2012 IRC Conference Preview

Conference Preview 2012A Preview of the Illinois Reading Council Conference

March 15-17, 2012

Literacy in the Land of LincolnAttendees at the 2012 Illinois Reading Council Conference are certain to be revitalized and affirmed as we explore Literacy in the Land of Lincoln! In the tradition of this great conference we will feature outstanding literacy leaders and award-winning authors. Many of our featured speakers come from the great state of Illinois, and we are delighted to present them to you along with others who will honor us with their presence. So mark your calendars for March 15-17, 2012 for Literacy in the Land of Lincoln.

Gary PaulsenAfter many years of running the Iditarod during the time of our conference, Gary Paulsen has kenneled his dogs and agreed to come to Illinois to speak at the author’s luncheon on Saturday. His exciting experiences with nature’s challenges are relived in his books for kids like Dogsong and Hatchet. It is his overwhelming belief in young people that drives him to write. One of his dearest desires is to encourage young readers to observe and care about their world, as do his most endearing characters. In The Beet Fields, Paulsen’s character explores the world of the migrant laborer as he learns of friendship, hunger, and lust. One of his latest books, Woods Runner takes the glory out of war as 12-year-old Samuel experiences it. His newest book, Liar, Liar, is an example of how well Paulsen understands young people who get themselves into trouble occasionally. Welcome him to the Land of Lincoln at the Saturday luncheon.

Donna OgleDonna Ogle dedicates her life to literacy not only in the Land of Lincoln, but throughout the world as well. As past-president of the Illinois Reading Council and the International Reading Association she supported our grass roots literacy efforts. Over the years she organized our thoughts about content literacy into systems that are so simple, yet so deep. Renown for the development of KWL, she most recently developed PRC2 to support literacy in the content areas.

She continues to support literacy initiatives. We are thrilled to welcome our own literacy expert to the 2012 cast of speakers. Her titles, including Partnering for Content Literacy: PRC2 in Action, Building Literacy in Social Studies, Engaging in the Language Arts, and All Children Read, support the development of our profession. Join us in honoring her at the Thursday luncheon.

Literacy in the Land of Lincoln at the 2012 Illinois Reading Council Conferenc

Literacy in the Land of Lincoln Thrives on Children’s Authors

Page 2 Conference Preview 2012

Literacy in the Land of Lincoln at the 2012 Illinois Reading Council Conference

Patricia MacLachlanWho in the Land of Lincoln has not read or used Patricia MacLachlan’s books? This celebrated author brought us Sarah, Plain and Tall, one of the most highly honored pieces of historical fiction. Her age-less, grade-less picture books like All the Places to Love, Three Names, Painting the Wind, and I Didn’t Do It, have been read in countless Illinois classrooms. Come, enjoy this word crafter as she speaks to us at the Thursday luncheon.

Nick BruelWho hasn’t taught the kid who was constantly drawing, scribbling, or doodling? While Nick Bruel may have brought on some teasing

because of his constant ‘scribble-scrabble’, we should be happy he scribbled his way into the hearts of children with Boing, Bad Kitty,

Bob and Otto, and Poor Puppy. As you focus on visual literacy, come see what the Bad Kitty is up to now.

Debbi ChocolateDebbi Chocolate grew up and raised a family in the Land of Lincoln. From her love of film, painting, and music, she began creating her own stories. Her purpose in writing is always the same: she writes to entertain. She shares her vision of life’s hope, its beauty and its promise with such titles as The Piano Man, Kente Colors, On the Day I Was Born, A Very Special Kwanzaa and Biddy Mason: The Open Hand.

Candace FlemingCandace Fleming awarded herself the Newbery Medal in fifth grade

after scraping the gold sticker off the class copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond and pasting it onto her first novel, a ten page, ten-chapter

mystery called Who Done It? We are so glad her teacher didn’t punish the creativity out of her as she has given us more than twenty books for

children including the Boston Globe-Horn Book award-winning biography, The Lincolns. Not only is she from the Land of Lincoln, but she is a recipient

of the IRC Prairie State Award. See her at IRC’s 2012 Conference.

Kristina SpringerWithin the Illinois state boundaries a new author, Kristina Springer, so loved her years in high school that in between doing the mom thing she started writing her stories, lots of stories. Once her first novel, The Espressologist, was published, she was forever hooked into writing. She even enjoys the slow, painstaking, editing process. Her next book Just Your Average Princess will be out in the fall of 2011.

Authors Lend Depth to the Literacy Development of Illinois’s Children

Seymour SimonKnown as “the dean of children’s science writers” Seymour Simon has authored over 250 highly acclaimed science books. This often honored author of fiction and nonfiction hopes his books encourage children to enjoy the world around them through learning and discovery, and to make science fun.

Liz NealonLiz Nealon, an award winning executive producer and industry leader, plays an integral role in adapting Seymour Simon’s work for the Internet, television, eBooks, mobile Apps, and other media. We hope this project helps bring science literacy to children from Illinois and the world much like her earlier projects Sesame Street and MTV.

Conference Preview 2012 Page 3


Jacqueline KellyFrom the Lone Star State, we bring you Jacqueline Kelly with her engaging first novel, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. She is well-prepared to write realistic fiction as she practiced medicine and law before becoming an novelist. It would not surprise us if she were influenced by Seymour Simon as her first novel is full of accurate scientific details and a child who is enamoured by nature.

Sally M. WalkerFrom the Great State of Illinois we bring you Sally M. Walker, renown for her nonfiction books. Reading her Robert F. Sibert Medal winner, Secrets of a Civil War Submarine, is a Civil War experience you can’t miss. Her illustrated nonfiction engages young readers. She was a YALSO Excellence in nonfiction Award Finalist in 2010 with Written in Bone, and her latest book, Frozen Secrets, will make you want to take the rigorous “cruise” to Antarctica.

Jack Gantos“If you have an orderly mind, you’ll be a winner no matter where you end up. If your mind is a jumble of junk, you’ll be a loser. It’s as simple as that.” (Jack on the Tracks P. 19) Jack Gantos writes for young children, Rotten Ralph; he writes for middle school children, Jack on the Tracks: Four Seasons of Fifth Grade; and he writes for older kids, Joey Pigza Books. I really think he writes for himself as he explores the good and bad choices he made through his autobiography, Hole in My Life. Welcome Jack Gantos to the Great State of Illinois.

Leaders Look at Multiple Literacies

Katie Wood RayKatie Wood Ray successfully gives teachers ways to bridge reading and writing with her publication of Study Driven: A Framework for Planning Units of Study in the Writing Workshop. In this, as well as other books and professional development programs, she marries theory, research, and practice that support well-rounded literacy programs. She relates to us all as her professional background includes both elementary and middle school teaching in addition to her experience

as a staff developer at The Reading and Writing Project, Teachers College, Columbia University. Join her as she shares her passion for literacy in our Land of Lincoln at the Friday luncheon.



Meg OrmistonMeg Ormiston, an expert from the Great State of Illinois, is passionate about transforming teaching and learning through the power of digital tools. She is high-energy, motivational,

and thought provoking. She can make you laugh with her stories of digital challenges, but she can also make you see the need to

incorporate the technology the kids know into the methods you know. Join us in welcoming her at the Thursday night banquet.

Terry ThompsonWhat’s all the fuss over reading comic books? Visual literacy isn’t new, and Terry Thompson sees graphic novels as a way to a means. In Adventures in

Graphica: Using Comics and Graphic Novels to Teach Comprehension he shows teachers how to “read” panels and gutters as well as captions and word balloons. If the medium attracts young readers, then read graphic novels with a little guidance from Terry.

Maria NicholsMaria Nichols is a literacy staff developer working in urban elementary schools in the San Diego City Schools. Prior to becoming a staff developer, she was a classroom teacher for fifteen years, including three years of demonstration teaching and professional development work at the district’s Literacy Professional Development Center. Nichols is a National Board Certified Teacher and received the Distinguished Elementary Educator Award from the San Diego chapter of Phi Delta Kappa, 2002.

Literacy in the Land of Lincoln Meets New Challenges with Vigor

Cris TovaniCris Tovani taught elementary school for ten years before becoming a high school reading specialist and English teacher. She knows what it takes to get older kids to read it, understand it, and often enjoy it. Known for her books, I Read It, but I Don’t Get It and Do I Really Have to Teach Reading?, she has received national acclaim for her work in reading comprehension reform. Soon to be available, So, What Do They Really Know? will help teachers understand how important it is to TEACH kids to understand content area texts.

William G. BrozoFrom the state of Virginia, we welcome William G. Brozo best known for his book To Be A Boy, To Be A Reader: Engaging Teen and Preteen Boys in Active Literacy. He actively supports literacy in the U.S. and around the world. His words, research, and professional articles support and promote the potential of teacher leaders, the literate culture of schools, and the literate lives of boys. Please welcome William Brozo to Illinois.



Katie Van SluysFrom DePaul University in Chicago, we bring you Katie Van Sluys. Her text, What If and Why?: Literacy Invitations in Multilingual Classrooms, has given teachers a format for setting up interactive, exploratory, engaging group studies in classrooms where there is a diverse population. And all of our classrooms ARE diverse. Join her for breakfast Thursday morning.

Harvey DanielsHarvey “Smokey” Daniels, once an Illinois city and suburban classroom teacher and a college professor, now works as a national consultant and author on literacy education. Smokey focuses on creating, sustaining, and renewing student-centered inquiries and discussions of all kinds. He shows colleagues how to simultaneously build students’ reading strategies, balance their reading diets, and strengthen the social skills they need to become genuine lifelong readers. He is known for his pioneering work on student book clubs, as recounted in Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in Book Clubs and Reading Groups and Mini-Lessons for Literature Circles. Please welcome him back to Illinois.

Sarah CohenSarah Cohen’s research centers on issues of identity for students and teachers in multicultural classrooms. She is invested in finding ways to expand literacy instruction that honors cultural diversity, understands multiliteracies, and uses technologies that enhance learning.

Peter FisherPeter Fisher may have started his life on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, but we claim him as an Illinoisan today. His work with vocabulary leads teachers to truly understand what it takes to teach children how to comprehend the most complex text while giving them strategies, like storytelling, to support the literacy development of their students.

Illinois Experts Abound in the Land of Lincoln!

Ruth QuiroaRuth Quiroa is passionate about literature for children and adolescents. She focuses her research investigations on the Latino students’ response to literature, the use of wordless picture books with ELL students, and the impact of teachers’ cultural and linguistic awareness on literacy instruction for ELL students. Come hear her provocative ideas for supporting the literacy development of all children.



Rhonda S. RobinsonKristin Brynteson

Rhonda Robinson and Kristin Brynteson come to us from Northern Illinois University with researched-based, theoretically sound, and practically grounded methods for integrating technology and visual literacy.

Anne Grall ReichelAnne Grall Reichel leads many teachers, preservice teachers, school districts, and parents from the Land of Lincoln towards developing literacy rich science and social studies curriculum. She truly believes as the title of her book states, we need to Expect More: Children Can Do Remarkable Things.

Diane LangMichael BuchananDiane and Michael, who live in Cincinnati and Atlanta respectively, wrote Micah’s Child via e-mail, telephone calls, and driving locations in between the two. The result is a novel that has been universally praised by all who have read it. Their revealing novel, The Fat Boy Chronicles, will hit theatres in the spring of 2011. Please welcome Diane and Michael to our conference.

Sonya L. WhitakerSonya L. Whitaker is Superintendent of Lockport Schools, and it is SUPER that describes her. She is an energizing and motivating speaker who cares about literacy in the Land of Lincoln. She works at the local, state, and national level to promote student achievement and support the culturally responsive teacher. Please welcome her to our great conference.

Messages from Literacy Leaders in Illinois and Beyond

Sally HamptonSally Hampton works for literacy through many capacities, but always with an eye on the highest standards of our country. Her work with the National Writing Project, National Council of Teachers of English, National Education Association, and Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching supports the literacy not only in the Land of Lincoln, but also throughout the country. Welcome her to the Land of Lincoln.

Victoria RiskoVictoria Risko, President of the International Reading Association, comes to our great state with a message that we need to prepare teachers for culturally and linguistically diverse students. Through collaboration our national, state, and local reading associations can provide the professional tools, resources, and professional development teachers need. Please welcome Vicki Risko from Nashville, Tennessee to our conference.



Laurie A. HenryFrom the Bluegrass State we bring you Laurie A. Henry. She is in tune with 21st Century Science and Literacy

Skills as she passionately reaches out to teachers, supporting their professional development. She contributes regularly to ReadWriteThink.org and researches the new literacies of online reading comprehension. She is also concerned about social equity issues related to the digital divide. Please welcome her from the University of Kentucky to the Land of Lincoln.

Sonya Whitaker

THECulturally ResponsiveTeacher

How Understanding Culture Positively Impacts Instruction and Student Achievement A Professional Development

Workshop

Illinois Reading Council ConferenceMarch 15-17, 2012

Plan to attend the 2012 Illinois Reading Council Conference in Springfield, Illinois.Registration and housing information will be available in early Fall 2011.

Phone: 888-454-1341 E-mail: [email protected] Reading Council Website: www.illinoisreadingcouncil.orgIllinois Reading Council Ning: illinoisreadingcouncil.ning.com/

and join us on Facebook!

It is the 21st Century and much has changed in education since Abraham Lincoln was reading when he was supposed to be chopping wood. Literacy today includes more than reading, writing, speaking and listening based on black ink and white paper. Three Dog Night sang it best, “Together we learn to read and write.” Together in the Land of Lincoln we learn to read and write with text messages, e-mail, blogs, Internet, twitter, computers, magazines, signs, pictures, and books. Where do the words in the media come from, if not from books first?

Traditional books are dear to many of us. We hold them close to us when we read to children. They take up space in our homes and classrooms. But we must admit that here in the Land of Lincoln, literacy prevails in a myriad of forms. Go anywhere public, look around, and you will see words and ideas shared in a variety of ways. People ARE reading. As teachers we have the opportunity and responsibility to teach the children to read using all the tools available. Fortunately, we can gather once a year in Springfield to share and catch up on best practices.

It is through experiences at the Illinois Reading Council Conferences that I have developed as a professional educator. You too will continue to grow as a teacher when you meet award winning authors, interact with some of Illinois’s finest teachers, listen to the innovators and researchers, contemplate new theories, methods, tools, and strategies, peruse the latest books and materials, and connect with others facing the same literacy challenges as you face.

Who better to lead students to deeper understandings of our world through literacy than the teachers of Illinois? Who better to lead the teachers in the Land of Lincoln than the Illinois Reading Council?

Check out the IRC Ning for more information about our 2012 conference.

Patricia Braun2012 Conference Chair

“I’m a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him down.”

“All I have learned, I learned from books.”

“Get books, sit yourself down anywhere, and go to reading them yourself.”

“The things I want to know are in books. My best friend is the man who’ll get me a book I haven’t read.”

~ Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

A Note From Your 2012 Conference Coordinator

Documents

2012 IRC Conference Preview