#MakersInTheMiddle Playing with Literacy
October 10, 2024 | 8:00 p.m. ET
Play and games can be engaging ways for students to participate in robust reading and writing practices. In this interactive virtual session, the presenters will share examples of play from their own instruction and school communities. Attendees will be invited to engage in playful literacy activities and reflect on their implications for middle grades instruction. Get ready to act, roll dice, and have fun!
Registration is open to NCTE members.
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Vanée Smith-Matsalia (@TokenBlackTeach) is a mom, a nerd, a demonstration teacher, and dedicated seventh– and eighth-grade reading support instructor in the San Bernardino City Unified School District where she has taught for 13 years. Smith-Matsalia is heavily engaged in educational research surrounding secondary literacy, writing practices, classroom management, engagement, visible learning, and educational justice. Smith-Matsalia currently consults through Transformational PD and The Educator Collaborative, where she currently serves as a fellow.
Sonam Shahani (@thereadingandwritingnook) is a middle grades ELA educator of over 11 years and currently serves on the National Council of Teachers of English Middle Level Committee advocating for the teaching profession on a national platform. Shahani received her bachelor’s degree at The University of Texas at Austin and her master’s degree at Johns Hopkins University and has enjoyed teaching middle school students at American schools abroad and in the United States. She currently resides in Houston, Texas.
Alex Corbitt (@Alex_Corbitt) is an assistant professor of literacy at SUNY Cortland. Before that, he was a seventh-grade ELA teacher in the Bronx, New York. Alex’s teaching and research focus on bringing games and play into the literacy classroom.