Literacy Now

by Mary Lynam

The International Reading Association is now accepting proposals for its 59th Annual Conference, running from May 9-12, 2014 at the Ernest N. Morial Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. As in past years, the IRA will proudly provide an invaluable opportunity for thousands of teachers, administrators, and researchers to share knowledge in promotion of the best literacy instruction practices. Attendees can expect enlightening presentations on a variety of topics supporting the 2014 Conference’s theme, “Reading…The Teachable Moment.”

To submit a proposal, you must login to your profile or create a new profile at http://ww2.aievolution.com/ira1401. Then, enter the text of your proposal into the provided web forms. You may return to add new information or modify your entry before the submission deadline. Finalized proposals are due by 3:00 p.m. EST on July 11, 2013.

Session Types

Reviewed session types for the 2014 conference are listed as follows:

• Institutes
• Symposia
• Workshops
• Research Poster Sessions
• Sessions/Spanish Sessions

Please refer to submission guidelines for detailed information regarding purpose, duration, presenters, meeting sites, and audio-visual equipment, as specifics are unique to each type of session.

Presentation Categories

You must choose one of the following presentation categories for your proposal (NOTE: All categories include reading, writing, speaking, listening, and motivation):

• Adolescent learners (ages 12 to 17)
• Assessment
• Beginning learners (ages 0 to 7)
• Children’s literature
• Common Core/State Standards
• Elementary learners (ages 8 to 11)
• English language learners
• Literacy leadership
• Literacy policy and advocacy
• Research
• Students with disabilities
• Struggling learners
• Teacher preparation/Career readiness
• Technology
• Title I

Writing Proposals That Appeal to Attendees

The titles, brief descriptions, and chosen categories of accepted proposals will appear unchanged in the Convention’s printed and online programs. Therefore, consider writing these aspects of your proposal with attendees in mind. Consider the following tips to make the most of your submission:

• Aim for a shorter title. It’s true what they say; “sometimes less is more.” Although titles may have up to 200 characters, wordy titles can intimidate attendees. Using a condensed, descriptive title that packs a punch is more likely to catch the eyes of prospective audience members.

• Include relevant buzzwords in your title and brief description. Since many attendees will have an idea of what they wish to learn before reaching the conference, try using jargon that aligns your presentation material with their interests. This will guide them to your presentation.

• Strategically select your category.As attendees will be choosing sessions based on category, you should selectone that is appropriate for the scope of your presentation. By picking the category that most aptly represents your session, your audience is more likely to be satisfied with their experience.

• Avoid using the first person in your brief description. Try writing in terms of what your intended audience wants to know. When writing your brief description, communicate clearly what your session can offer attendees. For example, instead of simply mentioning that your session will be “interactive,” try specifying how. You have up to 700 characters to convey your information.

• As always, proofread your submission. Double checking the spellings of presenters and affiliated schools will go a long way to prevent confusion.  If you are unsure about formatting, please refer to the IRA official style guide at /StyleGuide.

Criteria for Proposal Review and Acceptance

Institutes, Sessions, Symposia, Workshops

Reviewers will evaluate submissions of these session types on a scale of 1-6 based on applicability, effectiveness, differentiation, and ongoing learning. Those categories are outlined as follows:

• Applicability: The extent to which the proposal demonstrates evidence that case studies or real-life examples will be used to illustrate lessons learned
• Effectiveness: The extent to which the proposal demonstrates the content, strategy, or intervention (as described) has proven to raise achievement and/or improves teaching
• Differentiated: The extent to which the proposal demonstrates how this session will help teachers meet the needs of students who learn in different ways and who come from different socioeconomic environments
• Ongoing Learning: The extent to which the proposal demonstrates that audience members will be able to connect learning from this session with local work assignments

Research Posters

Evaluation criteria for research poster proposal review and acceptance are graded on a scale of 1-4. Please see the official proposal guidelines at [link] for more detailed explanations of each category listed below.

• Significance of the topic to the literacy/research evaluation
• Evidence base acknowledges relevant learning theories
• Legitimacy of evidence base for proposal, whether it is recognized as high-quality by the profession
• Quality of scholarship as judged within the research tradition
• Quality of theoretical and conceptual rationale
• Evidence base
• Clarity and coherence
• Overall quality

Acceptance Notification

Applicants will receive an email regarding the status of their proposals in October or November of 2013.

Registration Fees

Conference presenters must cover the cost of registration and all presentation expenses. However, in the case of institutes, up to 15 institute presenters get comp registration for the day of the institute and institute organizers can receive up to $350 for the costs of photocopying, mailing, and shipping materials to the location of the institute. (The deadline to request reimbursement is June 30, 2014.)

Audio-Visual Provisions

Please note prior to submission that the IRA will provide accepted presenters with a wired lavaliere, microphone, LCD projector, and screen. Presenters are responsible for all other equipment that they may need, e.g. computer adapter cables. Please note that you may need an adapter (or “dongle”) to convert from Mac computers to PC equipment. You also have the option of purchasing internet access and additional audio-visual equipment for their session. To learn more about available equipment, contact conventionproposals@reading.org.

Questions

Please contact the following email addresses with queries concerning their respective subjects:

• Customerservice@reading.org: the online submission process
• ConventionProposals@reading.org: content of proposal for the IRA 2014 Conference
• Research@reading.org: research poster sessions for the IRA 2014 Conference

Mary Lynam is the strategic communications intern at the International Reading Association.

Excitement is building for the 2013 Council Leadership Academy, the four-day professional development opportunity for International Reading Association (IRA) council leaders and future leaders entitled “Destination Success.”

The Academy features presenters who are highly-experienced literacy educators and business professionals with backgrounds in council governance and outreach issues including strategic planning, finance, advocacy, communications, and marketing.

Expert presenters include East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania Reading Department Chair and IRA President Maureen McLaughlin, New Jersey City University Professor and IRA President-Elect Jill Lewis-Spector, Judson University Professor and IRA Board Member Steven Layne. Also presenting are IRA Executive Director Marcie Craig Post, IRA Director of Government Relations Richard Long, IRA Director of Business Linda Marston, IRA Director of Marketing Stephen Sye, IRA Senior Writer and Content Strategist Lara Deloza, and IRA Leadership Development Associates Rayann Mitchell and Tiffany Sears.

Jill Lewis-Spector and Richard Long will be presenting in-depth sessions on current education legislation and policy and how to interact with government officials on local, state, and federal levels.

“We can see that the combination of budget cuts, de-professionalization of teachers, and new policy directions for public schools have negatively impacted literacy programs and instruction, and have ultimately harmed students’ literacy progress,” says Lewis-Spector. “We must advocate for change to bring more positive results for ourselves, our students, and our schools. Council leaders and, in fact all educators, should realize how they, their students, and their profession can benefit from being education advocates. Advocating together can bring positive results and contribute to building new, rewarding, and exciting professional communities.”

Council members challenged with reaching their membership or confused by all of the social media options will benefit from the communications session with Lara Deloza and Tiffany Sears.

“The most important thing about our session is that communication plans are not ‘one size fits all.’ That’s why our session isn’t either,” says Sears. “Attendees will leave with a practical plan developed with their specific needs in mind.”

Deloza adds, “Participating in social media is no longer optional. The good thing is that social media provides various avenues by which councils can engage and grow membership. [A common] misconception is that developing a communication plan that includes social media is hard. Another misconception is that it costs a lot of money and takes a lot of time to implement these programs. The session will demystify social media and provide attendees with practical tools to craft a solid communication program.”

Rayann Mitchell leads a strategic planning session on Friday and teams with the other presenters throughout the Academy for strategic planning sessions and roundtables. Council leaders in attendance will be close to finalizing their strategic plans by the end of the Academy.

“The session ‘Oh the Places You Will Go’ on Friday is on strategic planning, focusing on big priorities, and utilizing the leadership team to accomplish wildly important goals,” Mitchell says. “Participants will take away both a one-word inspirational focus for the year and a four step plan for executing strategy within their councils to achieve success.”

The presenters will help council leaders discern their challenges and develop clear objectives during several interactive sessions throughout the Academy.

“We can't keep doing things the way we've always done them and expect different results,” Mitchell explains. “If we are going to survive and thrive, we have to create a new model of functioning—one that is responsive to our members’ needs and respects the values, skills, and talents of a new generation of leaders. The type of [strategic] planning that we are suggesting still contains long-range goals and short-term objectives, but it utilizes the acronym SMARTEST (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely & tangible, engaging, shifting, and team effort) to give leaders the flexibility to adjust as needed.  Participants will learn the power of laser-light focus on a few wildly important goals and the achievement that results.”

See the complete program schedule on the Council Leadership Academy webpage.

Space is still available for the Council Leadership Academy, which will be held June 27 to 30, 2013, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Find more information and register on the Council Leadership Academy webpage.

In response to the operational challenges faced by literacy councils in recent years, the International Reading Association hosts a Council Leadership Academy from June 27 through 30 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Non-profit associations have been hit hard by a tsunami of challenges. Membership levels are eroding, revenues are declining, and conference attendance is suffering. Leaders of most non-profit educational associations are struggling to find a path to turnaround and survival.

The International Reading Association (IRA) developed this intensive multi-day program with the theme “Destination Success” to equip council leaders with the strategic vision and tactical skills that their organizations will need to prosper in this climate. The Council Leadership Academy promises to help council leaders to conduct an operational assessment; learn strategies for turning challenges into opportunities; gain insight on effective ways to utilize social networking; and discover new ways of thinking about and improving governance, organizational management, advocacy, communications, member recruitment and retention, leadership development, and more.

Inspiration and Networking on Thursday

Maureen McLaughlin


Marcie Craig Post


Steven Layne


Jill Lewis-Spector


Richard Long

The Academy begins at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 27 with an opening session featuring IRA President Maureen McLaughlin and IRA Executive Director Marcie Craig Post, who will unveil the IRA plan for strategic improvement and how it impacts the work of IRA’s vast network of councils. A networking reception is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., followed by a 6:30 group dinner with inspirational speaker Jodi Hills, author of I Am Amazed. Hills operates a Minneapolis design studio named Studio J which features her collection of “visual verse.”

Wit and Wisdom on Friday

Friday, June 28 begins with an 8:00 a.m. group breakfast and general session with IRA Board Member, author, and speaker Steven Layne. With trademark wit and wisdom, Steven Layne presents “The Success Story Nobody Else Can Write,” an address that outlines four basic tenets that lead to effectiveness and inspiration for all of the key players.

At 10:00 a.m. attendees begin a strand that includes four sessions: organizational management with IRA Executive Director Marcie Craig Post and IRA Director of Business Operations Linda Marston, council network & communications with IRA Leadership Development Associate Tiffany Sears and IRA Content Strategist and Senior Writer Lara Deloza, council leadership with IRA Board Member Steven Layne and IRA Leadership Development Associate Rayann Mitchell, or membership development with IRA Director of Marketing Stephen Sye. There is a mid-morning break, a group lunch, and a mid-afternoon break. The program schedule has more information about the timing of each session and takeaways from each of these strands.

Part I of the mentorship program orientation begins at 4:45 p.m. The mentorship program is a voluntary partnership opportunity for new and experienced council leaders to develop an ongoing relationship to consolidate knowledge, share effective practices, and provide support through feedback and coaching. Friday evening ends with a networking reception at 5:30 and a group dinner at 6:30.

Advocacy and Strategy on Saturday

IRA President-elect Jill Lewis-Spector and IRA Director of Government Relations Richard Long lead the general session at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 29. Lewis-Spector presents “Why Advocacy is Important for IRA, State Councils, and Literacy Teachers,” and Long discusses “What Are the National, Federal and State Issues Impacting Literacy Teachers?”

IRA Director of Marketing Stephen Sye

After a short break, the learning tracks begin at 10:15 a.m. There are two learning tracks, each with three sessions. (Breaks and lunch are scheduled between sessions.) The Council Leadership Track features Lara Deloza, Steven Layne, Linda Marston, Rayann Mitchell, Marcie Craig Post, Tiffany Sears, and Stephen Sye. Expanding on the previous day’s curriculum, the team presents more in-depth content tailored to individual attendees to assist them in refining their knowledge of organizational management, membership activities, social media tactics, networking, and leadership development. The Advocacy Track features Richard Long, who proposes answers to the question, “What can state councils do about the big federal and state literacy issues impacting literacy Teachers?” Building from the general session, Long’s sessions will focus on how to look at the intersection of advocacy and professional issues and how an IRA state council can organize to effectively communicate, make decisions, and reach out to legislators and state officials to make a difference that will impact students.

Lara Deloza discusses communications and social media

The first strategic planning session is scheduled at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, after a short break after the final learning track sessions. At the planning session, Lara Deloza, Steven Layne, Rich Long, Linda Marston, Rayann Mitchell, Marcie Craig Post, Tiffany Sears, and Stephen Sye facilitate small group meetings to review the rubric, continue council self-analysis, and begin strategic planning and goal setting. The second mentorship program orientation is scheduled for 4:45 p.m., followed by a reception at 5:30, and a group dinner at 6:30 featuring Steven Layne’s speech “Confessions of a Reading Arsonist.” Layne’s charismatic blend of anecdotes and practical suggestions for engaging struggling readers in the classroom are sure to fan the flame of literacy into a raging inferno, inspiring teachers as well as their students to keep the bedside lamp on just a little bit later into the night.

Goal-setting and Farewells on Sunday

After a continental breakfast on Sunday morning, the second strategic planning session begins at 8:30 a.m. Facilitators Steven Layne, Rich Long, Linda Marston, Rayann Mitchell, Marcie Craig Post, Tiffany Sears, and Stephen Sye continue to meet with attendees in small groups to review rubrics, continue council self-analysis, and begin strategic planning and goal setting.

The closing general session features “Honoring the Past, Building the Future” with Marcie Craig Post at 10:15 a.m. She reviews what was learned during the Academy, summarizes the long- and short-term goals of IRA and of councils, and shares progress that has been made so far and plans for the future. A “grab-and-go” lunch will be provided.

How to Attend

The Council Leadership Academy is geared towards council leaders as well as council members who are interested in extending their impact on literacy through council involvement. The ultimate goal of the Academy is to create more robust operating exchanges between and among IRA and its affiliated councils, and to strengthen the channels for continuous long-term support.

The Academy will be held at the Hilton Minneapolis at 1001 Marquette Avenue South in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The registration fee is $249, and all sessions, materials, and group meals are included.

Register by e-mailing customerservice@reading.org, calling (800) 336-7323, faxing the registration form to (302) 737-0878, or mailing the registration form to CLA, International Reading Association, 800 Barksdale Road, Newark, DE 19711.

Cancellations received before June 1 will receive a 50% refund. After June 1st, no refunds will be made for cancellations. Substitutions are permitted. Registration closes June 25.

The special lodging rate for the Hilton Minneapolis, the conference site, is $159. In order to secure this price, reservations must be made by June 13, 2013. To reserve, call (800) HILTONS (445-8667) and provide group name “IRA” or reserve online at /CLAhotel.

 

 

by Judy Backlund

After I traveled to South Sudan to train teachers in 2011 with fellow Central Washington University professors Phil Backlund and Janet Finke, I wondered how we could do more to help the children there.

South Sudan gained its independence in July 2011 after a long-running civil war. The adult literacy rate is 27 percent, and 63 percent of the population above the age of six has never attended school, according to a U.S. State Department fact sheet.

Clothe the Body

The three of us saw the poverty the South Sudanese children lived in and their need for clothes. Since Phil and I are IRA members and Rotarians, and Janet is an IRA member, we knew just whom to call. We joined with Ellensburg Morning Rotary Club, Rotaract (young Rotarians), and the Central Washington University (CWU) group of the Washington Organization of Reading and Development (WORD) IRA state council to provide clothes for girls and boys at an orphanage in Juba, South Sudan. 

The members of the two organizations met every Sunday night for three months, between January and March, 2012. Together they made 50+ pillowcase dresses and turned 50+ inexpensive t-shirts into cool shirts for kids. This was the “clothe the body” part of our project.

Feed the Mind

To “feed the mind,” we selected one book to go with each article of clothing. For the very small (size 2-4) pillowcase dresses or shirts, we chose board books. As the sizes of clothes increased so did the types of books we selected for each article of clothing. The WORD members carefully selected fiction and nonfiction books as well as only including those that were culturally appropriate for the children. We then packaged one book and an article of clothing in a large Ziploc bag. We put together 136 bags.

“The Clothe the Body, Feed the Mind project was a wonderful experience bringing in CWU WORD and seeing their enthusiasm working with people (Rotarians) they had just met and their passion for not only helping children on the other side of the world but wanting to learn about these people," said Jack Carpenter, Past-President, Ellensburg Morning Rotary Club."[It was a] great sharing of resources, hearts and minds.” 

“It was great to see people of different generations sharing a passion for improving the world through literacy and clothing,” said Lisa Toedtli from Central WORD.

South Sudan Special Delivery

In March 2012, two Rotarians who were also IRA members and another IRA member took the bags of clothes and books to the Confident Children Out of Conflict and Crisis Street Orphanage in Juba, South Sudan. While there we spent time with the girls and the director and have developed a lasting friendship.

Scholarship Project

In addition, Rotaract and WORD raised money for three scholarships to cover the costs for three of the girls to attend school for one year.

"Clothe the Body, Feed the Mind was a great joint project that gave us the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the children in South Sudan, while having an impact on literacy internationally,” said Jackie Robertson, President of Central WORD.

Another part of the Ellensburg project is raising money for $250 scholarships to send one South Sudanese girl to school for a year. A year later and through our connections, other scholarships for additional girls to attend school are being raised.

For information and photos about the Clothe the Body, Feed the Mind Project or ways that you can support Confident Children Out of Conflict and Crisis please feel free to contact me.

Judy Backlund is the Past President of Ellensburg Morning Rotary and the Chair of IRARI, an International Reading Association Special Interest Group, focusing on promoting joint literacy efforts between Rotary Clubs and IRA Councils, backlundju@cwu.edu.

by Nafiz Uddin Khan

The National Conference of the Bangladesh Reading Association (BRA) was held in Dhaka October 5-6 with the theme of “Problems and Practices of Teaching in Bangladesh.” The conference was jointly organized by the Bangladesh Reading Association and Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM), in cooperation with the International Reading Association (IRA) and Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE).

Mr. Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, PhD, Secretary, Ministry of Education, Government of Bangladesh, was the Chief Guest in the inaugural ceremony of the conference. Carrice C. Cummins, President of IRA, was the Special Guest for the occasion. Prof. M. Eltasuddin, Vice Chairman of BRA, welcomed the participants. Mr. Kzai Rafi qul Alam, Chairman of the Bangladesh Reading Association, chaired the inaugural ceremony.

Around 500 teachers from primary, secondary, and other educational institutions participated in the conference. There were three plenary and ten parallel sessions in the conference with a variety of topics relevant to the theme of the conference.

Since its inception, BRA has been organizing activities to improve the capacity of teachers in different areas of professional development. BRA targeted October 5, World Teachers Day, to hold this national conference. The main objectives of the conference were:
• To bring quality in educational delivery to primary and secondary schools;
• To explore the current problems and good practices of teaching and learning processes in primary and secondary schools in Bangladesh;
• To encourage teachers and educators to document and research good practices in teaching-related topics;
• To develop an action plan for conducting, publishing, and disseminating research on teaching and learning processes, curriculum, creative learning materials, etc;
• To encourage teachers and educators to become pro-active for their professional development.

Prof. Dr. M.M.Safiullah, Vice Chancellor, Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, Dhaka, presented the keynote paper on Education and Problems of Education Practice in Bangladesh. This keynote focused on the overall problems and practices of teaching in the primary and secondary level in Bangladesh. It showed the education system, policy of primary and secondary education, and teachers’ motivation and practices in the classroom.

At the closing session of the conference the participants opined that this was a successful event that should be organized every year. They also suggested the idea of publishing a teachers’ journal to share their problems, practices, and experiences with teaching.

Nafiz Uddin Khan is the Project Manager at Bangladesh Reading Association, Nafiz1966@gmail.com.

The Chief Guest Mr. Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, PhD, Secretary, Ministry of Education speaks

International Reading Association President (2012-2013) Carrice Cummins speaks

Attendees at the conference

This article was originally published in the December 2012/January 2013 issue of Reading Today. IRA members can read the interactive digital version of the magazine here. Nonmembers: join today!

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