Welcome to National Reading Month! Occurring annually, from March 1-31, National Reading Month is set aside to celebrate the joys of literacy. Also known as Read Across America, the month-long celebration was started by the National Education Association (NEA) in 1998. Many Read Across America festivities include honoring diverse authors and book genres, like those recommended by NEA. March is also Women’s History Month. This month is set aside to commemorate and reflect on the contributions of women to the United States. March 15 brought the Ides of March, and did you know that March 21-27 is Shakespeare Week? It’s a week dedicated to one of the world’s most renowned playwrights, to celebrate his life and his works. In the words of The Bard, “In springtime, the only pretty ring time Birds sing, hey ding A-ding, a-ding Sweet lovers love the spring—” Wishing you happy celebrations of reading, of the amazing women who have and continue to contribute to this country, and wishing you a wonderful spring break!

New and Noteworthy

Achieve the Core: Serving Language Learners from an

Asset-Based Lens

This article from Achieve the Core talks about how we can change our terminology to be more asset-based and linguistically and culturally affirming. It suggests that we move away from labeling students who are learning English as English Learners and start honoring all the assets they bring with them into the classroom by referring to them as Multilingual Learners (MLs). They highlight several states who have made that switch in their educational programming. While Oregon wasn’t mentioned in the article, it’s important to note that the Oregon Department of Education is making that switch from English Learner to Multilingual Learners as well. When the Early Literacy Framework is released later this spring, you will find references to and supports for Multilingual Learners in the Framework. 

In addition to the emphasis on building an asset-based lens, the article provides resources for supporting teaching and learning for MLs.

ODE Announcements 

Early Learning Transition Check-In

In Fall 2022, ODE and the Early Learning Division (ELD), piloted a reimagined information gathering process with nine schools across the state. Upon completion, the Department partnered with Oregon’s Kitchen Table to engage families and educators who took part in the Fall 2022 Pilot. Over 90 families and 20 educators participated. The full report can be found on Oregon’s Kitchen Table website. Please visit the Early Learning Transition Check-In website to read the Department’s response.

Research and Resources for Your Classroom

Oregon Open Learning Featured Resource The Oregon Open Learning Hub is a digital resource repository and collaboration space for educators, administrators, and other educational partners to curate, create, and remix open educational resources (OER). The Hub is a portal to over 50,000 openly licensed resources available on OER Commons, searchable by grade level, subject, and standard.  Check out this middle school lesson created by Oregon educator Amanda Graham for an example of the content curated on the Hub in the Oregon Language Arts Group. This lesson about how to determine real from fake images on the internet has ELP standards, OASL School Library standards, and English Language Arts standards.

Library Corner

Native Ways of Knowing Book List: Decolonizing and Indigenizing Classrooms and Libraries

The San Diego County Office of Education and California Indian Education for All have put together a Native Ways of Knowing Book List: Decolonizing and Indigenizing Classrooms and Libraries. The book lists are separated by grade bands: K-3, 3-6, young adult, and educator. While the project is sponsored by California organizations, these book lists could supplement work you do in your classrooms with Tribal History / Shared History lessons. Additionally, you could utilize books from this list for National Reading Month or to feature Native Women authors for Women’s History Month.

American Indian Youth Literature Award

The American Indian Library Association (AILA) honors writing and illustrations by Native Americans and Indigenous peoples of North America through their American Indian Youth Literature Award. According to AILA, “Books selected to receive the award present Indigenous North American peoples in the fullness of their humanity.” The awards are given in even-numbered years, and award nominations are collected in odd-numbered years, so they’re collecting nominations now!

Opportunities for Educators

International Literacy Association Grant Opportunities

The International Literacy Association (ILA) is now accepting applications and nominations for its 2023 awards and grants program!

With opportunities geared toward graduate students, higher ed faculty, and literacy scholars, our annual award and grant recipients exemplify the best in literacy education, research, and advocacy.

This year's awards and grants include the following:

• Diane Lapp & James Flood Professional Collaborator Award
• Dina Feitelson Research Award
• Jeanne S. Chall Research Fellowship
• Jerry Johns Outstanding Teacher Educator in Reading Award
• Steven A. Stahl Research Grant
• Timothy & Cynthia Shanahan Outstanding Dissertation Award
• William S. Gray Citation of Merit

Each page linked to above includes a list of recent winners. Will you be next? 

Nominate a colleague or apply for an award yourself by the deadline of March 30, 2023. APPLY/NOMINATE TODAY

Teaching and Tech Sessions

Join ODE and educators from around the state for the next Teaching and Tech Session on Thursday, April 6, from 4-5 p.m. This month’s session will feature Jen Maurer, School Library Consultant from the State Library of Oregon, and Leigh Morlock, Teacher Librarian at Jefferson High School in Portland Public School District. The session will focus on the Oregon Association of School Libraries’ School Library Standards and how these standards integrate digital learning and complement other academic content standards. Click here to register.

Oregon Council of Teachers of English Spring Unconference

OCTE's Spring Unconference will arrive on Saturday, April 8 on Zoom from 9:00-11:30 am.  This event is a FREE professional development opportunity with a twist! The event will open with a keynote discussion led by Molly Josephs, creator and producer of the podcast This Teenage Life. The Unconference will then follow--a participant-driven meeting offering an opportunity for YOU to engage in conversations depending on what matters most to you and the other participants! In another twist, STUDENTS are invited to participate in the discussions, as well!

The official agenda will be established on the day of the event, but we want to know what topics YOU are interested in discussing!  Please share your ideas with us by filling out this quick survey.

And don't forget to register yourself, your friends, AND your STUDENTS for this free collaborative event!

Afrika Afeni Mills: Open Windows, Open Minds: We Can Do Hard Things, K-12

National Book Foundation School Teacher Fellowship and Book Grant

The National Book Foundation Teacher Fellowship supports and celebrates 6th-12th grade teachers using innovative methods to make reading for pleasure a part of their students’ school day experience, and aims to:

• Support classroom activities that have a direct impact on the development of students as lifelong readers
• Celebrate and highlight creative and effective models for independent reading instruction
• Connect more young people with great literature through National Book Award-honored titles.

As part of the Fellowship, teachers will receive a $3,000 stipend as well as a $2,000 book-buying budget, develop or continue an initiative that promotes reading for pleasure in their classroom, incorporate National Book Award-honored titles into their curriculum, and collaborate with other Fellows through participation in a professional learning community, including a convening in New York City in May/June 2024 (including travel, accommodation expenses and a daily travel stipend). Other than the May/June convening in NYC, all cohort activities will take place virtually.

Applicants should be beginning their 3rd year of teaching (or more) by fall 2023 and currently working in a US-based public school.

Applications are due April 13, 2023. For more information and to apply, review the full Program Details & Eligibility as well as Application Instructions & Selection Criteria.

Oregon Early Learning Conference

The goal of this conference is to serve PreK-2 programs in Oregon with presentations on cutting-edge research and best practices from educators throughout the state. Join teachers, coordinators, principals and other early learning professionals who have a common interest in developing effective early learning programs, inclusive curriculum, learning  environments ,and teaching strategies .

The conference, held at the Embassy Suites Conference Center at the Portland Airport, is hosted by Oregon ASCD, and is a collaborative effort with Early Learning leaders from Oregon schools, ESDs, nonprofits and universities. Please consider attending the half-day pre-conference on April 18, the main conference day on April 19—or sign up for both days!

Event Webpage

Registration Link 

TOLI Summer Seminars for Educators Education staff and professionals have the opportunity to attend the The Olga Lengyel Institute's (TOLI) Oregon summer seminar "Lessons from the Past: Understanding the Holocaust and Human Rights Violations" this summer in Portland, Oregon from August 1-5, 2023.  Facilitated by two Oregon educators, participants will explore ways to address the Oregon Holocaust and Genocide, Tribal History/Shared History, and Ethnic Studies mandates in their curriculum by integrating Holocaust and genocide education with instruction on racial and ethnic discrimination and specifically the Native American experience in Oregon. The seminar is offered free to educators, and those who attend will receive free books and resource materials to use with students. Space is limited to 25 participants and applications are accepted on a rolling basis. If you have questions, please reach out to seminar facilitator Carrie McCallum at carrie_nobert@hotmail.com To read more or to apply to the seminar, please visit the  TOLI website.

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Professional Learning Institute Portland 2023 

Join NAEYC and nearly 2,000 early childhood education professionals for the 2023 Professional Learning Institute, taking place from June 4-7 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon!

Get excited about this year's theme: Joyful, Equitable Learning for All

Register Today! Early Bird Pricing Ends April 12th. Click here to register.

Oregon Writing Project Summer Institute

The Oregon Writing Project’s Invitational Summer Institute provides a supportive environment for educators to explore their possibilities as writers, teachers and leaders. 

Check out Oregon Writing Project for more details.

Course Details:

Dates & Times: June 9-July 14, 2023

Location: TBD in the Portland Metro area

• Opening Workshop: Friday, June 9th, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
• Class Meetings: Saturday, June 10; Thursday-Friday, June 22-23; Monday-Friday, June 26-30; Wednesday-Friday, July 5-7, Monday-Friday, July 10-14, 2023, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Application Information

Applications are currently being accepted. The final application deadline is Friday, April 28th.

Online Application

With questions or for more information, contact Linda Christensen at lmc@lclark.edu.

Opportunities for Students

Jakob and Sala Kryszek Art and Writing Competition

Art and Writing Competition

The 2023 Jakob and Sala Kryszek Art and Writing Competition prompt has been released. Open to Oregon and Southwest Washington students in grades 6-12, the competition encourages students to evaluate history, foster an awareness of the Holocaust, and make relevant connections to their life. The two Grand Prize winners — one for art and the other for writing — will win a trip to Washington D.C. to visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum for themselves, a caretaker, and their teacher!

Prompt

Choose one of the following: listen to an oral history of an Oregon survivor of the Holocaust, read one of their memoirs or experience summaries, or listen to a speaker as part of a school program.

Select a specific word, phrase, or part of the survivor’s story that had an effect on you. Then create a piece of writing or visual artwork that represents why it is meaningful to you and how you will carry this into the future.

Submissions are due April 28, 2023. View competition webpage.

38th Annual Oregon Writing Festival for Students Portland State College of Education invites students grades 4-12 for a day-long celebration and practice of writing with the help of 150 teachers and professional writers. This year’s event will be held at Portland State College of Education on Saturday, May 6, from 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Students bring a sample of their best writing to read aloud, then review, in small groups. They participate in two writing workshops, and they listen to award-winning authors talk about their writing practice. Schools choose whom to send. The cost per student is $40, and schools must send a teacher for every 10 students.   Keynote speakers are Mike Lawrence, William Ritter, and Kylie Schachte. For more information or registration materials, write to Barbara Wiegele (bjwiegele@aol.com), or Rick Hardt (hardtu@pdx.edu). Find more information here

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