Literacy Now

ILA was given the gold for its 2017 What’s Hot in Literacy Report at the Association Media & Publishing’s (AM&P) Annual EXCEL Awards. The EXCEL Awards are issued annually to recognize excellence and leadership in nonprofit association media, publishing and communications.

ILA’s What’s Hot in Literacy report provides a global snapshot of what literacy professionals deem the most critical topics to advancing literacy worldwide. It garnered AM&P’s top honor in the special digital report category in recognition of its top-tier writing, content, design and overall packaging.

“The What’s Hot in Literacy report tells a compelling and important story about what’s valuable to educators across the globe,” said ILA Executive Director Marcie Craig Post. “We’re proud of this report and thrilled to be included among the best and brightest in nonprofit media.”

This year, only 92 gold winners were selected from 841 entries. 

“We are privileged to recognize outstanding work in the association media and publishing industry this year. The EXCEL Awards showcase and spotlight first class association content that’s both innovative and enlightening in a rapidly changing world,” said AM&P Executive Director Michael Marchesano.

The award winners were announced and celebrated Monday at the 38th EXCEL Awards Gala in Washington, DC. Award winning entries will be featured in the August/September issue of Signature, AM&P’s bimonthly magazine. For more information, visit siia.net.

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, PA, and Diane E. Kern, University of Rhode Island, identify sessions you don’t want to miss:

Add these Saturday offerings to your schedule*:

• Meet the Standards 2017 Lead Writers for a Q & A: At this presentation, members of the revision committee will provide an overview of Standards 2017, explain how the revision effort was conducted, highlight important new changes, and answer questions.
• Conversations From the Field on Impact of Literacy Learning: In a generative panel discussion format, literacy leaders (principals, coaches, teachers, and teacher educators) will address the roles of Foundational Knowledge and Curriculum and Instruction (Standards 2017 topics) in building teacher writing capacity and positively impacting student outcomes.
• ILA 2017 Standards: Preparing Effective Classroom Literacy Teachers: Presenters (Standards 2017 cochairs and members of the writing team) will discuss the new standards and their potential for influencing teacher preparation. Participants will have an opportunity to interact with presenters.
• Bridging Theory and Practice Through Service Learning in an Early Literacy Classroom: This session will walk the audience through a semester-long journey of literacy tutoring in an urban public school by students taking early literacy teaching methods course. The students kept blogs to reflect on their teaching and learning, which will guide a discussion around Professional Learning and Leadership (a Standards 2017 topic).
• Disturbing the Universe: Creating a New Normal in the High School English Classroom: Led by a high school classroom teacher (a Standards 2017 role), this session will explore a different model of English class, a model centered on authentic engagement of all students. Attendees will leave energized with activities, student-centered reading and writing structures, and book ideas to help align their Curriculum and Instruction (a Standards 2017 topic) with their individual students or with the classroom community.
• Virtual Literacy Coaching: Tools and Possibilities: Designed for literacy coaches (a Standards 2017 role), this session will explore Practicum/Clinical Experiences (a Standards 2017 topic) for candidates, including ideas about virtual literacy coaching with technology and digital tools. Participants will explore how to invite coaches into a coaching partnership, give lesson feedback through video tools and interactive documents, create coaching tool kits, and provide personalized professional development to teachers. Attendees should bring a mobile device and plan to engage with multiple digital tools that can enhance their literacy coaching.
• ILA Certificate of Distinction for Literacy Professional Preparation: The ILA Certificate of Distinction (CoD) is awarded to undergraduate and graduate programs that meet specific levels of excellence tied to Standards 2017. The initial focus will be on programs preparing reading/literacy specialists. After an overview of the application and review process, there will be opportunities for Q & A.
• Teaching Speaking: Developing the Most Important Language Art: Merging Foundational Knowledge and Curriculum and Instruction (Standards 2017 topics), this session will deliver a practical, multiple-trait framework for understanding and teaching the skills involved in oral communication. Attendees will leave with effective lessons, activities, and rubrics.

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.

Last month, ILA unveiled Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals 2017 (Standards 2017), the first-ever set of national standards guiding the preparation of literacy professionals. Developed by literacy experts across the United States, Standards 2017 establishes criteria for literacy professional preparation programs across the country anddescribes what candidates for the literacy profession should know and be able to do in professional settings.

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, PA, and Diane E. Kern, University of Rhode Island, identify sessions you don’t want to miss:

Add these Friday offerings to your schedule*:

• Institute 01: ILA 2018 Research Institute: Best Practices in the Teaching of Reading: Led by researchers in the field, this all-keynote course will address foundational knowledge (a Standards 2017 topic), or theoretical, historical, and evidence-based underpinnings of literacy and how that translates into best practice.
• Institute 02: Principals’ Leadership for Literacy Instruction: It Matters: This course is designed to provide elementary school principals (a Standards 2017 role) with the knowledge and skills for enhancing the literacy capacity of their programs and faculty to raise both student achievement and student involvement in reading and writing.
• Institute 03: Coaching for Comprehensive Literacy Improvement: A District-Wide Approach: Geared toward literacy coaches (also a Standards 2017 role), this course is focused on developing schools’ capacity for literacy instruction. Attendees will engage in a series of activities to learn about the Middle School Quality Initiative’s coaching log system, program-wide fidelity assessment measure, and strategies for successful coaching models.

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.

Each year, the ILA conference kicks off with a slate of preconference institutes. Available for one-day standalone registration or as an addition to Core Conference, Institute Day provides the perfect option for educators who want to take a deep dive into a specific topic of interest. With 10 unique offerings geared toward varying experience, roles, and levels, there’s truly something for everyone.

Here are five things you’ll miss if you skip Institute Day at ILA 2018:

• Tailored take-home materials: At Institute 04: Changing Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction: Implementing Word Study in Classrooms, Schools, and Districts, presenters and group leaders will work with you to develop a tailored word study implementation plan. All participants will leave with word study activities, guides, and other actionable resources.
• Next generation reading strategies: Learn how to hook an audience and maximize student comprehension at Institute 09: Reframing the Gradual Release of Responsibility: Connecting Read Aloud, Shared, Guided, and Independent Reading for Deeper Comprehension. Presenters will demonstrate "next generation" instruction and translate relevant research into classroom practice.
• Diverse book lists: It’s no news that #WeNeedDiverseBooks, but did you know that culturally relevant texts can help accelerate reading and writing development? In this interactive course, Institute 08: More Mirrors in the Classroom: Increasing the Effectiveness of Literacy Instruction With Culturally Relevant Texts, attendees will explore how to use diverse literature as a tool to increase the effectiveness of literacy instruction.
• Leadership secrets: Designed for elementary school principals, Institute 02: Principals’ Leadership for Literacy Instruction: It Matters will deliver tried-and-true knowledge and skills for building a schoolwide culture of literacy and raising student achievement. Participants will hear from literacy leaders from around the United States, learn what’s successful in other schools, and take those findings back to their own districts.
• Face-to-face connections: The all-keynote Institute 01: ILA 2018 Research Institute: Best Practices in the Teaching of Reading is an opportunity to discuss contemporary topics, research, theory, and practice with research experts in the field.

Read more about available institutes in the iPlanner, and register here.

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

National Pride Month is celebrated every June in honor of the 1969 Stonewall riots—the unofficial beginning of the LGBTQ civil rights movement. It’s a time to take stock of accomplishments, celebrate progress, and promote acceptance.

But it’s also a time to recognize the work that remains to be done toward LGBTQ equity, including the education space.

That’s the focus of this year’s Equity in Education Program at the ILA 2018 Conference, which takes place July 20–23 in Austin, TX.

The program begins with Literacy and Our LGBTQ Students: Starting and Sustaining Schoolwide Transformation, which features a short keynote by Eliza Byard, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). The nation’s largest advocacy group focused entirely on K–12 education, GLSEN uses curricula, books and other campus-wide programs and initiatives to create safe and LGBTQ-inclusive schools for all.

Byard will also lead a conversation on literacy’s role in ensuring educational equity for our LGBTQ students. Panelists are Kris De Pedro, assistant professor at the College of Educational Studies at Chapman University; Amy Fabrikant, staff developer at the Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility; Courtney Farrell, founder of the Journey Project; Jessica Lifschitz, Heinemann Scholar and fourth-grade teacher; Kate Roberts, author and literacy consultant; and Tim’m West, managing director of the LGBTQ Community Initiative at Teach for America. 

Here are seven things you should know about them.

• They’re not all teachers. Supporting LGBTQ students is the responsibility of everyone in the school community. That’s why this year’s panel includes a cross-sector of researchers, advocates, authors, literacy coaches, staff developers, and more.
• They’re not all LGBTQ-identifying. Fabrikant wrote When Kayla Was Kayla about her own experiences with the daily challenges faced by transgender students in elementary school while Farrell was inspired by her work as a literacy specialist and by her own transgender child’s transition in 2016. Panelists will bring their unique identities and experiences to explore LGBTQ challenges in literacy education from a variety of vantage points.
• They’re digital dynamos. This year’s panelists are skilled in the art of media activism—they blog, give TED Talks, host podcasts and Twitter chats, and use other digital tools to give voice to the movement and foster supportive online communities.
• They bring an intersectional lens. As the head of Teach for America’s LGBTQ+ Community Initiative, West said he’s working to advance a more intersectional movement for educational equity. Panelists will explore the complex puzzle of race, gender, sexuality, and social justice and their interplay in the literacy classroom.
• They’re making headlines. From presenting to a roundtable forum hosted at the White House to honoring the LGBTQ advocacy work of top celebrities, they’re helping to change the way politics and culture interact with the LGBTQ community.
• They’re data-driven. De Pedro has spent the last decade researching urban educational policy, school reform, and the development of supportive and inclusive school and campus environments while Stachowiak’s research focuses on social justice education, equity literacy, literacy curriculum development, and gender studies. The conversation will weave anecdotal evidence with research-based insights.  
• They’re authors. Roberts’ latest book, A Novel Approach, asks how we can teach whole class novels while still holding onto student-centered practices like readers workshop. She is also the coauthor of Falling in Love with Close Reading (with Christopher Lehman), DIY Literacy (with Maggie Beattie Roberts), and she co-wrote two Units of Study books on Literary Essay. 
• They’re not afraid to say the wrong thing. Lifschitz said the panel will be a space where attendees can speak candidly and challenge their own biases and microaggressions without fear of being attacked. “We want it to be more than just a conversation where everyone just sits and nods their heads,” she said. “We want to push people into an area of discomfort.”

The program will continue on Sunday, July 22, when ninth-grade ELA instructor Cody Miller will lead a provocative conversation with some of today's hottest authors on the transformative power of LGBTQ texts.

Visit the iPlanner to learn more. Register for the ILA 2018 Conference at ilaconference.org.