LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ -- A professional development videoconference, "Spelling: Taught or Caught?" will be shown at Rider University's Science and Technology Center Lecture Hall 102 on Saturday, Oct. 19 from 1-3 p.m.

Dr. Suzanne Gespass, assistant professor of education in The College of Education and Human Services, is overseeing the Rider showing of the videoconference which will be presented at various times and places throughout the nation on Oct. 19.

Sponsored by The Elementary Section of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the Whole Language Umbrella (WLU), the two-hour program will feature Richard Gentry, a writer, consultant, and spelling researcher in Chicago, IL; Jerry Harste, professor of language education at Indiana University, Bloomington; Ana Hernandez, a fourth-grade teacher in the San Diego public schools; and Diane Snowball, a literacy consultant, author, and publisher at Mondo Press.

The conference will focus on how spelling is learned and taught. Discussion will include the issues that surround the teaching of spelling, the reasons why spelling is changing, and the conditions that support good spelling practices.

Videotaped segments from classrooms will serve as the catalyst for questions and discussions among videoconference participants, studio audience members, and experts in the field of spelling and writing. To encourage interaction among the members of the studio audience, on-site experts, and the viewing audience, participants will have the opportunity to call in or fax questions during the videoconference.

For more information, call Dr. Gespass at (609) 896-5669.