Roger Ross Williams, Director & Producer
Williams is the first African-American to win an Oscar for directing and producing a film. His latest film, God Loves Uganda, premiered at the 2013 Sundance Festival to rave reviews. Before striking out on his own, Williams was a producer of political satire for Comedy Central and Michael Moore´s Emmy Award-winning series TV Nation.
Fred Newman, Sound Engineer & Voice Actor
Fred Newman is an award-winning sound artist, actor, producer, comedian, and author. Newman is one of the two people behind the sound effects that bring Garrison Keillor’s radio program A Prairie Home Companion to life. He’s been the voice of Harry in the movie Harry and the Hendersons, and also created sounds for other movies, including Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Practical Magic, and Gremlins, among others.
Jay Leno, Comedian & Television Personality
Jay Leno has been making humor out of headlines and everyday life since he was a kid. Even after his last night as the host of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, a job he held for more than two decades, Leno plans to continue to perform in comedy venues across the country.
Nelsan Ellis, Actor
Nelsan Ellis almost didn’t find the Juilliard Drama School because he kept misspelling the search term. Somebody in his Chicago high school told him he should go there.
Livescribe Smartpen
Educational Apps
“Only I Can Understand”
Only I can understand how it feels to read in front of my classmates and be terrified to …
A Charter School’s Journey into Assistive Technology
At the end of this meeting, iPads were in the special education budget, and I was a believer.
Real World Learning
Many dyslexics are left to hope that their current school struggles do not foreshadow struggle in the “real world”.
How speech-to-text transformed a student’s 5th grade year
Last fall, the fifth graders in my class were the lucky recipients of iPads–one for each student.
Taking Time for Summer Fun
Like all children, dyslexics breathe a sigh of relief when summer begins: no more schoolwork, homework, or assigned books.
A Home Schooling Experience
Dr. Shaywitz’s book, Overcoming Dyslexia, has been a wonderful resource ever since my son was diagnosed with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia when he had just turned five years old.