A Summer Learning Series for K-16 Literacy Teachers
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10-11:30am (PST)
Ernest Morrell
Notre Dame University |
In response to current problems and promises in education and the connections between digital media literacies and culturally responsive instruction, Morrell will present a three-part model that includes the role of media as it relates to representation, dialogue, and voice in the literacy classroom. The majority of the webinar will focus on:
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10-11:30am (PST)
Elyse Eidman-Aadahl
National Writing Project |
The concept of voice in writing is a complex and powerful idea in the practice of creative writers, writing teachers, and civic educators. But we are likely not all using this slippery term in the same way. For civic educators, the concept of voice typically conveys the idea of vox populi, or the voice of the people as they participate in public processes of advocacy and governance. In this civic sense, voice is explicitly linked to democratic agency, public activism, and participation in collective governance.
In this webinar, we will draw on research conducted with the Youth and Participatory Politics Network to consider how different facets of the common concept of voice can help us reflect on our writing instruction and work with colleagues across subject areas to support our students as they engage with the world around them. We will learn from young activists who describe how writing fits in their civic engagement work, what they value in the writing experiences they had in school, and what, from the perspective of their civic engagement, they would have liked to learn. Finally, we’ll look at tools and resources that could be used to stretch our curriculum from voice to impact. Objectives:
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10-11:30am (PST)
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Nancy Frey
San Diego State University |
Huge numbers of our students are caught in storms of trauma—whether stemming from abuse, homelessness, poverty, discrimination, violent neighborhoods, or fear of school shootings or family deportations, and more recently the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Join author Nancy Frey for a discussion of the book Teaching Hope and Resilience for Students Experiencing Trauma and an exploration of the ways in which educators can create emotionally safe literacy classroom spaces, including:
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Nicole Mirra
Rutgers University |
While many individual teachers designed creative practices to engage their students during the educational disruptions caused by the pandemic, school systems writ large largely tried to cling to the traditional structures of school – missing the opportunity to reflect on whether those structures were ever truly serving student needs. Now, as a new school year approaches and the siren song of going back to “normal” grows ever louder, this session will instead encourage us to pause, resist that song, and make intentional choices to go somewhere “new” alongside our youth. We will explore strategies for moving past surface-level approaches to social emotional learning to get to practices of critical civic empathy in the literacy classroom, and we will plan learning opportunities that support students to raise their voices to build civic futures worthy of their freedom dreams.
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Tricia Ebarvia
Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project |
We bring all of our identities—and the experiences that informed them—into our teaching. So we have to interrogate the ways in which these experiences have shaped our practices and our relationships with kids. We have our professional experiences, such as our formal schooling, professional development, and our time in the classroom, our years of kid-watching and theory-making. We draw upon all these when we make decisions.
That said, it’s often our personal identities and experiences that have the most profound effects on our teaching, and that which most often—and most dangerously—go unexamined. Educating ourselves—asking hard, uncomfortable questions that we might not like the answers to—can be the first step towards self-awareness and uncovering the biases that affect, and infect, our teaching. By examining ourselves and our practices, we can begin to transform schools into a place where all students can be their authentic selves and fulfill their potential—a place to get and be free. |
Felicia Rose Chavez
Author of The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop |
So much of teaching is about inheritance, about reinforcing the way it’s always been done. Many of us can’t even articulate why we teach the way that we do, beyond tradition serving as a rite of passage. But if “the way it’s always been done” hurts and marginalizes a subset of our students, how might we adapt our teaching habits to actively achieve plurality? Imagine if we empowered young people to take charge of their writing by teaching them professional managerial practices, those real-life skills that best serve long-term, collaborative projects. Critique is an intricate skill that necessitates attention, from one-on-one advising to peer review exercises, small group work, and large group workshop. By training students in how to summarize their projects, articulate constructive questions, and moderate their own feedback sessions, we acknowledge their accountability. Students go on to claim ownership of not only their work, but their working relationships with teachers and peers. This interactive webinar draws on storytelling, freewriting exercises, and discussion to prompt us to interrogate our academic and cultural inheritance with the goal of discovering possibilities beyond traditional teaching models. Participants will leave with specific, practical take-aways for everyday anti-racist action, helping us shift from authority over our students to allies to our students.
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FAQs
How much does it cost to register for this summer learning series?
The flat rate to register for this six-webinar learning series is $30 per person. Each person will have access to all six webinars, related resources, video replays, and a certificate of participation. Refunds are not available.
Are Needs-Based Scholarships available?
Yes! If you are experiencing financial hardship and are unable to pay the $30 fee, you are automatically eligible for a scholarship.
Is there a letter template I can use to ask my school district to pay my $30 fee?
Yes! Click on the "Letter to Admin Template" above to make a copy of a letter you can email to the school personnel who may pay for your fee online using a credit card.
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