Welcome to the Annual Regional Language Arts Conference (LAC) website! The LAC is an annual event in which Western Pacific educators are provided with opportunities for professional growth and enrichment in literacy.
The conference is organized by the Division of English and Applied Linguistics (DEAL) at the University of Guam, and co-sponsored by the Guam International Literacy Association. ILA members can register for the conference during their Fanuchånan (Fall) semester. Participation is limited, so we encourage you to register early.
The New Age Classroom: Adapting our Pedagogy to the Needs of Today
Dr. Thomas “Toby” Yos is a faculty member of the University of Hawai‘i Uehiro Academy for Philosophy and Ethics in Education and is a specialist in Philosophy for Children (p4c). Arriving to Hawai‘i in 1991, Dr. Yos studied under p4c Hawai‘i founder Dr. Thomas Jackson and received a doctoral degree in Philosophy. Since that time Dr. Yos has been working in Hawai‘i’s public schools. He has mentored hundreds of teachers, done p4c with thousands of students, presented on p4c at numerous conferences, and done p4c workshops in both China and Japan. Having also spent two decades doing Resiliency Theory based counseling, Dr. Yos is an expert in creating p4c-based mentoring groups and the founder of Waikīkī Elementary School’s center for p4c and Social Emotional Learning.
Dr. Tammy Jones
Dr. Tammy Jones is a Project Coordinator for PALS/PLACES at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, supporting teachers to develop place-based curriculum. She is also the co-curriculum developer and co-facilitator of Try Think, a program run in the state correctional facilities and sponsored by the Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities. Tammy spent the first ten years of her career in education as an English teacher and Literacy Coach at James Campbell High School in ʻEwa Beach. In 2014 she transitioned into the role of middle school teacher at the School for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability (SEEQS), a public charter school focused on examining essential questions of ecological systems. Since beginning her graduate studies at UHM in 2003, Tammy has worked closely with Dr. Thomas Jackson and the Uehiro Academy for Philosophy and Ethics in Education to promote the Philosophy for Children Hawaiʻi (p4cHI) approach to thinking and learning.
31st Keynote Speaker: Dr.Kevin Colleary
Dr. Kevin Colleary is an Adjunct Assistant Professor for the Graduate School of Education at Fordham University in New York. He teaches graduate level courses in educational foundations, philosophy and history of education as well as content area reading methods for science (STEM) and social studies. He works with elementary pre-service science, social studies and reading teachers in public and private schools including supporting them in internship and student teaching roles through supervision, mentoring and classroom instruction. In addition, he works closely with school administrators and classroom teachers on issues related to Common Core State Standards. He has also taught at Hunter College in New York and Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Dr. Colleary is an author for McGraw-Hill Education. He is a member of the senior authorship team, which conceptualizes and writes national and state specific K-6 elementary social studies programs. He creates and provides professional development support materials and seminars for state curriculum leaders, district leadership and classroom teachers on content area reading and social studies curriculum issues. He has also served as Director of National Marketing for Benchmark Education Company in New Rochelle, New York. He served in various positions for McGraw-Hill as Senior Marketing Manager of English, National Marketing Manager of Reading/Language Arts, Director of Social Studies Curriculum, National Social Studies Consultant, and Marketing Manager of Social Studies.
30th Keynote Speaker: Mr. Leslie Cohen
Mr. Cohen will conduct a special pesentaion on Critical Thinking for Teachers. He has been a mathematics teacher, a business education professor and professional development trainer. He has also been Human Resources Director for several fortune 500 companies including Exxon and Mobil before they were ExxonMobil and for several colleges. In his well rounded career, he worked as the special assistant to the dean of the business school at University of Massachusetts and has been guest lecturer at University of Massachusetts and Amherst College and adjunct faculty.
Mr. Cohen takes very seriously mentoring young people and continuing adult education. He is a sought after speaker for team building, critical thinking and inspirational talks as well as professional development. Equally important as part of his vita, he is an avid bicyclist who has circumnavigated Nova Scotia, New York state, all the main islands in Hawaii and Manhattan, Crater Lake, OR, and many other places and is always eager to discuss riding and riding opportunities.
He has a bachelor degree in mathematics and economics from Amherst College, Amherst MA, and an MBA from Columbia University in New York City. He has also done special training at Duke and the University of Michigan.
29th Keynote Speaker: Dr. Kevin Colleary
Dr. Kevin Colleary is an Adjunct Assistant Professor for the Graduate School of Education at Fordham University in New York. He teaches graduate level courses in educational foundations, philosophy and history of education as well as content area reading methods for science (STEM) and social studies. He works with elementary pre-service science, social studies and reading teachers in public and private schools including supporting them in internship and student teaching roles through supervision, mentoring and classroom instruction. In addition, he works closely with school administrators and classroom teachers on issues related to Common Core State Standards. He has also taught at Hunter College in New York and Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Dr. Colleary is an author for McGraw-Hill Education. He is a member of the senior authorship team, which conceptualizes and writes national and state specific K-6 elementary social studies programs. He creates and provides professional development support materials and seminars for state curriculum leaders, district leadership and classroom teachers on content area reading and social studies curriculum issues. He has also served as Director of National Marketing for Benchmark Education Company in New Rochelle, New York. He served in various positions for McGraw-Hill as Senior Marketing Manager of English, National Marketing Manager of Reading/Language Arts, Director of Social Studies Curriculum, National Social Studies Consultant, and Marketing Manager of Social Studies.
27th LAC Keynote Speaker: Dr. Margaruite Smith
Dr. Smith is the Manager of Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), Hawaii and Pacific Sales and Service for McGraw-Hill Education. In that capacity, she is responsible for all aspects of teacher training, textbook and online learning sales, as well as Professional Development services for McGraw-Hill School Education educational materials, including SRA, Macmillan, Glencoe and Wright Group products to the Department of Defense Schools and to Guam, Marshall Islands, Palau, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, Federated States of Micronesia, American Samoa, and Hawaii.
She has degrees from Texas Tech University, Texas Southern University, and the University of Denver in education and in educational administration. She has taught in every grade level 1-12, and has been an elementary administrator. She has teacher certification in reading, English as a Second Language, as well as general studies K-12.
26th LAC Keynote Speaker: Dr. Nerissa Bretania Underwood
Dr. Nerissa Bretania Underwood is a former Superintent for the Guam Department of Education (GDOE). She served as GDOE's research, planning, and evaluation administrator. She holds a doctorate of philosophy from the University of Oregon, a master's degree in education, and a bachelor of arts degree in education. She has also served as the chair of the committee to develop Guam Department of Education's master plan relative to the increase in military presence. Dr. Underwood has been a leader in the local Filipino community organizations and an advocate of Guam's quest for self-determination and has served the community as a member of the Guam Memorial Hospital's board of trustees, the Guam Humanities Council, and St. Paul Christian School's board of directors. She is also the vice chair of the Democratic Party of Guam.
25th LAC Keynote Speaker: Efren Penaflorida, CNN Hero of the Year
Penaflorida is a Filipino teacher who won the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year award for his outreach teaching project known as, "Kariton Klasrum" (pushcart classroom). He received his award from American actress Eva Mendes at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.
According to Penaflorida, "Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colors, shapes, and sizes. We are one great tapestry...Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need."
Language Arts Conference Committee:
Jose A. Cruz, Jr., Committee Chair, Elizabeth Rutun,Committee Co-Chair, Clarisa Quan,Committee Member, Matilda Naputi Rivera, Committee Member, Christopher Garcia,Committee Member, Catherine Stoicovy, Committee Member, Nichole Manley,Administrative Coordinator
The IRA Guam Council donated $1,500 to the 31st Annual Regional Language Arts Conference. Pictured above L-R: Jose Cruz, LAC Chair; Dr. James Sellmann, Dean for the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS); Lois Taitano Gumataotao, IRA Guam Council President; and Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera, LAC Co-Chair. Not pictured are LAC Co-Chairs Dr. Clarisa Quan; Dr. Catherine Stoicovy; Dr. Chris Garcia; and Evelyn Chargualaf, LAC Administrative Coordinator.
Welcome to the 31st Annual Regional Language Arts Conference (LAC) website! The LAC is an annual event in which Western Pacific educators are provided with opportunities for professional growth and enrichment in literacy.
The conference is organized by the Department of English and Applied Linguistics (DEAL) at the University of Guam, and co-sponsored by the Guam International Reading Association. IRA members can register for the conference during their September and October meetings. Participation is limited to the first 300 registrants, so early registration is encouraged. Please register online at https://goo.gl/forms/EjuCpH7NI4cQZBpj1.
Educators can earn one (1) PD894 graduate credit/CEU for attending this conference. For additional information you can e-mail the instructor, Dr. Matilda Naputi Rivera, at mnrivera@triton.uog.edu or mnrivera1@yahoo.com.
Dr. Kevin Colleary is an Adjunct Assistant Professor for the Graduate School of Education at Fordham University in New York. He teaches graduate level courses in educational foundations, philosophy and history of education as well as content area reading methods for science (STEM) and social studies. He works with elementary pre-service science, social studies and reading teachers in public and private schools including supporting them in internship and student teaching roles through supervision, mentoring and classroom instruction. In addition, he works closely with school administrators and classroom teachers on issues related to Common Core State Standards. He has also taught at Hunter College in New York and Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Dr. Colleary is an author for McGraw-Hill Education. He is a member of the senior authorship team, which conceptualizes and writes national and state specific K-6 elementary social studies programs. He creates and provides professional development support materials and seminars for state curriculum leaders, district leadership and classroom teachers on content area reading and social studies curriculum issues. He has also served as Director of National Marketing for Benchmark Education Company in New Rochelle, New York. He served in various positions for McGraw-Hill as Senior Marketing Manager of English, National Marketing Manager of Reading/Language Arts, Director of Social Studies Curriculum, National Social Studies Consultant, and Marketing Manager of Social Studies.
Dr. Thomas “Toby” Yos is a faculty member of the University of Hawai‘i Uehiro Academy for Philosophy and Ethics in Education and is a specialist in Philosophy for Children (p4c). Arriving to Hawai‘i in 1991, Dr. Yos studied under p4c Hawai‘i founder Dr. Thomas Jackson and received a doctoral degree in Philosophy. Since that time Dr. Yos has been working in Hawai‘i’s public schools. He has mentored hundreds of teachers, done p4c with thousands of students, presented on p4c at numerous conferences, and done p4c workshops in both China and Japan. Having also spent two decades doing Resiliency Theory based counseling, Dr. Yos is an expert in creating p4c-based mentoring groups and the founder of Waikīkī Elementary School’s center for p4c and Social Emotional Learning.
