--- title: "Dordt Education Symposium: Welcoming All Learners to Inclusive Classrooms" date: 2024-04-24T15:29:00-05:00 author: Jordan Eshelman canonical_url: "https://www.dordt.edu/events/msped-symposium-2025-04-03" section: Events --- [ View All Events](https://www.dordt.edu/events) # Dordt Education Symposium: Welcoming All Learners to Inclusive Classrooms ![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==) [Eckardt Lounge: CC 249 | Eckardt Lounge](https://www.dordt.edu/about-dordt/campus-map/rooms/eckardt-lounge?room=CC%20249) [Get Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&origin=&dir_action=navigate&destination=43.082703852934,-96.16667940137) ![]() Apr 03, 2025 All Day ![]()## Register now! Join us on **April 3** from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. for a *free* education symposium focusing on special education. Dordt University’s education faculty will share current research and key strategies that you can immediately implement in your classroom. This event will allow you to network with fellow special educators as you learn alongside one another. [Register Now](#topics) ## Schedule 9 - 9:15 a.m. | **Welcome and devotions,** led by Joe Bakker 9:15 - 11:15 | **"Let's talk about behavior: 'He doesn't like it when he can't get his way!"** Led by Dr. Kathleen VanTol, this session will discuss the typical causes of behavior problems. You will learn key strategies for "listening" to the behavior and determining how to respond. 11:15 - 12:15 p.m. | **Thrive Center Tour & Poster Presentations** The Thrive Center of Dordt University is a teaching center that serves the Northwest Iowa region in the areas of behavior therapy and skills acquisition for children. Dordt University professors and students are involved in numerous aspects of the services provided. This unique relationship allows future teachers and practitioners to get a supervised hands-on learning experience. 12:15 - 1 p.m. | **Lunch & Networking** 1 - 1:30 p.m. | **Master of Special Education & Master of Education Presentation** led by Joe Bakker 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. | **"The Environment and the Brain"** This hands-on session, led by Dr. Gwen Marra, will examine the impact that life experiences have on how a child’s brain develops. This affects later learning and we will consider what we can do about it as teachers. 2:30 - 2:35 p.m. | **Break** 2:35 - 3:20 p.m. | **"Mastery or Interleaving?"** This session compares two approaches to teaching and intervention. We will look at each approach and examine what research says. We will end with recommendations for practice. 3:20 - 3:30 p.m. | **Closing & Reflection** ![A picture of Kathleen VanTol](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/people/61276351eb5bafa0c37.jpg?mode=crop&pos=center-center&w=56&h=27&c=bf94e0a9&v=53fd5c024c875b5a2a3002f91bbcaccb22ee1b75013e0ad8dd7dcd35a159ef74) **Dr. Kathleen VanTol, Ed.D., BCBA, BCASE** - Master of Special Education Program Director - Special Education and TESOL - Thrive Center Faculty Director ![A picture of Gwen Marra](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/people/609ceae158b6e159573.jpg?mode=crop&pos=center-center&w=56&h=27&c=2bedcb59&v=a091af5e47b2fff9c7fa7a7658c403df42798fe44684a384282677322153b7bb) **Dr. Gwen Marra, Ed.D., Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner** - Professor of Education at Dordt University - Director of Thrive Center for Achievement ![]() ### Join us April 3, 2025 ## Register Now Registration is now closed. Please email with questions. ## Learn more about Dordt University's Thrive Center! [### Thrive Center for Applied Behavior Analysis The Thrive Center for Applied Behavior Analysis of Dordt University serves the Northwest Iowa region in the areas of behavior therapy and skills acquisition for children. Learn More ](https://www.dordt.edu/about-dordt/offices-and-services/academic-centers/thrive-center/thrive-center-for-aba) [### Thrive Center for Achievement The Thrive Center for Achievement assists students who need additional tutoring in math and literacy studies. The Thrive Center for Achievement can help students who have fallen behind get caught up and stay on track. Learn More ](https://www.dordt.edu/about-dordt/offices-and-services/academic-centers/thrive-center/thrive-center-for-achievement) --- [Previous Event ![](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/MG_7419.jpg?mode=crop&pos=center-center&w=56&h=33&f=webp&c=c91363fb&v=40095532539bd6d100bff77723375ba96ad2b7bc79494b12a44be41c09497152) Apr 02 Theatre ## Dordt Theatre Performs Radium Girls ![]() Fourth Avenue Theatre @ 07:30 PM ](https://www.dordt.edu/events/dordt-theatre-performs-radium-girls-4-2-25) [Next Event ![](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/baseball_2022-07-15-183757_oaag_2022-10-07-152453_dcab.jpg?mode=crop&pos=center-center&w=56&h=33&f=webp&c=87244f8a&v=daef5b87147f64675f03c3404e03b152dca1f84fc8633d0da89612975c6bef68) Apr 03 Athletics Men's Baseball ## 4/3 1:00 PM \[L\] Dordt University Baseball at Doane ![]() Crete, Neb. @ 01:00 PM ](https://www.dordt.edu/events/4-4-dordt-university-baseball-at-doane) [ ![]() ## View All Dordt Events View Events ](https://www.dordt.edu/events) News Campus Purposeful Community #### [Two new outdoor spaces at Dordt created to encourage community ](https://www.dordt.edu/news/two-new-outdoor-spaces-at-dordt-created-to-encourage-community) News Academics Nursing #### [Dordt nursing graduates surpass national NCLEX pass rate ](https://www.dordt.edu/news/dordt-nursing-graduates-surpass-national-nclex-pass-rate) News Academics Nursing #### [Dordt University adds three new nursing faculty ](https://www.dordt.edu/news/dordt-university-adds-three-new-nursing-faculty) ![A picture of campus behind yellow prairie flowers](https://d3evso2dxyohou.cloudfront.net/generalUploads/2021-22/Buildings-and-Campus/2021-09-23_001574-1.jpg?mode=crop&pos=center-center&w=50&h=50&f=webp&c=3d670641&v=d2bdb7cbdc83e5be46d3a10afe8a1214a0e770536697eb0ddbe29e017d2e9577)