WSRA Continues to Achieve High Standards as an IRA State Council Submitted by Jan Weinhold, 2012 – 2013 WSRA Past President
I WSRAU p d a t e V O L.
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NO.1 OCTOBER
2014
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WSRA Continues to Achieve High Standards as an IRA State Council
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Calling All-Stars!
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In Memory: Tribute to Lisa Weidmann
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RtI Mythbuster: Who is the SLD rule for?
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2015 Convention News: Institutes Offer Deeper Learning
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Taking Another Look at Listening
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Regie Routman:Breakthrough Strategies for Schoolwide Literacy Success
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Wired Wednesday Webinars
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Jeff Zwiers: Strengthening Oral Language, Listening, and Interaction Across Disciplines
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Schedule of Reading Council Events for FALL and WINTER
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WSRA Membership Application
RA has again presented the Wisconsin State Reading Association the Award of Excellence for 2012-2013. This award is presented annually by the International Reading Association to state associations that have distinguished themselves through organizing and implementing a wide range of programs and activities in their state that (a) serve and support councils and members, (b) contribute to education, and (c) coincide with and support the programs and goals of the Association. To be eligible to qualify, all reported officers of the state council must be members of the International Reading Association. Documented evidence showing how the state council has excelled in the three areas specified above must be submitted to IRA Headquarters. According to IRA headquarters, this award has been presented to WSRA twenty times. Our state continues to be one of the most consistently recognized states in the nation! Congratulations to all. This award, presented at the 2014 Convention, recognized the accomplishments of the previous year’s President Jan Weinhold. This is definitely a team award and would not be possible without the leadership, dedication and commitment of the entire WSRA Leadership team.
Calling All-Stars! Submitted by Nancy Walsh-Boeder, WSRA Awards Committee Chairperson
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he Wisconsin State Reading Association Awards and Honors committee is seeking nominations for the 2014-15 Awards and Honors to be presented at the 2015 WSRA Convention. You will find descriptions of all the awards and the nomination papers on the WSRA website. (www.wsra.org) We are accepting nominations for the following awards: • Outstanding Service Award • Outstanding Administrators Award • Celebrate Literacy Award (individual) • Celebrate Literacy Award (organization) • Council Recognition Award • Friends of Literacy Honor Roll
• Leadership in Literacy Technology Award • Pat Bricker Memorial Research Award • Student Scholarship Award • President's Award • Exemplary Reading Program Award • Outstanding Legislator Award
Please consider submitting a nomination by the November 1st deadline to: Nancy Walsh-Boeder, 6207 Forest Ridge Ct., McFarland, WI 53558 Nwalshboeder@charter.net The WSRA Stars will be honored at the convention on Thursday, February 5, 2015.
Who We Are The Wisconsin State Reading Association provides leadership, advocacy, and professioinal learning for the implementatioin of effective literacy practices, recognizing the complex nature of literacy and engaging students to apply their literacies in meaningful ways in a changing world. WSRA UPDATE Editor Judy Hartl WSRA OFFICERS President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathy Galvin President Elect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sue Boquist 1st Vice President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barb Novak 2nd Vice President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gale Gerharz 3rd Vice President . . . . . . . . . . . . Deborah Cromer Recording Secretary . . . . . . . . . . Nicole Horsley Coordinating Secretary . . . . Donna Scheidegger Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sandy Benton IRA State Coordinator . . . . . . . . Norm Andrews Committee Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . Deb Zarling Past President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joyce Uglow Zone Coordinator . . . . . . . . . Barbara Townsend Zone Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . Diane Jenquin Zone Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . Judy Ellickson Zone Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jan Kienbaum Zone Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . Colleen Konicek ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Sue Bradley N7902 E. Friesland Road Randolph, WI 53956 (920) 326-6280 wsra@wsra.org UPDATE DEADLINES The newsletter will be published in September, November, January, February, March, May, and June. Submissions for each issue must be received by the 15th of the month preceding publication.
In Memory: A Tribute to Lisa Weidmann Submitted by Dr. Michael P. Ford
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ike many others, I was surprised to hear the news this summer of the death of Lisa Weidmann—even more so when I heard it came during her third battle with cancer. I didn’t even know Lisa was sick. In many ways that exemplifies the type of life Lisa led. She never wanted the spotlight and rarely sought attention for herself. She found a more comfortable role working behind the scenes to advocate for what was best for students, educators and schools. As one former WSRA President said, “She was never properly recognized for her contributions to education, to the field of reading and that was her choice.” Lisa Weidmann was the lifelong champion of progressive literacy practices in the northern woods. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at UW Madison during the golden age of Otto, Barrett and Johnson. She found a home with the Rhinelander School District where she eventually became their long-time reading specialist. Because of her strong voice, Lisa was often invited to represent the northern tier on statewide committees, task forces and advisory councils. My friendship with Lisa grew when we both served on the advisory council for the Into the Book/Behind the Lesson—the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board’s series for stuLisa Weidmann dents and teachers. Lisa shaped the final product with her practical insights and ideas. I learned quickly to try to grab a chair next to Lisa knowing her dry sense of humor, quick wit and side comments would keep me entertained during the long meetings. Lisa provided endless leadership and support to the Headwaters Reading Council. Our friendship continued to grow as we crossed paths there during my annual trips to the northern woods to speak at their local council meetings. Lisa was a talented piano player. In fact you might remember her from the early years when she played for the WSRA awards ceremonies featuring Nancy Walsh-Boeder and myself. We joked about someday having her accompany me when I sang my song parodies. The joke became reality. We convinced the Headwaters Reading Council to hold their meetings at sites that had a piano. I would show up at Lisa’s house early enough to rehearse our numbers for performance later. We laughed about the time we had to pull an old dusty piano out of storage and roll it through the Pizza Haven Restaurant to get it into the meeting room. We probably peaked when I leaned against a baby grand piano Lisa was playing in the central dining room of the Holiday Acre’s Restaurant entertaining not only council members but the rest of the guests dining in the room. In retirement, Lisa coordinated and organized the Midwest workshops and speaking engagement of Dick Allington. Her voice will be featured in his newest book. Even at the end of her life, she was working to get critical messages about literacy practices into the heads of educators. It is sad when a strong voice in the literacy community goes silent, but we can carry their messages forward. Let’s build on the body of work they leave behind to honor their legacies and enhance ours.
All newsletter materials should be sent to: Judy Hartl, editor WSRA Update wsraupdate@gmail.com N5983 Moehn Road, Hilbert, WI 54129 WSRA WEBSITE www.wsra.org
Next Update Issue:
Twitter? Yes You Can! Using Twitter as a Professional Learning Network by Suzanne Porath
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Volume 27
Number 1
October 2014
RtI Mythbuster: Who is the SLD rule for? What about children who need ongoing support to be successful? Submitted by Kathy Champeau and Deb Zarling, WSRA ESEA/RtI/Assessment Task Force
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nswer: The SLD rule is only intended for those students who are suspected of having a specific learning disability. Not every student who is receiving reading support from a licensed reading teacher or reading specialist is a candidate for being identified as a student with specific learning disabilities. There are many factors which impact children’s slow progress in reading including instruction not matched to their needs and exclusionary factors such as emotional disabilities and limited English proficiency. Some children who receive what is considered today as intensive intervention receive that intervention to accelerate them to grade level expectations. There may be other students within a K-12 system who have difficulties for a variety of reasons and may benefit from a RtI system of support. However, these students are not subject to the requirements of the SLD rule. If a student requires reading support beyond what the classroom teacher can provide, Wisconsin requires that the individual providing intervention be a licensed reading teacher and/or reading specialist. This is true for all students who struggle in reading, not just those who are suspected of having a specific learning disability in reading. For example, some students entering kindergarten with few literacy concepts and skills may need support from a
qualified professional, such as a reading teacher or reading specialist; however, the interventions provided for these students would not need to meet the requirements of the SLD rule, including those requirements related to interventions and progress monitoring. Rather, these students would be subject to the requirements of Wisconsin Standard C which is the rule governing remedial reading services for K-4 students. Likewise, some students may need additional support as they move into upper elementary or middle school because of the increased demands relating to comprehension and vocabulary. These students might also need support from a licensed reading teacher or reading specialist. It is important to note that each child should be considered individually to determine which students might be suspected of having a specific learning disability while reviewing many of the factors contributing to a student’s lack of progress. To over generalize that every child receiving reading support from a reading teacher and/or reading specialist within a multi-layered system of support is a candidate for SLD disregards these important factors. Wisconsin Standard C: http://commoncore.dpi.wi.gov/remedial-reading-wisconsin-state-statute-standard-c
2015 Convention News: Institutes Offer Deeper Learning Submitted by Barb Novak, WSRA Convention Chair
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SRA recognizes that expertise matters. To reflect this belief, we have restructured day one of our annual convention. Convention attendees have the opportunity to attend an "institute" on Thursday, February 5. An institute provides a day-long opportunity to develop deep expertise on a single topic by engaging in sessions with featured speakers and collaborating with colleagues.
Participants select one institute from ten provided options. Consider selecting an institute that correlates with your school improvement goal, school/student learning objective (SLO), professional development plan (PDP), or an area of personal interest. Each institute includes two keynotes by nationally recognized literacy leaders and two rounds of breakout sessions. See page 7 of your convention program (available at http://www.wsra.org/2015convention-program) for further information and descriptions of all available institutes.
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Taking Another Look at Listening Submitted by Laura Adams, Literacy Consultant, WI DPI
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peaking and listening skills have the power to change lives, change relationships, and enable our students to change their worlds. Because of this, speaking and listening have always been an integral part of English language arts. Within the CCSS ELA Speaking and Listening strand, it is easy to focus on the standards addressing the presentation of knowledge and ideas. But, I want to argue that listening is actually the more important piece of this strand. Listening is like reading in that it is an active, complex process invisible to the naked eye. The only way we know whether a listener has heard, understood, synthesized, and evaluated orally presented information (required in Speaking and Listening anchor standards 2 and 3) is in his/her response, which comes in the form speaking and/or writing. The speaking or writing is evidence that effective listening (or reading) has occurred (Brownell, 2006). When we assess speaking or writing, we are assessing whether our students have listened and/or read, effectively, i.e., whether our students have engaged in the complex mental processes that listening and reading entail. This is just one reason why listening is so critical. Perhaps even more compelling to the argument for placing more importance on effective listening, is the key role that listening ability has on power and in workplace success, (Purdy and Borisoff, 1997). We can generalize this to the role that listening ability has in being an effective and involved community member, as well as the role that listening ability has in personal relationships. Ultimately, focusing our efforts on creating better listeners is not something we do for the sake of an
assessment, but because we recognize the value of speaking and listening as key life skills and key components of critical literacy. Returning to the classroom context, various research studies have found that students may spend anywhere between 65% and 90% of their school time in learning through listening (Gilbert, 2005; Hunsaker, 1990). If that is true in your classroom, then it is critical to evaluate whether your students are engaging in effective listening and to give them tools to develop listening skills. Another reason that listening is important in the classroom is because we know that listening comprehension precedes speaking ability (James, 1985) and outpaces reading comprehension (Sticht & James, 1984). Therefore, if we evaluate our students’ listening comprehension, we may have more information about our students’ comprehension abilities. For this reason, I am encouraged by the fact that the Smarter Balanced Assessment includes a listening comprehension component. Students’ performance on these questions will tell us more about what our students comprehend and are able to do, thereby allowing us to better design instruction that scaffolds students to proficiency in grade-level listening standards. It is important to note here, though, that similar to reading, listening comprehension varies with different text structures and communication contexts (Wolvin and Carolyn, 1988). But let us not forget that we are in the business of developing the skills, abilities, and dispositions that will enable our students to succeed at whatever they choose to dedicate themselves to. Effective
speaking and listening is only one part. Tools and practices for educators to support students’ listening abilities: • Read Fisher and Frey’s article for effective practices and strategies for establishing environments where productive speaking and listening can take place (http://education.illinoisstate.edu/downloads/c asei/4-02A-Engaging%20fisher.pdf);
• Develop more effective listening by explicitly setting a purpose for listening and/or assisting your students in setting their own purposes for listening; • Develop the listening abilities of your students and complement their reading abilities by engaging them in listening to a range of text (both narrative and informational); • Plan speaking breaks during presentations of material where learners have the opportunity to process the information and speak about it with others (Hollingsworth, 1995); • See the RtI Strategies Bank and examine the reading scaffolds as scaffolds that could also support effective listening practices (http://www.wirticenter.com/strategiesbank/);
• Build students’ metacognition of listening ability by asking them to complete a listening inventory (many variations exist), that includes questions about both mental processes and nonverbal responses; • Visit the Smarter Balanced practice/pilot tests at (http://www.smarterbalanced.org/ - look under “Smarter Balanced Assessments”).
Regie Routman joins Wisconsin in Supporting School Leaders
Breakthrough Strategies for Schoolwide Literacy Success Monona Terrace, Madison November 11, 2014 • 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Registration Deadline: October 31, 2014 . Register Online at: http://login myquickreg.com/event 4
Volume 27
Number 1
October 2014
5
Academic Standards in Diverse Classrooms: Strengthening Oral Language, Listening, and Interaction Across Disciplines
Saturday, November 1, 2014 ɕ $0 ² 3:30 PM Location: West Allis/West Milwaukee Admin Building, 1205 S. 70th St., West Allis, WI 53214 (Rm 710) State Standards require students to do more with knowledge and language than ever before. Rather than be mere consumers of knowledge, students must now become creators, critics, and communicators of ideas across disciplines. This institute will focus on improving our practices for developing language and literacy skills across grade levels and disciplines; using complex texts and fostering academic LQWHUDFWLRQ 3DUWLFLSDQWV ZLOO HQJDJH LQ DFWLYLWLHV WKDW VKRZ KRZ WR IRUWLI\ VWXGHQWV¡ RUDO output, improve their listening, and foster student-to-student interactions that focus on complex content understandings in diverse classrooms. Handouts will include tools and links to online resources. Jeff Zwiers is a senior researcher at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. He supports the Understanding Language Initiative and co-d directs the Academic Language Development Netw work, a research and professional development project focused on the education of academic English learners. He has taught teacher education courses at Stanford and consulted for national and international teacher development projects that promote literacy, lesson development, and formative assessment practices. He has published articl es and books on literacy, cognition, discourse, and academic language. His most recent book is Common Core Standards in Diverse Classrooms: Essential Practices for Developing Academic Language and Disciplinary Literacy. His current research focuses on classroom practices that foster academic interactions and improving professional development.
Registration Fee: $125.00 One optional credit is available through Concordia University University for an additional $170.00. $170 Wisconsin Education Innovations N14W23777 Stone Ridge Dr, Ste 290, Waukesha, WI 53188 | 262.370.5451 |jill@inov8ed.com | inov8ed.com Regiister online at inov8ed.com or return the registration form below.
J. Zwiers (November 1, 2014) Name: District: Email: Home Address: City: Credit:
Phone: School: Grade Level: ZIP: Y
/
N
Send registration and payment (payable to WEI) to: Wisconsin Education Innovations, N14W23777 Stone Ridge Dr., Suite 290, Waukesha, WI 53188 or fax to (262) 522 -0995.
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Volume 27
Number 1
October 2014
Schedule of Reading Council Events Rock River Reading Council All meetings start at 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, October 28, 2014 Effective Vocabulary Instruction with Kathy Galvin a Dodgeland Elementary School, Juneau Tuesday, December 2, 2014 Lucy Calkins Writing Program with Mary Runde at Beaver Dam Middle School Fox Valley Reading Council December 9, 2014 Looking Closely at Comprehension in the Common Core with Deb Zarling at Robbins Restaurant, Oshkosh 4:30 p.m. February 26, 2015 What’s New in Children’s Literature with Mary Lou Harris-Manske at Webster Stanley Elementary, Oshkosh 4:30 p.m. Washington Ozaukee Reading Council December 4, 2014 Getting Them to Want to: Promoting Joyous Effort in Classroom Literacy Programs with Dr. Michael Ford at Concordia University Milwaukee Area Reading Council All meetings will take place at 5:00 p.m. Location: Lincoln Middle School of the Arts, 820 E. Knapp, Milwaukee, WI 53202 October 23, 2014 Making CCSS Instructional Shifts & Text Complexity Meaningful & Manageable via the DPI-supported TeachingBooks.net Database with Nick Glass November 13, 2014 WSRA Roadshow: RTI and Literacy: Critical Issues with Kathy Champeau Muirland Reading Council Thursday, November 20, 2014 Smarter Balanced Assessment with Laura Adams at Voyageur Inn/Conference Center, Reedsburg, 5:30 p.m. -7:15 p.m. Thursday, February 5, 2015 Happy Hour Conversation at WSRA 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Hotel Bar and Lobby. Southern Lakes Reading Council All meetings are held at West Side Elementary School, 222 Sunset Drive, Elkhorn, WI Saturday, November 15, 2014 Teaching Complex Texts in Academic Disciplines with Doug Buehl 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, January 14, 2015 Retrospective Miscue Analysis: Helping Older Students Who Struggle with Dr. Catherine Compton-Lilly 5:00 p.m. Waukesha County Reading Council All meetings will be held at the Country Springs Conference Center in Oconomowoc from 8:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Saturday, November 15, 2014 Demystifing the Common Core with Kathy Champeau Saturday, February 28, 2015 Engaging Minds in the Classroom: The Surprising Power of Joy with Dr. Michael Ford Madison Area Reading Council Tuesday, December 2, 2014 Best New Books & YA Book Talk with Megan Schliesman & Larry Tabak at Maple Bluff Country Club 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, January 29, 2015 AIW: Coaching to Support Authentic, Engaging Literacy Instruction with Bruce King, Kate Bouchard, Laura Lang & Laurie Friedrich, Location – TBD 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 5th, 2015 Tracking Argumentation in Informational Texts with Doug Buehl, Location – TBD 5:30 p.m. Central Wisconsin Reading Council October 28, 2014 Getting Them to Want to: Promoting Joyous Effort in Classroom Literacy Programs with Mike Ford at University of Wisconsin Stevens Point CPS Building, Room 317 6:00 p.m. December 4, 2014 Reluctant Readers: Books That Will Rope Your Big Time Avoiders into Reading at Woodside Elementary School, Wisconsin Rapids 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Racine Kenosha Reading Council January 19, 2015 Nick Glass from teachingbooks.net March 4, 2015 Catherine Compton-Lilly Ashland Bayfield Counties Literacy Council Saturday, October 18 What’s The Word On Teaching Vocabulary? with Dr. Karen Blake Ruffner at BMO Bank Meeting Room in Ashland 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. St Croix Valley Reading Council Monday, October 20, 2014 Help Readers Love Reading with Brian Wilhorn at Ready Randy’s in New Richmond at 4:30 p.m. Headwaters Reading Council Thursday, October 23, 2014 White Knights and Wizards with Kathy Champeau–Wisconsin State Reading Association Road Show presentation at Edgewood in Tomahawk. Tuesday, November 11, 2014 Dr. Catherine Lilly-Compton, presentation at Edge Water, Tomahawk, WI, 6:00 p.m. Thursday, December 18, 2014 Dr. Michael Ford, Tomahawk School District 3:45 p.m. presentation and Headwaters 6:00 p.m. presentation at Holiday Acres: Rhinelander, WI January, TBA, 2015 DPI –Ten Best Resources at Holiday Acres Rhinelander, WI Tuesday, March 10, 2015 CCBC –Award Winning Books for 2015, Rhinelander, WI Midwest Reading Council Saturday, October 25, 2014 Engaging Minds in the Classroom The Surprising Power of Joy with Michael Ford at UW-LaCrosse on at 9:30 p.m. Hidden Valley Reading Council Thursday, October 23, 2014 Effective Vocabulary Instruction with Kathy Galvin at West View School, Platteville 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Monday, November 17, 2014 Getting them to Want to: Promoting Joyous Effort in Classroom Literacy Programs with Michael Ford at West View School – Platteville 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Thursday, February 19, 2015 New Book Night at Pizzeria Unos in Platteville 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. 7
WSRA Update N7902 E. Friesland Road Randolph, WI 53956 Address Service Requested
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