Literacy Now

The Board of Directors of the International Reading Association has implemented a date and pattern change for the Association’s 58th Annual Convention next year in San Antonio. This change is being implemented to avoid a conflict with the public school testing regime established by the State of Texas. 

This action shifts the usual weekday pattern of the three-day convention to a new Saturday through Monday cycle, with a day of pre-convention Institutes on Friday. The dates for the convention will be April 20-22, 2013, with the Institutes being held on April 19, 2013.

“The IRA Board of Directors voted to change the dates of the convention to ensure that our members, Texas teachers, and literacy professionals worldwide will be able to participate in the extensive professional development opportunities the annual convention offers,” explained IRA President Carrice Cummins. 

“Host-state teacher participation is an indispensable element in our conventions,” Cummins noted. “ One of our goals in changing the dates is to assist our Texas teachers in being able to interact in this exciting professional learning opportunity with literacy colleagues and researchers from across the US and from around the world.” This date and pattern change also presents a second advantage. Given the stressed condition of most school budgets, the ability of teachers across the country to attend the convention over a weekend will reduce the need to hire classroom substitutes.

Celebrating Teachers Making a Difference

The theme of the San Antonio convention is Celebrating Teachers Making a Difference. Around 500 different programs covering all aspects of effective, research-based literacy instruction will be offered during the four days of the event. The presentations range from institutes, seminars, and workshops, to research briefings, panel discussions, and other informative sessions. Certain events, hosted by publishers, will feature authors of leading children’s and young adult books.

Attendees will gain new insights and practical guidance on dealing with today’s crucial literacy education topics including such matters as comprehension, common core, critical skill development, assessments, student engagement, digital literacy, second language learning, and much more.

Over 200 vendors will be presenting their wares in the vast exhibit space at the San Antonio Convention Center during the event. Attendees will be able to interact with staffs from publishers, leading book authors, curriculum developers, technology retailers, makers of classroom materials and teaching aids, professional development providers, software developers, and others.

“This is going to be an invaluable opportunity for literacy professionals to learn, share, network, and enjoy an unparalleled level of enrichment,” Cummins emphasizes. 

So mark the new dates on your calendar right now: April 20 - 22, 2013 for the convention, and April 19, 2013 for the Institutes. We look forward to seeing you there!

by Michael Henry

Energized, excited, recharged, perhaps even reborn are the words that come to mind when thinking about my experience of the 57th Annual Convention this year in Chicago as a newly minted member of the International Reading Association’s Teacher Advisory Panel (TAP), the conduit between IRA members and the board of directors.  

Because of TAP, my convention began a bit early on Sunday when I was introduced to the most amazing, dedicated group of teachers from around the world whom I will be working for the betterment of IRA over the next three years. Although I could not possibly address everything I learned throughout my three days with the panel, what immediately struck me was that it does not matter if a teacher teaches second grade in a classroom of seven in rural Nebraska or has a class of 68 in Nairobi, Kenya—all the teachers on the panel had the same goal in mind: improving literacy instruction for students. 

Never in my life have I had the opportunity to spend so much time with so many dedicated professionals. This experience was the most cognitively stimulating, professionally challenging experience of my career. While we, as members of the TAP, will all be assigned to tasks forces with specific focus areas such as professional development, international relations, or the planning of the convention itself, we are all excited about contributing to the wonderful organization that has given us all so much over the years. 

It does not matter whether your students are familiar with evacuation plans, as those in Louisiana, an earthquake plan as those in California, or a snow plan as those from Wisconsin and Minnesota. The members of the panel want the same benefits for all students: to be engaged, to be excited, and to have a voice in the classroom and in the texts they choose to read. Our mission now is to support teachers in their endeavors to realize this goal.

While being a member of TAP was certainly the best way I have ever experienced the annual convention, it was the energy throughout the entire IRA Chicago that was so enlivening. Whether it was teachers discussing the common core or literacy coaches presenting coaching models, a shared and unwavering concern for students came up time and again—I found that common commitment to be most invigorating aspect about this year’s convention. It was clear that IRA members care deeply about their teaching and work tirelessly to improve the lives of their students, a sentiment I hope to strengthen during my tenure as an advisory panel member. In every meeting, every interview, every workshop, every presentation, and every speech, the student was at the center of the conversation, an indication, I believe, of the strength of the International Reading Association.

My spirits were boosted and my sights were brightened when I heard that even in our day of high-stakes testing, extreme accountability measures, lack of teacher respect, and an achievement gap, teachers can still care about each and every student, enough so to put them in their “balcony” of inspiration. Whether it’s buying students the uniform they need, giving them the choice of what to read, reading edgy books, recording stories, or writing about art, working always to empower students was the true theme of the convention.

As an IRA member, I could not be more proud of my organization. As a newly appointed member of the TAP, I could not have had a better convention experience. As a teacher, I could not have been more motivated to be great for my students. And as your colleague I cannot thank you enough for all that you do for improving the lives of all our students through your literacy instruction. 

New TAP members Thomas Leis, Michelle Cardaronella, Maura Rose McMahon, Mary Lou Benesch, Margaret Muthiga, and Michael Henry meet at the IRA Annual Convention in Chicago. Photo by Chuck Fazio Photography. 

Michael Henry is a high school reading teacher and literacy coach at Reavis High School in Burbank, IL.

On February 3 and 4, 2012, the Texas Association for Literacy Education (TALE) had a summit/conference in San Antonio based on the theme “What’s Hot in Literacy for 2012.” This theme, in turn, was based on the annual survey “What’s Hot in Literacy” which has been appearing in Reading Today for over 15 years. For information, see www.literacysummitwhatshot2012.com.

An IRA state association conference is hardly surprising—many have conferences. However, this association did not even exist six months prior to the conference.

Jack Cassidy, Stephanie Grote-Garcia, and
Denise Staudt

Some History

In May 2011, the Texas State Reading Association (TSRA) formally disbanded after 40 years of operation. TSRA had severe financial difficulties as well as problems recruiting and retaining officers.

Many people, including former IRA President Jack Cassidy, were dismayed that Texas would now be the only state that would not have an IRA-affiliated state association. With the blessing of some former TSRA leaders, Cassidy assembled a group of educators at his house in late August, 2011 to discuss the formation of a new organization.

From that group, TALE emerged. James Hoffman from the University of Texas, a former IRA Board member, surveyed educators from around the state to ascertain what role a state association should play. Hosting a conference was one of the high priority activities revealed in the survey.

Literacy Summit

It soon became obvious that any state conference from this new association could not succeed without some outside help. Therefore, Cassidy proposed that the conference be co-sponsored by two other groups: the Specialized Literacy Professionals Special Interest Group (SLP) and the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) in San Antonio.

Dr. Denise Staudt, Dean of the Dreeben School of Education at UIW, became an enthusiastic supporter of the event. UIW agreed to provide meeting rooms at their beautiful downtown campus and the Specialized Literacy Professionals SIG agreed to publicize the event nationally and get major speakers. Thus, virtually, all of the featured and keynote speakers, as well as many of the session speakers, came from the ranks of the SIG.

Educators from over 15 states presented. Enthusiasm for the conference ran high, and over 200 attendees from around the country were present. Dr. Jerry Johns, Northern Illinois University, a former IRA President, agreed to be the opening speaker. Dr. P. David Pearson, University of California at Berkeley and chair of IRA’s newly formed Literacy Research Panel, keynoted on Saturday. Dr. Karen Bromley, State University at Binghamton and a current member of the IRA Board, was the closing keynote speaker.

The Summit was co-chaired by Dr. Jack Cassidy and Dr. Stephanie Grote-Garcia from UIW. In connection with the Summit, Cassidy and Garcia also edited a book entitled Literacy Trends and Issues: What’s Hot, which is published by Kendall Hunt. The book contains brief chapters on the eight “hot” issues in literacy for 2012.

Each chapter is written by a SIG member including chapters by Cassidy, Grote-Garcia, and Jill Lewis-Spector, newly elected Vice President of IRA. The book was first introduced at the conference. Financially all three groups shared equally in the profits from the summit and profits from the book were shared by TALE and the SIG.

As Jill Lewis-Spector observed, “The inaugural TALE conference in San Antonio this February provided a wide range of speakers and topics, offering all attendees opportunities for exceptional professional development. I was thrilled to be a part of it!”

Dr. Bromley, as the IRA official representative to the conference said, “I was thrilled and energized by the 'Literacy Summit' held recently in San Antonio at the University of the Incarnate Word. The opportunity to hear outstanding speakers present on a range of “hot” topics was a huge plus. But, it was also exciting to see over 200 people in attendance who joined and are excited about the new Texas Association for Literacy Educators (TALE).”

The Texas Association for Literacy Education

At the conclusion of the Summit, Cassidy presented Dr. Bromley with the formal application to be officially chartered as an IRA affiliated group. Dr. Bromley took that application to the IRA Board at its meeting on February 25 and the group was officially chartered.

Cassidy is the President of the new organization, Carolyn Denny from the Northside School District in San Antonio is the President-elect, and Sharon O’Neal from Texas State University in Round Rock is the Vice President. Sheri Vasinda from Texas A&M University Commerce is the Secretary of the group, and Stephanie Grote-Garcia from the University of the Incarnate Word is the Treasurer.

Since the conference, the Executive Committee has had one meeting and is working on developing publications and other services for its members. Dr. Vasinda has established a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/texasreaders.org, and Dr. Grote-Garcia has established a webpage at www.texasreaders.org where interested potential members can obtain an application.

This article is reprinted from the April/May 2012 issue of Reading Today, the International Reading Association's bimonthly member magazine. Members: click here to read the issue. Nonmembers: join now!

by Priscilla Chama and Janet Condy

In an exhilarating graduation ceremony, the Government of the Republic of Zambia paid tribute to ChildFund and the International Reading Association for equipping teachers with the latest child-centered teaching methodologies. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education Mrs. Mirriam Chonya explained that the Active Teaching and Learning Approaches (ATLAS) program that the two organizations have been implementing since 2008 is key to the improvement of the country’s education sector.

Mrs. Chonya’s speech was read for her by the Chief Education Officer at the graduation ceremony of 35 teachers who participated in the third phase of the ATLAS training program. “We are aware that with the implementation of the free and compulsory education policy that government has embarked on, the need for qualified teachers and the availability of learning materials in all schools cannot be over-emphasized,” she explained. “The ATLAS program thus fits in very well with our policy of not just increasing access but also improving the quality of education for the learners.”

Mrs. Chonya also noted that it was only through quality education that poor children and their families could come out of poverty and be assured of a better future. ChildFund National Director, Ely Keita, re-affirmed the agency’s commitment to the issue of ensuring that teachers are equipped with the necessary skills to enable them to meet the changing needs in the education sector. 

“ChildFund recognises the importance of skills development for teachers if the quality of education is to be improved. We also realize that teacher professional development programs play a vital role in increased student achievement.” He further told the gathering that ATLAS has had a huge impact on the participating schools in Mumbwa district and that ChildFund has started the process of replicating the program in Luangwa district.

At the same occasion Professor Janet Condy, the trainer from the International Reading Association, urged the graduating teachers to use the skills they acquired from the training to make learning more creative, participatory and fun. Graduating teachers (Ntiya Michelo, Isaac Kamanga, and Edinah Kaale) gave glowing testimonies of how the ATLAS program had made teaching easier and enjoyable for them and their learners. They all explained that the performance of the pupils had improved greatly now that they were no longer passive listeners during the learning process but actively participate in the lessons.

Patricia Chisenga, one of the Master Trainers, explained that the new skills will help the teachers improve the pass rates for learners. “We are very confident that the skills from ATLAS will enable us to teach effectively, and it is for this reason that I wish to appeal to ChildFund and the International Reading Association to ensure that the program is rolled out in all the schools around the country,”

After the graduation ceremony, participating schools received a large box full of different types of local readers. These readers were donated by the International Reading Association as well as Macmillan and Longman in Zambia. The project team is starting the third Phase in Luwangua district.

Graduating teachers

Pictured from left to right: Victor Longwani (Education Standards Officer), Zikani Kaira (District Education Standards Offi cer), Theresa Sitali (District Education Board Secretary), Martin Simatende (Provincial Education Standards Officer), Ely Keita ChildFund National Director, Dr. Vincent Chiyonga (Chief Education Officer), Janet Condy (IRA), and Doras Chirwa (ChildFund Programs Director)

Colliam Chitaya (Lead Teacher) shows his certifi cate with Doras Chirwa (ChildFund Programs Director)

Ely Keita (ChildFund National Director) hands over books to a head teacher from one of the participating schools

Priscilla Chama is the Communications Manager at ChildFund Zambia, pchama@zambia.childfund.org. Janet Condy is an International Literacy Volunteer with the International Reading Association, jcondy@mweb.co.za. 

This article is reprinted from the April/May 2012 issue of Reading Today, the International Reading Association's bimonthly member magazine. Members: click here to read the issue. Nonmembers: join now!