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    The ILA 2018 Cheat Sheet

    By Alina O'Donnell
     | Jul 17, 2018

    ILA 2018 Blog Post RoundupWe’re just three days away from the ILA 2018 Conference! In case you’ve missed any conference news, here’s a roundup of all Literacy Daily blog posts previewing the ILA 2018 Conference in Austin, TX, this weekend.

    The Conference App Guide: Part 2

    Discover ILA 2018: The Conference App Guide
     

    ILA 2018 Exhibit Hall and ILA Central Happenings

    The ILA 2018 Conference: Know Before You Go

    Standards 2017 Cochairs Share Their Can’t-Miss Sessions at ILA 2018 (Continued)

    Standards 2017 Cochairs Share Their Can’t-Miss Sessions at ILA 2018 (Continued)

    Standards 2017 Cochairs Share Their Can’t-Miss Sessions at ILA 2018

    Five Reasons You Should Attend Institute Day at ILA 2018

    Get to Know the ILA 2018 Equity in Education Program Panelists

    ILA 2018 Research Institute: Our All-Keynote Format Is Back!

    Marley Dias on Inspiring Activism, Diversifying Children's Literature, and Her Latest Reads

    Edcamp Literacy: The “Unconference” Within Conference

    A Lit Lover’s Guide to Austin

    ILA 2018 Featured Speaker Colleen Cruz on Anticipating Barriers, the Reading-Writing Connection, and What it Means to be a Changemaker

    Seven Powerful Lessons About Reading From ILA 2018 Featured Speakers Kylene Beers and Bob Probst

    Defeating Decision Fatigue With ILA’s Conference Tracks

    Your Guide to Institute Day at ILA 2018

    What to Expect from ILA’s Inaugural Children’s Literature Day

    Literacy Education for a Changing World

    Hope to see you there!

    Alina O'Donnell is the communications strategist at ILA and the editor of Literacy Daily.

    We’re just three days away from the ILA 2018 Conference! In case you’ve missed any conference news, here’s a roundup of all Literacy Daily blog posts previewing the ILA 2018 Conference in Austin, TX, this weekend. The Conference App Guide: Part...Read More
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    The Conference App Guide: Part 2

    By Wesley Ford
     | Jul 16, 2018

    At this point, you’ve downloaded the ILA 2018 Conference app (right?) and started making your schedule. This time, we’re going to look at some features you might have yet to explore.

    That three-line icon thing

    I never know what that icon is called. Oh, it’s called a hamburger button. Thanks, Google!

    As you may have noticed, it’s quite easy to get a few menus deep looking for things, going from session to speaker to session to exhibitor and the like. The hamburger button offers you quick and easy access around the app and a whole lot more.
    07-Hamburger menu
    • Home: Brings you back to the Discover tab.
    • Map: Takes you right to your choice of maps, either the Exhibit Hall Floor Plan and the Conference Floor Plan.
    • Near Me: This helps you find nearby exhibitors in the Exhibit Hall to help optimize your time.
    • Agenda: This takes you to your personal conference schedule.
    • My Show: This opens the My Favorites page. More on that later.
    • Inbox: Here, you will find messages you have sent to and received from other attendees and the show news, which are the messages sent through the app to you. If rooms change or sessions are canceled, you’ll receive the notification right to your phone through the app—which is why we recommend keeping notifications on.
    • App Info: This contains info about the app. (I think that was well named.)
    • Settings: Here, you can check for app updates and change if and how you receive notifications from the app.

    The Connect tab

    The Discover tab contains all information about the show, including your schedule, whereas the Connect tab helps you track your individual information and connect with other attendees.

    • 09-ConnectMy Profile: From here, you can add and edit your profile image, email, website, and social media profiles, which other app users can find through the attendee directory. You can also remove yourself from the attendee directory, if you wish.
    • My Contacts: This lists the people with whom you’ve connected via the app.
    • My Messages: Here, you will find all the messages you have sent and received through the app.
    • My Favorites: All starred sessions and exhibitors are listed here as well as any added notes.
    • Attendee Directory: This is the list of all attendees.
    • Social Media: These buttons will open your social media platform and take you directly to ILA’s accounts to easily see what is being shared about conference.

    So how best to make use of these features? I have a couple ideas:

    Update your profile

    Make sure your profile is up to date, has a recognizable picture, and lists the information you are comfortable sharing, and then use the ILA 2018 app to connect with other attendees. Perhaps you had a great conversation with someone next to you at a session or several speakers really impressed you and you want to follow them on Twitter. Just search for their names in the attendee directory and click Add Contact, and you’ve saved their information for later.

    You can even message others through the app, which is a great way set up impromptu meetings or schedule a lunch with people you just met.

    Favorites and how to use them

    08-MyFavoritesI’ve played around with these for a bit, and I’ve come up with three ways I think they work best:

    • Preplanning: Go through the sessions, speakers, and exhibitors and star everything you are interested in doing. Go to your My Favorites page and refine your agenda from your selection.
    • Sharing: The Export My Show feature lets you create a text-based list of everything you have starred or added notes for. If you are going to ILA 2018 as a team, you can star all the events you plan on attending and then text or email that list to your team so they know where you will be.
    • Tracking: Use the stars to note the sessions and exhibitors that you liked the most so that when ILA 2018 is over, you have a record of your favorite events.

    Sharing My Schedule

    10-ExportAgendaI’ve discovered another way to share your LA 2018 agenda. If you go into My Schedule and hit the three dots at the top right, there is an option to Export Agenda. This will push your current agenda items to your device’s calendar. I exported my agenda to my Google Calendar, which I have shared with my colleagues. They can now access my calendar and see exactly where I’ll be throughout ILA 2018.

    I haven’t had the chance to test it yet, but I believe an entire team could share a calendar, export their agenda to it, and have a team-wide account of where everyone will be during the show.

    I hope these tutorials have helped you become comfortable with the various features available on the ILA 2018 Conference app. Remember, if you have any questions or issues, you can contact customerservice@reading.org or tweet to @ILAToday and use the tag #ILA18App. Or you can come to the App Demo in ILA Central on Saturday, July 21, at 10:00 AM and ask me. I’ll be the guy in the hat.

    See you in Austin!

    ConferenceVeteranWesley Ford is a conference veteran and the resident ILA 2018 Conference app expert. He is presenting a demo of the app in Austin on Saturday, July 21, at 10:00 AM in ILA Central. Add it to your schedule and add him as a contact as practice.


    At this point, you’ve downloaded the ILA 2018 Conference app (right?) and started making your schedule. This time, we’re going to look at some features you might have yet to explore. That three-line icon thing I never know what that icon is...Read More
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    ILA 2018 Exhibit Hall and ILA Central Happenings

    By Alina O'Donnell
     | Jul 12, 2018

    Exhibit Hall HappeningsOften cited among conference highlights, the ILA 2018 Exhibit Hall connects attendees with cutting-edge classroom tools, technologies, and solutions. Those joining us in Austin, TX, July 20–23, will have access to more than 130 vendors, book signings, giveaways, photo ops, product demonstrations, and more education than ever before.

    A short walk from the Exhibit Hall, in the first-floor atrium, lies ILA Central, your one-stop shop for all things ILA.

    To ensure you make the most of your time, review the list of offerings in both locations and create your plan of attack beforehand. Here are some we recommend.

    • Take advantage of the Friday preview: Stop by the Exhibit Hall on Friday, July 20, from 3:00 PM–6:00 PM for a special preview of the space.
    • Shop ILA merchandise: Show your ILA pride with the latest collectible ILA 2018 Conference T-shirts, notebooks, water bottles, tote bags, and more.
    • Explore your ILA membership: Membership staff will be on hand to help you sign up to be an ILA member or to renew or update your current membership. Take advantage of our conference-only special: a free, one-year subscription to an online ILA journal of your choice.
    • Get involved: Learn about ILA's literacy projects from the ILA staff members who lead them, including Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals 2017, the What’s Hot in Literacy report, and the Choices project.
    • Meet your favorite authors: Browse a broad selection of titles and get them signed by attending authors, such as Megan McDonald, Carole Boston Weatherford, and Peter H. Reynolds.
    • Stock up on swag: Leave extra room in your suitcase for the endless free books, classroom supplies, and “swag bags” from vendors such as Scholastic, Fountas & Pinnell, and American Reading Company.

    This year’s Exhibit Hall will feature more than 30 PD sessions on topics such as emerging digital literacy strategies, effective phonics instruction, and creating inclusive learning environments.

    For full Exhibitor Session descriptions, visit the iPlanner or download the ILA 2018 Conference app. View the Exhibit Hall floor plan and full list of vendors here.

    Register for the ILA 2018 Conference at ilaconference.org and receive Standard rates through July 18. 

    Alina O’Donnell is the communications strategist at ILA and the editor of Literacy Daily.

    Often cited among conference highlights, the ILA 2018 Exhibit Hall connects attendees with cutting-edge classroom tools, technologies, and solutions. Those joining us in Austin, TX, July 20–23, will have access to more than 130 vendors, book...Read More
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    Standards 2017 Cochairs Share Their Can’t-Miss Sessions at ILA 2018 (Continued)

    By Alina O'Donnell
     | Jul 05, 2018

    Standards-Related SessionsSeveral sessions at the ILA 2018 Conference, taking place in Austin, TX, July 20–23, tie to Standards 2017 in terms of its topics or roles. In this three-part blog series, Standards 2017 project cochairs Rita M. Bean, University of Pittsburgh, PA, and Diane E. Kern, University of Rhode Island, identify sessions you don’t want to miss:

    Add these Sunday offerings to your schedule*:

    Don’t miss Bean and Kern’s workshop, ILA/CAEP Reading/Literacy Specialist Program Writers and Reviewers. Alongside researchers, teacher educators, and CAEP representatives, they’ll provide an overview of standards and the key changes; review model assessments, rubrics, and scoring guides; and share the most recent developments from CAEP. Attendees are encouraged to bring sample assessments and questions. Individual 30-minute consultations will be available.

    *Please note
    : Both Institute Day and the ILA/CAEP Workshop require an additional fee and are not included in the cost of registration for Core Conference.

    Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals 2017 
    is available here.
    Alina O'Donnell is the communications strategist at ILA and the editor of Literacy Daily.

    Several sessions at the ILA 2018 Conference, taking place in Austin, TX, July 20–23, tie to Standards 2017 in terms of its topics or roles. In this three-part blog series, Standards 2017 project cochairs Rita M. Bean, University of Pittsburgh,...Read More
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    Judge Tosses Literacy Lawsuit in Detroit

    By Colleen Patrice Clark
     | Jul 02, 2018

    rick-snyderAn unprecedented class action lawsuit filed on behalf of students in Detroit, MI, concerning their lack of access to equitable literacy instruction has been tossed by a U.S. District Court judge.

    The decision leaves ILA—one of several organizations to cosponsor an amicus brief in support of the litigation, which essentially declared literacy a constitutional right—disappointed, but with a renewed sense of purpose for why we must continue our mission to ensure equitable access to literacy for all students.

    The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, five students from the lowest-performing public schools in Detroit, alleged they have been denied access to literacy by being deprived of evidence-based instruction. They claimed that the school conditions to which they are subjected prevent literacy learning and therefore are in violation of their rights under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. They alleged that these conditions are the result of decades of neglectful administration, inadequate support, and poor oversight on the part of state officials.

    The ruling, filed on June 29, questioned whether it is the responsibility of states to provide a “minimally adequate education” that ensures a child attains literacy.

    In the written opinion of Judge Stephen Murphy III, the answer was no, it is not.

    ILA, however, strongly disagrees.

    “The answer should, unquestionably, be yes,” argues Bernadette Dwyer, president of the ILA Board of Directors. “The right to read is a basic, inalienable human right. The ability to read enables an individual to function in society. It enriches the personal, social, cultural, and aesthetic dimensions of the individual.”

    The court agreed with that part.

    In his ruling, Murphy acknowledged that literacy is of “incalculable importance.”

    “As plaintiffs point out, voting, participating meaningfully in civic life, and accessing justice require some measure of literacy….Simply finding one’s way through many aspects of ordinary life stands as an obstacle to one who cannot read,” Murphy wrote. “But those points do not necessarily make access to literacy a fundamental right.”

    The judge pointed to a history of cases in which the U.S. Supreme Court has emphasized that the importance of a good or service “does not determine whether it must be regarded as fundamental.” Further, he stated that the plaintiffs failed to prove deliberate actions by the defendants—the governor of Michigan and several state education officials—that resulted in the current state of Detroit schools.

    Dwyer stresses that, despite the ruling, “we must continue to work toward the goal of an equitable education for all. Issues of equity, equality of opportunity, quality of instruction, and social justice should permeate all that we do to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn to read.”

    Douglas Fisher, immediate past president of the ILA Board of Directors, agrees.

    “We stand with the schoolchildren of Detroit in expressing our profound disappointment in the court’s ruling,” he says. “There is no quality education without literacy. We know this, and we also know that much work remains when it comes to delivering on equitable education. This decision only reinforces the work that lies ahead for literacy educators and advocates.”

    ILA had signed on to an amicus curiae brief in this case in 2017 to support the plaintiffs’ argument that literacy is a constitutional right, along with Kappa Delta Pi, the international honor society in education, and the National Association for Multicultural Education.

    The plaintiffs announced their plan to appeal on Monday, so this is unlikely to mark the end in Detroit—or the end of defining literacy as a constitutional right. In fact, a similar lawsuit was recently filed in California.

    “Though disappointing, the ruling is hardly the end of this controversy,” says Dan Mangan, ILA’s director of Public Affairs, pointing out that literacy was a fundamental presence in the establishment of our country. “Although the founding fathers did not explicitly address education as a constitutional priority, they created a new republic by drafting documents whose content and stirring preambles were intended to inspire and guide generations to come.

    “Of course, these treasures and the entire Anglo-American edifice of written law mean nothing to the illiterate,” he continues. “We look for the day to come when the skills that brought forth such eloquence in Thomas Jefferson and others are fully and finally recognized as the indispensable frame for our identity as a people, and as a necessary component of our guaranteed rights.”

    Click here to read the full court decision.

    Colleen Patrice Clark is the managing editor of Literacy Today, ILA’s member magazine.

    An unprecedented class action lawsuit filed on behalf of students in Detroit, MI, concerning their lack of access to equitable literacy instruction has been tossed by a U.S. District Court judge. The decision leaves ILA—one of several...Read More
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