Oregon Council of Teachers of English Scholarship for Preservice Teachers
Oregon Council of Teachers of English (OCTE) is very excited to announce the establishment of the Oregon Teachers for the Dream $1000 Scholarship in recognition of the importance of having teachers of color and other historically underrepresented educators in the classroom, and as a response to the shortage in Oregon’s K-12 institutions.
According to The Education Trust, 100% of white students attend a school with at least 5% same-race teachers. The same cannot be said of students of color (https://edtrust.org/educator-diversity/#OR). Many other students find themselves unrepresented by their teachers in Oregon schools.
Teacher diversity matters. Seth Gershenson, Michael Hansen, and Constance A. Lindsay, authors of Teacher Diversity and Student Success: Why Racial Representation Matters in the Classroom, explain that everyone benefits from teachers of color and other underrepresented educators in the classroom. Students who see themselves represented by their teachers experience improved educational outcomes, parents are more involved in schools whose staff include representation of their communities, and diversity in a school’s staff promotes tolerance in the entire student body.
Applications open beginning on February 15th, 2024 and are due by March 30th, 2024. Pre-service teachers of grades K-12 accepted and enrolled in an accredited Oregon University Teacher Education Program are encouraged to apply the year before their student teaching. Application Link.
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Calling all MS/HS ELA, Civics, Social Studies, STEM and Media Literacy Educators:
The News Literacy Project (NLP), a nonpartisan national education nonprofit, provides programs and resources to help people of all ages become smart, active information consumers and equal and engaged participants in a democracy. The misinformation crisis requires a bold response, and NLP is meeting the moment by transforming its mission into a national movement to advance news literacy. Founded in 2008, NLP is the leading provider of news literacy education through its signature free e-learning platform Checkology® virtual classroom and other resources. NLP works with thousands of educators in all 50 states and more than 100 other countries.
Checkology, NLP’s industry leading, browser-based platform, includes over a dozen lessons and additional exercises and challenges that help students learn how to navigate today’s challenging information landscape. They gain the skills to identify credible information, seek out reliable sources, recognize misinformation and help stop its spread. The middle and high school lessons also provide an understanding of the role of the free press and the first Amendment in our democracy. Checkology features a directory of vetted journalists in the Newsroom to Classroom program who can speak with students, virtually or in-person. And its Check Center allows students to detect and debunk misinformation as they encounter it.
Register for Checkology at: https://get.checkology.org/
Survey to Inform the Oregon Multilingual Learner State Strategic Plan
This is an exciting year as the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) develops the new Multilingual Learner State Strategic Plan. The development of the plan includes input from a variety of constituents through workgroup sessions, community focus groups, conference sessions and surveys.
ODE invites school, district, and Education Service District educators, administrators, and staff to participate in a 15-20-minute survey to share feedback on the draft plan and to share about the services provided to multilingual students. Your participation is voluntary, confidential, and will contribute to improving services and experiences for multilingual children.
Click https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7684719/ODE-Multilingual-Plan-Survey to make your voice heard! This survey is best answered on a laptop/desktop computer.
Join us in shaping a statewide plan for improving education for multilingual students in
Oregon!
Contact Manuel Vazquez or Jennifer Fontana with questions.
NEW: K-5 Newsletter
The Oregon Department of Education’s (ODE) Office of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment is launching a new quarterly newsletter for K-5 educators. This newsletter will provide resources, opportunities, guidance, and ODE updates tailored specifically to support the integrated and well-rounded instruction that elementary education entails. It aims to streamline information related to K-5 academic standards and instruction into one convenient communication.
Public Comment on Draft Recommendations
The Early Literacy Educator Preparation Council has been developing recommendations to the Governor and the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC) regarding educator preparation program approval standards related to early literacy to align them to the Oregon Early Literacy Framework. The first set of recommendations is ready in draft form here for your review. We are inviting your feedback on these recommendations until February 20, 2024 at 11:59pm. To provide feedback, please complete this feedback form.
Oregon Open Learning Featured Resource for Black History Month:
A Harlem Renaissance Retrospective: Connecting Art, Music, Dance, and Poetry
The Harlem Renaissance was a vibrant time that was characterized by innovations in art, literature, music, poetry, and dance. In this unit, students conduct Internet research, work with an interactive Venn diagram tool, and create a museum exhibit that highlights the work of selected artists, musicians, and poets. The goal of this unit is to help students understand the historical context of the Harlem Renaissance and what kind of impact it had on African Americans in the United States. Critical thinking, creativity, and interdisciplinary connections are emphasized. Check out this ReadWriteThink lesson on Oregon Open Learning that includes numerous resources, including a link to other websites that will allow students to dig into the art, history, music, and poetry of the Harlem Renaissance.
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Tribal History/Shared History Grade 8 English Language Arts Lesson: News in Indian Country
Oregon Department of Education’s Tribal History / Shared History webpage features many lesson plans from the Tribal History / Shared History curriculum. This 8th Grade English Language Arts lesson explores the idea of survivance in Native American culture. The lesson background shares, “Acts of survivance are those that demonstrate the ongoing and dynamic presence of Indigenous people in contemporary times. These acts of sovereignty and self-determination can take many forms, including tribal efforts to revitalize a language or open a new business; a Native student winning a scholarship or achieving public recognition; or a cross-tribal group advocating for land, treaty, or fishing rights.”
Access lesson materials here; access the Tribal History / Shared History webpage here.
Library of Congress Literacy Awards
The Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program honors organizations that have made outstanding contributions to increasing literacy in the United States or abroad. Through the generosity of David M. Rubenstein since 2013, and through the generosity of the Kislak Family Foundation in 2023, the awards also encourage the continuing development of innovative methods for combating illiteracy and the wide dissemination of the most effective practices. The deadline to apply is February 19, 2024 at 11:59PM EDT.
All totaled, the Library plans to recognize 23 different organizations this year! Among the prizes this cycle, for the first time, the LOC is able to offer prizes to 5 Emerging Strategies Honorees ($5000 each). These honorees will be recognized for a literacy initiative in its early stages of development (5 years or fewer) that demonstrates significant creativity and promise—in other words, for great ideas with potential!
To learn more about the 2024 Literacy Awards as a whole, please see the press release; visit the Apply Page on the Literacy Awards website to download the application instructions and forms; and explore Frequently Asked Questions.
Upcoming Webinars
Virtual Workshop Registration Links: Book Buzz (2/21)
Virtual Winter Workshop: Book Buzz
The Children's Services Division is presenting their virtual winter workshop, Book Buzz, on February 21, 2024. Gather together with your fellow youth library workers to chat about new and noteworthy titles from 2023. Before the event, please share kids books of all genres that you think are great and should be shared. Send submissions in advance to Jamie Thoreson. Submit up to 5 books focusing on books from 2023 and maybe a few from 2022. You are encouraged to make your selections using a diversity lens. A complete list of books that were shared will be available after the event.
Zoom Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82122450182
Meeting ID: 821 2245 0182
February 28: Best Picture Books Published in 2023 for Ages 1 to 6
Are you looking for new picture books to share in your classroom, curriculum, or collection? This presentation will feature the “best of the best” from the 2023 publishing crop. A variety of books will be featured, including quality read aloud books, distinguished illustrations, and picture books about diversity and inclusion. Log-in and enjoy this hour-long event. As a result of this program, attendees will:
- Develop a list of new picture books that connect to the preschool and kindergarten audience, both as read-aloud performance and one-to-one reading sessions
- Learn how to choose diverse books for collections and programming, with a wide variety of themes, tones, subjects, and illustration styles. Acquire simple techniques to analyze picture book art
- Identify books aligned with kindergarten readiness skills and make connections to other books while discovering new authors and illustrators
Presenter: Katie Clausen is the Early Literacy Services Manager at Gail Borden Public Library. She completed her MLIS from Dominican University and holds an M.A. in Children’s Literature from Simmons College. She has presented at the Illinois Library Association’s Annual Conferences, ALSC Institute, Opening Minds Early Childhood Conference, and the National Network of Medical Libraries (NNLM). Check out Katie’s articles in the ILA Reporter and Children & Libraries: The Journal of ALSC. Katie’s specialties include: early literacy, children’s literature evaluation, play-based learning, and best storytime practices.
Register Here!
Free Early Literacy Class Through Oregon State University
Oregon State University is offering an Early Literacy Class that is free to all K-2 teachers in the state of Oregon. The title of the class is Teaching Early Literacy from a Multilingual Perspective, and it will start in April. Enrollment Options: 1) The course can be taken as a non-credit course, with 80 PDUs/8 CEUs awarded upon completion. The non-credit option will be free of charge. 2) The course can be taken for 3 graduate credits, dependent upon participants’ registration as a non-degree student and submission of a portfolio assignment. Tuition is $1715 for the course. Educators who satisfactorily complete all components of the course (either for non-credit or graduate credits) will receive a $1000 stipend, which will be paid through their district. Here is the link if you are interested in learning more about the class.
National Book Foundation Teacher Fellowship Opportunity
The National Book Foundation (NBF) 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. As part of the Fellowship, teachers 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 an in-person convening in New York City.
Fellows Receive: If selected as a Fellow, you will receive:
- A $3,000 stipend upon completion of the program
- A $2,000 book buying & shipping budget
- Participation in a professional learning community with other Fellows, as well as professional authors, National Book Foundation staff, and others.
- Round-trip economy airfare, two nights of hotel accommodations, and a daily travel stipend to attend the final in-person cohort meeting and the National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 celebration in May 2025 (exact date TBD; Fellows located locally in NYC or tri-state area will be provided with alternate travel accommodations, as appropriate).
Submissions Deadline: February 29, 2024
Additional Details: National Book Foundation Teacher Fellowship - National Book Foundation
Point of Contact:
National Book Foundation Presenter of the National Book Awards 90 Broad Street, Suite 604 New York, New York 10004 Phone: (212) 685-0261 nationalbook@nationalbook.org
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Oregon Response to Instruction and Intervention (ORTIi) 2024 Conference Registration is Open
The 2024 ORTIi Annual Conference registration is now open. The conference will be held at The Graduate in Eugene, OR on April 4th and 5th.
More details about the lineup of presenters will be available this month.
Scan the QR Code in the image above or click here to register.
Plan ahead now for two learning filled days on April 4th and 5th. Topics include:
- The Science of Reading
- Effective Instruction
- Multi-Tiered Systems of Support
- Leadership
- Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Supports
- District Implementation Journeys
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Science of Reading in Higher Education Summit–Save the Date
Join keynote speaker Dr. Ronda Fritz and other teacher preparation providers, on April 4, 2024, for discussion, networking, and resource sharing. Spend the afternoon gathering information to enhance the science of reading in your courses and fieldwork.
Note: This is an add-on event to the ORTIi conference.
Click here to purchase tickets.
Oregon ASCD Early Learning Conference Registration is Open
The 2024 Oregon Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Early Learning Conference is April 10-12, 2024 at the Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel. The keynote speakers include national leaders in Early Learning including Dr. Charlene Williams, Dr. Rosemarie Allen, and Dr. Rick Solomon. The goal of the 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. Click here to view more details and to register.
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Oregon Council of Teachers of English (OCTE) recognizes teacher excellence and innovation with grants and awards
Annual grants of $150-$300 are awarded to assist teachers in developing curriculum, purchasing materials, or otherwise enhancing instruction in language arts/literacy. Submit your grant application here. Grant submission deadline is February 15, and recipient decisions are named by March 15.
Any Oregon school is invited to nominate one outstanding English language arts educator for the prestigious Oregon Excellence Awards in Teaching the English Language Arts. Submit your nomination here. Nomination deadline is April 6.
The Roland Bartel scholarship is awarded to early service teachers (within the first three years of their career) to attend OCTE’s Fall or Spring Conference. Apply here prior to any conference.
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) recognizes students and teachers of English/language arts in areas of writing, teaching, and more. See NCTE Awards for a detailed list of competitions and awards including dates and requirements.
Write the World Writing Competitions for Students
Write the World helps “students develop the writing skills they need to succeed and make an impact” their world. There are seven writing competitions currently available. Check them out here.
If you have ideas for the newsletter or want to contact the ODE ELA specialists, please reach out:
Tina Roberts -- Language Arts Education Specialist
Tony Bertrand -- English Language Arts / Social Sciences Assessment Specialist
Sody Fearn -- K-2 Balanced Assessment Specialist
Sarah Thorud -- Early Language and Literacy Intervention Specialist
Mindi Helmandollar-Armatas -- PreK-3rd Grade Coordinator
Jennifer Fontana -- Multilingual and Migrant Education Specialist
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