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  • burkins and yaris
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    The ABCs of Teaching & Learning in the Common Core Era

     | Mar 21, 2013

    Institute 10: The Common Core Literacy Block: What Will It Look Like in My Classroom? (The ABCs of Teaching & Learning in the Common Core Era)

    burkins and yaris

    Reading Today Online asked all of the Institute Chairpersons for IRA San Antonio to respond to three questions designed to give our readers and all of the prospective attendees a better understanding of the insights and benefits they will gain from attending these day-long programs. Below are responses from Institute 10 Chairs Jan Miller Burkins and Kim Yaris, whose blog has about 1,000 readers daily.

    What is the professional urgency that this institute is designed to address?

    For the last year, we have blogged six days a week about the Common Core State Standards and teaching in the Common Core era on burkinsandyaris.com. Educators who read our writing and who work in the schools where we consult indicate three pressing needs, and these are confirmed by our co-facilitators, who have extensive experience working with students and teachers. We entitled these three urgent needs The ABCs of Teaching & Learning in the Common Core Era:

    A = Alignment
    The mood in schools is sober,  and teachers are fatigued. We attribute much of this to the anxiety teachers are experiencing as they work to reconcile the standards they must teach and their urge to teach from their hearts. While aligning instruction to the Common Core State Standards is on every teacher’s mind, we consider alignment with their core beliefs about teaching to be even more important.

    B = Balance
    Educators continually grapple with how to distribute their time and energy. Much of our work, and the work of our co-facilitators, is about finding the balance between competing needs. The “work” of balance is not a matter of shifting back and forth, but a matter of managing tension. Here are a few of the teacher tensions and student tensions educators are wrestling with daily as they dig into the Common Core:

    • Reading to understand ourselves vs. reading to understand information
    • Reading because we like it vs. reading because we are required to
    • Engaging students in texts vs. exposing students to challenging texts
    • Meeting individual student needs vs. giving every student the same opportunities
    • Scaffolding students vs. letting the text support them
    • Setting students up for success vs. doing the work for students
    • Reading texts closely vs. loving a text to death
    • Teaching towards learning vs. teaching towards assessment

    C = Connectedness
    This institute is filled with connections between content, presenters, lessons, and instructional strategies. Some connections the facilitators will share and others participants will discover for themselves as we facilitate work through open-ended protocols. As facilitators, we will connect with you, help you connect with your colleagues, and engage you in connecting your own deep thinking to the practicalities of implementation.

    In conclusion, the most pressing urgency we see in education is that of rediscovering joy in the classroom. Through supporting participants in aligning to their truest purposes for teaching, finding balance, and connecting with others, we plan to give participants a taste of joy. From guidance on teaching with rigor, not rigor-mortis, to singing songs with Barry Lane. This institute will be wholly practical, but also damn fun!

    What types of literacy professionals is the institute designed for?

    This institute is designed for classroom teachers and all those who support them, including literacy coaches, administrators, and consultants.

    How will attendance at this institute help those literacy professionals “make a difference” in their work?

    This institute will give participants practical strategies and language for reconnecting with their core beliefs as a vehicle, rather than as a barrier, to teaching students to be independent and proficient readers. Participants will leave with a sense of the ways the Common Core can support their largest ideals for students, as each facilitator in this institute will offer practical strategies and lessons for teaching from the heart while integrating the Common Core into instruction.

    All of the facilitators on this panel will help educators think about both sides of each source of tension, working to arrive at a relatively balanced perspective. Through conversations, lessons, and practical strategies, all of the facilitators in this session will work to help participants find their own balance within the Common Core.

     

    Registration Information: This preconference institute will be held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 19 before the 58th International Reading Association Annual Convention begins on Saturday, April 20. Register online for this or another institute and/or to register for the annual convention. Call 888-294-9167 or 415-979-2278 to find out how to register by phone, fax, or mail. To learn more about convention events in San Antonio, visit the annual convention website and the online itinerary planner (iPlanner), or read more Reading Today annual convention articles.

     

     

     

    Institute 10: The Common Core Literacy Block: What Will It Look Like in My Classroom? (The ABCs of Teaching & Learning in the Common Core Era) Reading Today Online asked all of the Institute Chairpersons for IRA San Antonio to respond to three...Read More
  • new orleans
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    International Reading Association Announces 2014 Conference Schedule

     | Mar 19, 2013

    new orleansThe International Reading Association is pleased to announce that its 59th Annual Conference will take place on May 9-12, 2014 in New Orleans.

    The conference will run for three days, preceded by a day of pre-conference offerings:

    • The Institutes (day-long, topically-themed programs) will take place on Friday, May 9, 2014
    • The Conference will run from Saturday, May 10, 2014 through Monday, May 12, 2014

    While we try to avoid schedule conflicts with major holidays, these dates run through Mother’s Day weekend. They were chosen to secure optimal lodging opportunities at the best rates for all IRA attendees, since the city’s convention bureau has a slew of competing events lined up for the first half of May.

    Our past experience has been that attendance at the IRA Conference makes a very special Mother’s Day celebration for literacy professionals who are themselves working mothers. While not convenient for everyone, it remains a special treat for many.

    We are already hard at work designing a stellar program for 2014, and we look forward to seeing you in this resurgent city whose post-Katrina recovery has been nothing short of inspirational.

    Mark your calendar now for IRA New Orleans 2014!

    IRA 2013 runs from April 19 to 22 in San Antonio, Texas. Visit www.iraconvention.org and the iPlanner Program Grid and Event Search for details.

     

     

     

    The International Reading Association is pleased to announce that its 59th Annual Conference will take place on May 9-12, 2014 in New Orleans. The conference will run for three days, preceded by a day of pre-conference offerings: The...Read More
  • international reading association annual convention
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    Next Steps in the Implementation of Common Standards

     | Mar 18, 2013

    Institute 1: Next Steps in the Implementation of Common Standards

    linda gambrell and susan neuman

    Reading Today Online asked all of the institute chairpersons for IRA San Antonio to respond to three questions designed to give our readers and all of the prospective attendees a better understanding of the insights and benefits they will gain from attending these day-long programs. Below are responses from Linda Gambrell and Susan Neuman, institute chairs and editors of IRA's Reading Reseach Quarterly journal.

    What is the professional urgency that this institute is designed to address?

    This institute will focus on key issues related to the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. Leading researchers will address topics that include close reading, text complexity, at-risk populations, academic literacy, reading motivation, and the importance of collaboration and discussion in literacy teaching and learning.

    What types of literacy professionals is the Institute designed for?

    This institute is designed for a broad range of educators—classroom teachers, reading teachers, literacy coaches, curriculum specialists, and administrators—who are interested in furthering their understanding of the role of the CCSS in improving literacy instruction for all students.

    How will attendance at this Institute help those literacy professionals "make a difference" in their work?

    The Common Core Standards are indeed compelling and complex. This institute is designed for educators who want to further their understanding of how  implementation of the CCSS, using evidenced-based instructional practices, has the potential to increase student reading proficiency and achievement.

    Registration Information: This preconference institute will be held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 19 before the 58th International Reading Association Annual Convention begins on Saturday, April 20. Register online for this or another institute and/or to register for the annual convention. Call 888-294-9167 or 415-979-2278 to find out how to register by phone, fax, or mail. To learn more about convention events in San Antonio, visit the annual convention website and the online itinerary planner (iPlanner), or read more Reading Today annual convention articles.

     

     

     

    Institute 1: Next Steps in the Implementation of Common Standards Reading Today Online asked all of the institute chairpersons for IRA San Antonio to respond to three questions designed to give our readers and all of the prospective attendees...Read More
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    CCSS and the PARCC Performance Assessments for Teaching and Learning

     | Mar 15, 2013

    Institute 6: CCSS Reading/Literacy, Writing, & Speaking and Listening Standards and the PARCC Performance Assessments for Teaching and Learning

    tony petrosky
    Tony Petrosky

    stephanie mcconachie
    Stephanie
    McConachie

    Reading Today Online asked all of the Institute Chairpersons for IRA San Antonio to respond to three questions designed to give our readers and all of the prospective attendees a better understanding of the insights and benefits they will gain from attending these day-long programs. Below are responses from Institute 6 Chair Stephanie McConachie from the University of Pittsburgh.

    1. What is the professional urgency that this institute is designed to address?

    The CCSS and the new PARCC assessments are game-changers for ELA. Together, they demand more reading and writing from students in all of their classes. They also ask that more of that reading be informational in structure. And, to raise the bar even further, the success of the changes will demand intense, mediated teaching for most students.

    2. What types of literacy professionals is the institute designed for?

    These changes need thoughtful and ongoing learning conversations with teachers and other educational leaders. Our one-day institute provides district and school role groups with appropriate examples and conversations to meet these new challenges.

    3. How will attendance at this institute help those literacy professionals “make a difference” in their work?

    The institute will set up a dialogue with participants about the demand and design of the PARCC assessments by examining a prototype assessment set. After this, participants will break into separate sessions (English language learning, elementary, middle school, and high school) to engage in and study model CCSS performance and instructional tasks. They’ll step back to consider how the routines and text-based questions enabled learners to connect text to task and talk. Then, they will have time and resources (texts, templates, and exemplars) to develop a set of related, instructional tasks that engage students with complex texts to generate evidence-based reading and writing. Following this work, the group will reflect on the implications of their work for their districts and schools.

    Registration Information: This preconference institute will be held at the Grand Hyatt in San Antonio, Texas from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 19 before the 58th International Reading Association Annual Convention begins on Saturday, April 20. Register online for this or another institute and/or to register for the annual convention. Call 888-294-9167 or 415-979-2278 to find out how to register by phone, fax, or mail. To learn more about convention events in San Antonio, visit the annual convention website and the online itinerary planner (iPlanner), or read more Reading Today annual convention articles.

     

     

     

    Institute 6: CCSS Reading/Literacy, Writing, & Speaking and Listening Standards and the PARCC Performance Assessments for Teaching and Learning Tony Petrosky Stephanie McConachie Reading Today Online asked all of the Institute...Read More
  • elfrieda hiebert
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    Assessment in the Era of the Common Core

     | Mar 14, 2013

    Institute 19: Assessment in the Era of the Common Core

    elfrieda hiebert

    Elfrieda H. Hiebert

    Reading Today Online asked all of the institute chairpersons for IRA San Antonio to respond to three questions designed to give our readers and all of the prospective attendees a better understanding of the insights and benefits they will gain from attending these day-long programs. Below are responses from Institute 19 Chair Elfrieda H. Hiebert.

    What is the professional urgency that this institute is designed to address?

    In the school year of 2014-2015, a new generation of assessments will be administered to students from grades 3 to 12 in the majority of American states and schools. Questions are many about the content and consequences of these assessments.

    What types of literacy professionals is this institute designed for?

    This preconvention institute is designed to answer pressing questions of educational leaders in states, districts, and schools about the new assessments. The presenters include the primary architect of the Common Core, leaders in national assessment and reform efforts, leading researchers on issues of assessment and instruction of English Learners, and teacher educators/researchers and state leaders who are working on Common Core implementations. 

    The institute will support educational leaders in becoming knowledgeable about the Common Core assessments through five "formal" contexts and, we anticipate, innumerable informal contexts as teachers, district and state personnel, educational publishers, administrators, teacher educators, researchers, nonprofit leaders, community leaders, and parents interact with one another over the course of the day and, we hope, in social media venues after IRA.

    How will attendance at this institute help those literacy professionals “make a difference” in their work?

    The first formal context consists of plenary sessions. The institute will begin with a presentation by David Coleman, one of the primary architects of the Common Core. Other plenary speakers include long-time leaders in national and state assessment and reform projects—P. David Pearson, Karen Wixson, and Peter Afflerbach. Kenji Hakuta, director of a national initiative on Common Core and English Learners and David Francis who directed the national center for English Learners (CREATE)—will present a plenary session on English learners and special needs students. 

    Two "formal contexts" will follow the first two plenary sessions: Small-group workshops and Q-and-A sessions. Three topics are addressed in each of the workshops: (a) state implementations, (b) professional development, and (c) text complexity. Facilitators of the small-group workshops are leading teacher educators, state leaders, and researchers. 

    Q-and-A sessions will give participants the chance to hear answers to their questions. Freddy Hiebert, the preconvention institute's facilitator, will chair these sessions. Each of the two Q-and-A sessions will involve the plenary speakers from the previous sessions. In addition, each Q-and-A session will include representatives from groups involved in the Common Core implementation process. In the first Q-and-A group, plenary speakers will be joined by the co-chairs of IRA's CCSS Committee and its board liaison (Tim Shanahan, Brenda Overrturf, & Bill Teale). The directors of literacy of the two assessment consortia (Barbara Kapinus, Smarter Balanced, and Bonnie Hain, PARCC, and state liaisons) will join plenary speakers for the second plenary session.

    The fourth format context involves the opportunity for participants to inform plenary and workshop presentations. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions both prior to the institute and during the institute. From March 12 through April 2, participants can send questions to the facilitator (info@textproject.org). Freddy will share these questions with plenary speakers and workshop leaders to aid in their preparation of presentations. During the institute, participants will be able to send the facilitator questions via email or on notecards. These questions will be the basis for the Q-and-A sessions.

    The final formal context is the opportunity for participants to prepare for the institute through reading background materials. Presenters have been asked to identify materials which will give participants the background knowledge for their presentations. These materials will be available to participants on April 3 at www.textproject.org.

    The interpretations and implementations of participants, ultimately, is the measure of the success of the institute. One of the means of facilitating dialogue among participants is through the provision of free lunches. A publisher has volunteered to provide box lunches free to participants. Freed from the need to forage for food, participants can spend the lunch hour interacting with colleagues from other states, districts, and schools.

    Registration Information: This preconference institute will be held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 19 before the 58th International Reading Association Annual Convention begins on Saturday, April 20. Register online for this or another institute and/or to register for the annual convention. Call 888-294-9167 or 415-979-2278 to find out how to register by phone, fax, or mail. To learn more about convention events in San Antonio, visit the annual convention website and the online itinerary planner (iPlanner), or read more Reading Today annual convention articles.

     

     

     

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    Institute 19: Assessment in the Era of the Common Core Elfrieda H. Hiebert Reading Today Online asked all of the institute chairpersons for IRA San Antonio to respond to three questions designed to give our readers and all of the...Read More
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