8:15 a.m.–9:00 a.m.: Attendee check-in
9:00 a.m.: Welcome from ILA Executive Director Nicola Wedderburn and Delaware State University President Tony Allen
9:15 a.m.: Keynote from Michele Myers
9:45 a.m.: Leveraging Research to Practice Using Diverse Literature with Kia Brown-Dudley and Kenneth Kunz
In this interactive workshop, Kia Brown-Dudley and Kenneth Kunz will demonstrate how high-quality literacy resources can be leveraged in tandem with diverse literature. Participants will share practical ideas about how language and literacy skills come together when intentional planning and an understanding of research and practice are explored and woven to create a structured learning experience. As literacy leaders, connections to ILA's quality resources will be referenced throughout.
10:35 a.m.: Break
10:40 a.m.: Building Our Literacy Future: Raising Students’ Social Awareness and Developing Empathy With Literature with Aileen Hower, Lynne R. Dorfman, and Mwenyewe Dawan
How do we build a brighter future by raising our social awareness through high quality literature and conversations about critical issues? How can we explore social identities and discover how each identity contributes to family, school, and community? Using videos, discussions, and student samples, this session will reflect upon how students read, write, and discuss lessons learned from literature in exploring personal identities and social issues. The presenters will discuss literature as “windows” and “mirrors” to help illustrate that stories are powerful tools for social awareness and identity development.
11:20 a.m.: Using Think-Alouds to Promote Comprehension Growth and Independence for ALL Readers with Rachel Donnelly Lella
Teachers spend countless hours guiding students to effectively use reading comprehension strategies, but what happens when they need to select strategies independently? This interactive session will help you develop all of your students, including those who are advanced, struggling, or English learners, into independent readers who can take control of their own comprehension by learning to think about their thinking. Attendees will learn how to empower readers of all levels through think-alouds, and resources will be provided to give students the tools they need to self-select strategies while reading.
12:00 p.m.: Lunch
1:00 p.m.: Keynote from Jahsha Tabron
1:30 p.m.: Coaching as a Means of Supporting Equitable Outcomes for Students: Voices From the Field with Rita Bean, Jacy Ippolito, Lindsay Osika, Amanda Bodine, Teré Crawford, and Yvette Davenport
In order for coaching to be effective in schools, it must be aligned with content and context. It also requires collaboration and communication among all educators and leaders in the school. In this workshop, facilitators Rita Bean and Jacy Ippolito will lead a discussion on what system supports are critical for coaching success. The perspectives of multiple roles—including coaches, a principal, and teacher—will help shape an interactive discussion that highlights how to work together to develop an environment that supports equitable opportunities for students. Challenges and successes will be shared, and attendees will take part in a discussion that addresses their own dilemmas faced with developing coaching programs within their contexts.
2:20 p.m.: Break
2:25 p.m.: Keynote from Stephen Peters
2:55 p.m.: Closing