OSPI ELA Updates

Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction sent this bulletin at 09/08/2020 04:16 PM PDT

ELA Fall 2020 Updates

"'Go back?' he thought. 'No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!'"
-JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit

OSPI ELA Ongoing Programs

Dyslexia Council
K-4 Reporting and Support
Bridge to College English (BTCE)
Expository Reading and Writing i3 Grant (ERWC)
Washington Reading Corps (WRC)
Washington ELA Fellows

ELA Team

Aira Jackson ELA Director

Molly Berger ELA Specialist

Ben Everett Administrative Assistant

Maja Wilson ELA Assessment Specialist

Annie Pennell
LAP Program Supervisor

Assets-Based: Building on What we Can Do

It is easy to reminisce on the days of in-person instruction that we all took for granted and lament what we are not able to do. But focusing on what we can do, our assets, our strengths, will allow us to move through our pandemic days more productively. It may even minimize our stress. This assets approach will also help up as we work for equity in our schools. Our goal in the ELA Learning and Teaching Department at OSPI is to support you as you navigate these waters of change. Please contact us with questions and ideas. Collaboration will benefit us all.

Considerations for K-12 English Language Arts and Literacy Education during Covid

“Competencies and standards in speaking, listening, language use, reading, and writing are fundamentally interrelated and are the sustained focus of teaching and learning across all grade levels.”

Click here for the document

The Dyslexia Advisory Council is Looking for New Members

We are looking for new members to serve on the Dyslexia Advisory Council through 2022! We encourage teachers, parents of children with dyslexia, and dyslexia experts to apply. The council is also looking specifically looking for parents, educators, and experts who belong to our communities of color, including our Indigenous communities, Black communities, and Migrant communities and are working towards better outcomes for students with dyslexia to apply so that we can ensure that the council is representative of our student populations. Application and reference forms can be found here on the OSPI website:

Link: https://www.k12.wa.us/about-ospi/workgroups-committees/currently-meeting-workgroups/washington-state-dyslexia-advisory-council/about-dyslexia

Coming Events

Reading Digitally: What We Know, What We Can Do
- Join the live Zoom meeting and discussion on September 24 from 3-4 pm.
- Sign up for the asynchronous workshop for up to 10 clock hours.
- Access materials and join the conversation.
Multimedia Showcase for All Ages
- Create a multimedia showcase with your students to help them share how Coronavirus has affected them. https://coronashowcase.org/ .
Teaching ELA Virtually: Collaborating for Best Practice
- We are assembling a team of teachers to collaborate and share what they are learning about teaching ELA virtually. Their ideas and recommendations will be shared across the state. Clock hours available. Click here to register.
Washington OER Hub Information Webinar
- Learn how to use, adapt, create, and share resources through the Washington OER Commons Hub. Tuesday, September 22, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Register

In the Planning

Representing All Our Students: Evaluating Your ELA Curriculum for Racial Equity and Diverse Perspectives: We are planning a virtual workshop for ELA teams for November. Watch for details.
National Day on Writing is October 20: Click here to join the online brainstorm of ideas.
Designing Middle School Units of Study:
- Designed for teams or individuals who want to develop stronger units of study from their current curriculum or as Open Educational Resources. Starting in January. Watch newsletters for details. Contact us now with ideas or questions.
Designing High School Units of Study:
- Designed for teams or individuals who want to develop stronger units of study from their current curriculum or as Open Educational Resources. Starting in January. Watch newsletters for details. Contact us now with ideas or questions.
Digital Survival Skills Workshop from TiP (Teachers for and Informed Public)
- Join the workshop to learn about the OER curriculum and having students host a Misinfo Day event

Resources

These are resources we have noticed and plan to take a closer look. Let us know your thoughts and recommendations.

The News Literacy Project
The Distance Learning Playbook
PBS Learning Opportunities
CSTP Student Perception Project
Teaching Tolerance: Moving the Needle on Racial Equity
NCSS: 3 Steps to Civil Discourse in the Classroom (download)
Edutopia: How to Put Self-Directed Learning to Work in Your Classroom
The Warm Demander: An Equity Approach

ALL STUDENTS PREPARED FOR POST-SECONDARY PATHWAYS, CAREERS, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.

Led by State Superintendent Chris Reykdal, OSPI oversees K-12 public education in Washington state. Our mission is to provide funding, resources, tools, data and technical assistance that enable educators to ensure students succeed in our public schools, are prepared to access post-secondary training and education, and are equipped to thrive in their careers and lives.

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OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to the Equity and Civil Rights Director, P.O. Box 47200, Olympia, WA 98504-7200, 360-725-6162 (TTY: 360-664-3631), equity@k12.wa.us.