Literacy Now

Last year, Anne Bond received what may have been the most daunting assignment of her college career. Bond and her classmates in Loyola University Chicago’s reading teacher program were each tasked with crafting a curriculum for books selected by Illinois Reads, an initiative of the Illinois Reading Council that promotes literacy by highlighting the work of local authors. But this was more than just a classroom exercise—the students were told their work would be made available to teachers statewide for use in their classrooms.

Bond, a student in Loyola’s School of Education, admits to being a bit nervous about creating something that would have such a broad reach. But she also recognized it as an excellent opportunity to hone her skills as a teacher. She selected The Detective’s Assistant by Chicago author Kate Hannigan, which is aimed at the same elementary grade levels that Bond hopes to one day teach, and she began developing a curriculum to include thematic discussions, digital whiteboard activities, and a vocabulary review. Her goal was to create engaging activities for students and an easily accessible guide for teachers. Bond and her classmates helped each other make their lesson plans as classroom-ready as possible. “We all thought about what we would want to pick up if we were teaching,” she says.

The assignment stemmed from a collaboration between Loyola and Illinois Reads, selecting annually a group of books aimed at age levels from pre-K through adult. Loyola professor Jane Hunt developed the project as a way for students to gain experience in designing curriculum materials while supporting literacy education in Illinois. Over two years, 17 Loyola students have completed teacher guides that are currently available for download on the Illinois Reads website.

“It has been a really great way for our undergraduates to become involved in a statewide project,” says Hunt. “There are so many teachers who are hired who never write any kind of curriculum that is even shared at a school or district level. And our teacher candidates are working on materials that teachers anywhere can have access to.”

For Bond, the project had another unexpected benefit. She decided to send a message to Hannigan through the author’s website and was pleasantly surprised to receive a prompt reply. The two struck up a conversation, and Hannigan provided insight that allowed Bond to expand her work on the book’s themes. She also added information to her guide on how teachers can connect with Hannigan for school visits or Skype chats with their classes. When Bond shared her work with the author, Hannigan was so impressed that she asked permission to post a copy of the guide on her website, too.

“I think the partnership between all of these people who really care about reading and who care about kids getting a quality reading education is so beneficial,” Bond says. “It has created so many great guides for teachers to use and great relationships with authors and teachers all around the state. So many children have benefitted.”

Tammy Potts, chairperson of Illinois Reads, agrees that the collaboration has been a big success. When she’s shown the guides created by Loyola students to teachers, Potts sums up their response in one word: “Wow!” She says that’s a testament to the talent and creativity of the students, which in turn has furthered the mission of Illinois Reads.

“It’s a win–win,” Potts says. “Students get to learn and practice in the Loyola environment, and the teachers in Illinois get to reap the benefits.” 

This article appeared in the Summer 2016 issue of Loyola magazine, the official publication of Loyola University Chicago, and is reprinted with permission.

Awards

Elizabeth Reichardt, a reading specialist and instructional coach at Ponaganset High School in Rhode Island, was named the 2016 Teacher of the Year for the Foster-Glocester Regional School District. Reichardt, who has worked in the district for four years, was surprised with the award at a faculty meeting in June, where staff praised her work, particularly her efforts with the school’s RTI team.

Anita Shaw was named Reading Teacher of the Year by the Granite State Reading Council in New Hampshire. Shaw has worked at Bow Memorial School since 1995 as a reading and writing specialist and an ELA, social studies, and math teacher. She has also volunteered for New Hampshire Literacy Day for the past nine years.

Career News

Eugene M. Gagliano was named the next Wyoming Poet Laureate. Gagliano, a retired elementary school teacher from Buffalo, WY, has written a number of award-winning children’s books and poetry about Wyoming and life in the West. As Poet Laureate, he will read at state and legislative events, as well as work with the Wyoming Arts Council to instill a love of poetry in students.

Rebecca Pitkin was named the new executive director of the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board, providing a unique opportunity to work with both K–12 and higher education professionals. Pitkin had served for the past four years as principal of Jefferson Elementary School in Dickinson, and before that was an associate professor of education at Dickinson State University.

Have news to share with your ILA colleagues? Send an announcement about an award received, book published, or other career news to literacytoday@reading.org and it could appear in the next issue of Literacy Today as well as on our blog, Literacy Daily. The submission should be 200 words or less and should be accompanied by a JPG or PNG photo.

This year the International Literacy Association and UNESCO celebrate the 50th anniversary of International Literacy Day (ILD) at an event entitled “Reading the Past, Writing the Future,” in which key cross-sector stakeholders will dig deeper into the progress being made to eradicate illiteracy around the globe.

We will gather in Paris Sept. 8 and 9 to identify the challenges in literacy education and how to address them in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which focuses on the critical factors of equity, inclusion, quality, and gender dimensions. The agenda also aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all,” which makes way for the launch of the Global Alliance for Literacy (GAL), of which ILA will be a part. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on the strides we are making through GAL and other international partnerships.

In Paris, through sessions and panel discussions, we will look at the progress made in the last 50 years and look toward the future to see how we can finally begin to move the needle toward a literate society. A literate society is one that makes informed political decisions. A literate society can make informed medical decisions. A literate society makes the decisions that lead to prosperity and our collective success. Yet, despite our efforts, 12% of the world remains illiterate—nearly 800 million people.

As part of ILD, ILA is also taking “Steps to Advance Literacy,” by developing our activity kit and service kit.

We took a look at the lengths children around the world go to get to quality education and focused our activity kit on Jamaica, where the barriers to education are great. In addition to the school supplies necessary for any successful student, there are uniforms to buy, down to the right shoes. Parents and students must also arrange for transportation, whether on a bus or on foot. ILA’s affiliate, Jamaica Reading Association, has worked tirelessly to make literacy accessible to all by working to get books into classrooms and libraries and providing professional development at their annual national conference. To engage the community in the effort, the group also organizes concerts and marches in the street on ILD to raise literacy awareness and celebrate education.

We hope you’ll also join us by celebrating ILD in your district, school, and community on September 8, 2016. Share with us the activities and events you are participating in via social media using #ILD16 and #Steps4Literacy. Together we can take the necessary steps toward 100% literacy around the world.

Marcie Craig Post is ILA’s executive director.

Tomorrow marks International Literacy Day (ILD), and this year, as always, emphasis is placed on worldwide literacy needs. This year is special to me, as the International Literacy Association (ILA) has put the focus on the land I love—my home, Jamaica.  

This year I am away from my island, working on another—England, specifically, London—as a literacy educator. This year, as other educators around the world will do, I will share insight into Jamaican culture with my students through ILA’s ILD Activity Kit, filled with Jamaica-centric activities for every age level. As my country is popularly known for music, dance, sports, and food, the increasing emphasis placed on nationwide literacy is a point of pride—it is the passport to the world. While I am away in London, reading this kit is like reading a letter from home.

On ILD, we raise awareness for the development of education as a nation through reading sessions, reading fairs, concerts, and various activities from the specially designed activity kit promoting literacy at numerous levels for various age groups. Activities and materials encompassing the Jamaican culture, history, and geography will be used for literacy engagements worldwide. What a privilege it is to share that part of us that will also promote education.

Being the spotlight country, for us, means the world will be exposed to our life and culture along with our work in education and literacy in particular.

ILA was inspired by our students’ dedication to literacy and learning. The theme for this year, “Steps to Advance Literacy,” focuses on our nation—a small island where big things happen—and the length our children go to learn.

Let us continue to promote our development in literacy education—I implore policymakers, educators, and parents around the world to use ILD 2016 to promote greater literacy developments in Jamaica by promoting reading at all levels.

Progress in Jamaican literacy development is continuous. I celebrate the Jamaica Reading Association and other literacy organizations, facilities, and advocates. We are well represented in the advocacy realm, including the flood of our national colors of black, green and gold at the ILA 2016 Conference & Exhibits in July.

On this day, ILA celebrates literacy in Jamaica and around the world in addition to the steps we still need to make to eradicate illiteracy. Today, I celebrate the growth of literacy in my home.

Jamaica, I love you.

Marique Daugherty is a native of Kingston, Jamaica, and is currently teaching English Language and Literature in London. She holds a master’s degree in Literacy Studies from the University of the West Indies and has created and led literacy programs and institutes in Jamaica. She is currently a current Royal Commonwealth Society Fellow.

Teachers are often responsible for showing students the world. Thanks to technology,  global collaboration is possible—classrooms around the globe can partner on projects. This month’s #ILAChat, on Sept. 8 at 8:00 p.m. ET, coincides with  International Literacy Day, a time when we draw attention to education all over the world. Our Twitter chat hosts, Rusul Alrubail and Jennifer Williams, will take this opportunity to share their experiences and insights about global collaboration.

Alrubail is an education writer, consultant, and blogger who fled Iraq as a child to settle in Canada. Her education-focused career has taken her from teaching English to college undergraduates, to cofounding The Writing Project, an app helping students write better essays. She has written for major education publications including Edutopia, Education Week, and PBSNewshour, focusing her work on pedagogical practices in and out of the classroom, ESL learners, and the influence of education on global solidarity. A staunch advocate for worldwide literacy promotion, Alrubail shares her beliefs about education, social justice, and the power of student voices through social media and as a TEDx speaker.

Jennifer Williams has worked in education for more than 20 years as a school administrator, literacy specialist, and classroom teacher.  Currently, she is an education professor at Saint Leo University, a member of the ILA Board of Directors, and the lead program developer and cofounder of Calliope Global where she works with schools, universities, and organizations across the globe on initiatives to empower teachers and students to learn and explore together as digital composers in common learning spaces. She has presented her research on international connections through educational technology most recently  at the International Society for Technology in Education conference in 2016. Her research also earned her the American Montessori Society Research Award Grant in2015. Williams writes for Edutopia, Education Week, Literacy Today, and Literacy Daily, and is cofounder of Edcamp Tampa Bay, the #Read4Fun Twitter Chat, Edcamp Global, and several other literacy advocacy activities. Like Alrubail, Williams shares in the power and awe of teachers’ and students’ capacities for global change.

Both Alrubail and Williams have extensive experience with global collaboration and use it as a vital part of literacy education. Be sure to follow #ILAChat and @ILAToday on Sept. 8 at 8:00 p.m. ET to join the conversation.

Samantha Brant is ILA’s communication intern.