Literacy Now

Whether you’ve been chatting online, in person, via carrier pigeon, or through Morse code, now’s your chance to actually connect with friends old and new at the IRA 2014 Tweet Suite.  Located in the Exhibit Hall in Booth #1056, the Tweet Suite is a space dedicated to social gatherings at this year’s conference. Over the weekend you can attend everything from Tweet & Greets to Meet & Eats.

Not on Twitter? Not a problem! Being on Twitter isn’t a prerequisite—everyone’s invited to join in on the fun. Experience ten different chances to expand your personal learning network (PLN) by linking up with fellow educators and forging professional friendships that will last long after the conference has ended.

First Timers’ Sessions (Sat./Sun., 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.)

If you’ve never attended the conference then you should definitely check out one of the “First Timers’ Sessions,” where you can score insider tips for how to make the most of your time at IRA 2014.

Primary and Mid-Level Tweet-Ups (Sat./Sun., 1:00 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.)

Chat and link up with fellow IRA attendees at the “Primary Teacher’s Tweet & Greet,” hosted by Lyssa Sahadevan (@lyssareads) and Heidi Butkus (@HeidiSongs).The “Mid-Level Educators Tweetup” will be hosted by Julie D. Ramsay (@JulieDRamsay), author of our popular “Plugged In” column.

Empowered Teacher Tweet-Up (Sat., 2:00 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.)

Rub elbows with Jennifer Scoggin (@MrsMimiTeaches), author of upcoming book Be Fabulous: The Reading Teacher’s Guide to Reclaiming Your Happiness in the Classroom (IRA, fall 2014), at “Mrs. Mimi’s Empowered Teacher Tweetup.” Join in on this informal gathering to meet and mingle with colleagues who are every bit as fabulous as you are.

Edcamp Literacy Follow-Up (Sun., 2:00 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.)

Still thinking about the people you met at Edcamp Literacy? Or maybe you missed out and want to learn more about this exciting format. Either way, make sure you attend the “Edcamp Literacy Tweetup” where you can meet the Edcamp Literacy organizers, hear a recap of from  Edcamp Literacy “unconference” event on Friday, May 9,and follow-up brainstorm around IRA’s inaugural Edcamp event. Bring a friend, too! (There is still room to register for this event at www.iraconference.org/edcampliteracy.)

IRA to ILA Town Halls (Sat./Sun., 3:00 p.m. to 3: 45 p.m.)

Curious about the switch from IRA to ILA (International Literacy Association)? Join us at the “IRA Town Halls” for an informal Q & A to learn about the many exciting changes at IRA and see what we are up to and where we are headed as we move forward with our new strategic initiatives. IRA’s Executive Team will be on hand to answer your questions and solicit your feedback.

Meet & Eats (Sat./Sun., 4:00 to 5:00p.m.)

After the day’s excitement winds down head on over to the “Meet & Eat.” Whether you traveled alone or with friends, any and all are welcome to grab a bite, socialize, and discuss. Then, make plans to grab some grub with educators as hungry for children’s literature as you are! Already have dinner plans? Swing by and connect with future lunch companions. Perfect for solo travelers! Book lovers especially should check out Sunday’s YA Lit Lovers Meet & Eat, hosted by the Crazy Reading Ladies, Mary Cotillo (@allincotillo) and Erin O’Leary (@allinoleary).

The Tweet Suite is one of two places in the Exhibit Hall that boasts free Wi-Fi (the other is the Digital Classroom, Booth #1010), so it’s a convenient place to get a boost to your device’s Internet speed outside of the Wi-Fi-friendly meeting rooms and common areas. So come on and make the most out of IRA 2014 and check out the new Tweet Suite.

Chelsea Simens is a strategic communications intern at the International Reading Association. 

Will you be in New Orleans on Friday afternoon but are not attending an Institute? Are you looking for a new, interactive way to share a professional development experience will fellow literacy educators? The International Reading Association (IRA) is leaping into the “unconference” movement with the launch of Edcamp Literacy at IRA’s 59th Annual Conference in New Orleans. The free Edcamp Literacy event will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m on Friday, May 9, 2014 in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

What Is an Edcamp?

An Edcamp is a participant-driven professional development session where the attendees have the power to set the agenda and drive the discussion. Educators create the agenda on the spot and facilitate discussions based on what topics are important to them. Edcamp Literacy attendees will be asked to jot down their name and some topics they’d like to discuss on a sticky note that’ll be posted on a wall. IRA hosts will be on hand to help organize the topics into conversation strands, and attendees will take it over from there. Everyone is encouraged to share their knowledge and expertise.

How to Register

Edcamp Literacy attendance is open to any K–12 classroom teacher who registers to take part in this fully customizable event, but be warned that space is extremely limited. To reserve your slot (and sticky notes!), register at www.iraconference.org/edcampliteracy.

The First of its Kind

“The Edcamp Foundation is thrilled to see the International Reading Association be the first organization to adopt the Edcamp format for a portion of its national conference,” says Edcamp co-founder Dan Callahan, a K–5 instructional technology specialist and now chairman of the Edcamp Foundation’s board of directors. “They demonstrate a forward-thinking commitment to providing free and democratic professional development for all interested educators who wish to attend.”

IRA is presenting this event to provide educators with the agency to get the information they need in a forum that they control. Tori Bachman, IRA’s content acquisitions manager, explains, “IRA is committed to helping teachers advance their professional learning and practice in whatever formats they choose. We hope Edcamp Literacy will be an exciting way to continue that tradition: You decide what you want to learn about, and you and your colleagues learn from each other.”

To stay up to date on news about the event, follow the #EdcampLiteracy hashtag on Twitter and feel free to add your own voice to the excitement as our time in New Orleans draws closer.

Edcamp Literacy is filling fast, so register today at www.iraconference.org/edcampliteracy.

Jonathan Hartley is the social media strategist at the International Reading Association. 

It’s out! You’ve heard the buzz about the new International Reading Association (IRA) conference app, and now it’s available for download for free for iPhone, Android, and tablets at www.iraconference.org/app.

We listened to your requests and worked diligently to create a one-of-a-kind, easy-to-use app that will become an indispensable part of your conference experience.

Join us as we walk you through the features of the new IRA 2014 app.

My Schedule

View your conference itinerary by tapping the “My Schedule” icon. If you haven’t added any events yet, use the “Sessions” or “Speakers” icons to find events you’d like to attend.

Tapping the session or speaker name and then tapping the “Bookmark” button adds that event to your schedule.

It’ll warn you if you try to add two sessions for the same time, but don’t worry, it’ll let you add them! It may be a good idea to do this in case your first choice is full.

iPlanner Sync

Did you already create a 2014 itinerary using our online iPlanner? Well, the app will sync with it!

In the app, tap the circular “gear” icon at the top left of the screen. Then tap “Online Profile Login.” Enter the e-mail address you used to create your iPlanner itinerary and then enter your last name as the password (not your iPlanner password!). Tap “Done.” Tap the circular arrows at the top of the app screen to refresh the app, and then tap the “My Schedule” icon again. Your iPlanner schedule will appear there!

If you set up your iPlanner login prior to December 1, 2013, the importing feature is not available, and we recommend that you set up your itinerary directly in the app. Simply bookmark the sessions you want to attend and view your itinerary in "My Schedule."

(Please note: Adding sessions to your schedule in the app or to your iPlanner itinerary does not reserve a space or guarantee you a seat. Also, there is a separate fee for Institutes and Author Luncheons.)

Exhibitors

Looking for a certain exhibitor? Is someone offering a must-have give-away or hosting an author signing? Tap the “Exhibitors” icon to view a list of all exhibitors or to views lists of exhibitors by category. Tap an exhibitor name to select them as a “Favorite” with the favorite button.

Maps

If you’ve ever gotten turned around in a convention center, you’re going to love this! The “Maps” icon gives you access to facility maps and a map of the Exhibit Hall. Schedule a time to visit a certain booth, mark a booth as visited, or add a booth as a “Favorite” by tapping booths on the Exhibit Hall map. Navigating the Exhibit Hall has never been easier!

Sessions

Tap the “Sessions” icon to view more information about conference offerings, including ones that you didn’t add to your schedule. You can browse by day, by track (Common Core, Research, etc.), or by type (Teaching Edge, Author Panel, etc.).

Speakers

The full list of conference speakers is also in the app. Speakers are listed alphabetically, but you can also search for names at the top left of the screen.

IRA 2014 Info

Tapping the “IRA 2014 Info” icon will give you useful documents like the shuttle schedule, Schedule-at-a-Glance, and more.

Photos

The “Photos” icon links to our IRAToday Instagram account. Check out the fun conference photos, and add your own with the #IRA14 hashtag!

Twitter

Read tweets about the conference by tapping the “Twitter” bird icon. It leads to our @IRAToday feed. Feel free to tweet something, too, and remember to use the #IRA14 hashtag! Tweets also appear on our Twitter Wall near the Exhibit Hall.

Program Updates

Once the conference starts, tap this icon to read our daily program addendum, a list of the room changes and session cancellations that were announced after the conference program was published.

Local Places

The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau shared a fantastic list of restaurants, tourist sites, shopping, and more for the IRA 2014 app. Tap the “Local Places” icon to browse attractions by type, or use the search feature to find something specific. Tapping the attraction’s name opens a map that pinpoints its location!

Downloads

Does your session have downloadable hand-outs? Download them into the app and find them here.

Locate Me

Are you lost? Click on the “Locate Me” icon and enter an Exhibit Hall booth number you are near. The app will show you where you are on the map!

Website

If you need to check the IRA 2014 website at www.iraconference.org, this icon will take you right there.

Quick List

Now that you’ve explored the app, this list shows all of the booths you’ve marked as “Favorites.”

We hope you enjoy using this app and that it helps make this year’s conference one of the best ever!

The International Reading Association 59th Annual Conference will be held Friday, May 9 through Monday, May 12, 2014 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. Visit www.iraconference.org for conference details or to register. Find details on how to download the app at www.iraconference.org/app.

Sara Long is an editor/content manager at the International Reading Association. 

As chair of the 2014 Conference Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) and Past President of the Louisiana Reading Association, I can attest that Louisiana teachers are thrilled to welcome thousands of fellow literacy educators to New Orleans in May. While networking with colleagues is one of the top benefits of conference attendance, we also look forward to the high quality sessions that help us transfer the latest research to teaching methods in our classrooms.

Louisiana is in its first year of full implementation of both the Common Core State Standards and a new and more rigorous teacher evaluation plan. While teachers and administrators have embraced the challenges, they are appreciative of information about effective instructional practices in the age of the Common Core. Many IRA conference sessions profess to assist in implementation, but how do you choose from among the hundreds of scheduled sessions?

Here are a few sessions (in random order) that stood out to me, ones that will be especially helpful to teachers from Louisiana and other states in the midst of CCSS implementation. They seem to give explicit instruction on explicit instruction, which is what Louisiana teachers are looking for: how to make clear, how to scaffold, and the kind of reading and writing tasks called for in the CCSS.

While these offerings are only a few of the many sessions with practical, research-based takeaways for teachers, we hope that the list helps you build your itinerary for the conference. For more assistance, visit the conference website at www.iraconference.org or search for keywords on the online iPlanner at www.iraconference.org/iplanner.

Digging Deep: Using Close Reading and Book Discussion to Teach Struggling Readers How to Think in Complex Ways about Texts
With Irene Fountas from Lesley University and Gay Su Pinnell from Ohio State University

When the Text is Tough: How to Help Struggling Readers Struggle Successfully
With Kylene Beers from Teachers College and Robert Probst, Jr., from Georgia State University

Scaffolding Complex Text: Supporting Struggling Readers
With Anne Juola from the University of South Florida and Dorlinda Carlson from Manatee School District

Using Evidence-Based Reading Activities to Motivate Students within the Framework of Response-to-Intervention
With Mei Shen from Michigan State University and Nai-Cheng Kuo from Georgia Regents University

Empowering Struggling Readers with the Power of Independent Word-Solving
With Peggy Schwartz and Janet Wiedman from Orange County Public Schools

Techniques for Reading and Responding to Complex Informational Text
With Thomas Gunning from Central Connecticut State University

Intervention Meets the Common Core: Harnessing the Common Features of Close and Shared Reading to Address the Needs of Learners in All Tiers
With Karen Waters and Eleanor Osborne from Sacred Heart University and Michael Bennett from Naugatuck Public Schools

Popcorn Reading, Spelling Lists, Word Walls and More: What Research Says about Common Instructional Routines
With Katherine Hilden and Jennifer Jones from Radford University

Growing Literacy Work Stations: From State Standards to Partner Practice Teaching Edge Session  
With Debbie Diller

The IRA 59th Annual Conference in New Orleans runs from May 10-12, 2014 with an Institute Day on May 9. Click here to register. 

Debbie Rickards is chair of the 2014 Annual Conference Local Arrangements Committee (LAC), a Past President of the Louisiana Reading Association, and an instructional coordinator at Shreve Island Elementary in Shreveport, debrickards@suddenlink.net. 

This article was originally published in the February/March 2014 Annual Conference Issue of Reading Today, IRA's bimonthly member magazine. Click here to read that issue, and click here to learn about joining IRA.