December 10, 2015
LEHE Faculty attend National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention
The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) held its annual convention November 19-22, 2015 in Minneapolis, MN. With a membership of over 30,000, NCTE represents the entire range of individuals involved in fostering literacy skills of students from pre-school through doctoral programs. Convention attendees mirrored the diversity of the membership and included PK-12 classroom teachers, administrators, teacher educators, researchers, and other policy makers. This year’s convention featured over 600 concurrent sessions that focused on timely topics critical to effective instruction and the future of English Language Arts (ELA). Hundreds of vendors provided access to the most recent ELA publications and authors of children and young adult literature were present to discuss and sign their works.
English Education Associate Professor, Dr. Sharilyn Steadman, presented “Effectively Developing Expertise: Using Video to Hone Teacher Candidates’ Classroom Observation Skills.” The session focused on the use of classroom videos in ENED 2123 and the observation skills that English Education teacher candidates develop as they observe, analyze, and discuss these videos before observing “live” classrooms. The teacher candidates’ abilities to transfer those observation skills from videos to classroom interactions was the highlight of the presentation.
Literacy Studies faculty member, Dr. Christy Howard presented “Strategies for Engaging Students in Content Area Literacy: A Look at Reading/Writing Connections in Social Studies.” This session focused on the role of content area literacy in classrooms. Specifically, Dr. Howard discussed how middle school teachers participating in the study used a variety of texts and strategies to engage students in social studies content with literacy activities. Strategies presented in the session represented an integration of literacy, history and technology across a range of topics.
Dr. Caitlin Ryan, also from the Literacy Studies program presented “Reading Jacqueline Woodson in Upper Elementary and Middle Grades Classrooms: Exploring LGBTQ Topics Through Her Novels and Picture Books”. This session considered the books of award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson as one way to make classrooms more inclusive of LGBTQ topics. Using lesson examples and student work samples from two 5th grade teachers’ classrooms, one of whom was a co-presenter of the session; presenters discussed ways to teach Woodson’s LGBT-inclusive books and ways to approach LGBT experiences indirectly through her books that address difference more generally. They also explored how Woodson’s diverse characters can help readers understand ideas of intersectionality, or how characters have race AND class AND gender and other identities all at the same time.
Dr. Ryan also met with the LGBT Advisory Council, where she serves as a representative, and wrapped up her final term as NCTE’s GSEA (Gay/Straight Educators’ Alliance) chair. Dr. Ryan stepped down after leading that group for the past 5 years.
Image Caption: Dr. Caitlin Ryan and co-presenter/co-author, Jill Hermann-Wilmarth of Western Michigan University, at the GSEA table where they advertised GSEA-related sessions, displayed LGBTQ-inclusive literature, and encouraged people to become GSEA members