THE JOURNAL OF THE ARKANSAS READING ASSOCIATION
Reader THE
Volume 42 • Issue 1
An Affiliate of the International Literacy Association
Committing to a “Reading Makeover” Danny Brassell, Ph.D. Nothing extraordinary occurs through half-hearted measures. To be successful as a reading teacher, you need to be fully committed to your reading program. The Pope needed a heart transplant, and there was much concern throughout the Roman Catholic world. Everyone gathered outside the Vatican screaming and waving his or her hands. “Take my heart,” they would shout. “Pope, take my heart!” The Pope did not know what to do, so an idea popped into his head. He asked everyone to please be quiet for a few minutes. Then, he told all of them that he was going to throw down a feather. Whoever the feather landed on, he would take their heart for the transplant. The Pope threw the feather down upon the people. Everyone was still waving his or her hands and screaming, “Take my heart, Pope!” This time, however, they were leaning their heads back and blowing the feather back into the air. “Take my heart, Pope!” they would shout, as they blew the feather. “Take my heart!” Getting people to commit to something can be tricky business. Then, again, maybe it is as easy as persuading someone to agree with you on the tiniest point. Perhaps the optimal way to create a reading makeover is not to require every student to read 50 novels in six months; baby steps could prove more effective and longer lasting. A snowball effect can produce great rewards and contribute to the development of a commitment habit. Compared to World War II, an alarming number of American soldiers captured as prisoners of war (POWs) during the Korean War collaborated with their captors. Why? Had they been beaten? Tortured? Humiliated? Psychologists interviewed the Korean War POWs upon their return to the United States and learned that the Chinese Communists gained compliance not through brutality and intimidation but from a lenient policy: the Chinese got
Spring 2017
soldiers to comply with simple, seemingly trivial requests and built from there. For example, after speaking with a prisoner for some time, a Chinese interrogator would convince a POW to concede that the United States is not perfect. Once the soldier complied, the Chinese might smile, offer his new American “friend” a cigarette and ask him to list ways the United States was not perfect. After writing a number of ways the United States was not perfect, the POW might then be asked to sign his name to the list and read it aloud to other prisoners. When fellow American prisoners tried to debunk the POW, he would find himself portrayed as a collaborator and begin defending his position. Edgar Schein (1956), principal American investigator of the Chinese indoctrination program in Korea, observed that while only a few men were able to avoid collaboration altogether, the majority collaborated at one time or another by doing things which seemed to them trivial but which the Chinese were able to turn to their own advantage. Robert Cialdini (2009) notes how these actions were particularly effective in eliciting confessions, self-criticism, and information during interrogation. To get someone to commit to a large task, the most successful persuasion technique is to induce him or her to commit to a small task first. Psychologists Jonathan Freedman and Scott Fraser (1966) asked housewives to place a large eyesore of a sign on their front lawns, urging passers-by to keep California beautiful. Half of the chosen housewives, however, were asked to put a small unobtrusive sign in their windows first. The result? The housewives who had agreed to the smaller request were far more likely to agree to stand the large sign in their garden— even if the two requests were made by, apparently, two totally unconnected people or even if the signs were about different issues. Salespeople understand the importance of the small sale in paving the way for much larger ones down the road (known as the foot-in- the-door technique). Have you ever had your dinner interrupted by a telemarketer who asked Continued on page 11. ~ Page 1 ~
The Reader is the scholarly journal of the Arkansas Reading Association and is designed to serve as a resource for Arkansas reading teachers. Opinions expressed in articles and studies herein are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the ARA, its officers, or members. Publications Committee Editor: JimBob Turner Members: Linda Eilers, Naomi Lassen, Mary Mosley ARA Board of Directors Kaila Murphy President
Tara Derby Vice President Dorothy Pollett Past President Krista Underwood Director of Membership Jeanne Trawick ILA State Coordinator Kelly Hogan Secretary Trudy Jackson Technology Coordinator Deborah McMillan Treasurer Kacy Barden Parliamentarian Angie Betancourt Historian Rebekah Howard Student Liaison (UCA) Kathy Mascuilli Dept. of Education Liaison Julie Reardon Event Coordinator Susan Peterson Executive Secretary Tammy Gillmore Public Relations
The Arkansas Reading Association is an affiliate of the International Literacy Association. Visit us on the web at
www.arareading.org ~ Page 2 ~
BIG Ideas of Brad Herzog
I’m looking forward to appearing at the ARA Literacy Conference in November, and it might be said that both my keynote presentation and breakout session will focus on the big picture in Little Rock. I contend that the nuts and bolts of writing—grammar and organizing principles, topic sentences and supporting paragraphs, delving and proofreading—are all still secondary. Good writing begins before the first sentence is written. It starts with ideas and passion. Energize a wouldbe writer—either via a general love of subject matter or excitement over a specific notion worth pursuing—and you’ve won half that battle. In fact, that’s a focus during my school visits. (I’m available for such visits in November, by the way; see bradherzog.com.) After a fun discussion of ideageneration and the writing process, the students and I embark on a chooseyour- adventure experience in which we create a story together. The point: Don’t be intimidated by the blank page. Just make one choice at a time. Have fun with it. Be fearless. And that’s essentially what I’ll be exploring at the ARA conference. I’ve written more than 40 books in my career (for kids and adults, fiction and nonfiction, about subjects ranging from civil rights to soccer) and scores of magazine articles about everything from sportsmanship and Stephen Colbert to golf and the Grateful Dead. My home office in California is filled with filing cabinets brimming with ideas that I’d like to pursue. I wish I could write a dozen stories at a time. The ideas keep me motivated. My keynote talk is called “Catching Creative Ideas.” It’s an extended version of a popular TedX talk I gave a few years ago. I offer tips for, as I put, turning the mundane into the miraculous: Wonder out loud, counter-conventional wisdom, find the real story, participate. I discuss myriad subjects that I’ve mined: the Nike swoosh, the Gerber baby, Olympic medalists, Captain Kirk, the Chicago Cubs, The Odyssey, even professional miniature golf. My breakout session is called “Hemingway was a Sportswriter.” Essentially, it’s a personal, philosophical, and historical overview of the possibilities of turning a child’s passion for sports into a love of reading and writing. I’m Exhibit A. My talk examines sports as a motivator, as a way to understand narrative flow, and as a means of finding commonality with reluctant readers. My first ever published story—for my high school newspaper—was about my one-game stint as a big league bat boy. I later worked as a sportswriter and contributed to Sports Illustrated. I’ve since published about three-dozen books about sports but also others about profound concepts regarding U.S. history and social justice and travels through the nooks and crannies of the nation. Early on, I decided I didn’t actually want to be John Q. Sportswriter. I wanted to be John Steinbeck. I have a feeling I’m somewhere in between. But either one is eminently valid. That kid who seems to prioritize the Razorbacks over reading? That’s okay. Use it. He may eventually Nov. 16-17, 2017 travel a similar road.
Brad Herzog ARA Literacy Conference
Speaker
Check out the updated ARA website at arareading.org
Students as Critical Thinkers: Engagement Remains the Key By Jane Feber Life is not full of multiple-choice questions. Therefore, we must encourage our students to think critically. And not only must they learn to think, they must also show that they comprehend. They must be able to analyze and synthesize. One of my favorite projects to engage my students is having them create Commemorative Stamps. As a language arts teacher, I am also a content area teacher. My students not only read fiction; they also read a wide variety of nonfiction. We read multiple articles on woman’s suffrage, Farewell to Manzanar about Japanese Internment, The Watsons Go to Birmingham which takes place during the Civil Rights Movement, Chains set during the American Revolution, and “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh” set during the Civil War. Before reading, students do a webquest to obtain background knowledge. Students must each locate one fact about the topic being studied. They search the Internet and nonfiction resources to locate their facts. Once one fact is displayed, no other student can post that fact. After
reading, the students’ task is to create a set of three to four Commemorative Stamps highlighting people and events of the time period being studied. Students must illustrate each stamp and write a brief description of the significance of the event or the contribution of the person involved. Stamps are then displayed on a piece of poster board labeled with the subject, i.e. Civil War Commemorative Stamps. A grading rubric is distributed to the students before beginning this project so that they know their expectations in advance. Engagement is an important factor in achievement. No matter how well organized the lesson is, students learn best when engaged. Student engagement makes learning personally meaningful. Students’ level of interest becomes peaked. Research shows that students who are engaged have a profound grasp of what they learn, retain what they learn, and can transfer what they learn to new Nov. 16-17, 2017 contexts. Student engagement fosters student learning. Creating Commemorative Stamps engages students in the learning process.
Jane Feber
ARA Literacy Conference
Speaker
Jane Feber - janefeber@hotmail.com - www.thebetterteacher.com
ARA Hosts Book Club: Still Time to JOIN!
Authors Amanda Mayeaux and Monique Wild met with book club members during the months of April and May to assist in facilitating discussion centered around their professional development book Teamwork: Setting the Standard for Collaborative Teaching, Grades 5-9. Thank you, Amanda and Monique!
During the month of June, book club members will meet online with Jewel Parker Rhodes, author of both adult, middle grade, and children’s books, to discuss her novel Towers Falling, which has been named one of the best books by Seventeen magazine. Using the same format as the first book, book club members will meet on Monday evenings from 7-8 PM with Jewel Parker Rhodes in a closed Facebook group. To purchase your copy of this novel, please go to Amazon.com. ARA will offer up to three hours of professional development credit. ARA asks that a participant add a minimum of two comments during each session. A PDF of a letter of completion documenting PD hours will be emailed at the conclusion of the book study. Also, make plans now to attend the ARA Literacy Conference in Little Rock this fall, November 16-17. All book authors will be at the conference and are making plans to spend time with book clubbers.
September’s book is The Reading Makeover by author Danny Brassell, who will be the keynote speaker at this fall’s conference. First meeting is scheduled for September 18 with Brassell meeting via Facebook Live with participants. The book club will meet every two weeks for three futher meetings to discuss The Reading Makeover.
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Memo To: Educators Everywhere From: Department of Authentic Reading Evaluation Date: Spring of Any School Year
TSR Strand/Substrand
Purpose
1. Reader Initiative. 1.1 Love of books and reading 1.2 Authentic purpose for reading
This strand measures the degree to which readers have developed an authentic desire to read for both pleasure and information. Note: Prodding, prompting, points, prizes, punishments, and other types of external stimulus are not allowed during the TSR.
2. Reading Identity. 2.1 Knowledge of self as reader 2.2 Articulation of reader preferences
This strand measure the degree to which reachers have developed awareness of and can articulate to others (librarians, friends, family, browser searches, etc.) their interests. Note: Proficiency in Strand 2 is typically a prerequisite to success with book finding in Strand 4.
We wish to begin by thanking you for all of your efforts on behalf 3. Reader Habits This strand measures the degree to which of young readers 3.1 Commitment to find readers have developed the stamina, comduring the past time and space for reading. mitment, and personal habits that will result in consistent high volume independent read3.2 Amount of time spent school year. reading ing throughout the summer months. As you know, a critical literacy 4. Book Finding This strand measures a student’s ability to Kari Yates find appropriate and engaging texts without 4.1 Skill for selection of assessment, the good-fit books (CAN and the scaffolding of a teacher. Note: Strand TSR (Test of Summer Reading), is just 4 can challenge even the most committed WANT to read) around the corner. The TSR is required 4.2 Resourcefulness in locating readers. Schools may choose to put plans in of all students in every grade, school, place to assist students with Substrand 4.2. book sources within the and state each summer. For specific Additional guidance is provided in isolated community information about the date and time Readers section below. that your TSR window will open, please consult your school district calendar. Window lengths vary by state and district. The purpose of the TSR is to determine whether the instruction provided during the school year has equipped students to maintain authentic reading lives during the summer break. It is our hope that this year’s gradual and intentional release of responsibility has left your students inspired and equipped to keep reading throughout the summer. Preparing students to carry on as independent and agentive readers outside of the school setting is, of course, the ultimate goal of reading instruction. The TSR is comprised of the four strands and 8 sub-strands shown in the table below. The following section of this memo highlights some categories of students who are particularly vulnerable as summer readers. Even though time may be very limited before the summer assessment window begins, it is urgent that you to do whatever you are able to prepare these students for success on the TSR: Dependent readers – Dependent readers are at high risk of not meeting proficiency on the TSR, since they have not developed high levels of agency and independence as readers. Although these readers generally comply with the reading requests of their teachers during the school year, their struggles on the TSR are attributable to a lack of initiative, intention, and/or desire as readers. They tend to be dependent on school structures, leveled book baskets, teacher prompting, reminders, points, prizes, comprehension quizzes, and other teacher controlled measures in order to carry on as readers. They read because we ask them to, but rarely because it is something they choose. Emergent readers – It is important to note that proficiency on TSR does not require students in early stages of reading development process every word in the texts they encounter during the summer months. These readers can also accumulate points toward the TSR in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to: • rereading predictable texts multiple times • using their developing oral story language to “read the pictures” • retelling familiar stories using books as a scaffold • studying visual features in informational texts • listening to texts read aloud by more proficient readers (parents, care providers, siblings, friends, relatives, and audio recordings are all on the list of approved read aloud facilitators for Nov. 16-17, 2017 supporting TSR success.)
Kari Yates
ARA Literacy Conference
Speaker
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Member IDs Needed to Register as Member for 2017 Conference Discount
Individuals who are members of ARA receive a discount on the cost of the ARA conference registration. Beginning this year, anyone who registers for the conference as a member will have to provide their member ID on the registration form. To locate your 8-digit User ID, click on your icon in the upper right corner and click “View Profile.” The User ID listed there is your ARA Membership number.
ARA / ILA Reorganization
Arkansas Reading Association has taken the steps to formally begin the process of obtaining their new ILA charter. At Summer Leadership on July 21-22, the ARA Delegates Assembly will adopt a new name change, to include the word literacy. Councils will receive information soon.
Attending ILA?
ARA members attending ILA Convention in Orlando should contact ILA Coordinator Jeanne Trawick, who is planning a “Meet and Greet” for Arkansas members. Email Jeanne@arareading.org, and she will send you information!
What I’m Looking for During Research By Carla Killough McClafferty I have to really love research to write the type of nonfiction books I do. It is sort of like looking for a single needle in a haystack. Except I don’t know what sort of needle I’m looking for, and I don’t know where the haystacks are. I enjoy the challenge of the search for the right details I can use to weave facts into a book that is original, informative, and entertaining. Let me give you an example from my upcoming book titled Buried Lives (Holiday House) about George Washington and his enslaved people. I’m writing about the lives of a handful of specific people. I’ve done a lot of research into the lives of these people. I know their families, what sort of work they did, and their life stories. When I was doing research at Mount Vernon, I needed to see material relating to what happened to the enslaved people after the deaths of George and Martha Washington. In the amazing Fred W. Smith Library for the Study of George Washington, I was allowed to see rare collections that are not digitized. Finally, I got to see the original handwritten document I needed to see. I stared at the document written more than 200 years ago. I wasn’t prepared for the impact it would have on me. Beside the names of each of the enslaved people– the enslaved people that I’d come to know and lovewere their monetary values. I wept. It changed everything. This was the needle in the haystack I didn’t know I was looking for.
Kari Yates
ARA Literacy Conference
Carla Killough McClafferty grew up in Tomberlin, Arkansas. She has three children, Ryan, Brittney, and the late Corey McClafferty. She had never written until the death of her youngest son Corey. Today, Carla is a freelance author and speaker, who hopes readers of her books will be entertained, informed, and inspired.
Speaker Nov. 16-17, 2017
Memo (continued)...from Kari Yates
Isolated readers – Although readers at all ranges of reading proficiency can encounter difficulty in the Book Finding strand, some may be more isolated from sources of high-quality texts during the summer months, due to economic/ geographic factors. • Important Note: Your school team may consider special accommodations for these students in order to facilitate access during the summer testing window. These accommodations may include, but are not limited to, book giveaways, extended hours for school libraries, transportation to public libraries, access to books at parks and recreation sites, internet, Little Free libraries, garage sales, exchanges with friends and neighbors, book stores, etc. Although we understand that your students have already participated in many assessments this year, your vigilance in preparing for this final assessment is imperative. Because the skills assessed on the TSR are so vital, students who fail to achieve a passing score will be required to forfeit 2-3 months of progress in the coming school year. This penalty is often referred to as the Summer Slide. The resources below will help you to better understand the Summer Slide and how to prevent your students from experiencing this detrimental learning loss. We wish to thank you in advance for your commitment and creativity in preparing students for success with the TSR. Results will be available as students return to school in the fall. Throughout Yates’ 30+ years in education, she has worked as a classroom teacher, special education teacher, Reading Recovery teacher, elementary principal, and c urriculum and staff development specialist in literacy. Yates blogs at http://simplyinspiredteaching.com. ~ Page 5 ~
When Answers Don’t Come By Jonathan Friesen
I remember precious little of my seventh grade year. What memories I have of school echo from the tiny nurse’s office, where I would lie, both preseizure and post-seizure, and wish that I was someone else. I counted the holes on the ceiling tiles and waited for the next seizure to take me. And during one such wait, I rolled over and asked the nurse: “When is this going to go away?” “I don’t know, Jonathan,” she said softly. “I just don’t know.” And all that truth made me feel good, as if maybe I wasn’t the only clueless person in the world. Maybe everybody else didn’t have life figured out. My journey as a writer has been a strange one, filled with ups and downs and books that soar and others that should soar but never catch wind. But always – always – I try to write life as I see it. Complicated. I just read a review for Unfolding. I loved it. Kind of. “From Schneider award-winning author Jonathan Friesen…” “Overflowing with atmosphere and mystery.” And then a u-turn: “Many questions are never answered.” The heart of this reviewer’s complaint: a story with too many questions and not enough answers. Darn right. I sometimes wonder what an uncomplicated life feels like. I guess I don’t know. My family relationships? Complicated. My children? Complicated.
Health? Complicated. Where I am versus where I thought I’d be at this age? Complicated. And when I visit teens, that’s what I see. Complicated relationships and lives of longing. Hopes drowning in fears and fears with no names. Physical and mental struggles that come not in ones but in bunches. Friends that come. Friends that go. I see complicated. And many unanswered questions. So, I guess I don’t mind reviews that wish for order and an ending that ties up every string. They remind me that I’m writing for a world that wants the boy to get the girl. That wants a simple lesson to be learned. The young adult world for which I write dislikes messy. Oh, disordered lives are fine for a spell, but order needs to prevail in the end. I guess the problem is that most people I know look around their lives and Nov. 16-17, 2017 echo my junior high nurse. Unfolding, my latest novel, is for all of you who find yourself shaking your head and saying, “I just don’t know.” Well, I don’t either. Maybe we can rest in each others’ questioning, because there is a strange comfort in collective cluelessness. I don’t like it, but it’s the truth. Many questions are never answered.
LITERACY CONFERENCE NOVEMBER 16-17, 2017 LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS
Literacy Conference Housing Information The Little Rock Marriott will once again serve as host hotel to the upcoming Arkansas Reading Association Literacy Conference. Reservations may be made by calling before November 1: 1-877759-6290. Overnight parking charges, taxes and fees are additional.
Jonathan Friesen ARA Literacy Conference
Speaker
Access Conference Information arareading.org
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ARKANSAS READING ASSOCIATION 45th ANNUAL
REGISTRATION FORM MAIL to ARA c/o Little Rock Convention Bureau P.O. Box 207 Little Rock, AR 72203-0207 OR Online (credit card only) at www.arareading.org OR Fax to 501-376-4143
PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE First Name:____________________________________________ Last Name: ____________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________ City: _________________________________________________
Registration questions? 501-370-3237 Group discounts (10+)? 501-908-4461 ARA 8-Digit User ID # Here: ____________________________ (if using ARA member rates)
To join ARA or to verify membership, visit arareading.org, call 501 940-1172, or email Krista@arareading.org (Note: ILA membership does not include ARA membership.) Bundled Registration
State: ______________________________ Zip: ______________
____ARA Member - $225
County: ______________________________________________
Phone: _______________________________________________ Email: ________________________________________________
Bundled registration includes three meals: Thursday Continental Breakfast Choice of Thursday Luncheon AND Friday Literacy Luncheon with Louis Sachar
Registration Only ____ ARA Member - $175
The Little Rock Marriott* - $159.00
*Convention Hotel – Prices are subject to additional fees and/or state and local taxes (currently 13% in Little Rock).
Join Us!
Exhibit Hall Extravaganza Thursday, Nov. 16 4:00 - 6:00 PM
Door Prizes Author Autographing Meet Louis Sachar Book Club Meet and Greet Gifts and Prizes Wine and Cheese Games and Much More!
PAYMENT TYPE: (For consumer protection, credit card registration will be accepted online or on-site only. Please visit www.arareading.org to pay by credit card using the online registration form.)
Individual Meals
Check #: _____________ P.O. #: ________________________
Payment made by ____ Individual ____ School or Institution (Complete Information Below) SCHOOL OR INSTITUTION BILLING INFORMATION: School/Business Email: _______________________________ __________________________________________________
OR ____Non-Member - $250
OR ____ Non-member - $200
_____ Thursday Luncheon: $25
Circle ONE:
A. Pam Allyn - 7 Strengths to Open a World of Possible: Reading, Writing and learning in the New Era B. Sara Holbrook - The Teacher as Patriot C. Jewell Parker Rhodes - Bearing Witness: Literacy, Diversity & Character-Driven Fiction
_____ Friday Luncheon with Louis Sachar: $35 undled registration and meals are available only through November 6th.
$___________ Total Paid $ __________
$25 late registration fee after November 1.
School/Institution: __________________________________ __________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________ City/State/Zip: ______________________________________ Phone: ____________________________________________ Contact Name:______________________________________ Check here if you require special aids or services under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Please register prior to October 31 to allow time to arrange services.
Cancellations must be received by November 1 by emailing pnagel@littlerock.com. There is a $25 processing charge on all refunds.
Student Registration: Full-time students may register for 1/2 registration cost by mailing in the registration form with proof of current enrollment.
Conference Hotel Little Rock Marriott - $159.00 plus additional taxes and parking fees. Call 1-877-759-6290 before November 1 for reservations.
IMPORTANT – BRING YOUR REGISTRATION CONFIRMATION TO THE CONFERENCE!
Registration information will be sent from littlerock.com. Please be watching for it or unblock spam filters to allow receipt. ~ Page 7~
To Encourage the Students of Arkansas to Read
Danny Brassell Author/Speaker ARA Conf. Keynote Speaker
ADE’s RISE Initiative encourages school districts to begin local reading campaigns. Participation in the Charlie May Simon and AR Diamond Primary Book Awards is a great way to meet this objective.
The Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award’s purpose is to encourage reading in grades K-3.
The Charlie May Simon Book Award’s purpose is to promote reading in grades 4-6.
The Arkansas Department of Education (ADE), the Arkansas State Library (ASL) and the Arkansas Reading Association (ARA) sponsor the annual selection process for books to receive these awards. Student voting occurs annually in April. School totals were submitted online between April 24-May 5. More Information about these awards, ballots, and tabulation sheets may be found at http://www.library.arkansas.gov/landing-page/index/childrens-services. Students should read at least three books. Lower-level students may listen to three books and vote. Many teachers in grades 4-6 read aloud one of the Charlie May Simon books to their classes. Students then can read two books independently and are eligible to vote. The winning authors and illustrators are honored during ARA’s Literacy Conference in November. Resources are available on ARA's web page (http://www.arareading.org/AR-Book-Awards). Located on the website is a video message from Jim Tobin and Dave Coverly about The Very Inappropriate Word, the 2016 Diamond Honor Book, and a letter from Sharon Creech regarding The Boy on the Porch, the 2016 Charlie May Simon Award Book. Also located on the website are bookmark files with each reading list that can be printed and distributed to students. An overview of all the books on both lists can be downloaded and used for quick information on the books and authors.
Marriot/Statehouse Convention Center
Tentative Schedule Pam Allyn Author/Speaker
Wednesday, Nov. 15
5:00 - 8:00 PM - Registration
Thursday, Nov. 16 7:30-8:30 8:00-8:30
Jane Feber Author/Speaker
Reading Initiative for Student Excellence R.I.S.E. (Reading Initiative for Student Excellence) Arkansas encourages a culture of reading by coordinating a statewide reading campaign with community partners, parents, and teachers to establish the importance of reading in homes, schools, and communities. Visit the ADE Website for a variety of resources to assist parents with reading at home and to increase the depth of knowledge for teachers. http://www.arkansased.gov/divisions/learning-services/r.i.s.e.-arkansas
Registration and Breakfast Children’s Author Mini Sessions 8:45-10:00 Keynote - Danny Brassell 10:00 Exhibit Hall Opens 10:15-12:30 Breakout Sessions 12:45-1:45 Literacy Luncheons 12:45-4:15 Breakout Sessions 3:15-4:45 Symposium 4:15-6:00 Exhibit Extravaganza
Friday, Nov. 17
Jonathan Friesen Author/Speaker
7:45-9:00 8:00-10:00 8:30-9:30 9:45-10:45 11:00-1:15 1:15-3:00
Arkansas Diamond Charlie May Simon
Arkansas Reading Association Membership
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Delegates Assembly Exhibit Hall Breakout Sessions Mini Keynotes Breakout Sessions Children’s Book Awards & Author Luncheon
www.arareading.org
$20 Includes State and Local Council Dues
Student: $24 • Basic: $39 with Journal: $69
Registration Forms ____
ARA membership is now easily renewed online!
Members should update their information and profile by logging in at arareading.org. Your ARA member number is now listed on your mailing label.
Jewell Parker Rhodes Author/Speaker Towers Falling
Louis Sachar Author Holes
ARA Website
www.reading.org 800.336.7323
Renew Now!
Darcy Pattison Author/Speaker
Now Available on
www.arareading.org 866.930.7323
For details, contact Krista Underwood at krista@arareading.org
Go here for more information https://arareading.org/ AR-Book-Awards
Brad Herzog Author/Speaker
International Literacy Association Membership
For information about starting a reading council in your area, contact Krista Underwood at krista@arareading.org.
Carla McClafferty Author/Speaker
Sara Holbrook Author/Speaker
Membership Info
Amanda Mayeaux Author/Speaker Teamwork
Monique Wild Author/Speaker Teamwork
Kari Yates Author/Speaker ~ Page 9 ~
Call for Manuscripts for ARA’s The Reader Guidelines The Reader is the scholarly journal of the Arkansas Reading Association. It is designed to serve as a resource for all Arkansas reading teachers. The Editors are looking for manuscripts that take as their topic issues relating to literacy in primary through secondary education. It is the hope of the editorial board that reports of quality research and practice will be published from schools within the state of Arkansas and the nation. Submitted manuscripts might take the form of (but are not strictly limited to) original empirical articles, theoretical analyses, literature reviews, and reports of successful practices in education. Each issue of The Reader features emerging research of special interest to Arkansas reading teachers. Abstracts of Action Research Studies conducted by students at Arkansas universities are also considered. Full text articles may be found here: http://arareading.org/The-Reader. Manuscript Submissions Authors should follow the guidelines in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (current ed.) when preparing manuscripts. Manuscripts cannot exceed 1800 words, including references, tables, and figures. In addition to email addresses, web site address, and fax numbers if available, authors should include physical addresses and telephone numbers as well. Authors should also list two to five key words to identify the contents of their paper. Submit manuscripts in Microsoft Word format, via email to the address below: ~ Page 10 ~
JimBob Turner, Editor jturner@batesvilleschools.org
Focus on Research Full text versions of these action research studies can be found at http://arareading.org/The-Reader
Making Room for Collaboration and Teacher Research in Professional Learning Communities
Joy Myers James Madison University Amy M. Vetter Univ. of North Carolina Greensboro Over five months, six middle school teachers gathered together every other week to participate in a “teacher research” professional learning community (TR PLC). As the facilitators of the TR PLC, we witnessed how this group of teachers, over time, began to see themselves and their teaching differently as a result of engaging socially with each other and conducting teacher research. One participant, Ben (all names are pseudonyms), an English Language Arts teacher, shared in an interview that, for the first time, he felt there was “room” for him to collaborate with his colleagues as an equal since they were all learning about teacher research together. For him, the TR PLC created a social space where the distinctions among novice and veteran teachers were lessened. Ben is not alone in his experience
in a TR PLC. In fact, Sagor (2009) argues PLCs are the perfect place to support school-wide teacher research initiatives. When joined together, teacher research and PLCs have been known to foster teacher change by developing professional learning groups that examine relevant tensions about teaching and learning in the classroom (Lankshear & Knobel, 2004; Poetter, Badiali & Hammond, 2000). In TR PLCs teachers engage in problem solving and seek out alternative viewpoints from other practitioners (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2009). Such inquiry allows teachers an opportunity to make their knowledge about learning visible to themselves and others. Read more on the ARA website.
ALTE meets yearly during the
ARA Literacy Conference.
Join us!
ALTE
ARKANSAS LITERACY TEACHER EDUCATORS A special interest group of the Arkansas Reading Association, this group offers a forum for graduate and undergraduate students to present research or class projects at the annual Arkansas Literacy Conference.
Anyone interested in specifically supporting literacy teacher education or literacy in general is encouraged to join. Please contact Linda H. Eilers (leilers@uark.edu ) or Shoudong Feng (SFeng@uca.edu).
Louis Sachar
Danny Brassell
Jewell Parker Rhodes
Arkansas Reading Association proudly brings these authors to the 45th Annual Literacy Conference - November 16-17, 2017 - Little Rock - Marriott Hotel
Committing to a “Reading Makeover”...by Danny Brassell Continued from page 1... you a series of innocuous questions that you inadvertently agreed with before finding yourself cornered? Salespeople understand that when a person says “yes” to even the tiniest purchase that person is no longer a prospective customer: he or she is a customer. Put another way: if you’re serious about making over your reading environment, think about your bacon and eggs for breakfast. The chicken was involved in making the eggs for your breakfast, but it was the pig who was truly committed in giving you bacon! Think about your reading program and how you could create a “reading makeover.” Do you think you could take some simple actions? Do you think these actions would benefit your students? Would you agree that these simple actions could lead to a significant impact on students’ reading attitudes and aptitudes? Would you agree that this idea is so profound, that you should insist on investing in a copy of Danny’s book The Reading Makeover to give to every teacher and parent in the Free World? You see, it is usually little things – not big ones – that lead to the biggest results.
Danny Brassell
ARA Literacy Conference
Keynote Speaker
Nov. 16-17, 2017 References: Cialdini, Robert. 2009. Influence: Science and Practice. Boston, MA: Pearson Education. Freedman, Jonathan, and Scott Fraser. 1966. “Compliance Without Pressure: The Foot-in- the- Door Technique.” Personality and Social Psychology 4: 195–202. Schein, Edgar H. 1956. “The Chinese Indoctrination Program for Prisoners of War: A Study of Attempted Brainwashing.” Psychiatry 19(2): 149–172. *This article is an excerpt from Brassell, Danny, and Mike McQueen. 2016. The Reading Makeover. Huntington Beach, CA: Shell Education. Biography: Affectionately known as “Jim Carrey with a Ph.D.,” Dr. Danny Brassell (www.dannybrassell.com) has held a variety of titles and worked with leaders from a variety of fields and disciplines, but he has always considered himself first and foremost a teacher. He is a best-selling author of 15 books, including Read, Lead, Succeed and The Reading Makeover, based on his popular TEDx talk. A gregarious, sought-after author, speaker and business consultant, Danny is a recognized authority on leadership development, reading, motivation and communication skills. His mission is to bring joy back into education. Thousands, from school districts to association conferences, have enjoyed his energetic, interactive and informative presentations. He has spoken to over 2,000 different audiences worldwide, and since 2003 his website www.lazyreaders.com has been ranked as Google’s #1 online book club for cool, short book recommendations.
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Reasons to Attend Arkansas’ Premiere Literacy Conference:
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1. Purchase latest book releases and products 2. Receive Professional Development Hours 3. Learn ways to impact your literacy instruction 4. Network with professionals from across the state and nation 5. Meet favorite children’s, young adult, and professional development authors
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