September

 Building A Classroom Community- 

Virtually or F2F

Teaching Tolerance offers Resources for Back to School 2020 to help discuss racism, police violence, and self-care.

In Remote Learning for Our Youngest Students, Jen Schwanke details ways primary teachers are reaching out to students across barriers in age, language, ability and engagement. 

In How Do We Create a Community of Learners in a Virtual or Hybrid Model?  Clare Landrigan writes about creating familiar and predictable systems and structures for online communities. 

How to Build Relationships Virtually, by The Albert Team gives the why, challenges, and how to build relationships in virtual teaching and learning spaces. 

Registration is Live for Fall & Winter Virtual Professional Learning! 

Register HERE

E-mail with questions

Literacy Support in Our Community

YpsiWrites offers tutoring and programming for youth writers across Washtenaw County. We encourage teachers who are looking for extra support for their student writers to check out these programs.

-      YpsiWrites Virtual:  Offers both synchronous and asynchronous writing consults with trained YpsiWrites volunteers.

-        Using Writing to Make Your Voice Heard - Writing matters! Join this virtual workshop (via Zoom) to learn how to make our voices heard--and make a difference in our communities, lives, and world--through writing. (Saturday, Oct. 17, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) Register here

 

Washtenaw County Writing Center forSecondary Students

TheWCWC is designed to be a youth-led, youth-driven space that provides peer-to-peer online literacy and writing support for all students in Washtenaw County, engages students in using writing for advocacy and activism, and amplifies student writing in all forms. We’re in the beginning stages of this work and seek input from teachers and especially students.  If you’re interested in learning more or if you have a student to nominate for the Advisory Board, let us know through this form.

 

 

August

Literacy, Equity and Engagement Tools 

While I am feeling inundated by a plethora of resources coming through all social media and e-mail, there are a few that catch my eye as they relate to literacy, equity and building community in classrooms- virtual or face-to-face: 

All Students Need Anti-Racism Education

Online Teaching Can Be Culturally Responsive

First Week of School Stations

EduTopia Learning Stations to Kick off The Year

How to Make a Digital Bookshelf in Google Slides

We know articles and activities certainly don’t solve the multiple challenges we are facing right now, my hope is that they may allow some reflection and help in planning at some point in the near future.

 

WISD Professional Learning in August 

August 10, 13, 18, 20, 21 Cultivating Genius Book Study

August 13th Essential Instructional Practices in Literacy Grades 4-5

August 14th Essential Instructional Practices in Literacy Grades K-3

August 19th Back to School EdCamp

August 20th Socially Just Assessment and Grading 

*Register for all in the WISD ABC System

*Please contact Melissa Brooks-Yip for Literacy topics and Amy Olmstead Brayton for Assessment 

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Register HERE

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 Summer Literacy Learning in our Community

AADL Summer Game

Northfield Township Area Library Summer Reading Club

Dexter Library Summer Reading Family Events

Saline District Library Imagine Your Story

Chelsea Library Summer Reading Program

Manchester Library Youth Summer Reading Registration

Ypsilanti Library Summer Challenge

Milan Public Library 

July

Professional Learning for Educators

From book studies, assessment literacy webinars, EdCamps, Literacy Essential Overviews to informal educator meet-ups, the instruction and assessment team has many wonderful opportunities for Washtenaw County Educators to learn together this summer. 

Register HERE and please contact us with questions! 

 Summer Literacy Learning in our Community

AADL Summer Game

Northfield Township Area Library Summer Reading Club

Dexter Library Summer Reading Family Events

Saline District Library Imagine Your Story

Chelsea Library Summer Reading Program

Manchester Library Youth Summer Reading Registration

Ypsilanti Library Summer Challenge

Milan Public Library 

https://www.emich.edu/ccw/writing-project/wrtgcamps.php

https://www.826michigan.org/our-programs/workshops/

March

SOEL Explores Sound and Rhthym in Early Literacy Learning

Through our SOEL at WISD collaboration with the University Musical Society at UM, teaching artist Marcia Daft demonstrated Sound Writing- Exploring Rhythm, Reading and Writing.  First graders at Perry ELC in Ypsilanti participated in rhythm activities for identifying syllables in classmate's names, and ease of movement for classroom transitions. 

Marcia then came to our SOEL meeting at WISD to work with teachers on incorporating rhythm into reading and writing in the classroom.

Celebrating March is Reading Month  

    Our friends at EMU's Campus and Community Writing (C2W) are celebrating March is Reading Month and the connections between reading and writing. Students, teachers, and family members are encouraged to conduct interviews with each other about their reading habits—and write up what they discover.  You can use the interview questions linked HERE to get you started.  If you share your writing with EMU C2W, along with signed permission forms, they will publish the pieces on their website and even select a few to be featured in their social media platforms. 

Spring Professional Learning Opportunities

March 13th- Instructional Agility to Foster Student Investment 

Join the Assessment Literacy and SOEL Networks in learning more about how to structure learning environments that better allow teachers to accurately assess and respond to student learning and make real-time decisions that foster student investment. Educators will be able to identify the classroom conditions to set up instructional agility and student investment, describe key components of instructional agility, learn key strategies for developing student investment through instructional agility, reflect on current instructional agility and student investment practices to determine next steps. 

FREE at WISD - Register HERE 

March 14th- Responsive Teaching Institute

Join all network teachers in learning about applying culturally relevant pedagogy across content areas. Participants will examine how the integration of content areas can further engage students in learning. 

Presenters include:

Dr. Laura Jimenez on selecting culturally responsive books 
Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz on critical English education, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, racial literacy in urban teacher education.

Dr. Dorinda Carter Andrews- the role of leadership on culturally responsive schools 

Dr. Donna Ford, Culturally Relevant Teaching in AP, Honors courses 

Dr. Sandra Crespo, Culturally Responsive Teaching mathematics   

FREE at EMU- Register HERE

May 1- Overview of Essential Instructional Practices in Literacy, Grades 4 & 5

This is a one day overview of the Grades 4&5 Essential Instructional Practices in Literacy . Teachers, literacy coaches, or administrators who seek a general overview or a refresher are welcome.  

FREE at WISD- Register  HERE

May 9-  Overview of Essential Instructional Practices in Literacy, Grades K-3

This is a one day overview of the Grades K-3 Essential Instructional Practices in Literacy . Teachers, literacy coaches, or administrators who seek a general overview or a refresher are welcome.  

FREE at LESA- Register  HERE

February

World Read Aloud Day! 

While today, February 1, is officially World Read Aloud Day, we know it is really EVERY day!  

Visit LitWorld for resources such as bookmarks, booklists, and events, but especially for their Read Aloud Guide to get started now and continue in the future. 

SOEL and Essential Instructional Practices in Early Literacy

We did end up cancelling our January SOEL meetings due to the #polarvortex2019, but let's not forget that we can always see many SOEL teachers demonstrating Essential Instructional Practices in Literacy on the LiteracyEssentials.org site.

In this video, you'll see longtime SOEL member, Roshawda Miller talk about coaching reading in small groups.

Responsive Teaching Institutes

On January 17th, the AI Team of WISD welcomed several guest speakers to another Responsive Teaching Institute.  With over 70 educators attending, many saw Dr. Ernest Morrell present on Critical Media Pedagogy: Culturally Responsive Pedagogies for Diverse Classrooms. 

Join us February 14th  8:30-3:30 at Saline Liberty School to process learning and plan forward for Culturally Relevant Teaching as part of our next Planning and Implementation Day.  Also, save the date for the next Responsive Teaching Institute on March 14th at EMU when we will host Dr. Dorinda Carter Andrews, Dr. Laura Jimenez, Dr. Terry Flennaugh, and Kimberly Wardell Stone.  

Teacher Action Research

Are you interested in learning about Teacher Action Research?  The 4th in our SOEL Teacher Action Research Webinar Series with Dr. Cathy Fleischer will be on February 13th at 4:00.    

No registration is necessary. 

Join us at:  https://zoom.us/j/189529059

**If you missed previous webinars, catch up HERE!

Echoes and Reflections 

Echoes & Reflections is dedicated to reshaping the way that teachers and students understand, process, and navigate the world through the events of the Holocaust. The Holocaust is more than a historical event; it’s part of the larger human story. Educating students about its significance is a great responsibility. We partner with educators to help them introduce students to the complex themes of the Holocaust and to understand its lasting effect on the world.

Join us February 25th 4:30-8:30 or March 5th 8:30-3:30
FREE.      Register HERE

January 2019

SOEL Highlights of 2018

As we enter 2019, we look back on SOEL with additional members, more classroom observations for the Essential Instructional Practices in Early Literacy, aligned book studies, our arts integration collaboration with UMS, and considering our past to plan for our future.  Take a look at a few images we captured as part of our school year learning thus far. 

4th and 5th Grade Essential Instructional Practices in Literacy

On December 5th, 30 literacy coaches and teachers came together for a one day overview of the Essential Instructional Practices in Literacy, Grades 4&5.  Our theme for the day was "Shifts and Bridges".  Together, we did a close read and review of these Essentials to identify shifts from the K-3 Essentials and bridges to the Grades 6-12 Essentials.  We will host another overview in the spring, date TBD. 

Inquiry Into Disciplinary Literacy and Learning Meets in an Intermediate School

Thanks to IDLL member Melanie Dever for organizing and hosting the December 13th meeting at Creekside Intermediate in Dexter. After reading the grades 4&5 Literacy Essentials and the 6-12 Disciplinary Literacy Essentials, we got a chance to observe in several 5th and 6th grade classrooms. This helped us to see the bridges from upper elementary to secondary literacy practices.

Through a Success Analysis Protocol, we also elevated themes of success in disciplinary literacy instruction from IDLL teachers, and the student learning as a result.

Our next meeting is January 17th as part of the Responsive Teaching Institute. While it is a regular meeting date for us, everyone is welcome to register .

Our guests will be Dr. Ernest Morrell,  Dr. April Baker-Bell, and Dr. Richard Milner. 

Upcoming Professional Learning Opportunities

RESCHEDULED: The 4th in our SOEL Teacher Research Webinar Series with Dr. Cathy Fleischer will be on February 13th at 4:00.

No registration is necessary. 

Join us at:  
https://zoom.us/j/189529059

If you missed previous webinars, catch up HERE!

Echoes and Reflections Offerings

Echoes & Reflections is dedicated to reshaping the way that teachers and students understand, process, and navigate the world through the events of the Holocaust. The Holocaust is more than a historical event; it’s part of the larger human story. Educating students about its significance is a great responsibility. We partner with educators to help them introduce students to the complex themes of the Holocaust and to understand its lasting effect on the world.

Join us February 25th or March 5th. Free. Register HERE

November

Teacher Planning & Implementation Day

Planning and Implementation Days were introduced this year to give teachers involved in an instructional or assessment network some intentional time to plan around their new learning in order to put it into classroom practice. 


On the first Planning and Implementation Day, October 18th, teachers had time with experts and consultants who frequently speak at our network meetings. Consultants were available on this day solely to support teacher's self identified professional learning needs.   

We were fortunate to have a plethora of expertise working with us that day:

Dr. Cathy Fleischer, EMU- Teacher Research and writing

Dr. Darin Stockdill, UM- Disciplinary Literacy

Dr. Gina Cervetti, UM- science units K-3

Heidi Roy-Borland, WLES, Coach-  K-3 reading instruction

Jenny Miller, AAPS, BLE - K-3 Writing instruction

Tonya Saragoza, MAS, Coach- Teacher Research, Reading Instruction 3-5

Tracy Terris, MAS, Coach- Reading and Writing Instruction K-3

Kate Rossetter, Coach, Howell-  PBL, Information in Action Kits

Members of the Achievement Initiatives Team at WISD - on literacy, assessment, responsive mathematics, & coaching.

Future Planning and Implementation days will be February 14th and April 18th.

Upcoming Professional Learning

Join us as we explore how educators can engage in culturally relevant pedagogy in literacy, mathematics, and science!

• Decentering Whiteness-  Selecting Complex and Compelling Texts for your Classroom- Dr. Laura Jimenez

• Engaging Students in Responsive Science Instruction - Dr. Felicia Mensah - Columbia University

• What is Powerful Literacy Instruction? - Dr. Ernest Morrell - University of Norte Dame 

• Mathequity - Dr. Aris Winger - Georgia Gwinnett College

• Achieving the Goal of Leading for Equity - Dr. Richard Milner - University of Pittsburgh

FREE to all educators in Washtenaw & Livingston counties

$35 for all other attendees

Register HERE  

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Essential Instructional Practices in Literacy- Grades 4 & 5 OVERVIEW for Literacy Coaches

The purpose of literacy essential instructional practices for grades 4 and 5 is to improve children’s literacy in Michigan. Professional development throughout the state can focus on this set of research-supported literacy instructional practices for daily use in the classroom. Expert research suggests that each of the 10 practices outlined in this document can have a positive impact on literacy development. The use of these practices in every Michigan classroom every day can make a measurable, positive difference in the state’s literacy achievement. Join us for a one-day overview of these practices. Cost is $25.00   Register HERE

*For questions regarding registration for any event, contact Jay Kirby at WISD.