Every month is Reading Month, but since March is designated as such, I encourage you to try some new things with reading in your classroom, no matter what your position or grade level in education. Here are four ideas to get you started: 1. Learn from SOEL Teacher Holly Bella about vocabulary in Interactive Read Alouds: 3. Try Book Talks to engage and motivate readers:
Yes, it's time to think about summer learning at WISD! Plan ahead by saving these dates. *Exact times and details TBD August 14th: Grades K-3 Essential Instructional Practices in Early Literacy one day overview (pre-requisite for SOEL 2020-2021) August 13th: Grades 4&5 Essential Instructional Practices in Early Literacy one day overview (Pre-requisite for SOEL 2020-2021) August 4, 5, 6: Grades 6-12 Essential Instructional Practices for Disciplinary Literacy three day workshop (Pre-requisite for IDLL 2020-2021) August 17, 18, 19: K-12 Social Studies Standards, Framework, and Literacy Essentials Three day Workshop August 13: KRA Training for new K teachers in Washtenaw County Creating Context for Teaching Night- one day in August, TBD
LitWorld founded World Read Aloud Day in 2010 for people all over the world to celebrate the joy of reading aloud and to advocate for literacy as a fundamental human right. Join in the Day by visiting their site to register, download free resources, and access activity guides. Resources include tips on how to host a community event, create stickers and decorations, and read aloud tips to share with participants. We'd love to see how World Read Aloud Day is celebrated in Washtenaw County, share to Twitter with #WRAD@WashISD
Upcoming Professional Learning Opportunities
Creating Context for Teaching Night
February 20th, 2020 WISD 8:30-3:30 FREE *Most applicable to secondary ELA teachers.
The Holocaust Memorial Museum presents Creating Context for Teaching Night.
The workshop will include:
• How to teach Night within the larger historical framework of the Holocaust;
• A history of antisemitism for context prior to reading Night;
• An exploration of materials and instructional strategies available in Echoes and Reflections to support effective teaching of the memoir;
• The use of interdisciplinary materials including art work, photographs, poetry and personal narratives;
• Identifying significant themes of the memoir *SCHECHs Pending REGISTER HERE
It's All About Inquiry: Understanding the Social Studies Standards, C3 Framework and Literacy Essentials
This is a three day training free to all Washtenaw County Educators
In this three day session, we work with educators to build background knowledge of the three documents through a short history and purpose, connecting through the thread of inquiry, and planning for long term work in instruction and assessment in social studies classrooms.
February 27, March 5, March 26
At Milan Middle School Librarium, Milan, MI REGISTER HERE
The Diverse Lending Library at WISD
Don't forget about the Diverse Lending Library available to all Washtenaw County educators. E-mail me to check out books or ask questions about our books!
For questions on anything in this Literacy Newsletter- please contact Melissa Brooks-Yip at mbrooksyip@washtenawisd.org
The end of one decade and the start of another spurs reflection in all aspects of life, personal and professional. Teaching Tolerance, We Need Diverse Books, and Edutopia offer resources to help educators and students reflect on the last 10 years, and set intention for literacy and instruction in 2020 and beyond. Looking Back and Pressing Forwardby Teaching Tolerance Book Talking Kitfrom We Need Diverse Books New Year's Resolutions: Don't Do It! by Elena Aguilar for Edutopia
Upcoming Professional Learning Opportunities
Creating Context for Teaching Night
February 20th, 2020 WISD 8:30-3:30 FREE *Most applicable to secondary ELA teachers.
The Holocaust Memorial Museum presents Creating Context for Teaching Night.
The workshop will include:
• How to teach Night within the larger historical framework of the Holocaust;
• A history of antisemitism for context prior to reading Night;
• An exploration of materials and instructional strategies available in Echoes and Reflections to support effective teaching of the memoir;
• The use of interdisciplinary materials including art work, photographs, poetry and personal narratives;
It's All About Inquiry: Understanding the Social Studies Standards, C3 Framework and Literacy Essentials This is a three day training free to all Washtenaw County Educators
In this three day session, we work with educators to build background knowledge of the three documents through a short history and purpose, connecting through the thread of inquiry, and planning for long term work in instruction and assessment in social studies classrooms.
February 27, March 5, March 26
At Milan Middle School Librarium, Milan, MI REGISTER HERE
The Diverse Lending Library at WISD
Don't forget about the Diverse Lending Library available to all Washtenaw County educators. E-mail me to check out books or ask questions about our books!
For questions on anything in this Literacy Newsletter- please contact Melissa Brooks-Yip at mbrooksyip@washtenawisd.org
For the last six school years, many SOEL (Study of Early Literacy) educators have guided parts of their professional learning through the process of Teacher Action Research.
Put simply, Teacher Action Research is a cycle for an educator to:
1. question something in their practice;
2. situate it in the context of the field;
3. plan and conduct a study;
4. analyze their data;
5. make change and go public
Now that SOEL has many experienced Teacher Researchers, several have been able to go public with their findings through presentations and publications, meaning other educators in the field are now learning from their research! Most recently, SOEL members from YCS and Milan presented at the NCTE conference in Baltimore (see slides below), and an AAPS BLE published her research in the Language Arts Journal of Michigan. Reading both will show you not only what SOEL and Teacher Action Research looks like, but you'll learn something new about a specific aspect of literacy instruction.
The Literacy of Art
For our December meetings, both SOEL and IDLL will have experiences with the literacy of art through our collaborations with UMS and UMMA.
On December 11, IDLL will participate in the Art of Inquiry with the educational coordinators at UMMA to explore more in depth:
what art as text and literacies are;
what this means in all disciplines;
how inquiry feels and what it looks like;
how we, as educators, can provide experiences that allow students to explore and make connections; that increase depth of knowledge and desire to learn and connect;
how we can engage students with opportunities to synthesize information in a meaningful way
Please ask a SOEL or IDLL member about their December meetings to hear more about their experiences with the literacy of art!
Upcoming Learning Opportunities
February 20th- Creating Context for Teaching Night
WISD 8:30-3:30
FREE
*Most applicable to secondary ELA teachers
The Holocaust Memorial Museum presents Creating Context for Teaching Night.
The workshop will include:
• How to teach Night within the larger historical framework of the Holocaust
• A history of antisemitism for context prior to reading Night
• An exploration of materials and instructional strategies available in Echoes and Reflections to support effective teaching of the memoir
• The use of interdisciplinary materials including art work, photographs, poetry and personal narratives
The following practitioner texts support each SOEL member’s learning goal, as well as give background to what we’ll see during
school visits in Washtenaw county.
