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/

June

Text Resources on Race &

 Anti-Racism

Thank you to Dr. Jay Marks of Oakland Schools for sharing this organized list. 

Educators:

1. Your Black Colleagues May Look Like They’re Okay — Chances Are They’re Not
2. Books About Race That Everyone Should Be Reading Right Now
3. Anti-Racism Resource     
4. Framing Brave Conversations About Race and Ethnicity
5. Teaching as Activism, Teaching as Care

 

Students:     

1. Teaching About Race, Racism and Police Violence
2. Black Lives Matter Still Matters       
3. Let’s Talk! Facilitating Critical Conversations with Students 
4. Let’s Talk About It!

 

Parents:

1. George Floyd. Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. What do we tell our children?
2. Raising Race Conscious Children
3. Your Kids Aren’t Too Young to Talk About Race: Roundup Resources 
4. Talking to Children After Racial Incidents 
5. Books About Race That Everyone Should Be Reading Right Now

Teaching Lessons Learned

On May 19th, both the SOEL & IDLL networks came together via Zoom for one last meeting of the year. Over the 2019-2020 year, our face-to-face meetings included a guest teaching artist from UMS, researchers from UM, visits to Washtenaw County schools, the UMMA and EMU C2W.  When we shifted to distance teaching and learning, we wanted to reflect on where we were and where we are going. 

A theme we noticed from our discussions in May was engagement in literacy. Here:

• a SOEL teacher highlights one way she engaged 3rd graders in a shared text, 
• an IDLL English teacher highlights a way she engaged high school students in storytelling, 
• and an ELL SOEL teacher shares how her teacher research and book study turned into professional learning for her colleagues. 

The Use of an Interactive Storyboard Engaged Third-grade Students in an Asynchronous Read Aloud of Grace Lin’s Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

by SOEL teacher Stephanie Burnstein

 

As students embarked on this epic journey with the main character, Minli,  through nightly read alouds posted to Seesaw, they posted comments identifying any newly introduced story elements. Their challenge was to make predictions about and connections between characters, symbolic objects, setting changes, and story arcs within the frame story and the embedded folk tales. These would then be added to an oversized storyboard that was organized by chapter and comprised of color-coordinated Post-it notes. Red string was used to show the interwoven connections students identified, and the storyboard eventually included a kite with red strings that led to the Old Man of the Moon perched atop a mountain in the clouds. 

As the journey progressed, students realized that the storyboard’s red strings, or borrowed lines, represented the “strings of destiny” from the novel’s “Book of Fortune” and that many of the symbolic objects and characters showed up again and again in slightly different forms, thus tying together all of the embedded stories into one intricately woven tale. 

Using Flipgrid to Storytell

by IDLL Teacher Shelly Venema

Keeping students engaged in remote learning is challenging. In fact, teaching the way we used to has pointed out what should and should not be done. So, one successful way I taught writing and telling stories involved an authentic experience, Google docs, Flipgrid, and peer critiques. This is a project I would repeat!

Raising Expectations and Instructional Rigor For English Learners Through Effective Instructional Practice

by SOEL Teacher Rhoshawda Miller

For my TESOL program at Eastern Michigan University I created a proposal and powerpoint based on the book No More Low Expectations For English Learners that I read for my for my Teacher Action Research. The materials focus on the topic: Raising Expectations and Instructional Rigor For English Learners Through Effective Instructional Practice, to help classroom teachers best meet the needs of English learners in their classrooms. The powerpoint is for a professional development for teachers and with the  Empowering Diverse Voices for the 2020 MITESOL conference in mind.

Stay Home- Stay Safe During COVID 19

Health and Wellness

• UM SOE Teacher Hierarchy of Needs-  COVID-19 Resources

• Michigan Cares- MVU free courses for emotional and mental wellbeing

• KQED exercise to help families stay balanced at home

• Teaching Tolerance-  Teaching Through Coronavirus: What Educators Need Right Now

• Cosmic Kids Yoga and Mindfulness

• Countering Online Hate Speech

• Teacher Interrupted:  Leaning into Social-Emotional Learning Amid the COVID 19 Crisis

English Learner Resources

• Serving EL Students and Families- Teaching Tolerance

• Wayne RESA Padlet of EL/Multilingual Resources

• COVID Fact Sheets in 15 languages

• Spanish children's Stories

TV Resources

• Netflix Documentaries 

• Detroit Public Television- PBS Learning at Home During the COVID Crisis-   Many resources and exact weekly schedules for ALL ages

Reading Resources

• FREE Time for Kids Digital Library

• Free Ranger Rick from NWF
• Story Time from Space- astronauts read aloud!

• PBSKids and YouTube offer full episodes of Molly of Denali, helping kids age 4-8 interact with Informational Text

• Authors Everywhere features Children's and Young Adult Authors and Illustrators sharing their work.

• Author Grace Lin reads her works online.

• The Classroom Bookshelf-  K-8

• Even More Authors and Illustrators...

• Storyline Online

• Elementary Reading Challenge

• NEWS ELA is offering FREE access to their ELA, Science, Social Studies and SEL articles for the rest of the school year. 

• Free Graphic Novels at Comic Extra.

• Scholastic Learn at Home resources 

• Illustrator Jarrett Lerner offers activity sheets and comic book panels 

Writing Resources

• 826 Michigan and 826 Digital Writing Resources 

• My COVID-19 Time Capsule 

• Journal Prompts to facilitate coping during the COVID 19 Pandemic

• Student's Journals Could Become Primary Sources

• Sharing Our Notebooks- Writing teacher

• Using and Creating Informational Texts at Home

• At Home with Kwame Alexander- free poetry writing lessons

• NY Times Mentor Text 

•  Kelly Gallagher- building deep readers and writers

• 100 Writing Prompts from John Spencer
• 
  

• Story Starters- Creative Writing Prompts for Kids- Scholastic

• Outdoor Writing Activities

• Outdoor Activities to Improve Writing

Science/STEM

• The Science Penguin 8 Free Elementary Science Activities 

• STEM Activities for Families

• 84 Easy Science Lessons You Can Do at Home

Math

• Khan Academy Schedule

• DreamBox

Social Studies

• Echoes and Reflections online webinars for teaching the Holocaust

• Webinars from Teaching Primary Sources

• SOCIAL STUDIES Shutdown Learning Community on Flipgrid by Dave Johnson-  Password: KeepLearning

• KQED- Above the Noise for Teens- Current topics 

• Read Write Inquire:   Social studies inquiry, reading, writing, and reasoning. From UM

• People's Historians Online

Music, Art, Travel

• UMMA Writing Prompts

• Resources from the Detroit Institute of Arts

• Seattle Symphony

• Discovery Education- from the Discovery Channel 

• 12 Famous Museums you can Tour Online- Travel and Leisure

• Common Sense Best Museums online

• Google Arts and Culture


• Hamilton's America

• Cincinnati Zoo virtual visit 

• Lunch Doodles with Mo Willems

Sample Lesson Plans and Tips from Teachers

• Pernille Ripp: Choose your Own Adventure

• Schedule of Learning Template

• Tips from Teachers on Teaching Online

• Spreadsheet of categorized digital resources- Melissa Wing

• Remote Learning Toolkit- Wayne RESA

Teaching Online Resources and Sample Lessons

• CMU Writing Project Continuity of Learning Webinar Series 

• WISD Remote Learning Tech PD

• REMC Google Classroom course

• Friday Institute MOOCs

• EdSurge has many articles, podcasts and resources for PK-12 Teachers facing online instruction

• Catlin Tucker tips for designing online lessons

• Free K-12  online learning resources for teachers from We Are Teachers 

• Education companies offering free subscriptions

• Free apps

• Achieve 3000 webinars for online teaching

• Suggested daily schedule from NESCA and suggestions
  
  

March

Change it up for March is Reading Month! 

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:

3. Start a Math Book Club! PBS Teachers show us how Reading Can Expand What Kids Think About Mathematics


4. E-mail me to check out books from the Diverse Lending Library at WISD

SAVE THE DATES for Summer Professional Learning! 

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 

February

World Read Aloud Day is February 5! 

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 

January

Reflecting on a Decade and Starting a New

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 Forward by Teaching Tolerance

Book Talking Kit from 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; 

• 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