PURPOSE AND BRIEF HISTORY OF MY WORK
The purpose of my work is to develop, implement, and evaluate a conceptual framework and methodology for teacher education at the preservice and graduate level. My work draws on decades of cognitive studies in education and psychology and is informed by more recent developments in the field of neuroeducation. This work has been greatly influenced by my practice as a teacher, school psychologist, and educational psychologist and teacher educator. As a result, it offers a practical approach developed in collaboration with more than 100,000 teachers and administrators over the last 15 years of my career as a teacher educator.

VITAE
Donna Wilson, former university chairperson of education, University of Detroit Mercy, and an educational/school psychologist and former classroom teacher, serves as academic team leader and president of the Center for Innovative Education and Prevention, BrainSMART, and 21st Century Skills. After completing postdoctoral study in structural cognitive modifiability, Wilson began co-developing research-based professional learning opportunities for K-12 educators delivered through graduate studies. Her work has been delivered live and through distance learning at the master’s, educational specialist, and doctoral levels. Over the last 15 years, Wilson has personally presented to more than 100,000 educators who serve more than 1 million students. She has served as an educational consultant in many of the largest states and districts in the United States, as well as in many suburban and rural areas. She has also presented in a number of other countries.

AREAS OF PROFESSIONAL INTEREST
Wilson is most interested in helping K-12 classroom educators strengthen student learning by aligning instruction with current research from the fields of education, learning, psychology, and educational neuroscience; in policymaking based on current research; in systems for educational change and innovation; in education of students with learning challenges; in school/university partnerships for change; and in parent/school and community partnerships for change.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2009-Present Cofounder, Team Leader Academic Affairs, and President, 21st Century Skills, LLC
2008–Present Cofounder, Team Leader Academic Affairs, and President, Center for Innovative Education and Prevention
1998–Present Cofounder, Team Leader Academic Affairs, and President, BrainSMART

Donna Wilson has led in the co-development of university programs on practical applications from the fields of education, learning, cognition, school psychology, and educational neuroscience. These include a master of science and an educational specialist’s degree with Nova Southeastern University and doctoral coursework. She has been the leader of long-term initiatives across the nation, including Scholarships of Teachers in Action Research (STAR), a statewide, three-year initiative with the Florida Department of Education (1998–2001).

1996–1998 Associate Professor and Chairperson Education Department, University of Detroit Mercy 
Selected University Service Activities, University of Detroit Mercy
Leadership, Detroit Chamber of Commerce; Member, President’s Priority Group to Examine Change and Kellogg Urban Health Education Center Committee; Director, Field Programs in Education, Michigan Mediated Learning Association Board of Directors; Presenter, new programs for approval to University Board of Trustees, President’s Council, and Academic Affairs Leadership Council

1994–1996 Tenure-Track Faculty, University of Georgia Systems
Selected University Service Activities, University of Georgia Systems
Director of Georgia and Alabama Center for Critical Thinking;
Presidential Appointee to State of Georgia Chancellor’s University Professional Development Group; National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Committee for Accreditation Preparation; Georgia State Department of Education Planning Council

1977–1994 Full-Time Teacher, School Psychologist, and Diagnostician
Selected Community/State Service Activities in Oklahoma
Volunteer/Internship at State of Oklahoma Minimum Security Prison; Volunteer/Internship at State of Oklahoma Phil Smalley Children’s Center for Emotionally Disturbed Children and Youth; Norman Chamber of Commerce Liaison to Public Schools; Young Leadership Oklahoma, Social Service Coordinating Council, Member for Departments of Health, Mental Health, and Education; Advisory Committee on Teen Pregnancy; Norman Chamber of Commerce Young Adult Leadership; Project Outreach Respite Care Program, President and Board of Directors; Oklahoma United Cerebral Palsy Board of Directors; Oklahoma House of Representatives Subcommittee on At-Risk Education; Oklahoma House of Representatives Subcommittee on Afro-American students in Oklahoma; Outstanding Young Woman in America; and Professional Educators Liaison to State of Oklahoma Legislature on Policy Issues

ACADEMIC HISTORY
Postdoctoral Studies - Professor Reuven Feuerstein’s International Center for the Enhancement of Learning Potential (ICELP) Israel (1997)
PhD - University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma  Educational Psychology (1994)
Certification - Central State University, Edmond, Oklahoma School Psychology (1985)
MEd - University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma Guidance and Counseling (1980)
BS - University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma Elementary Education (1977)

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education
American Educational Research Association (Divisions C and K & Division K Workgroup)
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
International Association for Cognitive Education and Psychology
International Mind Brain and Education Society
International Neuropsychological Society
International Reading Association
National Association of School Psychologists
New York Academy of Sciences
Society for Social Neuroscience

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
From the Fischler School of Education at Nova Southeastern University Series
Wilson, D. L., & Conyers, M. A. (2009). Wiring the brain to read: Beginning reading preK–grade 3. Orlando, FL: BrainSMART.
Wilson, D. L., & Conyers, M. A. (2010). Administrator’s workbook for increasing student achievement: BrainSMART strategies for leading and teaching. Orlando, FL: BrainSMART.
Wilson, D. L., & Conyers, M. A. (2010). Courageous learners: Increasing student achievement in diverse learning communities (3rd ed.). Orlando, FL: BrainSMART.
Wilson, D. L., & Conyers, M. A. (2010). Wiring the brain to read: Brain-based differentiated reading instruction. Orlando, FL: BrainSMART.
Wilson, D. L., & Conyers, M. A. (2010). Wiring the brain to read: Higher-order thinking for reading.  Orlando, FL: BrainSMART.
Wilson, D. L., & Conyers, M. A. (2011). BrainSMART 60 strategies for increasing student achievement (4th ed.). Orlando, FL: BrainSMART. 
Wilson, D. L., & Conyers, M. A. (2011). Thinking for results: Strategies for increasing student achievement by as much as 30 percent (4th ed.). Orlando, FL: BrainSMART. 
Wilson, D. L., Heverly, L., & Conyers, M. A. (2011). BrainSMART early start: Building the brain power of young children (2nd ed.). Orlando, FL: BrainSMART.

Selected Journal Articles and Other Publications
Conyers, M. A., & Wilson, D. L. (in press). Potential: Appreciating our #1 asset. Orlando, FL: BrainSMART.
Wilson, D. L. (1995, Fall). Some thoughts on achieving equity in education. The Reporter, 14. 
Wilson, D. L. (1996). The school psychologist as co-teacher: An example using the COGNET program as a means of teaching thinking skills. Journal of Cognitive Education, 5, 171–183.
Wilson, D. L. (1996, February). The school psychologist as co-teacher and staff developer: A shift in thinking. NASP Communique, 33–34.
Wilson, D. L. (2011). The importance of educational leadership and policy: In support of effective instruction. Retrieved from ERIC database. (ED523494)
Wilson, D. L., & Bellanca, J. (1998). Mediated learning in and out of the classroom training manual. Arlington Heights, IL: SkyLight.
Wilson, D. L., & Church, S. (1993). Norman public schools three-year study of at-risk students. Research for Better Schools Teaching Thinking and Problem Solving, 15(1), 6–8.
Wilson, D. L., & Conyers, M. A. (2009). BrainSMART health wise (2nd ed.). Orlando, FL: BrainSMART.
Wilson, D. L., & Conyers, M. A. (2006). BrainSMART in the house (2nd ed.). Orlando, FL: BrainSMART.
Wilson, D. L., & Conyers, M. A. (2009, February 1). BrainSMART thinking skills: Developing self directed learners for success in college, career, and life. Retrieved from the BrainSMART website: http://www.brainsmart.org
Wilson, D. L., & Conyers, M. A. (2011). Celebrating BrainSMART teachers. Orlando, FL: BrainSMART.
Wilson, D. L., & Germuth, A. (2011). Helping all learners reach their potential: What teachers say about BrainSMART. Durham, NC: EvalWorks; Orlando, FL: BrainSMART.
Wilson, D. L., & Greenberg, K. (2000). The COGNET education model. In A. Costa (Ed.), Teaching for intelligence II. Arlington Heights, IL: SkyLight.
Wilson, D. L., & Harman, A. (2011). Graduate survey: Data summary & analysis report. Raleigh, NC: Harman and Associates; Orlando, FL: BrainSMART.

SELECTED NATIONAL ACADEMIC PRESENTATIONS
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education Annual “Imagine the Impact: Providing a Learning Journey for All” Meeting, Paper Presentation “Strengthening Teacher Effectiveness with Implications from Neuroeducation: A Qualitative Study of K-12 Teachers Focusing on Higher Needs Students,” Chicago, Illinois, 2012
International Educational Organization, “The Brain in Education” Third Annual International Education Symposium, Invited Presentation “BrainSMART Strategies for Boosting Learning,” Dubai and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 2011
International Association for Cognitive Education and Psychology, Paper Presentation “Preliminary Results from a Qualitative Study of Teachers: Using an Education, Mind, and Brain Framework for Enhancing Instruction in K-12 Classrooms,” Boston, Massachusetts, 2011
Nova Southeastern University Conference on Global Leadership, Learning, & Research, Invited Presentation “Potential, Plasticity, and the Power to Get Better at Almost Anything,” Orlando, Florida, 2011
National Association of Elementary School Principals Annual Convention, Invited Three-Day Workshop for Principals and Teacher Leaders, “BrainSMART Leading for Learning in Culturally Diverse Environments: Putting Cognitive Research into Practice,” Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2011
National Association of Elementary School Principals Annual Convention, Invited Extended Learning Presentation, “BrainSMART Leading for Learning: Keys to Increasing Student Achievement,” Tampa, Florida, 2011
National Association of Elementary School Principals Annual Convention, Invited Focus Group Session for Mentor Coaches Using BrainSMART Methodology, Tampa, Florida, 2011
Nova Southeastern University Conference on Global Leadership, Learning, & Research, Invited Presentation “Introduction to BrainSMART: Putting Research into Practice So All Students May Learn,” Orlando, Florida, 2010 
National Association of Elementary School Principals Summer Leadership Institute, Invited Three-Day Featured Workshop, “BrainSMART Leading for Learning in Culturally Diverse Environments: Putting Cognitive Research into Practice,” San Diego, California, 2010
National Association of Elementary School Principals Annual Convention, “Invited Preconference Session: BrainSMART Administrator’s Guide to Increasing Student Learning” and “Leading for Reading,” Houston, Texas, 2010
Nova Southeastern University Conference on Global Leadership, Learning, & Research, Invited Presentation “Connecting Cognitive and Brain Research to Learning, Leading, and Teaching,” Orlando, Florida, 2009
Georgia Association of Gifted Educators and University of Georgia, “Drive Your Brain to Higher Achievement,” Athens, Georgia, 2006 
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Annual Conference, “Increasing Student Achievement with BrainSMART Instruction,” Orlando, Florida, 2005
National Title I Annual Conference, “Drive Your Brain: Cognitive Tools for Increasing Student Achievement,” New Orleans, Louisiana, 2004
Learning and the Brain Conference, “Thinking for Results: Wiring the Brain for High Student Achievement,” Boston, Massachusetts, 2001
National Staff Development Council, “Courageous Learners: Increasing the Brain Power of Students from At-Risk Situations,” Denver, Colorado, 2001
National Association of Secondary School Principals, “Courageous Learners: Unleashing the Brain Power of Students from At-Risk Situations,” Phoenix, Arizona, 2001
Texas Education Association and Parent Learning Network Family Involvement Conference, “BrainSMART in the House,” Ft. Worth, Texas, 2000
National Staff Development Council, “Using Cognitive Tools in Professional Development for Teachers,” Dallas, Texas, 1999
American Association of Teacher Educators, “A Fresh Look at School and University Partnerships through Research-Based and Transformational Graduate Degrees for Teachers,” Chicago, Illinois, 1999
International Association of Cognitive Education, “Using Cognitive Education in U.S. Elementary Schools: A Model,” Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 1998
Professor Reuven Feuerstein’s International Center for the Enhancement of Learning Potential, “A Model for Cognitive Education at Schools and Universities in the USA,” Jerusalem, Israel, 1997
National Association of School Psychologists, “The School Psychologist as Co-Teacher: A Cognitive Model for Intervention,” Atlanta, Georgia, 1996
International Association of Cognitive Education, “Educational Reform in the USA,” Monticello, New York, 1995
National Association of School Psychologists, “School Psychologists as Leaders,” Chicago, Illinois, 1995
International Association of Cognitive Education, “One School District’s Study of At-Risk Students: A Pilot Study Teaching Thinking K-12,” Oxnard, California, 1994
American Educational Research Association, “The Use of Feuerstein’s Instrumental Enrichment with At-Risk Seventh Grade Students,” Paper Presentation New Orleans, Louisiana, 1994

SELECTED STATE AND REGIONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Donna Wilson has presented in hundreds of suburban, rural, and urban school districts across the United States, as well as at a number of regional and statewide events. To list just a few professional audiences: New York State Union of Teachers (NYSUT), Lake George and New York City; Michigan Mediated Learning Association; Florida Department of Education; Chicago, Illinois, Public Schools; Chicago Archdiocese; Salt Lake City, Utah; Denver, Colorado; Los Angeles Public Schools; Detroit Public Schools, Wilmington, Delaware, Public Schools; San Antonio, Houston, and Ft. Worth, Texas, Statewide Parent Learning Events; St. Tammany Parish Schools, Louisiana; Orlando, Florida, Public Schools; Monroe County (Keys), Florida, Public Schools; Palm and Broward Counties, Florida; PAEC, Florida Panhandle; Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Public Schools; Hartford, Connecticut, Schools; OKC, Norman, Putnam City, and Edmond, Oklahoma; Bismarck and Fargo, North Dakota; and many more.

DEVELOPED NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTES
BrainSMART and Courageous Learners National Institutes, Orlando, Florida, 2000
National Institute Using Feuerstein’s Programs in the Classroom, Elgin, Illinois, 1999