and service with effective leadership skills suitable for university positions.
Kenneth Holman
Kenneth currently studies Exceptional Student Education as a PhD student at the University of Central Florida. He earned his Master’s Degree in Exceptional Student Education from Bethune Cookman University while working in the public school system. Kenneth has 11 years of experience in the public school setting in both a teaching and support facilitation role His area of interest is increasing understanding of how students struggling in mathematics may efficiently improve their knowledge of that subject matter.
Angela Miller
Angela is an experienced corporate trainer known for developing advanced organizational training curriculums. Leveraging her deep expertise, she creates interactive programs that blend various instructional methods. Angela not only assesses training needs but also measures participant satisfaction, ensuring relevance and engagement. Committed to excellence, she constantly refines her approaches to maximize training efficacy.
Jacob Brewer
Jacob is originally from LaGrange, KY but grew up in Ohio. In 2012, he received a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Behavioral Neuroscience from Wright State University, followed by an M.S. in Psychobiology from Florida State University (FSU) in 2016. While teaching undergraduate courses at FSU for three years, he earned a second Master’s Degree in STEM Teaching. After completing his second Master’s Degree, he received the wonderful opportunity to pursue a Ph.D. in Special Education at the University of Central Florida (UCF). A Ph.D. from UCF will allow him to fulfill his mission of working with pre-service and in-service teachers to bring STEM content and experiences to secondary students with mild to moderate disabilities through the use of technology and universal design for learning. He is a proponent of team-based learning and inclusivity and he looks forward to working with others and building professional relationships over the course of the next three years.
Juliana Hirn, Ed.S., CCC-SLP
Juliana has her Educational Specialist degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) from the University of Georgia. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in CSD from the University of Central Florida (UCF), where she is currently enrolled as a doctoral student. She is an experienced speech-language pathologist (SLP). The personal experiences with her disabilities drew her to research interests, including dialogic reading, learning disabilities, developmental delays, early intervention, early literacy, and American Sign Language.