Literacy Now

The moment has come! Registration for IRA’s 57th Annual Convention, to be held in Chicago on April 29 to May 2, 2012, is open. Register now for this exciting and unparalleled professional development opportunity by utilizing any of four convenient options including online, phone, fax, or regular mail. Housing registration for the convention is open as well. Book now to make sure you can stay at the hotel of your choice.

Engage your passion while connecting with 10,000 colleagues from around the globe and more than 500 specially selected programs to ramp up your professional repertoire and energize your classroom. As IRA President Victoria Risko explains, “This year we offer multiple thematic strands of sessions focusing on current literacy topics that include early literacy, comprehension and critical thinking, adolescent and adult literacy, instruction for English Language Learners, culturally responsive teaching, and Common Core.”

The theme for the convention is “Celebrating Teaching.” Attendees will be able to enjoy programs, institutes, workshops, and luncheons, as well as the opportunity to visit the extensive Exhibition. Details can be found on the convention website, www.iraconvention.org, as well as in the special convention preview that mailed with the latest issue of Reading Today.

Teaching Edge

Back by popular demand, the Teaching Edge Series will offer incisive and valuable teaching strategies from a variety of well known reading professionals. The lineup of outstanding presenters currently includes Regie Routman, Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell, Doug Fisher and Nancy Frey, Kelly Gallagher, Alfred Tatum, Ernest Morrell, Lori Oczkus, and Gail Boushey and Joan Moser (The 2 Sisters).

Institutes

For those interested in full day courses, IRA will be offering 18 separate institutes on Sunday, April 29 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Topics covered will include: Common Core, vocabulary, cognitive engagement, digital literacy, early literacy, language learners, content area literacy, metacognition, IRA/NCATE partnership, differentiated literacy instruction, literacy leadership, and reading research. Registration for the Institutes is available with or without annual convention registration for an additional fee.

General Sessions and Invited Speakers

At IRA Chicago, attendees will also get to hear from outstanding speakers, including Dr. Steve Perry, founder of the acclaimed Capitol Preparatory Magnet School and author of Man Up, and Ron Clark, Disney’s American Teacher of the Year, and author of The End of Molasses Classes: Getting Our Kids Unstuck—101 Extraordinary Solutions for Parents and Teachers.

Invited speakers include such luminaries as Ellin Keene, Mary Bigler, Peter Afflerbach, Valerie Ellery, Dick Allington, Beverly Tyner, Debbie Diller, and Janet Allen. They will offer insights and guidance on such compelling topics as enhancing understanding through discourse, teaching with pizzaz, formative assessment, creating strategic readers, summers and the achievement gap, literacy work stations, and the Common Core.

Authors

Once again the convention will offer ample opportunities to hear and meet well known authors of children’s and young adult book titles, both in the luncheon series and in publisher sponsored panels. Book signings will be conducted in the exhibit hall at various times throughout the convention. Consult the convention website for additional details.

Website Provides Planning Tools

Once you register, you’ll want to start planning your convention experience so that you can realize all of your personal goals for this event. To facilitate this process, you may want to use the convenient tools provided on the convention website. These include a program grid for each day, an itinerary planner, and an event search feature. There is also a special sign resource for convention speakers. Click on "Featured Video" to view the latest Convention Insider episode. In January's video, host Wes Ford talks to Douglas Fisher.

Easy Ways to Register

Online: www.iraconvention.org (Credit Card Required)

Fax: 415-239-4399 (Credit Card Required)

Phone: 888-294-9167 or 415-979-2278 (Credit Card Required)
Available M-F 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST

Mail: Download registration form from above website and mail with full payment to:
IRA Registration
c/o Convention Management Resources
33 New Montgomery, Suite 1100
San Francisco, CA 94105

 

Registration is now open for the International Reading Association (IRA) 57th Annual Convention, to be held in Chicago from April 29 to May 2, 2012.

Attendees can register online through the Convention website at www.iraconvention.org, fax a registration form to 415-239-4399, call 888-294-9167 or 415-979-2278 (on weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. EST), or download registration form from above website and mail with full payment to: IRA Registration, c/o Convention Management Resources, 33 New Montgomery, Suite 1100, San Francisco, CA 94105.

Housing registration for the convention is open as well. Attendees are encouraged to visit www.iraconvention.org to book now to make sure they can stay at the hotel of their choice. The convention will be held at McCormick Place and nearby venues in Chicago.

Celebrating Teaching

The theme of this year's IRA Convention is "Celebrate Teaching." Literacy professionals can engage their passion while connecting with 10,000 colleagues from around the globe and more than 500 specially selected programs to ramp up their professional repertoire and energize their classrooms.

Teaching Edge

Back by popular demand, the Teaching Edge Series will offer incisive and valuable teaching strategies from a variety of well-known reading professionals. The lineup of outstanding presenters currently includes Regie Routman, Gay Su Fountas, Irene Pinnell, Doug Fisher, Nancy Frey, Kelly Gallagher, Al Tatum, Ernest Morrell, Lori Oczkus, and Gail Boushey and Joan Moser (“The 2 Sisters”).

Institutes

For those interested in full day courses, IRA will be offering 18 separate institutes on Sunday, April 29 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Topics will include: Common Core, vocabulary, cognitive engagement, digital literacy, early literacy, language learners, content area literacy, metacognition, IRA/NCATE partnership, differentiated literacy instruction, literacy leadership, and reading research. Registration for the Institutes is available with or without annual convention registration for an additional fee.

General Sessions and Invited Speakers

At IRA Chicago, attendees will also get to hear from outstanding speakers, including Dr. Steve Perry, founder of the acclaimed Capitol Preparatory Magnet School and author of Man Up, and Ron Clark, Disney’s American Teacher of the Year, and author of The End of Molasses Classes: Getting Our Kids Unstuck—101 Extraordinary Solutions for Parents and Teachers. Invited speakers include Ellin Keene, Mary Bigler, Peter Afflerbach, Valerie Ellery, Dick Allington, Patrick Smith, Beverly Tyner, Debbie Diller, and Janet Allen. They will offer insights and guidance on such compelling topics as enhancing understanding through discourse, teaching with pizazz, formative assessment, creating strategic readers, summers and the achievement gap, literacy work stations, and the Common Core.

Authors

Once again the convention will offer ample opportunities to hear and meet well known authors of children’s and young adult book titles, both in the luncheon series and in publisher sponsored panels. Book signings will be conducted in the exhibit hall at various times throughout the convention. Consult the convention web site for additional details.

Planning Tools

Attendees can start planning their convention experience using the convenient tools provided on the convention website. These include a program grid for each day, an itinerary planner, and an event search feature. There is also a special sign in resource for convention speakers.

For more information or to register, visit www.iraconvention.org.

 

2012 Convention Program/Schedule

Convention Housing and Travel

Convention Itinerary Planner

2012 Convention Features Teaching Edge Speaker Series

The Teaching Edge Speaker Series was the "hot ticket" at the 2011 International Reading Association (IRA) Annual Convention in Orlando. At the 2012 Convention in Chicago, some new faces appear and some old favorites return in what promises to be our best Teaching Edge series yet. The line-up includes Regie Routman, Kelly Gallagher, Irene Fountas & Gay Su Pinnell, Ernest Morrell, Doug Fisher & Nancy Frey, Lori Oczkus, Alfred Tatum, and The Two Sisters (Gail Boushey and Joan Moser). 

This month’s Convention Insider episode features an interview with Valerie Ellery as she talks about the gems of wisdom and inspiration attendees will take away from the 2012 Convention. The Insider also catches up with Page Turner Adventures, the Emmy Award-winning production company that puts a unique spin on educational entertainment. The team interviews Amy Spiker who nominated teacher Lori Trevillyan for the IRA Celebrated Teacher of the Year contest. Next month, Convention Insider is on location in Chicago.

The Itinerary Program Planner for the 2012 Convention goes live this month, and registration for the IRA Annual Convention and housing online reservations go live on December 1, 2011. 

For more information, visit the 2012 IRA Annual Convention website at www.iraconvention.org, and "like" the Facebook page.

 

 

 

The International Reading Association (IRA) convention team has some fun ways to get ready for the Annual Convention in April 2012. 

Nominate your favorite teacher for IRA’s Celebrated Teacher of the Year, and they could win free registration to the annual 2012 convention in Chicago. IRA will accept nominations through December, 31, 2011. In January, they will share nominated teachers’ stories on the convention website. IRA members can vote on the most exceptional story. In mid-March, IRA will recognize one teacher as IRA's Celebrated Teacher of the Year.

The “Convention Insider” is an online TV show with host Wes Ford. The latest episode features IRA President Victoria Risko revealing the origins of the 2012 Convention’s theme “Celebrating Teaching” along with which educators have inspired her. The convention website also has videos with Wes introducing the new convention website, speaking with Regie Routman, and interviewing Willie Benjamin. Visit www.iraconvention.org to watch these 2012 convention videos as well as 2011 convention videos. 

The Itinerary Program Planner for the 2012 Convention goes live in November 2011. Convention registration and housing reservations will be available online beginning December 1, 2011. For more information, visit www.iraconvention.org or the convention Facebook page. 

Literacy Events 

Awards & Grants 

The Library of Congress’ 2011 National Book Festival will be held on September 24 and 25 on the National Mall between ninth and 14th Streets in Washington, D.C. 

Co-chaired by President Obama and Mrs. Obama, this year’s event draws an impressive lineup of authors, including Toni Morrison, Terry McMillan, Dave Eggers, Hoda Kotb, Julianne Moore and a host of other bestselling and award-winning writers. 

See www.loc.gov/bookfest to access the complete author lineup and for more information.