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    Secondary Reading Council of Florida Teachers of the Year

     | Jul 30, 2012

    awardsThe Secondary Reading Council of Florida (SRCFL) awarded its 2012 Teachers of the Year (Veteran and Novice) designations to veteran reading educator Clara Michelle McMillan Kirby of the Leon County School District and novice reading educator Jenny Craige of the Palm Beach County School District. Michelle is a reading coach at James R. Rickard High School under the administration of Dr. Michelle Gayle. Jenny works at Boynton Beach Community High School as a reading teacher for grades 11 and 12, under the administration of Karen Whetsell. The award was presented at the SRCFL Annual Conference held in Deerfield Beach on May 11 and 12. 

    Jenny Craige

    Jenny Craige of
    Palm Beach County
    School District

    Clara Michelle McMillan Kirby

    Clara Michelle
    McMillan Kirby
    of Leon County
    School District

    “These two recipients represent the overarching view that reading education for secondary students must be not only unique to their needs, but also recognize what these students bring to the literacy instructional table,” said SRCFL president Dr. Joyce Warner, who is Chair of the Reading and Literacy Studies Department at Barry University. 

    Each recipient brings this unique perspective to her reading instruction. Mr. Kevin Smith of Just Read, Florida! said Michelle is a “collaborative practitioner who …corrals resources and leads the charge in impacting student performance.” Michelle is a “tireless change agent for secondary reading.” 

    Of Ms Craige’s reading instructional style, her colleague, Rachelle Savitz, said, “Jenny shows a passion for reading, reads everywhere and all the time. She models her love of reading in so many ways and daily differentiates techniques and strategies for her students to address their varied needs and interests. ”

    The Secondary Reading Council of Florida has been an affiliated charter of the International Reading Association since 1980. For more information about SRCFL, visit the website at www.srcfl.org.

     

     

     


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    The Secondary Reading Council of Florida (SRCFL) awarded its 2012 Teachers of the Year (Veteran and Novice) designations to veteran reading educator Clara Michelle McMillan Kirby of the Leon County School District and novice reading educator Jenny...Read More
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    Upcoming Deadlines for IRA Awards and Grants

     | Jul 26, 2012

    AwardsApplications and nominations for the majority of International Reading Association awards and grants are due in the fall. This schedule allows the committees to review materials and notify recipients in time for them to attend award ceremonies at the IRA 58th Annual Convention in San Antonio from April 19 to 22, 2013. 

    Due September 1, 2012
    • IRA Albert J. Harris Award nominations for an exemplary work published in the past academic year concerned with prevention, correction, or assessment of reading difficulties
    • IRA Dina Feitelson Research Award nominations for an outstanding empirical study published in English in a refereed journal in 2011
    For both awards, nominations may be submitted by the author or others. 
    Due October 1, 2012
    Due October 31, 2012
    Due November 1, 2012
    Due November 15, 2012

    Many IRA awards and grants require applicants to be IRA members. Please read the application carefully before submitting your materials. Visit the new IRA awards and grants webpage for more information. The three-column table on the webpage can be sorted by grant name, candidate category, or deadline date. Click on the name links for guidelines and past recipients.

     

     

     


    Applications and nominations for the majority of International Reading Association awards and grants are due in the fall. This schedule allows the committees to review materials and notify recipients in time for them to attend award ceremonies at...Read More
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    Training Literacy Educators in Kazakhstan: IDEAC Hosts Workshop and Reading Conference

     | Jul 23, 2012

    Kazakhstanby Sapargul Mirseitova and Katya Jurina

    The 2012 meeting of the International Development in Eurasia Committee (IDEAC) was held in February in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The Committee wanted to use this chance to attract more people from the region as well as to make IRA more visible for educators and other interested parties. 

    Kazakhstan

    Victoria Risko and
    Sapargul Mirseitova
    speak to attendees

    Therefore, the traditional committee meeting was preceeded by two events: a leadership workshop led by Sakil Malik, IRA Global Operations Unit Director, and a Reading Conference. These two events built a very productive base for further discussion of regional issues. Leaders from several Eurasian countries participated in the leadership workshop. Mr. Malik gave an overview of key events in IRA and demonstrated use of the IRA website to learn more about some of the projects and activities.

    Participants learned about online networking tools, task forces, the IRA President’s blog (Presidential Corner), Teacher’s Inquiry, and Eurasia’s online journal in Russian on the IRA website. Some of the participants said, “Now I see what IRA is all about.” Others commented, “Oh, now I know how to do my leadership work, I know what you expect from me.”

    The one-day Reading Conference theme was “Language & Literacy: New Ideas & Insights in Learning and Teaching,” aimed to attract people from different universities, organizations, and the Ministry. The participants included many teachers from Kazakhstan, Georgia, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Representatives from USAID and the Aga Khan Foundation, which has Reading Programs in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, were able to take part in the Conference. Ministry representatives were also invited. 

    The keynote speech “New Ideas and Insights in Text Comprehension” was presented by Past-President Dr. Victoria Risko. Many participants commented that this presentation deepened their understanding of how to work with text, which demands more detailed understanding, detailed preparation, and attention to many other factors which can be missed when selecting texts or in further work with the text.

    At one of the sessions, there was also a good overview of children’s literature presented by Dr. William Teale, IRA Board Member. Prior to the start of the conference, Teale and Risko visited a school in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and were also able to conduct lessons which showed the possibility of pupils’ involvement in reading, having only one book for the class. These lessons showed that the book is a universal method of communication even if the teacher is speaking in a foreign language. Teachers could create an atmosphere during the lessons which allowed them to work with every pupil, despite their level of English knowledge. All pupils could be heard and successful.

    Katya Jurina, an English teacher in Karagandy, Kazakhstan, and contributing writer to this article, came to this conclusion after the conference: “From my point of view, the most important idea which I heard during the conference was that a student will be interested when he realizes that it can be used in his everyday life.”

    Kazakhstan

    IRA sign welcoming attendees

    Kazakhstan

    Workshop attendees

    Kazakhstan

    Workshop attendees


    Sapargul Mirseitova is the IDEAC Chair. Katya Jurina is a Kazakh English teacher who attended the conference.


    This article is reprinted from the June/July 2012 issue of Reading Today. IRA members can read the interactive digital version of the magazine here. Nonmembers: join today





    by Sapargul Mirseitova and Katya Jurina The 2012 meeting of the International Development in Eurasia Committee (IDEAC) was held in February in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The Committee wanted to use this chance to attract more people from the region as...Read More
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    ITEN Offers Free Innovative Literacy Teaching Techniques Webinars

     | Jul 19, 2012

    Oscar Martinez, ITEN WebinarThe Inter-American Teacher Education Network (ITEN) will offer free webinars on Innovative Literacy Teaching Techniques in July and August, 2012.

    The IRA-ITEN webinars in Spanish will address techniques for literacy teaching to increase students reading comprehension. Presenters include Adelina Arellano Osuna on July 13, Oscar J. Martínez Alaníz on July 26, and Paul Boyd-Batstone on August 10. All webinars are 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time. This webinar series has an online registration form in Spanish only.

    For further information about and handouts for the webinars, visit www.oas.org/en/iten/webinars.asp

    ITEN is a professional network of leaders in education in the Americas that promotes horizontal cooperation among the Organization of American States (OAS) member states to share knowledge, experiences, research and good practices in the field of teacher education. These webinars are offered as part of the ongoing partnership with OAS and the International Reading Association (IRA).

     




    The Inter-American Teacher Education Network (ITEN) will offer free webinars on Innovative Literacy Teaching Techniques in July and August, 2012. The IRA-ITEN webinars in Spanish will address techniques for literacy teaching to increase students...Read More
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    Keystone Prepares for 2012 Conference after Challenging but Successful 2011 Event

     | Jul 18, 2012

    by Dale Harper

    As the Keystone State Reading Association (KSRA) in Pennsylvania prepares for its 2012 Annual Conference entitled “Read and Shine” to be held in the charming Champion area in the breathtaking Laurel Highlands region outside of Pittsburgh this fall, members look back with fondness and triumph on the bevy of barricades that mounted against them in the autumn of 2011.

    On October 27 to 29, 2011, KSRA hosted a successful 44th Annual Reading Conference entitled “Literacy: Share the Passion” in the quaint Pennsylvania Dutch region of Lancaster, PA. After two years of preparation and challenging hurdles, a program of some of the best and most knowledgeable speakers from all over the country was brought together for the three-day conference.

    KSRA 2011 Conference Committee

    KSRA 2011 Conference Committee members

     

    Most presenters spoke about the two hottest topics: Core Standards and RTI. Publishers and vendors came through with incredible support. Visiting authors included two Caldecott winners as well as other award winners. Spirits were high, and President-elect and 2011 Conference Chairperson Dale Harper, Poster Artist Joan Lengel, Editor Angee Cobb, Photographer Christine Kurman, Logo Creator Hank Grasso and the rest of the conference committee worked around the clock to make it a conference to remember.

    However, financial, political, and environmental obstacles arose that made success seemingly impossible.

    Finances Fizzle

    During the 2010-2011 school year, severe budget reductions continued. Stimulus funds were gone. School districts had their budgets cut to bare bones, and districts had to eliminate teaching positions. Many districts told their staff that no school staff would be able to go anywhere, even if they were presenting at a conference.

    Politicians Tighten Belts

    Professional development was the next hurdle to overcome. Some months before the conference, the Governor of Pennsylvania announced that all five hundred school districts in the state did not have to offer professional development to their staff for two years. This was a tremendous blow to the conference, especially since the conference was offering presenters that were on the national committees for Core Standards and other speakers that are some of the best in their fields. We were concerned that many educators in the state would not be able to experience this level of professional development, even though Core Standards would soon be implemented.

    Old Man Winter Arrives Early

    On the last day of the conference (Saturday), there were eleven inches of snow with roads closed, trees down, and an incredible amount of accidents. An October snowfall is very rare for this area of Pennsylvania. It was treacherous. Therefore, the teachers that were coming only Saturday—because their school districts would not get substitutes for them during the week—did not come.

    Against the Odds

    Anything that could go wrong, did! However, the quality and quantity of presenters was so incredibly high that districts sent their staff anyway, and some people paid their own way just so they could experience and learn from these great people. 

    Speakers

    Irene Fountas, who has it all—research, materials, assessment, and intervention—lived up to her phenomenal reputation.Roger Farr connected his strategies with the Core Standards, and Richard Gentry also spoke about his three big ideas to promote reading success and meet Core Standards. Karen Wixson explained RTI and even sent her PowerPoint for our website. Ellin Keene spoke of New Horizons in Comprehension, and Maureen McLaughlin, IRA’s Vice President, talked about Content Area Literacy. In addition, Victoria Risko, President and national committee member for Core Standards, presented on Comprehension and Core Standards. There were many others that wowed the crowd with their expertise. Their knowledge and energy made their presentations most worthwhile and unforgettable.

    In addition to our presentations, we had two lovely Authors’ Teas. Participants had hot beverages and met with the authors as they took turns sharing a little about themselves and their work. Author signatures on the logo mugs made them a collectable favorite to take home. Our author and illustrator line-up was equally as impressive. Jerry Pinkney, 2010 Caldecott winner, received a standing ovation as he shared his talents and treasures. Paul O. Zelinsky, winner of multiple Caldecott Awards, was there as well with his new book. Other award-winning authors included Ralph Masiello, Peter Catalanotto, Kevin O’Malley, Floyd Cooper, Marisa Paolicelli, Sneed B. Collard III, J. Patrick Lewis, and many more.

    Our goal was achieved with a “win-win” for everyone! We met the IRA and KSRA goals with the best program we could create and gave it to the largest number of people possible. We wanted to let the sponsors know how much they are appreciated especially during this financial crunch. We gave them as much exposure as possible to thank them for their sponsorship of some the most knowledgeable presenters in the fi eld. Even in these challenging times, everyone benefits if we work together, remain active, participate, and share the passion of promoting literacy.

    Dale HarperDale Harper was the Keystone State Reading Association President-elect and 2011 Conference Chairperson, dgharper1@verizon.net.

    This article is reprinted from the June/July 2012 issue of Reading Today. IRA members can read the interactive digital version of the magazine here. Nonmembers: join today




    by Dale Harper As the Keystone State Reading Association (KSRA) in Pennsylvania prepares for its 2012 Annual Conference entitled “Read and Shine” to be held in the charming Champion area in the breathtaking Laurel Highlands region outside of...Read More
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