Secondary ELA & Library Media News: April 2022
Dear Secondary ELA and Library Media Colleagues:
Two events have me thinking about literature and poetry about the land: 1) I recently spent a weekend hiking and camping in the San Rafael Swell gazing at the petroglyphs and pictographs of the people who inhabited this land long before you and me, and 2) Jeff Winget, Curriculum Specialist at the San Juan School District, was our lone attendee at the ELA Standards Public Comment Meeting in Richfield, so we had a discussion about some of the great writers of the American West (Ellen Meloy, Terry Tempest Williams, Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, and more) as we swapped adventure stories of us discovering and recreating on this piece of earth. While April is National Poetry Month, Earth Day also falls within this month on April 22nd. Both experiences were reminders of how literature has the power to connect us to others and to the land on which we live.
I also recently have had to reconcile my love of Stegner's Angle of Repose with news that he plagiarized significant portions of ithttps://www.altaonline.com/books/fiction/a39179237/wallace-stegner-mary-hallock-foote-plagarism/ from Mary Foote's journal. How does one come to terms with a beloved piece of art when you learn that it's not what you thought it was? Or that the creator is different from who you originally thought? I'm not entirely sure. These questions don't have easy answers. And while these wrestles with plagiarism are not entirely new, they seem relevant in this age of quick creation and sharing of information.
Here's to hoping that you're able to spend some time enjoying springtime!
Naomi
My Current Read: An American Sunrise https://www.joyharjo.com/book/an-american-sunrise by Joy Harjo My Current Listen: "That's Where I Am"https://open.spotify.com/track/4f1KkbXHnfIVZ9vmIExByJ?si=293e12ad9f464572 by Maggie Rogers My Current Watch: Coda https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pmfrE1YL4I Apple TV+
Educator Spotlight Heather Wihongi, Riverview Jr. High English teacher, journalism teacher, and instructional coach
[cid:image002.jpg@01D84F35.1E3E73E0] How long have you been teaching? I have been teaching for a total of 21 years.
Who/what inspired you to become a teacher? I had several teachers and professors throughout my high school and college who inspired me to become a teacher and showed me the impact that teachers can have on students, but two stand out in my mind. My high school biology and botany teacher Mr. Francis instilled a love of learning about nature and the world around us, but also how important it is to make learning fun. My college humanities professor Dr. Parry showed me the life lessons to be found in literature and the importance of cultivating relationships with your students.
What has been the most rewarding part of teaching? The most rewarding part of teaching is 100% my students. I love experiencing the impact I can have on their lives, but even more, I love the impact they have on mine. It is so rewarding to run into them years down the road and have them mention how they connected with a book they read in my class, still use the essay-writing strategies I taught them, or just loved the way they felt comfortable and accepted in my classroom.
What are your hobbies/interests when you are not teaching? I love traveling with my family; our favorite destinations are New Zealand (where my husband is from) and New York City. I am also a huge foodie, and I love cooking/baking, feeding other people, and binge-watching The Great British Bake-Off and Somebody Feed Phil. Obviously, I adore reading as well, but my husband has recently gotten me hooked onto Korean K-dramas, which is seriously cutting into my reading time.
What do you think is the most important thing about teaching ELA to kids? I think the most important thing about teaching ELA to students is showing them the power of words. Whether those words are in the books they are reading or the writing they create, I love showing them that words have power and can make a huge difference in the world around them.
What is your favorite book? Author? Well, isn't this the most difficult question ever! While I have several books that have become my favorites throughout my lifetime, I'd have to say Beauty by Robin McKinley is probably one of my all-time favorites. Reading this book when I was young was what sparked my life-long love of reading. Beauty also made me fall in love with beautiful words and language, and the lessons I learned from this book about self-worth and compassion had a big impact in my formative childhood years.
April is National Poetry Month!
* 30 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month in your Classroomhttps://poets.org/national-poetry-month/30-ways-celebrate-national-poetry-month-classroom * Tips for Librarians for Celebrating National Poetry Monthhttps://poets.org/text/tips-librarians * 30 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month at Home and Onlinehttps://poets.org/national-poetry-month/30-ways-celebrate-national-poetry-month-0 * Submit to Dear Poet as a teacher or studenthttps://poets.org/national-poetry-month/dear-poet-2022 * In 2022, the Academy of American Poets invited twelve poetshttps://poets.org/poem-day-guest-editors-2022 to each curate a month of poems. In this short Q&Ahttps://poets.org/April-2022-poem-a-day-guest-editor-naomi-shihab-nye, Naomi Shihab Nye discusses her curatorial approach and her own creative work. * Poetry by Utah Poetshttps://mappingliteraryutah.org/author?issearch=1&category_id=9&xf_1%5b0%5d=2 at Mapping Literary Utah * If April is sparking a desire to be back outside or if you want to create outdoor memories with your students, then these Write Out poetry resources are for you. Whether you are in a city, a suburb, a rural community or small town, use these resources as inspirations. (And remember, #WriteOuthttps://nwp.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=74fb19be0914ed81636ed0372&id=89af251578&e=7731425af4 returns in October.) Read more here.https://writenow.nwp.org/the-things-we-remember-writeout-for-poetry-month-aa41f51d7972 * Utah Poetry Festivalhttps://utahpoetryfestival.com/
P-12 ELA Standards Draft Open for Public Comment
The draft of the preschool through Grade 12 Utah English Language Arts (ELA) standards are now open for public comment. This public comment period concludes on June 14, 2022. Feedback can be provided online at https://tinyurl.com/433du5cx or in person at two remaining public meetings: April 27, 2022, 6-8pm Washington School District 121 West Tabernacle St. George, UT 84770
May 17, 2022, 6-8pm Ogden City School District 1950 Monroe Blvd Ogden, UT 84401
Standards Implementation Institute Summer 2022
See this flyerhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q2d34oWWEaeZcbdIEn4djbbVSGy_GJ3Q/view?usp=sharing for information about this summer's Standards Implementation Institute. Registration is open now. Secondary ELA topics include:
* Day 1: Strategies for Success in Argumentative Writing' * Day 2: Engagement and Endurance with Complex Text * Day 3: Informational Text and Writing * Day 4: Working Effectively with Students Who Face Reading Challenges
Intermountain AP Summer Institute
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2022-2023 Secondary Literacy Director Meeting Dates
Mark your calendars! To receive a meeting invite, contact Brenda McMurtrey at brenda.mcmurtrey@schools.utah.govmailto:brenda.mcmurtrey@schools.utah.gov
* September 13, 2022 * November 15, 2022 * January 24, 2023 * March 21, 2023
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
Have an item for the monthly Secondary ELA & Library Media newsletter, a research or teaching tip, or an educator spotlight nomination? Email brenda.mcmurtrey@schools.utah.govmailto: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
