The NJTESOL-NJBE 2010 Spring Conference is just around the corner. On May 18th and 19th, we will meet at the Garden State Exhibit Center and the Doubletree Hotel to select from 100 workshops including 15 featured presentations. The focus of the conference will be incorporating the twenty-first century themes of technology, globalization, collaboration, and critical thinking skills with ELLs. Jesse Markow, from the WIDA Consortium at WCER University of Wisconsin-Madison, will provide the daytime keynote on both days of the Conference. There also will be two rooms dedicated to technology presentations. The Spring Conference booklet, including full descriptions of each workshop will be on our website on May 8th. We suggest that you consult the website at http://www.njtesol-njbe.org and plan your workshop preferences in advance.

       Here is additional important information that you must know in order to have a positive conference experience. There are a number of changes from previous conferences of which you need to be aware.

       WELCOME: Registration will be held at the Garden State Exhibit Center and all participants and presenters must check-in before they attend or present workshops. Registration will be open from 7:30 a.m. and will close at 10:00 a.m. At registration, you will receive a conference badge that must be displayed at all times during the conference.

       REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE: Unfortunately, there will be no conference tote bags this year. In past years, publishers have donated our conference tote bags. Because of the economy, we were not able to secure a donation for the bags this year. So, if you want a bag to carry your folder and program book, you will need to bring one from home. Extra credit — Bring an NJTESOL-NJBE bag from a previous year and you will receive an extra raffle ticket at the registration desk!

       TECHNOLOGY: Bring your laptop! We will be holding a special strand of technology workshops that allow hands-on participation using your own laptop. We will provide an Internet connection for each participant so that you can actively take part in the workshop. There will be a special drawing for those who bring their laptop to Cassy Lawrence’s workshops in the Exhibit Center on Tuesday and Wednesday. Please note that we will not provide laptops but you can attend these workshops without a laptop.

       EXHIBITORS: Earn an extra professional development hour by visiting the exhibitors. They will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday and until 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Garden State Exhibit Center.

       SCHOOL LEADERS’ STRAND: On Tuesday, May 18th, we will hold a special strand for supervisors, school principals, and other school leaders who have ELLs in their buildings. We are pleased to welcome John Carroll, Program Manager from the U.S. Department of Education New York Office for Civil Rights, and Rubén J. Vázquez, Education Program Specialist from the U.S. Department of Education. Please see the article in this issue of VOICES for details about this special conference strand and pass it on to your supervisors. You can also download this information from the Internet.

       21st CENTURY COMMUNICATION: We are sending most of our information to members by email. You have received many important conference notices this year through your email. This includes notifications about the Spring Conference, scholarships, and elections. We need an email address for you that will not block our messages or deliver them to your junk/spam mail folder. Now VOICES will be going online. (See article on page 14.) Please visit the VOICES table at the conference to check your email address. If you don’t have a personal e-mail address, we will help you sign up for one (it’s free).

       BREAKFAST: Free coffee and tea will be served in the Food Area of the Exhibit Center. You may also buy bagels, pastries, juice and fruit at the concession stand in the food area. This stand will be run for your convenience by the Garden State Exhibit Center.

       RAFFLE TICKETS: We will have two types of raffle tickets this year. The tickets for the prizes donated by exhibitors will be a part of your registration as usual. This year we are adding a new raffle: a 50 - 50 drawing will be held in the Exhibit Center each day of the conference to raise money for our student scholarships. These tickets will be on sale when you register.

       LUNCH: A hot buffet lunch will be provided to all attendees from 11:30-2:30 p.m. This luncheon will be served in the Exhibit Center.

       DOWNLOAD HANDOUTS: Some of our presenters will have their handouts online before their presentations. You can download them before the conference; please check our website.

       PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Five hour professional development certificates will be handed out in the lobby at 3:00 p.m.

       AWARDS DINNER: It’s not too late to sign up for our Evening Event featuring Dr. Allan De Fina. This dinner event will be held at 5:30 p.m. on May 18 at the Doubletree Hotel. It is open to both members and nonmembers and includes dinner. De Fina will address the group on De- Romanticizing Our Past Loves: Breaking Up with Literacy Practices that Don’t Work Out for English Language Learners. In this address, he will examine some of those activities that teachers “love” to do that don’t actually work. De Fina is the Interim Dean of the Deborah Cannon Partridge Wolfe College of Education at New Jersey City University.