Speakers
Ana Maria Fernandez is a VESS Master Trainer and Mentor-Coach. Ana Maria Fernandez is Edu1st’s president and co-founder, has a bachelor’s degree in Preschool Education and a master’s degree in International Educational Management. She has over 20 years of experience implementing Cultures of Thinking in the 6 preschools that Education First has in South Florida (USA) and in 2 International Schools in Bogota (Colombia), as well as in collaborating centers in the United States, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Spain, and China.
Co-creator of the VESS Educational Model. Education First Inc.’s founding partner and vice-president. He is a Maxillofacial Surgeon and a university teacher; has a master’s degree in Business Management. Develops educational programs aimed at promoting thinking skills and habits of mind in schools in the United States of America, Latin America, and Spain. He is certified as a Parallel Thinking International Coach by the De Bono Group.
Gilberto has participated as a speaker in numerous opportunities at the International Conference on Thinking (ICOT), in addition to numerous international conferences related to strategic thinking and innovation.
Ana Maria Conde is an anthropologist, a VESS Master Trainer, and a Mentor-Coach. She is an expert in the Theory of Constraints for education and is an international trainer in yoga for children.
She is the director of Edu1st’s services area, working hand-in-hand with all the VESS Centers, as well as the innovation processes that contribute to the VESS Model. Ana Maria is involved in volunteering work with different organizations, seeking to have a positive impact on people’s quality of life all around the world, through the development of thinking and the acquisition of life tools.
VESS Trainer and Mentor - Coach, part of the Edu1st VESS Curriculum development team and the VESS Platform development team.
Camila is a VESS Trainer and Mentor-Coach. She is an anthropologist graduated from the Universidad del Rosario (Bogota, Colombia) and a Public Politics Master candidate with a specialization in Management and Solution of Conflicts from the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy (Germany). Currently, she is part of Edu1st VESS’ Curriculum Development Team and of the VESS Platform development team. In addition, she is leading research in conflict management and transformation in basic education in Colombia.
VESS Trainer and Mentor-Coach, social sciences and English language teacher, and pedagogical director of the Salzillo School.
Maria Luisa has an English Philology diploma and is a social science and English language teacher in high school and baccalaureate.
She is the pedagogical director of the Salzillo School, CEO of Denueve Consultants, and Coach of Dr. Robert Swartz’s “The National Center for Teaching Thinking” American Institution. She offers different workshops and lectures in Spain and around the world about the use of critical and creative thinking in the educational curriculum.
Early childhood and primary school teacher. She works at Salzillo de Molina de Segura School, Murcia, Spain.
VESS Trainer and Mentor-Coach, head of the mathematics department in Secondary Education and Baccalaureate.
Amparo is a VESS Trainer and Coach. Graduated in Mathematics from Murcia University, Spain; she is the head of the mathematics department at the Salzillo School. Amparo is a Thinking-based learning coach, certified by the Center for Teaching Thinking of Dr. Robert Swartz.
VESS Trainer and Mentor- Coach, head of the music department and director of the "Luis Cases" choir.
Maria Rosario is a VESS Trainer and coach, graduated in English Philology. She is a piano professional performer, Superior Professor in solmization, music theory, and accompaniment, and Superior Professor in Musical Pedagogy from the Superior Music Conservatory of Murcia.
She is a Thinking-Based Learning coach, certified by the Center for Teaching Thinking of Dr. Robert Swartz. In addition, she is a high school English, language, and music teacher. Maria Rosario is the head of the music department and Director of the “Luis Cases” Choir.
VESS Trainer and Mentor-Coach, mathematics teacher and head of the department of new technologies at Maria Asunta de Castalla School.
Jose is a VESS Trainer and part of the curriculum development team at Edu1st VESS. He graduated in Mathematics and has a Master’s degree in Secondary Education. He is certified in Thinking-based learning by the Center for Teaching Thinking of Dr. Robert Swartz.
He Currently works at Maria Asunta School (Spain), where he teaches mathematics in high school and since 2009 is the head of the department of new technologies.
VESS Teacher, Graduated in Mathematics and Head of Studies in Secondary Education and Baccalaureate.
He has been a mathematics and IT teacher since 1999. Since 2012, Isidoro has been the Head of Studies in Secondary Education and Baccalaureate, he is a TBL coach, certified by The Center for Teaching Thinking from Dr. Robert Swartz and is the author of multiple books about technology for high school and mathematics in English for the bilingual sections, as well as diverse manuals to prepare for the Mathematics Access Test for University.
VESS Trainer and Coach. Graduated in dramatic arts, as well as primary education with a specialization in English.
Jose Antonio graduated in Dramatic Arts and Primary Education with a specialization in English. For over a decade, he has been dedicated to lead theatre, body expression, and communication workshops for professionals in different areas. Currently, he is a teacher at a primary education bilingual center.
VESS Teacher, Jolly Phonics Certified Trainer and co-author of the PhonicThinking program.
Luiza is a graduate of the University of Lethbridge, she has a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and Dramatic Arts. She moved to Spain shortly after and from 2005 and she has worked as an English teacher. In 2012, Luiza began to work at Colegio Salzillo where she currently teaches the bilingual program in preschool.
Luiza is a Jolly Phonics certified trainer and is in the process of becoming a VESS trainer. As the PhonicThinking co-author, Luiza is responsible for implementing it in all preschool classes. Her methods are dynamic, kinetic, and innovative: using an active classroom environment, she creates an effective and enjoyable learning experience for young students.
Graduated in Early Childhood education, Jolly Phonics Certified Trainer and co-author of the PhonicThinking program.
Yvonne is a Jolly Phonics Certified Trainer and co-author of the PhonicThinking Program.
She has a B.A. in Art & Design (Isleworth, UK), B.Ed (Sussex, UK), B.A. in Early Childhood Education (OU, UK). Yvonne is a British trained teacher and before moving to Spain in 2004, worked in a variety of teaching roles and she was part of the SEN (Special Education Needs) team, specializing in dyslexia, language acquisition, and literacy development and how synthetic phonics may be used within a range of SEN children.
Since 2004, Yvonne has been living in Spain and working in the bilingual teaching environment as a teacher and trainer in different educational areas. She is also the author of early childhood educational books MELP (Macmillan Early Learning Path, 2011 & 2014) which were nominated for the British Council ELTons award and she regularly contributed to Early Childhood and Primary Education editorials.
Yvonne specializes in the development of Early Childhood and Primary School language and has participated in the BEDA bilingual project throughout Spain, in school pilot projects and has developed rural and state school support and training for language and literacy development. She continues to work closely with teachers and schools, with a focus on ESL and using synthetic phonics with children with SEN and dyslexia.