Leveraging Assistive Technology for Student Success
April 26 @ 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Nanci Shepardson Bio
Session Description
Follow Up Session
CEU Information
Registration
Location
Join us for a comprehensive exploration into the world of Assistive Technology (AT) and its profound impact on success in school and throughout life. These two in-person sessions focus on leveraging technology to enhance reading, writing, and executive function skills, particularly for individuals with dyslexia and for those who are teaching them. Participants will discover a range of tools aimed at empowering individuals to demonstrate their knowledge without being hindered by learning challenges.
Additionally, a virtual follow-up session will be held on May 20, 2025, from 7 – 8 pm ET, allowing participants to further engage with the content and address any lingering questions.
Who should attend:
Teachers, Tutors, Parents, Students in Middle School through College, and Adults with Dyslexia: anyone interested in making better use of AT.
Register for either or both sessions
Don’t miss this opportunity to revolutionize your approach to student success through the power of assistive technology.
Earn 2.5 ACT 48, CERI, ALTA, Wilson, IMSLEC contact hours per session, totaling 5 contact hours for both sessions.
Nanci Shepardson is a Reading and Educational Specialist. She graduated from Simmons University with an M.S.Ed. in Language and Literacy and an Ed.S. in Assistive Technology.
She is a seasoned teacher, a credentialed K-12 Reading Specialist, and an International Dyslexia Association and Wilson Reading System Dyslexia Practitioner (WRS Level 1 Certified). Nanci has taught preschool, kindergarten, second grade, and fourth grade, was a Reading and Educational Specialist for grades 7 through postgraduate, and has tutored all ages. She consults for the International Dyslexia Association, is a published author, an advocate for students with disabilities and their families, and a professional speaker on dyslexia, language-based disabilities, executive functioning, and assistive technology throughout the country.
As the Director of Accessibility and Assistive Technology Solutions at Wilson Language Training, she works in the Program Development Department. She stays abreast of the current accessibility policies and technological trends and serves as a resource for parents, teachers, and schools on Assistive Technology. Equity and access for all, especially regarding access to research-based reading instruction and assistive technology services, are at the forefront of all the work she does. Nanci is also a parent of a grown child with dyslexia.
Session Descriptions
AM Session – 9:00-11:30
Technology for Accelerating Growth in Reading and Writing for Students
Accessing grade level content in reading and writing is essential for all students: using Assistive Technology (AT) allows all students to show what they know without being compromised by a learning challenge.
Nanci Shepardson will present current research on AT along with relevant tools that can be leveraged and accessed right away to facilitate positive student outcomes. Participants will explore Text to Speech, Speech to Text, and Word Prediction and leave with a specific list of tools to implement themselves or with all their students but especially those students with dyslexia.
Bring your device(s) to test technology tools in real-time. Nanci will work to help participants navigate the use of the various applications and answer questions that arise while trying their various features.
This session is geared towards teachers, tutors, parents, and students in middle school, high school, and college.
2.5 ACT 48, CERI, ALTA, Wilson, IMSLEC contact hours available per session (5 Total for both sessions)
PM Session – 1:00-3:00
The Intersection of Executive Functions and Reading Comprehension: Technology to Support this Merger
Executive Functioning (EF) impacts all academic progress. Without these intact skills, individuals struggle on many levels, but especially on those skills requiring multiple academic proficiencies such as reading comprehension.
The goal of this session is to equip participants through hands-on exploration on how technological tools can support and remediate reading comprehension skills that blend with executive function skills.
Participants will examine websites that provide scaffolds for the comprehension process that they can use immediately for themselves or with their students. These include sites that scaffold morphology skills, decoding skills, and vocabulary concepts. Participants will leave with a hyperlinked document, a Padlet that will provide live links to the tools shared during the presentation.
This session is geared towards teachers, tutors, parents, and middle and high school, and college students.
Follow Up Session:
You spent the day together on April 26th. Now, it’s time for you to go out and try the new tools you explored. Keep track of what works and what poses challenges. You’ll then come together virtually on May 20, 2025, from 7 – 8 pm, ET, to share success stories and address roadblocks. Using the interactive posting tool from April 26th, Nanci will gather your questions and comments, focusing on the most popular inquiries during this follow-up session. Participants should upload any questions regarding the technology shared to the Padlet by May 13th.
The Zoom link for this session will be sent to your registration email address the day of the session.
Earn CEUs
2.5 ACT 48, CERI, ALTA, Wilson, IMSLEC contact hours per session, totaling 5 contact hours for both sessions. Don’t miss this opportunity to revolutionize your approach to student success through the power of assistive technology.
Registration:
Registration coming soon!
Registration Terms:
Registrations cannot be transferred.
Cancellations prior to April 12th will result in a $15 processing fee.
Cancellations after April 12th will will result in a $15 or 50% processing fee, whichever is greater.
Doors will open for sign in at 8:15 am
Lunch will not be provided. A list of places to pre-order lunch will be sent the week before.