Post-Convention Workshops at Annual Convention

W.1 Young Children Learning in Diverse Communities: Language and Literacy Strategies for Early Childhood Teachers (E)
(Sponsored by the Early Childhood Education Assembly)

TEACHERS OF YOUNG CHILDREN! Announcing the first workshop of NCTE’s Early Childhood Education Assembly! This workshop will engage you in examining language and literacy teaching for young children in preschools, kindergartens, and primary grades as you choose from a range of exciting focus areas:

• Social relations and symbolic play in young children’s writing
• Literature discussion groups in multilingual primary classrooms
• Supporting Standard English proficiency while maintaining African American Language
• Writing in a first grade urban classroom
• Critical literacies with preschoolers and first graders
• Building curriculum from young children’s home literacies.

W.2 Biographies: Bringing Lives to Life (E-M)
(Sponsored by the Children's Literature Assembly)

Biographies can make the world come alive for children and are a significant genre in the classroom and in publishing.  Reading about the lives of others can engage children and help them see connections to their own lives and to the past (Donaldson, 1978).  This workshop, sponsored by the Children's Literature Assembly of NCTE, will allow the audience members, including classroom teachers, college-level children’s literature instructors, and others interested in children’s literature, to interact with a panel of award-winning writers, illustrators, and editors.

Beginning the day will be the esteemed Russell Freedman, winner of The Newbery Award for Lincoln: A Photobiography, and author of numerous other award-winning books. He will discuss how he chooses and researches his topics of such diversity.

Candace Fleming, the respected author of the well-reviewed The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary and the upcoming The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous, Life of Showman P.T. Barnum will follow. She will talk about her use of creative formats to tell the stories of her subjects. Next, Candace and her editor, Anne Schwartz will discuss the editor’s role in publishing a biography.

Gene Baretta is both an author and an illustrator and will share his work process for his dual roles.  Using his book, Now and Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin, he will also focus on how his work explores the lives of his subjects through their contributions to science and daily life.  Deborah Hopkinson, author of the new Home on the Range: John A. Lomax and His Cowboy Songs, will then share how she writes about people who have shaped our lives today.

Biographer Kathleen Krull, who is known for incorporating fascinating facts about each of her subjects, will end the day. She is the author of the series of collected biographies, which began with Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame, and What the Neighbors Thought and spans diverse content areas, such as music, art, and athletics.

Audience members will have an opportunity to engage in a question-and-answer session with presenters at the end of each of their talks, and the session will also include a short conversation about application-how to use biographies effectively and what considerations need to be made (e.g. biographies can foster misconceptions (VanSledright & Brophy, 1997)). Historical Philadelphia offers a perfect setting for exploring the world of biographies, and this workshop will help meet the goal of this convention of promoting “an informed, compassionate, and articulate America.”

W.3 Studying the Holocaust through Literature (M-S-C)

This highly interactive workshop will include investigation and analysis of several literary genres included in Echoes and Reflections — A Multimedia Curriculum on the Holocaust and provide an opportunity for participants to explore the role and value of literature in teaching this difficult subject matter. Participants will also be introduced to visual history testimony and discuss ways to include this engaging educational medium in the study of the Holocaust and meet with a survivor of Auschwitz-Birkenau who tells her story of survival through poetry.

W.4 Reading Social Networking Texts and Discourses (M-S-C)
(Sponsored by the Assembly on Computers in English)  Limit 45

Through hands-on activities, group discussions, and one-on-one instruction, participants will be introduced to social networking applications such as blogs, wikis, jings, podcasts, RSS aggregators, virtual environments, and more. Special focus will be on critical reading of the texts enabled by these new applications and on connecting such reading with existing classroom reading and literacy objectives and practices.

W.5 Crafting Future Classics: Becoming Real-World Readers and Writers through Classroom Publishing (M-S-C)

This workshop invites participants to design curriculum that engages students in publishing books for their schools, communities, and the world. Participants will explore how writing for publication helps build critical reading and writing skills, and heightens students’ investment in learning. Workshop facilitators, including university faculty and classroom teachers, will support participants in developing outlines for publication projects of their own.

W.6 Reading between the Lines with Literary Theory: Multiple Perspectives and Diverse Adolescent Learners (M-S-C)

This workshop will offer a sustained focus to help teachers of all secondary students incorporate literary theory into their curriculum. Focusing on students of all backgrounds and ability levels, we will include many classroom-ready activities and will provide ample opportunities for participants to engage with fresh approaches to teaching theory.
This daylong workshop will offer secondary teachers an opportunity to explore ways to incorporate literary theory with diverse learners in heterogeneous classes, including ELL learners as well as to the less obvious diversity that exists in seemingly homogeneous suburban classrooms.

Drawing from years of working with secondary teachers from across the country, the presenters will help teachers explore contemporary literary theory through a series of hands-on activities, in a sustained approach that hour-long sessions simply can’t accomplish. The session will draw on new approaches to teaching theory as well as on the work of classroom teachers who have created and shared activities for their own classroom contexts.

Chair: Deborah Appleman, Carleton College, Northfield, MN
Associate Chair: Rachel Malchow Lloyd, College of St. Benedit/St. John’s University
Presenter: Martha Cosgrove, Edina High School, MN

W.7 Intensive Journalistic Writing: Changing the Ways You Approach Reading and Writing AP English Composition and Journalism Classes (S-C)
(Sponsored by the Assembly for Advisors of Student Publications/Journalism Education Association)

All four presenters give a quick overview of their schools to relate the diversity of environments in which IJW is taught. Carol gives participants an overview of what we plan to accomplish during the workshop. Ron might mention the two Idaho high schools where he began and taught the program and his experience with including IJW approaches in college composition/media courses. Carol and Ron give a quick introduction to Intensive Journalistic Writing and the correlation to English composition instruction. Alan and Cathy highlight the AP audit and the IJW approach receiving approval. Rigor and breadth in the curriculum, AP expectations met and other areas they wish to emphasize.

Editorial Writing
The presenters discuss ways editorial writing relates to the persuasive writing free response questions on the AP English Language and Composition Examination. Ron establishes the rationale and structure for editorial writing.  Ron sets the foundation with the persuasive/concession/best-for-last argument outline. Carol includes her “literary” approach, including the “Angel of Death” editorial. Alan concludes with his use of “An Inconvenient Truth.” (Rhetorical strategies, use of language and addressing the issues of the present; brings in use of media)

Science and Nature in the English Class
Carol introduces the reading of science and nature selections as part of the AP course; gives participants the list of recommended AP English Language and Composition authors. Cathy presents the science writing program as developed at McLean High School and expanded at Thomas Jefferson High school for Science and Technology.

The Personality Profile: New Approaches to Including Non-fiction
Alan begins with his personality profile and shares his Radio Shack grant on the immigrant voice as a variation. Ron shares his approach to the assignment. He will include the importance of interviewing, observation and selecting the defining details.  Carol shares her variations on the assignment. Carol will emphasize the lede and will read ledes from student works. Carol and Cathy makes the AP connection, showing how the profile relates to journalism, English and the exam.  Ron and Carol will connect to classical and contemporary models, using The Washington Post example of “Piece of Work” which is a definition feature, to show how to return to certain rhetorical strategies and use them for different purposes.

Developing Voice through Column Writing
Traditional rhetorical modes can be used in nontraditional ways to encourage student writing, research, reading and vocabulary development. All four presenters will share their approaches to column writing. This portion of the workshop will include interactive activities to experiment with the rhetorical devices.  Ron shares his approach to column writing. Carol shares her end-of-the-year use of column writing. Cathy will share science and technical subject columnists that relate their areas of expertise well. Alan will share his “This I Believe” lesson, podcasts and student work.

W.8 Conducting Literacy Research in Our Own Classrooms (C)
(Sponsored by the Assembly for Research)

This workshop, sponsored by the NCTE Assembly for Research, will be for teachers and teacher educators who want to learn more about how to conduct research in their own classrooms. Topics will include:

• Current and emerging methods for collecting and analyzing data in classrooms,
• Writing focused and constructive research questions,
• Obtaining Institutional Review Board and school district approval,
• Addressing issues of generalizability and teacher researcher bias, and
• Finding ways to publish, present and share your research.

Presenters will share research methods, data and materials from their current work.  This interactive workshop will deepen participants' understandings of classroom-based research and invite participants to share their expertise.

W.9 The Case for the Book: Surviving the Challenges of Teaching Challenging Texts (G)
(Sponsored by SLATE)

A hands on step by step way to develop, monitor and adapt challenged book policies.

W.10 Helping Students Create a Mindset for Revision (G)

This presentation merges two instructional themes of Donald Murray, The Craft of Writing, and M. Flannery O’Connor, Mystery and Manners. Murray advises teachers to engage student writers by asking them to “write with me.” O’Connor prompts teachers to use the terms voice, picture and flow in writing in lieu of style, ideas and organization. Together they form a guide for best practice in teaching writing.

1. Teachers write with students (National Writing Project).
2. Students explain what they have learned in class (Douglas Reaves, The Learning Leader, 2006).
3. Students self-assess each writing task throughout the writing process (Rick Stiggins, Classroom Assessment for Student Learning, ETS, 2004).
4. Writing is in-class and timed, based on the conclusions from brain-based studies (David Sousa, various publications).

The morning of the session provides usable classroom strategies for the early stages of the writing process. The presenter invites the participants to “write with me.” 

• How the mnemonic, SIPTA (situation, issue, purpose, task, audience), empowers students to analyze writing topic prompts creatively.
• How an Assignment Page helps students personalize the writing task (prewriting).
• How an Advance Organizer facilitates the brainstorming of possible topics for a first draft before students choose one topic on which to jot list vivid words and phrases (prewriting)
• How a Framed Draft prompts use of vivid words and phrases in creating a first draft (drafting).

The afternoon session focuses on what are typically considered revision strategies, ones that empower students to return to their first drafts and improve them through adding, deleting, moving and rewriting parts of the draft. Three strategies prompt students of all ability levels to do independent revision that fine-tunes the voice (style) and pictures (ideas) and flow (organization) of their writing:

• How the Jot and Blend revision strategy assures significant revision of words and phrases in their first drafts
• How the Circling Picture Sentences revision strategy empowers students to beef up the body of their first drafts
• How the Writing Leads revision strategy seamlessly conditions students to write multiple leads to their drafts before choosing the best one.

The afternoon session concludes with a demonstration of revision that is prompted directly by the teacher using a First Draft Response Form (a primary trait rubric and teacher commentary).

Through their hands-on involvement in the writing strategies, participants experience how simply they can condition students to approach each step of the writing process like a practiced reviser. When participates leave the workshop, they will carry eight practical writing strategies (or mini-lessons) that create in their students a mindset for revision.

"I have never thought of myself as a good writer. Anyone who wants reassurance of that should read one of my first drafts. But I'm one of the world's great rewriters."

James A. Michener

W.11 Shakespeare Set Free: A Short Course from the Folger Library (G)
(Sponsored by the Folger Shakespeare Library)

Performance-based teaching is an interactive approach to the teaching of Shakespeare in which students take ownership of the language through activities that involve intellectual, physical, and vocal engagement with the text on an individual and ensemble level.

In this session, the Folger Shakespeare Library's Education staff and teachers who have attended the Teaching Shakespeare Institutes will present a series of interconnected instructional strategies and activities for engaging students in the study of Shakespeare's words.

W.12 Expanding Relationships with Reading: Drawing, Acting, Performing, and Self-Reflection as Routes to Thinking about Texts (G)
(Sponsored by the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning)

We will explore various strategies for encouraging students to read closely.  Our starting point is the idea that the more students can make personal connections with texts, the more they can move beyond their resistances to those texts and thus read more deeply.   After a short introductory plenary, participants will experience a series of workshops, each of which will introduce a different strategy for enhancing students’ reading, led by teachers who work with elementary through college students.  At the end of the day, participants will have an opportunity to reflect on and share their thinking about the workshops they have experienced.

Speaker 1: Picturing Reading Relationships - Participants will draw a picture of what happens when they read as a method for reflecting upon their relationships with reading.

Speaker 2: Nursery Rhymes, Shakespeare, and “the difficult text”: Expressive Reading & Comprehension - Participants will explore the connection between the ability to read out loud expressively and the ability to comprehend texts.  We will work with the rhythms and sounds of both Shakespeare and nursery rhymes to create voice and meaning for difficult texts.

Speaker 3: Making Meaning Through Performative acts:  Strategies, Activities, and Conversations  - Participants will explore various hands-on non-traditional performative techniques for engaging both high school and college students in fiction and non-fiction texts, with attention to learners of various backgrounds and abilities.

Speaker 4: Viewing and Reading: Enhancing Reader Response for Emerging Readers Through Visual Thinking - A growing body of empirical research is beginning to illuminate the connections between looking at images and reading text.  Moreover, the manner by which novice viewers grow from casual, idiosyncratic responders to critical and reflective interpreters sheds new light on how emerging readers develop their own interpretive skills.  This interactive workshop will provide an introduction to Visual Thinking Strategies and explore the connections between "reading" text and image.

Speakers 5 and 6: Wisdom Literature and Literature for Wisdom:  Reading to Form a ?Relationship with Humanity - A high school English teacher and a historian of the humanities will lead participants through some of the ways we introduce students to the rite of passage between unself-aware "foolishness" and self -aware ?"wisdom.”  We hope to show, through both our students' and ?participants' writings, how one's relationship with oneself, one's ?inner life, deepens as one is able to come into relationship with ?ever broader swaths of humanity through the ?experience of reading literature about wisdom from a broad variety of traditions.

Speakers 7 and 8: The “Aboutness” of a Text: Jazz Renderings, Image Explosions, and a Sensory Way of Knowing - This workshop will work with an approach inspired by Surrealism, which features the element of surprise and unexpected juxtapositions.  We will engage participants in visual, physical, and poetic play designed to get to the “aboutness” of a text.

Speaker 9:  Closing plenary:  Making sense of Expanded Perspectives on Reading

W.13 Arts-Literacy Integration: A Day at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (G)
(Sponsored by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the CEE Commission on Arts and Literacies) (CEE Symposium)  Limit 50, Off Site

The Philadelphia Museum of Art and Commission on Arts and Literacies come together in this all-day workshop to explore with participants a wide variety of strategies for integrating the visual arts and literacy in elementary, secondary, university, and professional development settings. This workshop offers a unique opportunity for participants to tour the Museum galleries with the guidance of art educators at the PMA, and to explore with members of COAL their experiences in designing and implementing arts-infused curricula.

The morning gallery tours are interactive small group sessions that feature several of the vibrant range of programs designed by PMA staff for teachers and children. Topics include “Learning to Look,” (for elementary-age children) in which students learn to “see more” through activities and discussions about art and “The Artist and Society” (for secondary/college) in which students consider how artists have chronicled, commented upon, and criticized their societies.

Following lunch on-site, (a fee of $12.00 additional will be collected on site for lunch and incidentals) participants will choose from a variety of breakout sessions offered by COAL members and PMA staff. These sessions are designed to inspire further conversations and to share resources and strategies for promoting the arts and literacy. Visit www.philamuseum.org to view driving directions, parking, and public transportation options).

Philadelphia Museum of Art
26th St. and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, West Entrance ONLY
SEPTA Bus #38 has a bus stop at the PMA West Entrance. Board at the 15^th St. and JFK bus stop.

W.14 Conferring, Today:  A Decade After How's It Going?  (Grades K-8,
teachers, coaches, administrators)
(Sponsored by the Whole Language Umbrella)

It’s been ten years since the publication of Carl Anderson’s book on conferring with young writers, “How’s It Going?” (Heinemann).  In this day-long workshop, Carl will share his newest thinking about conferring.  Carl will discuss:

• the link between writing assessment and conferring
• developing a repertoire of conferences
• developing a conferring ‘toolkit’ of mentor texts
• methods for improving conferring school-wide

Dan Feigelson, author of "Practical Punctuation" (Heinemann), will co-lead this workshop with Carl.

W.15 Roads, Rivers, and Quests
(Sponsored by the Standing Committee on Affiliates)

Current and future classic literature texts often focus on the metaphors of rivers, roads, or quests. This workshop will bring together new authors and NCTE co-sponsored speakers who will share their approaches to teaching and learning from new and classic literature.

W.16 Young Adult Literature in the 21st Century: ‘Scattering Light’ on Our Freedom to Think, See, Imagine (G)
(Sponsored by the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents—NCTE/ALAN)

From its opening keynote session, with author Gregory Macguire (WICKED) to its mid-session keynote with teacher/author LouAnne Johnson (DANGEROUS MINDS) and its closing session with California teacher/YA novelist Alan Sitomer, this two-day workshop will provide participants with whole-group opportunities to hear and interact with leading authors whose books are having an impact on the lives of today's adolescents. Participants will also be able to choose from among a large selection of small group breakout sessions in which ideas for using  YA books in school, library, and other settings will be explored.  Publishers donate generously so that each participate leaves with the beginnings of, or additions to, a wonderful YA collection of his or her own.

W.17 Building Leadership in a Diverse Society (G) (CEL)

Two and a half days of meeting with educators from across the continent, participating in interactive workshops lead and attended by English/language arts leaders at all levels: classroom teachers, department heads, language arts coordinators, supervisors, consultants, resource teachers, principals, directors of instruction, college and university English educators, affiliate leaders and other exercising formal or informal leadership in their schools, districts, or states will enrich and inspire you personally and professionally. 

The CEL Conference begins on Sunday afternoon with a luncheon and engaging presentations by nationally known professionals in English Language Arts education followed by a get acquainted social. Monday is a full day with speakers at breakfast and lunch events, informative breakout sessions between, and ends with an evening social.  Tuesday is extra special. We begin with breakfast and a speaker, breakout sessions and culminate the conference with a luncheon celebrating the recipient of the CEL Distinguished Leadership Award.  The registration price includes it all.  Come join us.