2011 Speakers

Andrew Pudewa

Andrew Pudewa is the director of the Institute for Excellence in Writing and a homeschooling father of seven. Presenting throughout North America, he addresses issues relating to teaching, writing, thinking, spelling, and music with clarity, insight, practical experience, and humor. His seminars for parents, students and teachers have helped transform many a reluctant writer and have equipped educators with powerful tools to dramatically improve students' skills.

Although he is a graduate of the Talent Education Institute in Japan and holds a Certificate of Child Brain Development from The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, his best endorsement is from a young Alaskan boy who called him "the funny man with the wonderful words." He and his beautiful, heroic wife Robin currently teach their three youngest children at home in Atascadero, California.

Mr. Pudewa's website can be found at www.excellenceinwriting.com

Presentations:     

• High School Essay Intensive Seminar
• The Profound Influence of Music on Life
• Freedomship Education: Rebuilding Your Education Paradigm
• Nurturing Competent Communicators – The Power of Linguistic Patterns
• Nature Deficit Disorder: Causes, Consequences, & Cures

Cathie and Kevin Baier

Cathie and Kevin Baier are blessed with six children and have home educated them since 2003. Before children, Cathie developed curricula and taught classes for adults around the world on a variety of topics in the computer industry at the corporate and technical school level. She loves to develop curricula, teach homeschool co-op classes and organize book clubs. Previously, she held board positions on the Holy Family Home Education support group such as general coordinator, membership coordinator and advisory board member.

Kevin is an IT Leader who has worked for over 25 years at Fortune 500 companies in the Twin Cities area. He has a BS degree in computer science from Iowa State University and in 2008 he earned an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University. For several years he led a team of subject matter experts in delivering an innovative and immersive year-long consumer technology course to over 400 corporate executives at an international electronics retailer based in the Twin Cities. He’s always been an early adopter of new technologies and is excited to share his love of technology with other home schooling families.

Cathie blogs at (on) The Road (to becoming a) Scholar.

Presentations:

• Beginning Homeschooling
• Technology in the Classroom: To Boldly Go Where No Homeschool has Gone Before

Martin Cothran

Martin Cothran is a writer and teacher, living with his wife and four children in Danville, Kentucky. Author of Memoria Press’ Traditional Logic, Material Logic and Classical Rhetoric programs, he is an instructor of Latin, Logic, Rhetoric, and Classical Studies at Highlands Latin School.

Martin holds a B.A. in philosophy and economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara and an M.A. in Christian Apologetics from the Simon Greenleaf School (now a part of Trinity University). He currently serves as senior policy analyst with The Family Foundation of Kentucky. The Lexington Herald-Leader has described Martin as “a master of the 30-second sound bite,” and the Associated Press has called him “articulate and relentless,” although he is not entirely sure that they meant it as a compliment, since his views on policy issues are often at variance with those of the liberal media. He practices the art of rhetoric in frequent articles on public policy issues that have appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Louisville Courier-Journal, and various other newspapers, as well as on radio and television. He has also served as a registered agent (or “lobbyist”) at the Kentucky State Capitol for over 12 years and has served on various state committees that oversee education policy, where he continues to be an influential voice on education policy issues.

Martin is the managing editor of “The Classical Teacher” magazine, which also serves as Memoria Press’ product catalog.

Presentation:

• What is Classical Education?

Colleen Billing, BSCD

Colleen Billing is a homeschooling mother of five children, ranging in age from 6-16. Colleen graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor of arts in interpersonal communications and public speaking and a minor in the teaching of English. After teaching high school speech and English in Chicago for several years, she began the most rewarding chapter of her career by starting her family! In 2006, another one of her dreams was realized when she started her own professional organizing business called, "Peaceful Interiors." Over the past several years, Colleen has had the privilege of traveling across the country speaking at various conferences and workshops. She runs organizing seminars and women's mornings of reflection, as well as works with clients in their homes to help them get better organized. She has a passion for helping women (and men) embrace a simpler, clutter-free life, and believes that a peaceful, beautiful home and a strong, healthy body are part of God's plan for each of us.

Colleen has been married to her husband Andrew for 19 years, and they are members of the Franciscan-based community, The Brothers and Sisters of Charity, founded by John Michael Talbot.

Presentations:

• Organize Your Home, Enrich Your Life
• Coping with Stress and Burnout

Jim Weiss

Jim Weiss has been a storyteller for over 25 years.  In 1989, Jim decided to do something more with the craft that he had formerly practiced solely for pleasure. He and his wife, Randy, formed a production company, Greathall Productions, and have thus far produced 44 storytelling recordings with enticing titles from classical literature, such as Greek Myths, King Arthur and Sherlock Holmes. Jim's Greathall line is the recipient of more than 85 major national awards from The American Library Association, Parents' Choice Foundation, NAPPA, the Parents' Council, The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, The Film Advisory Board, Parents' Guide to Children's Media Award and more. Weiss' newest releases are "Julius Caesar and the Story of Rome" and "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch."

Jim is the recipient of over 80 national awards from The American Library Association, Parents Choice Foundation, Film Advisory Board, Practical Homeschooling, The Old Schoolhouse, etc. He has received prized acclaim and recommendation from prestigious authors/publications such as The Well Trained Mind, Cathy Duffy, Mary Pride, Home Education Magazine, Family Times, Homeschooling Today, The Shearers, The Link and countless others.

Jim travels extensively internationally and throughout The United States and Canada presenting at homeschool conferences, regional events, school, store and community performances, teacher/parent workshops. He has performed at The White House Easter events and starred and hosted a PBS Storytelling pilot that won a Northern California Emmy Award for Best Children's Show.

Presentations:

• The Loving Father: The Why and How of Dads Telling Stories
• Saint, A Criminal and a Country Priest: The Writing of G.K. Chesterton

Anne Bielejeski

Anne Bielejeski is a homeschooling mother of 11 children, ages 6 to 25, and a grandmother of one. She says that she's still trying to figure it all out while aging gracefully. 

Anne considers herself "an advocate for overworked, guilt-ridden moms" and she has given several workshops to encourage Catholic family life.  She is a very popular speaker, with plenty of humor, real-life stories, and down-to-earth advice.

Anne and her husband, John, live in Ham Lake, Minn.  They've been married for 28 years. 

 

Presentation:

• Family: An Intimate Community of Life and Love