WSRA Convention '08 Report

If you're a student in one of my classes, you're probably wondering why I didn't return any emails last week. The truth is, I was preparing for and recovering from the Wisconsin State Reading Association Annual Convention. This year, I went as both a learner and a presenter and walked away from the experience having gained from both roles. On Thursday I attended two workshops, both of which offered practical information and web-based resources. For a description, keep reading...

The first was Doug Buehl's presentation on Inquiring minds in literacy comprehension instruction. His presentation style includes very facilitative modeling of the teaching behind the strategy, but also the thinking behind the idea. That is, "Everything [he] does is generic." What impressed me most was how well he adapted the work of others and skillfully synthesized multiple methods into one "quick and easy" template for classroom use. Find more of his work at the WEAC "Reading Room" site.

The second workshop I attended was called "Into the Book," which is a collaborative project developed by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and a team of experienced educators. Supported in part by Wisconsin's Reading First U.S. Department of Education Funding, it offers an in-depth look at the most notable comprehension strategies used by proficient readers. Each strategy is accompanied by an icon for visual cueing, video clips, text resources, lesson plans, and a plethora of other resources. I highly recommend checking it out. 

Perhaps my most favorite part of the convention this year was that Patricia Polacco was invited to be the keynote speaker on Thursday. She is a gifted storyteller whose talk and texts have impacted my teaching and caused me to get teary-eyed on more than one occasion. More importantly, however, her presence signifies the unified stance that the reading community is taking against the NCLB legislation. Just a few years ago, Polacco was "uninvited" to speak at an IRA event because of her then controversial opinion of the largest standardized test publisher in the country, CTB/McGraw-Hill, so the fact that she was so eagerly heard says a lot for the turning tide of those taking action to right the wrongs of the current administration on educational accountability.

Conventions and conferences offer multiple opportunities to refresh your pedagogy, learn new research, and network with colleagues. If you've never been to a professional convention, I suggest you begin to explore the options now, while you can still get student rates for membership and attendance. And now...I have a few emails to return.