Institute 7: Adolescent Literacy in the 21st Century: An Exploration of Current Research, Policy, Pedagogy, and Adolescent Engagement
Reading Today Online asked all of the institute chairpersons for IRA San Antonio to respond to three questions designed to give our readers and all of the prospective attendees a better understanding of the insights and benefits they will gain from attending these day-long programs. Below are responses from Heather Casey, Rider University, and Carol Hryniuk-Adamov, Child Guidance Clinic Winnipeg School Division, and University of Manitoba Winnipeg Manitoba, CA.
What is the professional urgency that this institute is designed to address?
The Adolescent Literacy Institute was developed by the 2012-2013 IRA Adolescent Literacy Task Force in an effort to enhance understanding of the newly revised IRA Adolescent Literacy position statement and to offer educators pathways for considering the shifts the newly adopted U.S. Common Core State Standards in English/Language Arts and the Common Core in English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical subjects have created in many schools.
Understanding how to best support adolescents' literacy with the changing demands of the 21st century and the recent policy shifts requires skilled educators who are able to draw on multiple tools and work collaboratively to support student learning and professional growth. This institute is designed to offer a range of resources to support these goals and connects carefully to the newly revised Adolescent Literacy position statement IRA released in June 2012.
This institute grounds the newly revised Adolescent Literacy position statement with specific pedagogy and research that supports the implementation of the principles designed to support adolescent literacy development in the 21st century. The range of the professional expertise of the presenters includes teacher educators, k-12 supervisors, middle and secondary literacy coaches, reading specialists, classroom teachers, and professional and young adult authors. This offers participants a deep look into the multifaceted needs of engaging adolescents in the 21st century. The frequent opportunities for interaction as well as the choices afforded participants, will enable them to build the day according to their needs.
Institute 7 promises a rich learning experience for all. Throughout the day, IRA resources and authors are highlighted to support the newly revised position statement.
What types of literacy professionals is this institute designed for?
It is designed for educators who work with adolescents as well as teacher-educators.
How will attendance at this institute help those literacy professionals “make a difference” in their work?
This institute is an interactive forum for the dissemination of current research and promising practices in the field of adolescent literacy. Each of the keynotes, interactive sessions, poster sessions as well as the panel draws on original research that speaks to promising practices in one or more of the key areas of the newly revised IRA Adolescent Literacy position statement.
Opening and Keynotes
The day includes a comprehensive opening and two keynote talks delivered by IRA leaders and experts in the field. The opening offered by IRA President Elect Maureen McLaughlin will highlight current policy and positions of the International Reading Association. The first keynote presented by Cynthia Shanahan focuses on current research and pedagogy in the field of disciplinary literacy and its relationship to supporting adolescent literacy development, and a second by an International award winning young adult author Deborah Ellis who hails from Canada. Deborah focuses on global civic engagement and issues of social justice. See her many publications that have enabled young adolescents to understand how then can make a difference in our world.
Breakout Sessions
The range of breakout sessions offered both in the morning and afternoon continues the conversation of policy, research, pedagogy, and adolescent engagement in the 21st century with a focus on specific topics, research, and practical classroom strategies for instruction and assessment. These include descriptions of national and international projects designed to support the shifting literacy needs of adolescents in particular contexts, specific sessions on topics connected to disciplinary literacy, new literacies and supporting the cultural and linguistic literacies of our global population along with sessions devoted to engaging adolescent readers.
Gallery Walk
The day also includes a Gallery Walk where presenters share posters of their work and participants engage in informal, interactive dialogue with our range of experts on how what is being shared connects to the participants' professional lives. This also provides participants the opportunity to interact with presenters who they may not have had the opportunity to see in the specific breakout sessions.
Panel and Town Hall
The day closes with a panel of adolescent literacy experts who will discuss current trends and future directions. This forum will be used to engage participants in a "town hall" style dialogue about the field and the relationship of the day's learning to participants' contexts.
Presenters
The presenters for institute 7 include:
Donna Alvermann, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
Carol Hryniuk-Adamov, Winnipeg School Division, and University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba, CA
Judith Dunkerly – Bean Innovations International Charter School of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada
Tom Bean, UNLV, Las Vegas, Nevada
Deanna Birdyshaw, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Karen Bromley, Binghamton University, SUNY, NY
William G. Brozo, George Mason University, VA
Doug Buehl, Edgewood College, Madison, WI
Heather Casey, Rider University, Lawrenceville NJ
Aubrey Comperatore, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Deborah Ellis, Groundwood Books, Toronto, Ontario, Internationally recognized and award winning author
Cynthia Greenleaf, WestEd Strategic Literacy Initiative, CA
Anastasia Gruper, Bernotas Middle School Assistant Principal, Crystal Lake, IL
Gay Ivey, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
Mal Keenan, middle school literacy coach, Crystal Lake, IL
Penny Kittle, K-12 literacy coach and high school English teacher, Kennett High School, Conway School District, NH
Belinda Laumbach, New Mexico Highlands University, Las Vegas, New Mexico
Jill Lewis-Spector, Vice-President of IRA, New Jersey City University, Jersey City, NJ
Amy MacCrindle, middle school literacy coach, Crystal Lake, IL
Maureen McLaughlin, President-Elect of IRA, East Stroudsburg University of PA, East Stroudsburg, PA
David Moore, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
Victoria Oglan, University of South Carolina, Columbia SC
Thomasina Piercy, Supervisor K-12 Reading, Carroll County, MD through 2011; Author and Consultant
William Piercy, Supervisor Leadership Development, Carroll County, MD Author and Consultant
Carol Santa, IRA Past President, Montana Academy, Kalispell, MT
Cynthia Shanahan, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago
Sharon Rent Stein, Howard County Public Schools, Maryland
Mary Styslinger, University of South Carolina, Columbia SC
Cris Tovani, Overland High School, Aurora, Colorado
Ann Yanchura, middle school literacy coach, Crystal Lake, IL
Registration Information: This preconference institute will be held at the Grant Hyatt in San Antonio, Texas from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 19 before the 58th International Reading Association Annual Convention begins on Saturday, April 20. Register online for this or another institute and/or to register for the annual convention. Call 888-294-9167 or 415-979-2278 to find out how to register by phone, fax, or mail. To learn more about convention events in San Antonio, visit the annual convention website and the online itinerary planner (iPlanner), or read more Reading Today annual convention articles.