Hello everyone,
I have just returned from MRA where keynote speakers: Stephanie Harvey, Lois Lowry, Catherine Snow and Tim Shanahan reminded us how critical adolescent literacy is and motivated us to work harder to understand how to help adolescents be successful. A few key facts that struck me are:
1. The personal connection with students is still critical to motivate adolescents to do the hard work of reading.
2. Students should have the opportunity at least once a week to read something THEY choose.
3. Students need to read and TALK about that reading to develop their own understanding.
4. Reading comprehension involves MORE than strategies and the research community is looking to educators to develop successful programs.
5. We have many talented secondary literacy specialists out there doing great work.
I am proud to say that 21 secondary literacy specialists attended the Symposium on The Many Roles of the Secondary Literacy Specialist. I hope to organize a networking meeting so that we have opportunities to continue to share our work. Till then, I hope people will feel comfortable commenting on this blog and I will do my best to answer questions and post resources.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Massachusetts Reading Conference This Week!
Hello everyone,
Let me remind you that the Massachusetts Reading Conference will be held in Sturbridge, this Thursday and Friday, March 23 and 24. I invite you come on Friday to hear our presentation about the many roles of the secondary literacy specialist and other great speakers. Did you know that in Reading Next, a report published by the Carnegie Foundation, they suggest that adolescents should have two to four hours of literacy-connected learn daily? They are not suggesting that content teachers become reading teachers, rather that content teachers should collaborate with literacy specialists or coaches to design lessons that encourage students to read and write like historians, scientists, mathematicians, and other subject area experts. Imagine if students were engaged in real life, enriching literacy practices for two to four hours a day! Well, that is my tip for the day. I'll be posting reflections from the session when I get back. Till then, keep reading!
Let me remind you that the Massachusetts Reading Conference will be held in Sturbridge, this Thursday and Friday, March 23 and 24. I invite you come on Friday to hear our presentation about the many roles of the secondary literacy specialist and other great speakers. Did you know that in Reading Next, a report published by the Carnegie Foundation, they suggest that adolescents should have two to four hours of literacy-connected learn daily? They are not suggesting that content teachers become reading teachers, rather that content teachers should collaborate with literacy specialists or coaches to design lessons that encourage students to read and write like historians, scientists, mathematicians, and other subject area experts. Imagine if students were engaged in real life, enriching literacy practices for two to four hours a day! Well, that is my tip for the day. I'll be posting reflections from the session when I get back. Till then, keep reading!
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