- SecondaryELA - lists.uen.org

INFO: USBE Educational Equity Resources
by Watkins, Naomi 03 Sep '21

03 Sep '21

As the Board continues to define and develop related clarification and details associated with the implementation of R277-328, the USBE Teaching and Learning Team will be developing resources to support educators in ensuring educational equity in every Utah classroom. The first two attached resources we have developed include: * The Four Keys to Successful Implementation: This resource shares four key themes we have curated from concerns shared with USBE leadership related to claims of CRT happening in classrooms. By employing these four keys to successful implementation, educators can increase their confidence in continuing to provide quality learning opportunities that respect each individual. * Orchestrating Productive Classroom Discussions: When orchestrating productive, respectful, and safe classroom discussions, it is essential to have ground rules, language frames, and discussion protocols to support students. This document shares some sample ground rules along with discussion language frames and protocols to assist teachers in facilitating discussions. We have launched a website with these resources-https://www.schools.utah.gov/educationalequity/resources. If you have suggestions or feedback on these resources or other related needs, please contact Jennifer.Throndsen(a)schools.utah.gov<mailto:Jennifer.Throndsen@schools.utah.gov>. Naomi Watkins, Ph.D. Secondary ELA and Library Media Specialist Utah State Board of Education 801-538-7616

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April 2021 Secondary ELA & Library Media Newsletter
by Watkins, Naomi 06 Apr '21

06 Apr '21

Secondary ELA & Library Media News: April 2021 Dear Secondary ELA and Library Media Colleagues: Welcome to National Library Week! You can learn more about this week's celebration here<http://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek>, and be sure to thank your favorite librarians (or pat yourself on the back) for all that you do to share the love of reading and the power of solid research. Personally, I'm looking forward to when the public library buildings in my area open again to the public. There are many important causes that are recognized in the month of April with many opportunities for classroom connections: the importance of poetry, our librarians, the acceptance of autism (check out 15 books to read for Autism Acceptance Month<https://diversebooks.org/15-books-to-read-for-autism-acceptance-month/>), and our Earth. Be sure to check them out. Also I'm offering a free professional learning opportunity focused on equity-based MTSS in Secondary ELA settings. See the details below -- I'm hoping you and/or the educators you serve will join us. Lastly, I hope you found rest and rejuvenation during your spring breaks. We're in the home stretch, folks. Naomi What are you currently reading, listening to, and watching? My Current Reads: The Ghosts of Eden Park: The Bootleg King, The Women Who Pursued Him, and the Murder that Shocked Jazz-Age America<https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-4514-9862-5> by Karen Abbott My Current Music Listen: "Lovely Day"<https://open.spotify.com/track/0bRXwKfigvpKZUurwqAlEh?si=f_WQXMFfQBaWeO7ldE…> by Bill Withers My Current Watch: UMFA's Black Refractions Exhibit <https://umfa.utah.edu/black-refractions> The exhibit ends this week, so if you're in the neighborhood, get a ticket and go or schedule a virtual tour<https://umfa.utah.edu/virtual-visits>. It's really superb. Educator Spotlight Darren Perkes Teacher - Green Canyon High School Instructional Coach - Cache County School District [cid:image001.png@01D72ACB.DC9FD930] How long have you been teaching? This is my 23rd year of teaching (1 at Box Elder Middle School, 18 at Sky View High School, and 4 at Green Canyon High School) Who/what inspired you to become a teacher? God. And I fought him. I never considered teaching as a career growing up. I had two uncles who were dentists. They worked four-day weeks, had lots of toys, took lots of vacations, and spent plenty of money. I wanted that . . . or so I thought. Everything I worked on in the program for dentistry shut me down. Classes frustrated me. Activities made me feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. Doors closed faster than they opened. But I had an English class at USU that was the only bright part of my week. I wish I could tell you my professor's name, but I have some undiagnosed disease called "forgetsnamesalot." That one class made me feel alive and hungry for learning. Then the dreams came. Yes, I had dreams about teaching. The weird thing is that I do remember one name in my dreams. Phyllis Bestor - my twelfth-grade English teacher at Orem High School. My dreams weren't about my current situation. They were previous dreams I had had back in high school and suppressed at the time but brought back to life. I would dream about what my teachers had done well and what they could have done better to improve my learning. One math teacher let me go get donuts every day for $3.18 a dozen at Winchell's. Loved that at the time, but I did not learn a thing. Mrs. Bestor was disappointed when I was late to class. She encouraged my research on Apartheid and made me want to help the cause through writing. She helped me learn without knowing I was learning. Dentistry may have helped me have money, but teaching gave me life. Ha, sounds pretty cheesy when I write that, but I stand behind it. Best decision I ever made. What has been the most rewarding part of teaching? The rollercoaster. The highs. The lows. The twists. The turns. The new people I meet every time I ride. I love inspiring the kids (and I use "kids" as a term of endearment and not to belittle them in any way), but I am inspired by them possibly more than they are by me. And often I do not know how or if I did inspire them. That is what is so amazing about the back-and-forth. Teaching has taught me how to work hard for success, learn from failures, and expect the unexpected. I am rarely disappointed from day to day. I embrace the moments! What are your hobbies/interests when you are not teaching? Golf is my happy place to unwind and find peace, at least in how I define it. I enjoy being outdoors with my family hiking, skiing, mountain-biking, traveling, eating treats, and watching movies. Since I never became a dentist, I do not have a boat, an irresponsible muscle car, or a summer home in the Bahamas. But I do have four wonderful children and a loving wife with whom I would prefer to spend most of my time. I enjoy holding hands with and kissing my wife as well. Gross! Why did he say that :-) What do you think is the most important thing about teaching ELA to kids? Communication. We cannot survive without a means of communication. Our job is not simply teaching students how to read and write. We are teaching them how to think critically, consider perspectives responsibly, evaluate written, spoken, and implied meanings effectively, and communicate appropriately. The greatest statement I have learned from a conference I attended that helps me work with students, and teachers, is, "Don't judge, get curious!" I must do that for my students in order for me to help them individually learn. But I am also working to help them understand how to do this with everything they learn. Think about that statement for a minute with any aspect of English writing or literature. It works. Curiosity encourages genuine learning. Kids may have access to all the information they could ever need, and more, with technology, but they still need us to help them learn how to use it. What is your favorite book? Author? I would usually just say the book I am reading at the time, but one that sticks out the most is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. What we create matters. Register NOW! Equity-Based MTSS in Secondary ELA Professional Learning A reminder about registration for the FREE professional learning opportunity that we're hosting: Equity-Based MTSS in Secondary ELA, April 20 and 27 from 9-12pm with a follow-up in Fall 2021 * Virtual sessions with Dawn Miller from SWIFT Education Center * Register on MIDAS | Course # 59317-1 by April 14 * 6 relicensure hours Who should attend? Consider your school/LEA system of supports: * Administrators * ELA/Literacy Directors * Coaches * ELA & SPED educators Learning Targets * Have a shared understanding of an Equity-Based Multi-Tiered System of Support and a growing research base that demonstrates positive outcomes in academic and behavioral arenas * Examine a Fidelity of Integrity Assessment that can be utilized by Building Leadership Teams to evaluate implementation strengths * Explore tools that can be used to design a tiered system * Delve into high leverage instructional practices at the secondary level that could strengthen Universal Support across content areas * Reflect on current strengths and develop actionable steps to define or strengthen current tiered support The WRITE Center Webinar Series The WRITE Center continues to offer webinars on a variety of topics focused on ELA instruction. * What Works Best for Literacy Instruction? Visible Learning for Literacy in History/Social Studies and ELA with Douglas Fisher, Ph.D<https://education.sdsu.edu/directory/edl/douglas-fisher>. on 4/15/2021 3:30-5pm (PST)/ 6:30-8pm (EST) Information and registration found here: https://www.writecenter.org/webinars.html Central Utah Writing Project, One-Week Institute June 21-25, 2021 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. 4116 JFSB, BYU Campus This course will emphasize nurturing the writer within each participant. Teachers of all grade levels and subject areas will learn research-driven strategies to cultivate their students' ability to write and think successfully, engage in peer review, foster clear thinking, and facilitate inquiry. Educators will be given ideas and resources necessary to teach and model the writing process effectively in their classrooms. Cost * $300 regular enrollment (45 points) * $450 university enrollment (3 Southern Utah University credits) To register, pay by credit card at this link: https://commerce.cashnet.com/webcuwp Registration Deadline: May 31, 2021 National Poetry Month is in April! Resources from Academy of American Poets https://poets.org/national-poetry-month Interviews with Poets from NCTE https://ncte.org/resources/poetry/ The Poetry Learning Lab from the Poetry Foundation<https://www.poetryfoundation.org/resources/learning> https://www.poetryfoundation.org/learn The Poetry Learning Lab is a great source of knowledge, including a glossary of poetry terms, links to public domain poems, and inspiring essays on poetry from writers and educators. Utah Poetry Festival April 16-18 https://utahpoetryfestival.com/utah-poetry-festival-schedule/ A virtual celebration of Utah's poets and poetry, online Friday, April 16th to Sunday, April 18th, 2021. Register to watch live or stream all events later via the Utah Humanities YouTube channel<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyHUS-MR80gR4coQvsi86LQ>. Live events will feature public Q&As. All events closed captioned by AI Media<https://www.ai-media.tv/en/ai-media/>. Teaching Poetry: Audio Recordings of Poetry and Literature from the Library of Congress Wednesday, April 21, 4 p.m. ET This event is open to the public; NCTE membership not required. Join NCTE as we continue our celebration of National Poetry Month with the Library of Congress. In this session, Library of Congress experts will share two core resources for educators wishing to use audio recordings in their work with students: Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature<https://www.loc.gov/collections/archive-of-recorded-poetry-and-literature/a…> Listen to audio-recorded readings of former Consultants in Poetry, including Elizabeth Bishop, Gwendolyn Brooks and Robert Frost; Nobel Laureates Mario Vargas Llosa and Czeslaw Milosz; and renowned writers such as Ray Bradbury, Margaret Atwood, and Kurt Vonnegut read from their work at the Library of Congress. The Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature at the Library of Congress dates back to 1943 and contains nearly 2,000 recordings of writers participating in literary events. Each April, the Library adds 50 newly digitized recordings to the online collection as part of National Poetry Month. Poetry of America<https://www.loc.gov/poetry/poetry-of-america/> Learn about this collection of field recordings by a wide range of award-winning contemporary poets. Each poet reads a singular American poem of their choosing, and also speaks to how the poem connects to, deepens, or re-imagines our sense of the nation. The feature includes a print version of the poem to complement the recording, as well as a piece by the participating poet. Registration here: https://ncte.org/events/opportunity-library-congress/ Annual Sor Juana Contest F O R O R I G I N A L P O E T R Y & S H O R T S T O R I E S I N S P A N I S H DEADLINE: June 11, 2021 https://www.artesmexut.org/sor-juana-poetry-contest Earth Day, April 22 Join Caldecott Medal Winner Michaela Goade and Carole Lindstrom for an event to celebrate Earth Day! Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth's water from harm and corruption. Carole and Michaela will read the book, talk about the inspiration, and then lead readers in a Water Protector pledge. Registration: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gH_hz3xXQ9WBfx0BKFtBwg [cid:image002.png@01D72ACB.DC9FD930] [cid:image003.png@01D72ACB.DC9FD930] Secondary Literacy Director Meeting Dates Mark your calendars! To receive a meeting invite, contact Brenda McMurtrey at brenda.mcmurtrey(a)schools.utah.gov<mailto:brenda.mcmurtrey@schools.utah.gov> For 2021-2022: * September 22, 2021 from 1-3pm * November 19, 2021 from 1-3pm * January 25, 2022 from 1-3pm * March 22, 2022 from 1-3pm Join the Listserve Want to stay in the loop of future newsletters? Join the Secondary ELA ListServ at https://lists.uen.org/mailman/listinfo/secondaryela or the Library Media ListServ at https://lists.uen.org/mailman/listinfo/library-media UEN's Learn @ Home Resources Find many learn at home resources for educators, students, and families at https://www.uen.org/learnathome/ Have an item for the monthly Secondary ELA & Library Media newsletter, a research or teaching tip, or an educator spotlight nomination? Email brenda.mcmurtrey(a)schools.utah.gov<mailto:brenda.mcmurtrey@schools.utah.gov> by the first of the month. **Please note: LEAs have the duty to select instructional materials that best correlate to the core standards for Utah public schools and graduation requirements. (UCA 53G-4-402(1(a)). Posting of these resources by USBE staff curriculum content specialists does not imply the resources have received official endorsement of the State Board. Educators are responsible to ensure use of these materials complies with LEA policies and directives. Naomi Watkins, Ph.D. Secondary ELA and Library Media Specialist Utah State Board of Education 801-538-7616

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INFO: Register for Scrible in ELA Training on Dec 7
by Watkins, Naomi 23 Nov '20

23 Nov '20

Background: The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is providing Scrible Edu Pro, a comprehensive research and writing platform, to all Utah K-12 schools via a statewide contract. -------------------------------------------------------------- Come learn how to use Scrible in English Language Arts (ELA)! USBE and Scrible are hosting an ELA training for Utah educators led by the ELA educators listed below, who will share how their schools/districts use Scrible for close reading, research and writing: Jennifer Tillman, Teaching & Learning Specialist, 9 - 12 ELA Caddo Parish Public Schools, Shreveport, LA Yesenia Morales, Supervisor of ELA, ESL and Library North Brunswick Township High School, North Brunswick, NJ The training will be from 3:30-4:45 pm MT on Monday, December 7, 2020. Register here<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScV_ehFsZ5v8FJmK45NFQHMwoQ-wf8njti…>. Info on how to join the session will be emailed to you closer to the event. NOTE: Educators across subject areas (not just ELA) are welcome/encouraged to join! RESOURCES: USBE and Scrible hosted a training webinar on October 8, 2020, to help you get started with and make the most of this new platform. The webinar recording and accompanying slides are posted at the bottom of this Scrible Utah webpage: https://www.scrible.com/utah It is highly recommended that you watch the recording, ideally before the training. Naomi Watkins, Ph.D. Secondary ELA and Library Media Specialist Utah State Board of Education 801-538-7616

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November 2020 Secondary ELA & Library Media Newsletter
by Watkins, Naomi 19 Nov '20

19 Nov '20

Naomi Watkins, Ph.D. Secondary ELA and Library Media Specialist Utah State Board of Education 801-538-7616 From: Watkins, Naomi Sent: Thursday, November 19, 2020 11:21 AM To: library-media(a)lists.uen.org Subject: November 2020 Secondary ELA & Library Media Newsletter Secondary ELA & Library Media News: November 2020 With the holidays quickly approaching, I hope that you take time to rest and rejuvenate with sleep and reading and/or watching something that’s long been on your list. As always, thanks for all that you do. What are you currently reading, listening to, and watching? My Current Reads: Home Body<https://rupikaur.com/books/home-body/> by Rupi Kaur & Keep Moving<https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Keep-Moving/Maggie-Smith/97819821320…> by Maggie Smith My Current Music Listen: “Chinatown” by Bleachers, featuring Bruce Springsteen <https://open.spotify.com/album/10fSu9RLAJlasIup4ylHPM?si=iVNQnfi3Raelas4fv-…> My Current Podcast Listen: You’re Wrong About<https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/youre-wrong-about/id1380008439>. (Description: Mike and Sarah are journalists obsessed with the past. Every week they reconsider a person or event that's been miscast in the public imagination.) I’m currently listening to their deep dive into the life of Princess Diana because I’m also watching... My Current Watch: The Crown, Season 4 on Netflix Educator Spotlight Keith Smedberg, Olympus High School https://twitter.com/TheOlyCenter/status/1121490487976714240 [cid:image002.jpg@01D6BE66.32B6C9F0]When I was a kid, I thought being a teacher would be great. You get your summers off, long holidays, and you get to work in a school with kids, it was something I could totally get into! My first choice was physical education (PE), because you know, sports, what could be hard about sports? As it turns out, sports medicine, kinesiology, and athletics were harder than I imagined and not my scene. So, I decided to go with my love of the natural world and changed my major to biology education. I began my career teaching biology at a high school just outside of Chicago. After two years, I answered the call of the mountains and moved to Utah. In 1995, I was hired by Granite School District and began teaching science at Westlake Junior High. Over the next 17 years, I taught at several schools including Churchill and Valley Junior High. In 2000, I went back to school and earned a Master’s degree in Instructional Technology and a library endorsement. This led to my current position as a Library Media Education Technology Specialist (LMETS) at Olympus High School. What a trip! Had I known the library was so going to be so wonderful, I would have done that from the start! The best part of being a librarian is encouraging students to read for themselves and not just for school assignments. I want my students to enjoy books, not just analyze books and chapters. Every book that a student enjoys, increases their ability to read and better readers make better life long learners. Some of my favorite authors include Douglas Adams, Jason Reynolds, Libba Bray, Alan Gratz, Tom Green, Neal Shusterman, Mary Roach and Cory Doctorow. When I was in high school, I enjoyed Tom Robbins and Robert Ludlum. When I am not working, you’ll find me skiing or outside enjoying this great state with my wife and three children. National American Indian Heritage Month November is National American Indian Heritage Month. The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum provide programming, exhibits, and teacher resources: https://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/ From Debbie Reese, Nambé Pueblo scholar and founder of American Indians in Children's Literature<https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/>, read “We Can Do Better: Rethinking Native Stories in Classrooms.”<https://ncte.org/blog/2018/11/can-better-rethinking-native-stories-classroo…> The key ideas are to choose books that are tribally specific (that name a specific tribal nation and accurately present that nation), written by Native writers, set in the present day, and relevant all year round, keeping Native peoples visible throughout the school year. From PBS Utah, celebrate with films featuring Indigenous voices: https://www.pbs.org/articles/2020/11/what-to-watch-native-american-heritage… Save the Date: Scrible in ELA Classrooms Save the date for Monday, December 7 from 3:30-5:00pm for a virtual webinar and Q&A with ELA educators from across the U.S. who have successfully used Scrible in their classrooms. More information forthcoming! Art and writing can help heal during times of trauma and loss For many years, teen submissions to the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards sponsored by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers<https://www.artandwriting.org/> testify to the potential for creative expression to help in hard times. Now, the Art and Writing Awards has published Healing Through Creativity: An Art and Writing Anthology and Discussion Guide<https://www.artandwriting.org/classroom-guides/#healing>, exploring work by teens on the theme of grief and loss. The free anthology includes accompanying Educator Guides providing visual arts and English Language Arts lesson plans, created by Red River Writing Project teacher-leaders, that help students respond to grief through the healing power of art and writing. [cid:image003.png@01D6BE65.AA6C58D0]Using Notice and Note Signposts to create empowered readers, even at a distance The WRITE Center will continue their webinar series in December by hosting Kylene Beers and Bob Probst in a presentation that demonstrates how their Notice and Note Signposts approach can work both in class and online. In this interactive workshop, they will discuss how the Notice and Note Signposts—both fiction and nonfiction—help all readers read closely to become empowered readers and writers. Yes, writers! Presenters will use picture story books, poetry, and current fiction and nonfiction as examples. * When: December 10, 3:30-5p (PST) / 6:30-8p (EST) * Registration: https://www.writecenter.org/webinars.html Conversations with Authors of Young Adult Literature Rebecca Harper, director of the Augusta University Writing Project in Augusta, Georgia, has put together an impressive schedule of conversations with authors of young adult literature as part of the AU Writing Project Book Club and invites you to join. All educators are welcome, even if you haven’t read the book. Join one or more of the year’s final meetings, and watch this newsletter for an announcement of the spring line up. * Nov. 21 at 10 a.m.—Gary Schmidt, author of Orbiting Jupiter * Dec. 5 at 10 a.m.—Jerry Pallotta, author of the Alphabet Books series * Dec. 7 at 6 p.m.—Katie Henry, author of Let’s Call it a Doomsday Register at bit.ly/AUWPBookClubFall20<https://nwp.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=74fb19be0914ed81636ed0372&id=…> and a Zoom link will be emailed to registrants the day before the book club. Latinx KidLit Book Festival The first ever Latinx KidLit Book Festival<https://www.latinxkidlitbookfestival.com/> will be held virtually on Friday, December 4th and Saturday, December 5th, organized by members of Las Musas Books<https://www.lasmusasbooks.com/> and a dedicated team of volunteers. This unique and free event will bring together Latinx kidlit authors and illustrators and engage readers and educators from all over the U.S. and beyond. This festival is for everyone–not just members of the Latinx community. All lovers of kidlit are welcome! They are attempting to reach as many teachers and librarians as possible so students far and wide can tune into this amazing event. Personal invitations will be sent to librarians and educators in October. This invite will include links to educator materials to use with students before, during, and after the festival, as well as instructions on how to enter to win a class set of books by authors featured in the festival. If you'd like this information delivered to your inbox, please fill out one of these forms: Form for schools<https://latinxkidlitbookfestival.wufoo.com/forms/k1qcaf1h117l7gc/> Form for libraries<https://slack-redir.net/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Flatinxkidlitbookfestival.wuf…> The Redford Stories Project The Redford Stories Project is a learning and storytelling initiative providing educators and students with dynamic and integrative tools to actively engage in the movement for environmental justice, protection, and repair, and to develop their capacity as storytellers. This initiative supports educators in bringing an environmental context and content to any class, and brings educators and students into dialogue with youth activists, filmmakers, and environmental and social justice leaders to create a learning community at the nexus of joy for learning, transformational storytelling, and global justice. This year, the Stories Project invites young people ages 10-14 to participate by creating 90-second Apple Clips films about an aspect of environmental justice that is particularly meaningful to them for showcase in April 2021. Learn More →<https://educatorinnovator.org/elevating-student-voice-environmental-justice…> Utah’s 21st Annual Do the Write Thing Challenge (see attachments for more info) The Office of the Governor and the Utah State Board of Education invite you and your students to participate in Utah’s 21st Annual Do the Write Thing Challenge. The Challenge offers 7th and 8th grade students across the state an opportunity to examine the impact of youth violence on their lives and then write what they think should be done to change the culture of violence. Personal responsibility is emphasized by encouraging students to make a commitment to do something about the problem. The program ultimately strives to help them break the cycle of violence in their homes, schools, and neighborhoods. Two writings per participating schools will be selected as state finalists and will be invited to attend a recognition luncheon where the top two authors will be announced in April 2021. State finalists will receive a scholarship deposit to their My529 Education Savings Account. The top two essays will be published and placed in the Library of Congress as Utah’s national finalists. Teachers are encouraged to incorporate the Challenge into their regular classroom curriculum. Lesson plans can be found on the website at www.schools.utah.gov/prevention/dtwt<http://www.schools.utah.gov/prevention/dtwt>. Rules, entry forms, and additional information are also available on this website. The following is a list of ideas for the classroom: * English: use as an essay or poetry-writing assignment; * Health: discuss personal safety and well-being of others; * Civics: conduct an exercise on personal and civic responsibility; * History: use an historical perspective to examine youth violence. The deadline for entries is January 15th, 2021. The 2020 challenge involved more than 2,400 students participating in classroom discussions about youth violence with more than 1,100 submitting essays from 24 different teachers. We look forward to increasing these numbers in the 2021 Challenge. If you have any questions, please contact Cuong Nguyen at cuong.nguyen(a)schools.utah.gov<mailto:cuong.nguyen@schools.utah.gov> or call (801) 538-7790. We encourage your students’ participation and look forward to this year’s Challenge. Sincerely, Governor Gary R. Herbert Secondary Literacy Director Meeting Dates, 2020-2021 Mark your calendars! To receive a meeting invite, contact Brenda McMurtrey at brenda.mcmurtrey(a)schools.utah.gov<mailto:brenda.mcmurtrey@schools.utah.gov> * January 20, 2021 from 1-3pm * March 24, 2021 from 1-3pm Join the Listservs Want to stay in the loop of future newsletters? Join the Secondary ELA ListServ at https://lists.uen.org/mailman/listinfo/secondaryela or the Library Media ListServ at https://lists.uen.org/mailman/listinfo/library-media UEN’s Learn @ Home Resources Find many learn at home resources for educators, students, and families at https://www.uen.org/learnathome/ Have an item for the monthly Secondary ELA & Library Media newsletter, a research or teaching tip, or an educator spotlight nomination? Email brenda.mcmurtrey(a)schools.utah.gov<mailto:brenda.mcmurtrey@schools.utah.gov> by the first of the month. Naomi Watkins, Ph.D. Secondary ELA and Library Media Specialist Utah State Board of Education 801-538-7616

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HAPPENING TODAY: Scrible Office Hour II
by Watkins, Naomi 18 Nov '20

18 Nov '20

The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is providing Scrible Edu Pro, a comprehensive research and writing platform, to all Utah K-12 schools via a statewide contract. USBE and Scrible hosted a training webinar on Thursday, October 8, 2020, to help you get started with and make the most of this new resource. The webinar recording and accompanying slides are posted at the bottom of the Scrible Utah webpage here: https://www.scrible.com/utah Scrible Office Hour II is TODAY, Wednesday, November 18, 2020 from 3:30-4:30 pm MT Register here<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScEeHF0dluM__RlRbrKRLh-mDePNw-94Mc…> for this upcoming Office Hour session to get help and answers to your questions, ideally after you've tried using Scrible yourself. Naomi Watkins, Ph.D. Secondary ELA and Library Media Specialist Utah State Board of Education 801-538-7616

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REGISTER for Scrible Office Hour II Session
by Watkins, Naomi 12 Nov '20

12 Nov '20

The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is providing Scrible Edu Pro, a comprehensive research and writing platform, to all Utah K-12 schools via a statewide contract. USBE and Scrible hosted a training webinar on Thursday, October 8, 2020, to help you get started with and make the most of this new resource. The webinar recording and accompanying slides are posted at the bottom of the Scrible Utah webpage here: https://www.scrible.com/utah Scrible Office Hour II is on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 from 3:30-4:30 pm MT Register here<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScEeHF0dluM__RlRbrKRLh-mDePNw-94Mc…> for this upcoming Office Hour session to get help and answers to your questions, ideally after you've tried using Scrible yourself. Naomi Watkins, Ph.D. Secondary ELA and Library Media Specialist Utah State Board of Education 801-538-7616

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INFO: Utah State Board of Education News Release: Utah State Board of Education Announces State-wide Access to Scrible to Support Utah Schools with Research and Writing Amid Distance Learning
by Watkins, Naomi 10 Nov '20

10 Nov '20

Naomi Watkins, Ph.D. Secondary ELA and Library Media Specialist Utah State Board of Education 801-538-7616 From: Peterson, Mark <Mark.Peterson(a)schools.utah.gov> Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2020 10:06 AM To: Peterson, Mark <Mark.Peterson(a)schools.utah.gov> Subject: Utah State Board of Education News Release: Utah State Board of Education Announces State-wide Access to Scrible to Support Utah Schools with Research and Writing Amid Distance Learning [cid:image002.jpg@01D6B74C.25CA22D0] November 10, 2020 For Immediate Release Contact: Mark Peterson, public relations director, Utah State Board of Education 801-538-7635 ∙ mark.peterson(a)schools.utah.gov<mailto:mark.peterson@schools.utah.gov> Victor Karkar, chief executive officer, Scrible, Inc. 866-SCRIBLE ∙ press(a)scrible.com<mailto:press@scrible.com> Utah State Board of Education Announces State-wide Access to Scrible to Support Utah Schools with Research and Writing Amid Distance Learning SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah State Board of Education<https://www.schools.utah.gov/> (USBE) announces a statewide partnership with Scrible<https://www.scrible.com/>, a modern research and writing platform that supports distance learning. The partnership ensures that every Utah school district has access to Scrible Edu Pro, bringing the company’s full suite of online research and writing tools to more than 665,000 students, teachers and librarians in grades K-12 for the current 2020-21 school year. “USBE’s purchase of this innovative system will empower our educators and students with versatile tools to impact student learning and development of writing, reading and research skills,” shared Jennifer Throndsen, Director of Teaching and Learning at the Utah State Board of Education. “There couldn’t be a better time to support our teachers with technology that’s useful across subjects and grade levels.” Scrible is the most comprehensive platform built to support the research and writing process. It provides robust tools to curate, annotate, manage and collaborate on researched content. It supports authentic writing with citation capture, bibliography and outline editors and word processor integration. Instead of cobbling together 3 or more apps and paper methods to manage the whole process, students have one workspace to streamline and scaffold their work, helping them save time and stay organized. The partnership comes at a time when distance learning is a top priority for school districts across the country, including those in Utah that have moved to virtual or hybrid learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. USBE worked with Scrible to fast-track this launch in order to bring timely support to educators looking for effective remote instruction solutions. As a result, despite coronavirus disruption, teachers and librarians across Utah’s 41 school districts and 100+ charter schools can continue the research and writing instruction vital to preparing students for success in later grades, college and the workplace. Research and writing instruction historically involves in-person check-ins between students and educators, who would meet with students to review their research, bibliographies, outlines and papers. Scrible centralizes that work online so educators can assign and access student work remotely to assess it and provide feedback asynchronously. This eliminates the need for face-to-face feedback meetings, which are difficult during the pandemic. A novel assignment dashboard also enables educators to monitor student progress in real-time and provide timely, individualized support for each student, which is otherwise challenging during distance learning. “This statewide partnership is rare in the education world, said Scrible CEO, Victor Karkar. “We’re excited to work with USBE, which quickly appreciated our ability and desire to help Utah students, teachers, librarians with one of the most complex and time consuming teaching and learning experiences - the research and writing process.” American students struggle with research and writing. A Pew Research Center study<http://www.pewinternet.org/2012/11/01/how-teens-do-research-in-the-digital-…> found that nearly 60 percent of secondary teachers reported that their students struggle with key research skills such as using multiple sources to support an argument and assessing the quality of online information. The writing skills crisis is also pervasive. The process-intensive nature of teaching writing deters teachers from assigning the kind of authentic argumentative composition expected of students in college and career contexts. A 2015 study of U.S. middle schools by the Education Trust found that only 9 percent of assignments required writing more than one paragraph. “Scrible puts great tools inside the ecosystem of devices and software used in our schools,” said Rick Gaisford, Education Technology Specialist at USBE. “If students open up their computer at school or home, they can use Scrible with popular software tools native to that device, which is far better than being a separate, disjointed program.” Partnered with Google and Microsoft, Scrible integrates deeply with the ecosystem of G Suite and Office applications widely used in the classroom, including Google Chrome, Docs, Drive and Classroom and Microsoft Edge, Word, OneDrive and School Data Sync. Scrible also offers single sign-on, roster sync and other integrations with widely used education technology platforms, including Schoology, ClassLink, Clever and Canvas. The connection to Canvas is noteworthy given that Utah schools also have access to that learning management system via a statewide partnership. Utah districts and charters can learn about getting started with Scrible by visiting www.scrible.com/utah<http://www.scrible.com/utah>. www.schools.utah.gov<http://www.schools.utah.gov>

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Prof Learning Opportunity: Choices Matter: Complicity & Action During the Holocaust
by Watkins, Naomi 28 Oct '20

28 Oct '20

Join us November 11, 4-7 pm, for a live online session with the experts at Echoes and Reflections. REGISTER HERE FOR THIS FREE VIRTUAL WORKSHOP<https://form.jotform.com/91535898056167> Holocaust studies remain relevant today as students confront questions of racism and power in our own time and place. These concepts can be applied in social studies and E/LA classes well beyond those focused on European history. Echoes and Reflections offers you truly outstanding resources for teaching in online and blended environments. Video oral histories, captured by Steven Spielberg's USC Shoah Foundation<https://sfi.usc.edu/>, are integrated throughout the curriculum. Please share this opportunity with your colleagues in E/LA, Social Studies, and allied teams. [cid:image001.jpg@01D6AD3B.93DD5500] Wendy Rex-Atzet, Ph.D. State Coordinator, NHD Utah Utah Division of State History Web: https://history.utah.gov/utah-history-day/ Follow us on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/UtahHistoryDay> and Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/utah_history_day/> To unsubscribe, please reply to this email. **New year, new rules! Download the 2020 edition of the NHD Rule Book<https://www.nhd.org/sites/default/files/NHDRuleBook2021Digital.pdf>!**

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Secondary ELA & Library Media News: October 2020
by Watkins, Naomi 20 Oct '20

20 Oct '20

Secondary ELA & Library Media News: October 2020 Dear Secondary ELA and Library Media Colleagues: It's been wonderful virtually meeting with those of you who oversee secondary ELA at your LEA or charter. If you would like to make an appointment, please contact Brenda McMurtrey, brenda.mcmurtrey(a)schools.utah.gov<mailto:brenda.mcmurtrey@schools.utah.gov> As COVID-19 continues to affect us all across the state in various ways and degrees, please remember that we're all doing our best under unusual circumstances to support students, other educators, and ourselves. Remember to take several deep breaths (inhale, exhale, repeat) when circumstances seem overwhelming. All of those SEL exercises we use with students work well for us, too. Please know that I'm always an email or phone call away to provide you with support. Thank you for all that you do to support ELA teachers and librarians in the state. What are you currently reading, listening to, and watching? My Current Reads: I'm still reading what I was reading in September! Don't judge :) * Culturally Responsive Teaching & the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement & Rigor Among Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Students by Zaretta Hammond<https://crtandthebrain.com/book/> * Finish the Fight: The Brave & Revolutionary Women Who Fought For the Right to Vote by Veronica Chambers & the Staff of The New York Times<https://www.hmhbooks.com/shop/books/Finish-the-Fight/9780358407829> (targeted to upper elementary/secondary students) My Current Music Listen: Michael Kiwanuka My Current Podcast Listen: Rabbit Hole<https://www.nytimes.com/column/rabbit-hole> (Description: What is the internet doing to us? The Times tech columnist Kevin Roose discovers what happens when our lives move online.) My Current Watch: The Vote by American Experience<https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/vote/> Teacher Spotlight Lauren Merkley, Cottonwood High School How long have you been teaching? This is my sixth year of teaching high school English. I teach at Cottonwood High School, where I teach AP English Language and Composition and Creative Writing. I have also taught English 11, and English 11 Honors. [cid:image007.jpg@01D6A6D7.32DF9020] Who/what inspired you to become a teacher? I have always loved reading and writing, but that spark was fanned into flame by my AP English Literature teacher, Mr. Warren Wolfe, in my hometown outside of Chicago. His passion for literature was infectious; I still remember him pacing around the room excitedly reading a passage from Toni Morrison's Beloved. More than simply being exciting, however, Mr. Wolfe was empowering. He positioned his students' voices at the center of every class period, letting our ideas, reactions, analyses, and questions drive the study of literature; we were the engine of every day's discussion and work, not him. His classroom is a model for everything I hope my classroom to be. What has been the most rewarding part of teaching? To me, the most rewarding part of teaching is watching transformations happen every day. Some students' transformations are modest and some are epic in scale, but either way: witnessing a student grow in their understanding of themself, the world, literature, language, or the human condition more broadly feels like a gift every day. Watching student's eyes alight with new understanding during a class discussion; observing a student revise their thinking or writing in response to a new insight or skill; listening to a group debate the merits of a text or an argument--these are the daily gifts that make me want to come to school each morning. What are your hobbies/interests when you are not teaching Unsurprisingly, I am a voracious reader. I devour novels, nonfiction, essays, poetry, and long-form journalism. I also love to run and hike, but the health benefits of those activities are cancelled out by my love of baking (and eating baked goods). What do you think is the most important thing about teaching ELA to kids? We need to give kids frequent and meaningful opportunities for their voices to be heard. Whether through argumentative writing or creative writing, kids produce their finest work when they are given the reins to construct, revise, and determine the contours of their own writing. I have seen writers blossom before my eyes when they can design their own writing project for a self-chosen audience and purpose. Yes, they need instruction in writing skills. Yes, grammar and structure are important. But, teaching kids to make choices about structure, grammar, sequencing, and language in light of an authentic writing goal they have designed themselves? That's magic. What is your favorite book? Author? Favorite?! Very hard question. Instead, I'll include a couple that have bowled me over recently: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi; Black Swan Green by David Mitchell; Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner. Scrible Webinar Recording & Office Hours The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is providing Scrible Edu Pro, a comprehensive research and writing platform, to all Utah K-12 schools via a statewide contract. USBE and Scrible hosted a training webinar on Thursday, October 8, 2020, to help you get started with and make the most of this new resource. The webinar recording and accompanying slides are posted at the bottom of the Scrible Utah webpage here: https://www.scrible.com/utah Scrible Office Hour I is Thursday, October 29, 2020 from 3:30-4:30 pm MT Get help and answers to your questions, ideally after you've tried using Scrible yourself. Register here<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdse_z66j9NQSkE0iE_4EmmGZWPlNr2Myq…> for this upcoming Scrible Office Hour session. Virtually Meet the Artists of New Utah Women's Suffrage Memorial Have you ever wanted your students to visit a monument, memorial or sculpture that was dedicated to Utah women? Here's your chance! To celebrate the centennial of the 19th Amendment and the 150th anniversary of Utah women's first votes in the year 2020, Better Days 2020 commissioned a Utah Women's History Memorial on the grounds of the Utah State Capitol that was unveiled on August 24, 2020. Called "A Path Forward,"<https://www.utahwomenshistory.org/2020/10/a-path-forward/> it honors the women who advocated for the expansion of voting rights here in Utah and across the U.S. To allow more students to experience the Memorial, Better Days 2020 put together a virtual field trip for teachers to use in their classrooms, available at this link<https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QObgP-m3ZNY>. [cid:image009.jpg@01D6A6D7.32DF9020] In connection with this field trip, we're also hosting a webinar with the artists who created the Memorial. Kelsey Harrison--MFA Sculpture from School of the Art Institute of Chicago--and Jason Manley-- MFA from University of Arizona--will join Better Days 2020 on October 30th at 10:00 AM to share their experience in creating the Memorial. This 30-minute webinar will provide students with an in-depth look at the process of designing and producing public sculpture and is not to be missed! As part of the webinar, Utah students can "Ask the Artists"! The artists are eager to engage with students' questions about the Memorial, whether about the artistic process, the nuts and bolts of creating a large scale public sculpture, how the artists felt about the history, special experiences they had along the way, or anything else. This special opportunity to "Ask the Artists" is time sensitive. Please submit questions by October 26 via email to info(a)betterdays2020.com with "Artists Webinar" in the subject line. We'll ask selected questions during the webinar, so please include the student's first name and school so we can acknowledge them individually. The webinar will be available online after October 30 for classes who aren't able to watch live. We look forward to having students experience this incredible work of art and to engage with the artists who made it a reality. NCTE Writes The National Day on Writing<http://whyiwrite.us/> is coming on October 20, and you're invited to celebrate with NCTE! One way we're celebrating is with NCTE Writes, a member-exclusive FREE professional learning opportunity aimed at providing ideas and inspiration around teaching writing! Each weekday in October, members who sign up for NCTE Writes will receive an email that * focuses on a specific topic related to writing each day. * shares ways to celebrate writing on October 20 and throughout the year. * provides free NCTE resources, including book chapters, journal articles, blog posts, position statements, and more, curated to each day's writing-related topic. * highlights writing wisdom and inspiration from NCTE members. [cid:image010.jpg@01D6A6D7.32DF9020]Choices Matter: Complicity & Action During the Holocaust Join us November 11, 4-7 pm, for a live online session with the experts at Echoes and Reflections. REGISTER HERE FOR THIS FREE VIRTUAL WORKSHOP<https://form.jotform.com/91535898056167> Holocaust studies remain relevant today as students confront questions of racism and power in our own time and place. These concepts can be applied in social studies and E/LA classes well beyond those focused on European history. Echoes and Reflections offers you truly outstanding resources for teaching in online and blended environments. Video oral histories, captured by Steven Spielberg's USC Shoah Foundation<https://sfi.usc.edu/>, are integrated throughout the curriculum. Please share this opportunity with your colleagues in E/LA, Social Studies, and allied teams. Utah's 21st Annual Do the Write Thing Challenge (see attachments for more info) The Office of the Governor and the Utah State Board of Education invite you and your students to participate in Utah's 21st Annual Do the Write Thing Challenge. The Challenge offers 7th and 8th grade students across the state an opportunity to examine the impact of youth violence on their lives and then write what they think should be done to change the culture of violence. Personal responsibility is emphasized by encouraging students to make a commitment to do something about the problem. The program ultimately strives to help them break the cycle of violence in their homes, schools, and neighborhoods. Two writings per participating schools will be selected as state finalists and will be invited to attend a recognition luncheon where the top two authors will be announced in April 2021. State finalists will receive a scholarship deposit to their My529 Education Savings Account. The top two essays will be published and placed in the Library of Congress as Utah's national finalists. Teachers are encouraged to incorporate the Challenge into their regular classroom curriculum. Lesson plans can be found on the website at www.schools.utah.gov/prevention/dtwt<http://www.schools.utah.gov/prevention/dtwt>. Rules, entry forms, and additional information are also available on this website. The following is a list of ideas for the classroom: * English: use as an essay or poetry-writing assignment; * Health: discuss personal safety and well-being of others; * Civics: conduct an exercise on personal and civic responsibility; * History: use an historical perspective to examine youth violence. The deadline for entries is January 15th, 2021. The 2020 challenge involved more than 2,400 students participating in classroom discussions about youth violence with more than 1,100 submitting essays from 24 different teachers. We look forward to increasing these numbers in the 2021 Challenge. If you have any questions, please contact Cuong Nguyen at cuong.nguyen(a)schools.utah.gov or call (801) 538-7790. We encourage your students' participation and look forward to this year's Challenge. Sincerely, Governor Gary R. Herbert UCTE Fall Conference Friday, November 13 Virtual Register for this fall's Utah Council for Teachers of English (UCTE)<http://ucte.info/new/> Conference! Allison Marchetti and Rebekah O'Dell, authors of Writing with Mentors and the popular blog Moving Writers<https://movingwriters.org/>, will be the keynote speakers! This year's conference will be offered at a reduced price, and we will offer professional development points for participating. Please note that we will not be accepting breakout session proposals this year due to the change in format. We look forward to your proposals for next year's conference and appreciate your willingness to share your great ideas with the UCTE community! Latinx KidLit Book Festival The first ever Latinx KidLit Book Festival<https://www.latinxkidlitbookfestival.com/> will be held virtually on Friday, December 4th and Saturday, December 5th, organized by members of Las Musas Books<https://www.lasmusasbooks.com/> and a dedicated team of volunteers. This unique and free event will bring together Latinx kidlit authors and illustrators and engage readers and educators from all over the U.S. and beyond. This festival is for everyone-not just members of the Latinx community. All lovers of kidlit are welcome! They are attempting to reach as many teachers and librarians as possible so students far and wide can tune into this amazing event. Personal invitations will be sent to librarians and educators in October. This invite will include links to educator materials to use with students before, during, and after the festival, as well as instructions on how to enter to win a class set of books by authors featured in the festival. If you'd like this information delivered to your inbox, please fill out one of these forms: Form for schools<https://latinxkidlitbookfestival.wufoo.com/forms/k1qcaf1h117l7gc/> Form for libraries<https://slack-redir.net/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Flatinxkidlitbookfestival.wuf…> Secondary Literacy Director Meeting Dates, 2020-2021 Mark your calendars! To receive a meeting invite, contact Brenda McMurtrey at brenda.mcmurtrey(a)schools.utah.gov * November 17, 2020 * January 20, 2021 * March 24, 2021 Join the Listservs Want to stay in the loop of future newsletters? Join the Secondary ELA ListServ at https://lists.uen.org/mailman/listinfo/secondaryela or the Library Media ListServ at https://lists.uen.org/mailman/listinfo/library-media UEN's Learn @ Home Resources Find many learn at home resources for educators, students, and families at https://www.uen.org/learnathome/ Have an item for the monthly Secondary ELA & Library Media newsletter, a research or teaching tip, or an educator spotlight nomination? Email brenda.mcmurtrey(a)schools.utah.gov<mailto:brenda.mcmurtrey@schools.utah.gov> by the first of the month. Naomi Watkins, Ph.D. Secondary ELA and Library Media Specialist Utah State Board of Education 801-538-7616

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Scrible Webinar Recording & Info/Registration for Office Hour I
by Watkins, Naomi 15 Oct '20

15 Oct '20

The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is providing Scrible Edu Pro, a comprehensive research and writing platform, to all Utah K-12 schools via a statewide contract. USBE and Scrible hosted a training webinar on Thursday, October 8, 2020, to help you get started with and make the most of this new resource. The webinar recording and accompanying slides are posted at the bottom of the Scrible Utah webpage here: https://www.scrible.com/utah Scrible Office Hour I is Thursday, October 29, 2020 from 3:30-4:30 pm MT Get help and answers to your questions, ideally after you've tried using Scrible yourself. Register here<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdse_z66j9NQSkE0iE_4EmmGZWPlNr2Myq…> for this upcoming Scrible Office Hour session. Naomi Watkins, Ph.D. Secondary ELA and Library Media Specialist Utah State Board of Education 801-538-7616

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