#MCEC2023 Conference: Innovations in Special Education
Academic and Emotional Resilience: Reframing Teaching and Learning Post Pandemic

11.17.23 | Four Points by Sheraton | ​Norwood, MA

Call for Proposals

#MCEC2023 will focus on how schools and school professionals are approaching teaching and learning post-pandemic. Professionals in special education and related fields are invited to connect and learn from one another through discussions of emerging innovations in academic and emotional resilience.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL

Presenter Information

General Information 

• Concurrent sessions will be scheduled between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm on Friday, November 17, 2023. 
• Proposals must be submitted online by March 5, 2023. Mailed, faxed, or late proposals will not be considered. 
• Notification will occur by March 15. 
• Accepted presenters must RSVP to the conference by June 1 and must register and pay the registration fee by April 1, 2023 in order to expedite the release of our schedule! Presenters not registered by April 1 will relinquish their spot in the program.
• MCEC provides all presentation rooms with an LCD projector and screen at no charge to presenters. All other A/V equipment (e.g. laptop computers, speakers, adapters, etc.) must be brought by presenters.
• MCEC does not reimburse presenters for expenses associated with the conference, including travel, hotel, cost of producing handouts, or other expenses. 

Important Dates 

Feb 1:        Proposal system opens
Mar 5:        Proposal system closes 
Mar 15:      Presenter notification
Apr 1:         Presenter RSVP (including registration) 
Jun 1:         Full schedule released
Oct 1:         Presenters must upload slides to conference repository

Program Details

The 2023 conference focuses on “Innovations in Special Education” and will highlight two topic strands: Innovations in Social-Emotional Learning and Innovations in Teaching Content Post-Pandemic.  Presenters who offer research, pedagogical insights,  and relevant content aligned with our mission are desired. We welcome self-advocate presenters. *Please note we do not accept presentations by individuals or companies that are designed to feature and promote specific products and services.

• Strand A: Social-Emotional Learning – This strand is designed to facilitate deeper understanding about how special education and school based professionals can support the social-emotional needs of students in inclusive environments. Areas related to the mental health needs of students, strategies for creating safe and supportive learning environments, and fostering emotional resilience will be considered.
• Strand B: Teaching & Learning Post-Pandemic– This strand is designed to support practices that are impactful on learning, including teaching strategies and educational supports gleaned from pandemic learning. Discussions of the impact of the pandemic on learning and development coupled with solutions will be considered. All areas of teaching and learning in the content areas will be considered.

All proposals will be submitted online. The online proposal submission system will require the following information:

Presenter Information 

• All presenters must be included in the proposal when it is submitted, including names, any affiliation, email, and a 30-word bio for each presenter. ​
• Lead Presenter: The person responsible for coordinating the presentation, notifying the other presenters of the proposal’s status (e.g. receipt, acceptance or rejection, and, if accepted, scheduled time and location of presentation), and ensuring that all presenters register for the conference by the deadline. 
• Presenter: Additional presenters who will participate in the session. 

Topic Strand

•  Choose one topic strand that best suits your proposal. 

Session Type

• Practice-Oriented Proposal - A session that is oriented toward teaching practice. Workshops provide participants the opportunity to actively participate. Emphasis on providing hands-on experience. (50 minutes) 
• Paper Proposal - Papers should be based on current research-to-practice connections. They should provide a practical benefit to the audience. (50 minutes). Papers in this section may be grouped into symposia with 3 papers (12 min/presenter).
• Poster Proposal - We welcome the submission of abstracts for poster presentations that correspond with the conference theme & strands.

Session Title

• Title of your presentation (15 words max). 
• The title should accurately reflect the content and be clear to the intended audience. 

Abstract

• The abstract is a summary of the session that appears in the conference program (50 words max). 
• Conference participants use the abstract to help decide which sessions to attend. It must be carefully written to draw the most appropriate audience to the presentation. 
• Spell out any acronyms or abbreviations that may not be familiar to all conference participants. 

Session Description
A description of the presentation  (500 words max) which includes:

• a short rationale 
• participant outcomes 
• theoretical orientation and research supporting the presentation
• an explanation of how outcomes will be achieved with activities or content to be presented