April 2020
Literacy News You Can Use
On March 26, 2020, UnboundEd partnered with the literacy team to provide a full day of professional learning in a digital format. Amy Rudat, Senior Director of English/Language Arts, collaborated with others in her organization to help literacy leaders integrate standards-based knowledge and content into their daily practice.
Lacey Robinson, President and Chief Executive Officer, set the stage by assisting in creating a digital environment conducive for learning and a safe space for conversations. ELA Specialists, Sierah Tyson and Brandon White, joined the team as co-facilitators of learning. Andrea Hancock, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, and Joyce Macek, Director of Partnerships, participated as process observers. Among other agenda items, the team examined the role literacy plays in educational equity, explored the staircase of complexity in the reading standards, and identified the link between text complexity and instructional planning. The workshop incorporated valuable time to network with colleagues and consider next steps.
Access https://www.unbounded.org/ to learn more about the organization. Educators can search the free collection for specific lessons or topics within a grade. These are available to download, adapt, and share.
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The Advanced Placement® Teacher Training Institute (APTTI) provides comprehensive preparation for developing and teaching an AP® course. APTTI takes place on June 29-July 2, 2020, at the University of Iowa’s Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development. Registration is now open! Please click here to register.
Each workshop includes preparation of course syllabi and lesson plans, examples of classroom materials applicable to the particular AP® subject area, and preparation for the new College Board Audit, which is required for every AP® teacher. The AP® Teacher Training Institute provides learning for teachers who want to teach AP® courses in one of the content areas, current AP® teachers, and educators who wish to strengthen the core curriculum.
Courses in 2020 include AP® Biology, AP® Calculus AB, AP® English Language & Composition, AP® English Literature & Composition, AP® U.S. History, and AP® U.S. Government. For more information, visit https://belinblank.education.uiowa.edu/educators/aptti/ or email aptti@belinblank.org.
“Great instructor! Provided us with many valuable resources. This depth of knowledge was impressive, interesting, and captivating.” – 2019 APTTI participant
“I learned so much! Great presenter with excellent ideas and information. I'm feeling much more equipped to teach AP [course] now!” – 2019 APTTI participant
Emily Hayden, Assistant Professor in Literacy Education at Iowa State University, is proactively taking steps to prepare preservice teachers (PSTs) to enter the field.
As a member of the Statewide Literacy Leadership Team, Emily is consistently incorporating new learning in courses she teaches. As a literacy leader, she shares that membership, "helped me prepare teacher candidates for the ways we define text and build content understanding within the Iowa Core. Using resources offered by Achieve the Core and The New Teacher Project, preservice teachers (PSTs) in my junior and senior-level literacy classes develop text sets that meet the Iowa Core definition: a collection of resources organized for students to build knowledge about a specific topic."
Tools and resources include but are not limited to rubrics to measure qualitative complexity for literature and informational texts, exemplars, and an academic word finder. Click here to read further details relating to the work preservice teachers are completing in Emily's classes. The Department will continue to share updates via the literacy pages relating to new resources and Professional Learning into Action in our state.
Final thoughts solidify the importance of providing equitable opportunities for all students to access complex text: "Not every student in a classroom will be reading on grade level, but that does not mean they should not grapple with grade-level text and concepts. Scaffolding student interactions with text are essential, and the tools provided by Achieve the Core and TNTP are invaluable for framing the kinds of teacher thinking that can support these types of interactions."
Access Standards Professional Learning Opportunity modules in ELA/Literacy, which include learning around Student Achievement Partners (Achievethecore.org) resources. Iowa teachers who are employed by a public or private school can complete the modules for FREE or one license renewal credit ($105).
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What are you doing to align instructional practice and implement the Iowa Academic Standards?
Are you utilizing tools to design instruction, assess learning, or create professional development that supports all students meeting Iowa Core expectations in literacy?
Share your work and celebrations via the Spotlight Literacy Google Form.
Also, feel free to nominate another educator to spotlight his or her work. A literacy spotlight will be chosen each month!
Let's build bridges together and improve instructional practice.
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Leigh Bellville Literacy Consultant Bureau of Leading, Teaching, Learning Services Iowa Department of Education Grimes State Office Building 400 E 14th St Des Moines, IA 50319 515-689-3717 leigh.bellville@iowa.gov
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