A wide array of literacy experts will hit the stage at the ILA 2015 Conference in St. Louis, MO. Learn classroom best practices, education reform, and quick tips with our full schedule of Featured Speakers.
Saturday, July 18:
Meenoo Rami (@MeenooRami)
A veteran of EduCon, #140edu, Urban Sites Conference for National Writing Project, and others, Meenoo Rami is no stranger to educational conferences. An English teacher at Philadelphia’s Science Leadership Academy, she pushes her students to think outside the box and connect themselves to the world beyond the classroom. Rami is the author of Thrive: 5 Ways to Re(Invigorate) Your Teaching and founder of #engchat, a Twitter chat that engages teachers across the United States to discuss English teaching techniques. She will be discussing the power of networking across classrooms, helping students to become active members of society.
Steven L. Layne (@StevenLayne)
In Defense of Read-Aloud, will highlight successful practices for read-aloud instruction. He is also the author of various children’s books, including The Teachers’ Night Before Christmas, an ILA/Children’s Book Council “Children’s Choice” book. Layne currently teaches children’s and young adult literature courses at Judson College in Elgin, IL and serves as a literacy consultant. Layne is well known for motivating educators through his talks.
Stephanie Harvey (@Stephharvey49)
After working in the public school system for 15 years, Stephanie Harvey worked as a staff developer for the Denver, CO–based Public Education & Business Coalition and is now president of her own consulting firm. As a passionate advocate for children’s reading and writing, Harvey has written many books, including Nonfiction Matters and The Comprehension Toolkit. Her session will include strategic tips for close reading and comprehension in K–12 literacy.
Jennifer Serravallo (@JSerravallo)
As a staffer at Columbia University’s Teachers College Reading and Writing Project and Vassar College, Jennifer Serravallo developed a passion for urban education reform and children’s literature. She is an active blogger and the author of the Association of Educational Publishers award-winning Independent Reading Assessmentin addition to The Literacy Teacher’s Playbook. Serravallo will be hosting a session to engage student motivation and growth through independent reading.
Sunday, July 19:
Pam Allyn (@pamallyn)
Pam Allyn, author, motivational speaker, and founder of global literacy initiative LitWorld, will be hosting a session dedicated to creating practices that meet the needs of students with varying reading and writing experience. As a 2013 Scholastic Literacy Champion, Allyn is the author of Your Child’s Writing Life and is a spokesperson for BIC Kids 2014 and BIC’s “Fight For Your Write” campaign.
Julie D. Ramsay (@JulieDRamsay)
Julie D. Ramsay, a sixth-grade ELA teacher, navigates the world of technology from her classroom and shares what she learns in her regular Literacy Daily column, Plugged In her personal blog, eduflections. She will discuss the importance of using digital tools and thinking critically to collaborate on classroom projects and engage in active writing inside and outside the classroom. She is the author of “Can We Skip Lunch and Keep Writing?” Collaborating in Class and Online, Grades 3–8and speaks at various conferences about student writing practices.
Christopher Lehman (@iChrisLehman)
As the founding director of The Educator Collaborative, Lehman supportsteachers and literacy coaches in implementing rigorous literacy instruction. He will be discussing techniques to assist students with voice-filled writing and critical thinking. Lehman is also the author of literacy books such as A Quick Guide to Reviving Disengaged Writers and Energize Research Reading and Writing.
The ILA 2015 Conference will be July 18–20 in St. Louis, MO, with more than 6,000 educators ready to transform their practice. Key topics affecting literacy featured at the conference include content literacy, children’s literature, classroom engagement, and professional development. In addition to conference favorites, there will be plenty of new features, such as the refreshed Teaching Edge series. More than 120 exhibitors will be on hand with new tools and technologies for all manners of literacy education.
Preconference institutes, which take place on July 17, offer an all-day deep dive into topics including culturally responsive instruction and building literacy through project-based learning. You do not need to register for the full Conference & Exhibits to take part in the preconference institutes.
Learn more about the conference program at ilaconference.org. Register today for the ILA 2015 Conference to take advantage of special Early Bird pricing.
Morgan Ratner is the communications assistant for ILA.