PD That
Empowers
• Hear from Kwame Alexander,
Laurie Halse Anderson, and more
of ILA 2016’s speakers
• Find top digital tools to transform
student and teacher learning
• Learn strategies for fostering more
confident readers and writers
March/April 2016
Volume 33, Issue 5
LITERACY TODAY
VISIBLE LEARNING FOR LITERACY
With Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, & John Hattie
Renowned literacy experts Douglas Fisher and
Nancy Frey work with John Hattie to apply his
groundbreaking research to literacy practices.
These practices are “visible” because their
purpose is clear, they are implemented at the
right moment in a student’s learning—surface,
deep, and transfer—and their effect is tangible.
Doug and Nancy apply Hattie’s head-turning
synthesis of more than 15 years of research
involving millions of students, and show you:
•
How to use the right approach at the right time
•
Which routines are most effective at specifi c
phases of learning
•
Why the 10 mind frames for teachers apply so
well to curriculum planning
Grades K–12: 200 pages
N16301-978-1-5063-3235-2
$29.95 with 20% educator discount (reg. $36.95)
Attend the Visible Learning
for Literacy Institute
July 13, 2016 Washington DC
Presenters: Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, & John Hattie
Visit www.corwin.com/literacyinstitute for more information.
First we need to teach for surface level learning, but it’s
not enough. We need to go deeper into that so that it
becomes more authentic. By going deliberately from
surface to deep to transfer learning we’re ensuring that
our students become lifelong learners because they
know how to learn and why they’re learning.
—Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, & John Hattie
”
“
I think the two big take aways [for Visible Learning for
Literacy] are evaluating your practice and being much
more strategic about understanding what phase of
learning students are in and matching the strategies
that are being taught to fit those stages. Everything
works sometimes, but we haven’t been strategic about
matching up what works and when it works.
—Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, & John Hattie
”
“
Also by Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey:
*Corwin Literacy educator discount, 20% off every day
New!
April 2016
Contents
LITERACY TODAY
Volume 33, Issue 5
March/April 2016
EDITORIAL STAFF
Managing Editor Colleen Patrice Clark
Interns Alexandra Baruch & Nicole Lund
ILA LEADERSHIP
Executive Director Marcie Craig Post
Associate Executive Director Stephen Sye
2015–2016 BOARD MEMBERS
Diane Barone, University of Nevada, Reno,
President; William H. Teale, University of Illinois
at Chicago, Vice President; Gwynne Ellen Ash,
Texas State University; Donald Bear, Iowa State
University; Julie Coiro, University of Rhode
Island; Catherine E. Collier, Chesapeake Public
Schools, Virginia; Lori DiGisi, Framingham
Public Schools, Massachusetts; Bernadette
Dwyer, St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra,
Dublin City University, Ireland; Laurie A.
Elish-Piper, Northern Illinois University; Rachel
A. Karchmer-Klein, University of Delaware;
Julianne Scullen, Anoka-Hennepin School
District, Minnesota
ADVERTISING
For information, contact Megan Ferguson at
800-336-7323 ext. 417 or advertising@reading.
org. Acceptance of advertising does not imply
endorsement.
ABOUT US
Literacy Today is the bimonthly membership
magazine of the International Literacy
Association, a nonprofi t that strives to
empower educators, inspire students, and
encourage teachers with the resources they
need to make literacy accessible for all.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Literacy Today (ISSN 2411-7862, Print; 2411-
7900, Online) is included in the cost of ILA
membership. To join, visit literacyworldwide.
org. POSTMASTER: Send address changes
to Literacy Today, PO Box 8139, Newark,
DE 19714-8139, USA. CANADIAN GST:
Registration number R-129785523.
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40033039.
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses
to PO Box 503, RPO West Beaver Creek,
Richmond Hill, ON, L4B 4R6.
CONTACT US
CUSTOMER SERVICE
800-336-7323
customerservice@reading.org
EDITORIAL
800-336-7323 ext. 446
literacytoday@reading.org
Write to Literacy Today, PO Box 8139, Newark,
DE 19714-8139, USA.
MAILING LIST RENTALS
ILA rents mailing lists only to groups approved
by the Association. Members can have
their names removed from lists rented by
writing to ILA Customer Service or e-mailing
customerservice@reading.org.
© International Literacy Association
16
2
EDITOR’S NOTE
4
LIT BITS
6
OUR VIEW
LITERACY LEADERSHIP
8
The Top Digital Tools to Incorporate in Teacher
Education
10
In Search of Digital Equity for Today’s Learners
12
Becoming Bett er Teachers By Making Learning Visible
ILA 2016 CONFERENCE COVERAGE
16
What’s New: A Quick View of New Additions in Boston
18
Turning the Tables: Interviews With Our Literature Luncheon Speakers
22
Newbery Medal Winner Kwame Alexander’s Message of Empowerment
26
An Intimate Look Into the Literary Life of Laurie Halse Anderson
30
Adora Svitak on Coming of Age in a Digital World
34
Boston Bound: The Top Restaurants and Activities to Pack Into Your
ILA16 Weekend
THE ENGAGING CLASSROOM
40
How Our Adolescents Can Serve as Literacy Leaders
42
Using Digital Texts and Anchor Charts to Transform Literacy Education
44
How Interactive Writing Promotes Collaboration, Community, and the
Craft Itself
46
Increasing Strength and Confi dence Through Complex Text
THE ILA NETWORK
48
Using Storytelling to Reach Children and Parents
50
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Join Us for
ILA 2016!
EDITOR’S
NOTE
Colleen Patrice Clark
Managing Editor
cclark@reading.org
ransforming Lives Through Literacy 2.0.
It’s the theme of this year’s ILA Conference
in Boston, but what does it mean? Is it an
extension of last year’s experience in St.
Louis? Does it focus on technology and the
latest gadgets and innovations in literacy
instruction? Yes—to both. However, it is most
importantly about innovation in an even
broader sense. How can you, individually,
contribute to redefining literacy education
and the classroom experience? How can we,
together, find pathways that’ll take us to the
next level in our field?
A sneak peek at what to expect in Boston
can be found in the pages of this magazine,
as well as the accompanying Conference
Preview. Both Newbery Medal–winning
author and poet Kwame Alexander (page 22)
and YA novelist Laurie Halse Anderson (page
26) will discuss the empowerment found in
literature and the responsibility they each
feel toward readers, while literacy advocate
Adora Svitak (page 30) will discuss coming of
age in a digital world—and how all teachers
play a critical role.
You’ll also hear from 15 other conference
speakers, from our Preconference Institutes
to Literature Luncheons to Teaching Edge
sessions and more.
That means that whether you’re able
to make it to Boston with us or not—and we
truly hope it’s the former—you’ll get a taste of
the experience and read about methods you
can start incorporating in your classroom
tomorrow.
If you do plan to attend, you’ll be asked
just one question when you leave: What steps
will you take to advance literacy?
You’ll find plenty of answers for how to lift
your instruction to the next level at ILA 2016.
See you there,
THE NEXT LEVEL
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March/April 2016 | LITERACY TODAY
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March/April 2016 | LITERACY TODAY
It’s election time at ILA
Keep an eye on your e-mail on March 21. That’s
when you can expect to receive an election ballot
for the 2016–2017 ILA Board of Directors. Voting will
be open until April 21 at 5 p.m. EDT, and new board
members will be announced in May.
Focus on grammar
Did you see Lauren B. Gartland
and Laura B. Smolkin’s article,
“The Histories and Mysteries of
Grammar Instruction,” featured
in the January/February issue of
The Reading Teacher? Its call to
action regarding
grammar is a
must-read: “It is
time for schools
(and universities)
to arm teachers
with the necessary
knowledge to
foster active
discussions about
grammatical
choice within
highly integrated
language arts curricula, enabling
America’s children to effectively
employ grammar to their greatest
benefit.”
Save the dates
Our next Twitter chats (#ILAchat) will be
held on March 10 and April 13 at 8 p.m.
First up, join Jennifer Serravallo, who will
offer thoughts on goal setting and targeted
instruction. In April, we’ll be discussing
William Shakespeare in the classroom with
Sharon Draper—just in time for worldwide
events remembering his birth and the 400th
anniversary of his death.
LIT BITS
LITERACY TODAY | March/April 2016
The nomination period for our 2016 30
Under 30 list will be open from March
14–May 16. This is your chance to help
show the world the future of literacy—
the rising leaders who are making
significant contributions to the field
and changing lives in the process. Visit
literacyworldwide.org/30under30 starting
March 14 to make your nomination.
ILA released a new research advisory on dyslexia, which
focuses on the overarching issues surrounding learning
differences and details the need to focus on a comprehensive
scope of instruction that can be tailored to individual students’
needs. To read the advisory, visit literacyworldwide.org/
dyslexia.
There will also be events at ILA 2016 for those looking to get
more involved in the conversation. “Learning Differences: The
What, When, and How of Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia,
and Executive Functioning Disorders” is a Preconference
Institute on Friday, July 8, while “Dyslexia: Research
Perspectives From the USA and Europe” is a Featured Research
Session on Sunday, July 10.
Expanding the
dyslexia conversation
Coming to Boston early?
There are 15 Preconference Institutes this year on
Friday, July 8, including a new offering on principal
leadership: ”The School Principal as Literacy Leader:
Why, What, and How.” For a complete listing, check
out page 43. For even more information, visit
ilaconference.org.
What’s new?
Look for these updates and more from ILA:
■ ILA 2016 registration is now open! Browse through this year’s
list of speakers and sessions, and don’t forget: Early Bird
Registration rates end April 18. (ilaconference.org)
■ The January/February/March issue of Reading Research
Quarterly, one of ILA’s three peer-reviewed journals, is
available for free viewing. (literacyworldwide.org/freeRRQ)
■ Our 2016 International Literacy Day Activity Kit will be available
to download in early April. This year’s kit is packed with reading
lists and literacy activity ideas for all age levels, all centered on
this year’s focus country: Jamaica. (literacyworldwide.org/ild)
am sure you all have heard or read that professional development (PD) is critical to
every educator’s ability to be effective in his or her role, so I am not here to preach to
the choir and try to convince you why you should engage in it. I am here, however, to
convey my belief in why PD can be the most powerful tool for an educator.
Professional development is the process of improving and increasing
one’s capacity through access to education, training, collaborative learning, or
observation. In this year of the Summer Olympics, liken PD, if you will, to the
training of a world-class athlete preparing for the grand stage in Brazil. With the
goal in mind to be the absolute best in the world, careful planning, preparation,
and training become the formula for success.
The same formula can be applied to the teaching profession, with even
greater results.
How can a teacher outperform an Olympic athlete, you may ask? A winning
athlete comes around once every four years for just a few moments in time; a
By Stephen Sye
AN UNSEEN POWER
Why you should never let the potential of PD
go untapped
Stephen Sye
(ssye@reading.org) is the
associate executive director
of ILA.
OUR VIEW
6
March/April 2016 | LITERACY TODAY
winning teacher, on the other hand,
transforms lives every day.
Lifelong learning and
collaboration are key
The first step in understanding how
PD can benefit your performance is
to identify areas where you need to
improve. You must look within and
truly know where you are strong
and where you could increase your
knowledge base. If you are unsure, seek
the advice of your administration. You
must ask yourself: Am I presenting the
most powerful version of myself to my
students so that they can be successful?
Though you likely have benefited
greatly from some form of development
in the past, I’m sure few of us would say
“yes” without at least some hesitation.
Remember, lifelong learning is the key
to staying on top of your game.
When have you ever known
one person to have all the answers?
Oftentimes, the best way to gain new
knowledge is by seeking the advice
research determined “the biggest positive
effect on success in our business is the
expertise of the teachers who work
together collectively and collaboratively
to understand their impact.”
Harness the potential
The most powerful result of developing
your skills as an educator probably is
also the most rewarding: the impact on
your students.
Although athletes may captivate
and inspire generations to wish to be
great, only educators have the ability to
give them the tools necessary to achieve
that greatness. Every day you have the
ability to transform lives. You have the
power to create and shape tomorrow’s
leaders and influencers.
If you didn’t believe PD was the
most powerful tool an educator can
use, I certainly hope you share my
belief now. I invite you to join me and,
most important, your peers at ILA 2016
this July in Boston to fully realize that
potential.
of peers. Collaboration provides new
perspectives, experiences, and real-
world solutions as well as potential
lifelong professional and personal
connections.
Nearly every driven individual—
from athletes to teachers—has
something to give back, something he
or she has learned along the way that
someone else can benefit from, thus
making that person a mentor and a
leader. Whether it’s coming back after
a conference and giving a presentation
to your colleagues on your learnings
or stepping into a classroom to assist
another teacher who is at an impasse,
leadership is an unavoidable by-product
of PD. It ultimately elevates individuals
into leadership positions among their
peers and superiors as they become
relied upon to provide knowledge,
insight, and recommendations.
John Hattie, director of the
Melbourne Educational Research
Institute at the University of Melbourne,
Australia, stated in his TEDTalk on
teacher and school success that his
LITERACY TODAY | March/April 2016
ur conceptualization of literacy is ever evolving. It includes attention to new,
digital, and multimodal literacies and acknowledges that these literacies change
our habits as readers. Teachers use text, technology, and media critically and
strategically for reading, composing, and learning with their students, yet many
have not experienced this kind of pedagogy as students themselves.
Before teachers can fully imagine the ways technology can transform
instruction, they must first see the power in their own professional learning.
To truly transform teacher learning, we must develop new practices that
make use of the very tools and resources teachers might use in their own
By Stephanie Affi nito
MODELING DIGITAL
LEARNING
Transforming teacher learning with digital tools
Stephanie Affi nito
(saffi nito@albany.edu), an ILA
member since 1999, is a staff
associate at the University of
Albany’s Department of Literacy
Teaching and Learning in
New York.
LITERACY
LEADERSHIP
8
March/April 2016 | LITERACY TODAY