Back to School!

The First Week of School:
Community Building, Writing, and Goal Setting

From scavenger hunts to "Dear Me" letters, you might find some new ideas here to shake-up your back-to-school routine of building community and getting to know your students as readers, writers, and learners.   Create-Abilities shares five activities here.  

Knowing our History to Build a Brighter Future

Books to Help Kids Understand the Fight for Racial Equality

Readbrightly.com provides K-12 text resources to "help us move beyond tokens and icons to a deeper understanding of our history and its legacy, toward our own march for liberty and justice for all." 

Essential Instructional Practices for Literacy

While SOEL (Study of Early Literacy) moves into our fifth year at WISD and LESA, we continue to follow the most recent research (last two-three years) supported instructional practices through the Essential Instructional Practices in Literacy. 

The updated collection includes:

PreK

K-3

4-5

Building Level

Coaching

*Coming soon!  Grades 6-12 Discipline Specific

REGISTER for the MEMPSA Literacy Summit- October 4th at WISD

The SOEL Family Grows !  

During two SOEL Summer Institutes, the Study of Early Literacy welcomed 72 new members for the 2017-2018 school year. After three days of collaborative learning, teachers chose a learning path for the school year around early literacy instruction.  

Inquiry into Disciplinary Literacy and Learning (IDLL)

Secondary teachers of all subjects, you won't want to miss our IDLL line-up of professional learning and guest speakers for 2017-2018!

Save these dates:

September 28-  hosted at Saline High School with "From the Classroom" presentations. 

October 26-  at WISD with guest speaker Dr. Troy Hicks on Argument Writing in the Real World  Register HERE

December 14- at WISD with guest speaker Dr. Liz Kolb on Learning First, Technology Second  Register HERE

February 22  - hosted at Mill Creek Middle School in Dexter with Project Based Learning demonstrations.

March 22- TBD

May 17- TBD

*If you have any questions, please e-mail Melissa Brooks-Yip

March

Interactive Read Aloud

   If you are new to Interactive Read Alouds, March is Reading Month is a good time to start making it a routine in your classroom.  

Disciplinary Literacy:  

A Shift that Makes Sense

University of Michigan School of Education Dean and Researcher Elizabeth Moje (2010) deepens the definition of disciplinary literacy by arguing that disciplinary learning doesn't just build knowledge but actually produces or constructs it. 

Read Disciplinary Literacy: A Shift that Makes Sense by ReLeah Lent for more on the disciplinary literacy shift.  

Upcoming Professional Learning Opportunities

July

Summer Reading for Educators

We share summer reading lists with students to keep them reading over the summer, but what about educators?  There are lists for you, too!  Education Closet's Summer 2015 Reading List has suggestions for professional learning, pleasure reading, family reads, and a look ahead to titles for your classroom next year.  

What are you reading this summer?   Share your titles in the comment section.   

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Summer Professional Development

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Echoes and Reflections:  Holocaust Education

August 27, 2015   8:30-3:30 at WISD

FREE and open to ALL Social Studies teachers in grades 6-12  

SCHECHS available

Lunch not provided

Echoes and Reflections is a comprehensive Holocaust education program that delivers professional development and a rich array of resources for middle and high school teachers. Echoes and Reflections prepares educators to teach about the Holocaust in a way that stimulates engagement and critical thinking while providing opportunities for students to see the relevance of this complex history to their own lives.
See more information HERE 

REGISTER HERE

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Fall 2015 Professional Development