Literacy Now

Today we announce with great sadness to all of our members, councils, and affiliates the passing of Kent Williamson, Emeritus Executive Director of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). We extend our sincerest condolences to the Williamson family and to everyone at NCTE.

Kent was a gracious person, a great colleague, and a tremendous leader. Many of our board members and staff had occasion to work with him on various projects over the years. His was a strong commitment to the collaborative action that unites literacy professionals in finding new ways to enhance classroom instruction and advocate for the resources to reach the most needful students and school districts.

Kent believed that capacity building was critical to our common efforts. He saw a future in which local professional learning communities disseminated and digested the latest literacy research, and in which mentoring drove pedagogical enhancements that have the greatest impact on student learning. He also understood that professional development must be ongoing.

Under Kent’s leadership, NCTE launched initiatives in mentoring, online learning, and collaborative advocacy, including the National Center for Literacy Education (NCLE). He had a great appreciation for the work of other literacy associations and thrived on communal exchanges. He was always happy to share the insights of his experience and to make connections for others, and he did so with great generosity.

In this mournful moment, we offer our condolences to Barbara Cambridge, NCTE's Interim Executive Director; Kathy G. Short, President, NCTE; the NCTE Board of Directors; and to all the staff at NCTE. Our hearts are with you all. We share your loss, and we stand ready to assist you in any way we can in the days to come.

Great challenges lie ahead for literacy professionals, as do important opportunities. We know that Kent would be counting on us to keep our collaboration strong.

In Grateful Memory,
The International Literacy Association Community

Technology is pervasive. When was the last time you picked up anything that didn’t have a Web address printed on it somewhere?

Whether it’s the hardware of an iPad, the software of a smartphone app, or the online website-building resources, the tools exist to bring literacy education into the 21st century. But the paths are not always clearly marked. What is educationally useful and what is online junk?

Steven W. Anderson is an author, both online and in print, a former classroom teacher, and a self-proclaimed “Learning Evangelist.” Through his blog, Anderson addresses what schools need to be up to speed technologically and how teachers can approach new technologies, as well as his love for all things educational.

Thursday, June 11, Anderson will share his tips and insight into how to best use technology in the classroom to improve comprehension and student skills during the #ILAchat.

A cofounder of the popular #edchat on Twitter, Anderson has been honored with a Twitterer of The Year Award, a Microsoft Heroes of Education Award, and a Bammy Award.

Anderson’s books for educators, Content Curation: How to Avoid Information Overload with tips for curation of online information, and The Relevant Educator: How Connectedness Empowers Learning, guide educators through professional development and how to choose the best tech tools.

Join @ILAToday on June 11 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Make sure to hashtag #ILAchat to keep the conversation going!

Education gives people the power to make their own happiness, particularly when supported with motivation and inspiration.

As a former classroom teacher and school administrator, Stephen G. Peters knows well how to help both students and educators realize their full potentials. He will reach out to educators at the Closing General Session of the International Literacy Association 2015 Conference on July 20.

Peters, CEO and president of The Peters Group, established the Peters Foundation and has worked to encourage thousands of underprivileged, at-risk students across the United States through programs that affect academic performance by improving self-esteem, among other things. These Gentlemen’s Clubs and Ladies Clubs target “student engagement and motivation through relationship and career building, role-models and mentors, [and] service to the community.” Peters has had proven success holding participants to high standards not only in education, but with etiquette, attire, and behavior, helping young learners overcome any socioeconomic barriers they may face.

The success of the program brought Peters worldwide recognition and it has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and America, America, a program aired in Portugal and Brazil.

“Dr. Peters’ experience in education, ability to understand and connect with students and teachers, and innovative approach embody the spirit of ILA’s new mission and direction,” said Stephen Sye, ILA’s associate executive director. “Once I heard him speak, I knew he would immediately capture, inspire, and teach anyone who listened to him something special.”

Peter’s book on school turnaround, Choosing to Believe: Creating a Framework for School Success(Peters Group Foundation), was named a 2010 USA Best Books for pre-K–12 education. He is also author of Do You Know Enough about Me to Teach Me(Peters Group Foundation) and Teaching to Capture and Inspire all Learners(Corwin Press). Stephen is a contributing author for the Educational Leadership series Engaging Every Learner(Corwin Press).

Peters has served on panels as an education expert with former U.S. Secretary of Education, Dr. Rod Paige in Washington, D.C. He is currently a member of the American Reading Company Board of Academic Advisors. Most recently, Peters has joined the American Reading Company advisory board, working toward bias-free education.

Peters will join Academy Award-winning actress and children’s book author Octavia Spencer at Closing General Session.

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, including a revamped Teaching Edge series and Putting Books to Work sessions. More than 120 exhibitors will be on hand with new tools and technologies for all manners of literacy education.

Learn more about the conference programs at ilaconference.org. Register today for the ILA 2015 Conference to take advantage of special Early Bird pricing, which ends June 29.

With General Sessions, research panels, author luncheons, and more, the ILA 2015 Conference runs the gamut of events, not to mention any side adventures you might like.

Taking some time to take a look at the conference’s slate of events ahead of time can help in planning your weekend. Enter the iPlanner, an online directory of all conference events. Not only does it have up-to-date schedules of each day, but it’s an opportunity to personalize your ideal conference docket.

The iPlanner includes five sections: Speaker Sign In, Itinerary Planner, Program Grid, Event Search, and iPlanner Instructional Video. These can be accessed from the upper right corner on the first page after signing in.

Here’s the rundown on how the tool works.

Log In

The iPlanner homepage has information about the iPlanner and a place to login and enter your password. While everyone is free to browse convention offerings on the Program Grid and to use the Event Search, creating a login and password allows the iPlanner to “remember” sessions you save to your itinerary.

If you have never used the iPlanner, simply click the “Create Profile now!” link toward the bottom of the page. The login and password for the iPlanner are different than your member login/password and any other logins and passwords you may have set up with ILA, so new iPlanner users should create a profile. It’s an extra step, but it’s worth it!
Once you create a profile and login, it is easy to search for sessions and add them to your itinerary.

Browse the Program Grid

One way to find sessions you’re interested in is to use the Program Grid. Click on underlined links at the top of the grid page display different days or all days. Session times run along the left side of the grid.

The grid is divided into 12 categories including Assessment, Children’s Literature, Common Core Standards, Content Literacy, and Engaging Classroom Instruction. If you are interested in one of these topics, review the sessions listed in that column.

Click on the underlined link to open a window with more information about that session, including date, times, presenters, capacity, Clock Hours, and more. This window also has options to print this information or add it to your itinerary. Click “Add to Itinerary” to add to your schedule, then click “OK” to confirm.

Searching for Specifics

If you are interested in a specific topic or are looking for a session from a certain presenter, use the Event Search.

You can search by keyword (text search), speaker last name, date, category, event type (luncheon, symposium, Teaching Edge, etc.), and/or location.

When your search results are displayed, click on the underlined link for a window with more session information and a link to add it to your itinerary. Or, simply add sessions to your itinerary using the “Add” checkbox on the right side of the search results webpage. Sessions that are already added to your itinerary will say “Added.”

Review Your Itinerary

To see items you’ve added to your itinerary, click on “Itinerary Planner” in the top right menu list. On the “Itinerary Planner” page, “My Itinerary” is in the left margin in yellow.

On your online itinerary, it is easy to review your convention plans and click on session links for more details. You can add one, two, or even three simultaneous sessions to your itinerary in case one is full or cancelled. Sessions can be removed from your itinerary at any time by clicking on the “Remove” link next to the session title.

Click on “View Day Planner” link at the top right of the “My Itinerary” page to see a colored chart of how sessions overlap.

Add Your Own Events

Having lunch with a colleague? Carving out time to visit the Exhibit Hall? Taking a side trip to The Arch? The iPlanner has the option to add your own events to your itinerary. From the “My Day Planner” page, click the gray “Add Personal Activity” button at the top of your itinerary. Personal activities that you created show in orange on your day planner.

Keep Your Itinerary at Your Fingertips

The “My Itinerary” page gives you the option of e-mailing your itinerary to the address you provided in your profile, or to produce a printer-friendly version of your schedule.

From the “My Day Planner” page you also have the option to create a printer-friendly version.

The ILA 2015 App won’t be released for a few more weeks, but once it is, you can sync your iPlanner itinerary with it. Please note: if you set your iPlanner login prior to Dec. 1, 2013, the importing feature is not available. In that case, we recommend that you set up your itinerary directly in the app.

Adding Sessions Is Not Registering or Reserving Seats!

Please be aware of the room capacity for the selected sessions you wish to attend. The Itinerary Planner is simply a planning tool and is not used to register for sessions. Entry into each session at the meeting is on a first-come, first-served basis. Also, placing items in your itinerary does not constitute a paid registration, but it does put your conference wish list at your fingertips!

The ILA 2015 Conference will be held July 18–20 in St. Louis, MO, with more than 6,000 educators ready to transform their practice. The days will be jam-packed with featured speakers, the revamped Teaching Edge series, and exciting general sessions. Key topics affecting literacy featured at the conference include content literacy, children’s literature, classroom engagement, and professional development. More than 120 exhibitors will be on hand with new tools and technologies for all manners of literacy education.

Learn more about the conference programs at ilaconference.org. Register today for the ILA 2015 Conference to take advantage of special Early Bird pricing.

The Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy (JAAL) is a rare publication focused on the literacy education of older learners. It offers effective classroom-tested ideas rooted in research and theory that are proven to enhance the educational experience of adolescents and adults. Open access podcasts continue the conversations by offering interviews with authors of JAAL’s feature articles.

JAAL coeditors Emily Neil Skinner and Margaret Carmody Hagood ask authors about their inspirations, their educational foundations and expertise, and the impact of their research findings. Podcasts highlight key findings from each article along with ideas for instruction, reviews of resources, tips on creating a multimedia classroom experience, and commentary on current literacy news. Consider them an audio alternative when reading the journal isn’t possible, such as during a commute or workout.

As a supplement to its articles, the JAAL podcasts are intended to motivate educators to challenge themselves and their students through the applications of new and invigorating education techniques to enrich the classroom experience. JAAL articles are available to nonsubscribers for rent or purchase through Wiley Online Library. ILA Members can subscribe to JAAL for access to all issues back to 2004.