Teamwork is important inside and outside of the classroom and the Teaching Edge series at the International Literacy Association 2016 Conference & Exhibits models that kind of collaborative work.
The series will feature expert advice on how to take your practice one step further by building comprehension, fostering joy in the classroom, and keeping students engaged all year long. The four sessions will be hosted by teams of experienced educators and researchers who have developed the best strategies for impacting students and creating lifelong readers.
On Saturday, July 9, Lucy Calkins and Amanda Hartman will lead “Strategy Instruction to Support Higher Levels of Comprehension: Levers to Lift the Level of Talking, Thinking and Writing about Reading.” This session will delve into the latest research on classroom-tested methods for sharpening students’ reading comprehension skills, as well as provide strategies for growing stronger and more thoughtful readers.
Calkins and Hartman are director and deputy director, respectively, of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, an organization dedicated to helping young people become avid readers and skilled thinkers. Calkins is the author or coauthor of 40 books, including the newly released Units of Study for Teaching Reading (Grades K-5), Units of Study in Opinion, Information, and Narrative Writing (Grades K-5),and Units of Study in Argument, Information, and Narrative Writing (Grades 6-8).
Later on Saturday, Jennifer Serravallo, Kristine Mraz, and Christine Hertz will lead “Building Literacy Classrooms of Agency, Independence, and Joy,” a session devoted to exploring the mindsets and motivations to support reading and writing growth in the classroom.
Serravallo is an educator and author of 11 books, including her most recent, The Reading Strategies Book, a collection of 300 strategies for educators. Mraz is a kindergarten teacher and coauthor of three books who believes in the power of play in the classroom. She and Hertz, a fellow teacher, are coauthors of A Mindset for Learning, which provides strategies for cultivating new mindsets, like flexibility and optimism, alongside more traditional academic skills.
In preparation for her appearance at the conference, Serravallo will host the March #ILAchat on goal setting and targeted instruction.
On Sunday, July 10, literacy team Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey will lead “Visible Literacy Learning.” These two longtime colleagues will explore the most effective approaches for engaging students in reading and writing, using John Hattie’s Visible Learning strategy as a guide.
Fisher and Frey are professors of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University. They have both coauthored several texts on literacy, including Text Complexity, with Diane Lapp.
Also on Sunday, Valerie Ellery, Lori D. Oczkus, and Timothy Rasinski will lead “Literacy Strong All Year Long: Empowering Young Learners with Spiraled Instruction,” based on their book of the same name. This session will focus on how to keep students engaged in literacy learning throughout the entire year using a unique gradual release model that is both interactive and effective.
Ellery is an educator, author, and founder of Creating Strategic Readers. Oczkus is a literacy coach and author who travels around the world leading teaching workshops and working with students directly in the classroom. Rasinski is a professor of literacy education at Kent State University who has authored or coauthored over 15 books and curriculum programs.
The ILA 2016 Conference will be July 9–11 in Boston, MA, with more than 6,000 attendees eager to cultivate new teaching practices. With over 300 sessions, including several new additions to the schedule, and the popular Preconference Institutes, the weekend is sure to be a memorable one.
Learn more about what’s coming up at this summer’s conference. Register today for the conference to take advantage of special Early Bird pricing.
Nicole Lund is ILA’s communications intern.