Secondary ELA & Library Media News: January 2022
Dear Secondary ELA and Library Media Colleagues:
I know that things are very much in flux and many are feeling that extra burden right now. Please reach out for support and make sure to take as much care for yourselves as you are able.
My Current Reads: Klara and the Sunhttps://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/653825/klara-and-the-sun-by-kazuo-ishiguro/ by Kazuo Ishiguro My Current Music Listen: "Speaking with the Trees"https://open.spotify.com/track/4g7Jknv7dTQ1IDoqsBTg8N?si=b2e3cc35e02a4704 by Tori Amos My Current Watch: tick tick...Boom!https://www.netflix.com/title/81149184
Educator Spotlight Cherie Kircalli - Mount Logan Middle School, Reading and Language Arts [cid:image001.jpg@01D80C7D.29D8F7C0]I have been a Utah teacher for 21 years now. Before that, I taught elementary and middle school, and college-age students in Istanbul, Turkey for 10 years. I was inspired to become a teacher because of my friendships with migrant children when I was a child in Australia. I didn't understand the grammatical structure of the language, but I quickly learned the importance of repetition, patience, and real-life exposure to language situations in helping my friends learn English. I was also influenced by middle-school and high-school English teachers who used popular songs to interest their students in poetry and language. The most rewarding part of teaching has been the life-long connections I've been able to make with my students and their families, and the little thank you notes that have appeared at random times on my desk over the years. When you hear, in a child's own words, that you have made a difference in their life it goes a long way to erasing any negative interactions you might have had with a disgruntled parent. I have had few interests outside of teaching in the past three decades apart from crafting cards and handmade books, as well as having a keen interest in family history. The bulk of my waking moments have been spent furthering education - my own and that of my students. The most important thing about teaching ELA to kids is to bring language to life with books they might be interested in, to show a passion for the meanings of words, and to be sincere in letting them know you care about them as students and as people. My favorite book series has been the Dragonriders of Pern science fiction series by Anne McCaffrey. I love being skillfully mentally transported to another world and time.
Registration Open Now: Professional Learning Opportunity Robert Austin, USBE Humanities Coordinator, and I are excited to offer the following virtual professional learning series to secondary ELA and social studies folks (classroom teachers, instructional/literacy coaches, district leaders) with Cornelius Minor called "Put The Oxygen Mask on Yourself First: What it Means To Learn Right Now." This is a series on meeting the needs of a changing learning landscape by focusing on ENGAGEMENT, CRITICAL THINKING, and CREATIVITY. Dates/Times:
* Session #1: February 8, 3:30-6:30pm MST * Session #2: February 15, 3:30-6:30pm MST * Session #3: March 8, 3:30-6:30pm MST *Please note that this is a 3-part series. Participants will need to attend all three parts. Location: Zoom Cost: FREE Registration: MIDAShttp://usbe.midaseducation.com/ course ID: 60758 | Receive 1.0 USBE Credit For the schedule, learning intentions, and success criteria, visit herehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1kXxXZalAqHWL_TKEq0qjmmhh_eQg411m7QXY-UumsAc/edit.
Utah Women's History Opportunities from Better Days
NEW RESOURCES ABOUT MARTHA HUGHES CANNON First, we are commemorating 125 years since Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon'shttps://www.utahwomenshistory.org/bios/marthahughescannon/ election as the first female state senator in the nation with new lessons and primary source setshttps://www.utahwomenshistory.org/tools-for-educators/! To request a free digital toolkit to help teach your students about this remarkable Utah woman, please sign up herehttp://shorturl.at/bpxV1. More details can be found in the attached flyer
ART CONTEST Second, we are thrilled to announce the second annual "She Started It For All of Us" art contest for 4-12 grade students. Last year, we had hundreds of submissions from students who shared their talents and brought Utah women to life in creative and impressive ways. Students must submit their art before January 24, 2022, more contest details can be found herehttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdNT14Dptw4rKlixT3QMJt2zjLu2ECX-zDfgXzE7lkgAHT-0g/viewform and in the attached flyer. Please spread the word to all the teachers and students you know! Winners will receive cash prizes and have their art in a public display at the Utah State Capitol.
FIELD TRIP OPPORTUNITY - UTAH STATE CAPITOL BUILDING Last, but not least, on February 10, 2022, Better Days is hosting students and teachers on the 4th floor gallery of the Utah Capitol for a unique field trip opportunity. Join us that morning as we share stories of Utah women who made a difference in their communities through civic engagement. We will have hands-on activities, storytellers, and displays about Utah women's history, and a visit with Utah's Lieutenant Governor, Deidre Henderson. Sign up for this great opportunity herehttps://forms.gle/RgcN6QdpGXm4yQTf7! Join Better Days for one, two or all three of these inspiring events! We look forward to hearing from you soon.
UCTE 2022 Conference Friday, Feb 11, 2022at Megaplex Theaters at Jordan Commons Registration closes February 1st! Register herehttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-ucte-conference-tickets-204253496707.
The 2022 annual conference of the Utah Council of Teachers of English will feature exciting keynote speakers and inspiring teacher-led breakout sessions. Our keynotes this year will be about identity, inquiry, and identity led by Sara K. Ahmed and digital literacies led by Dr. Shelbie Witte and Dr. Sara Kajder.
Our teacher-led breakout sessions will cover topics ranging from teaching literature to best writing practices to incorporating digital literacies into the classroom. Join us for what promises to be an energizing and inspiring day of professional development!
UELMA 2022 Conference Registration for UELMA's annual conference is now open. The UELMA conference is Thursday, March 10, 2022 at Weber State University. Register now to receive a discounted rate at https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2Fuelma.org%2Fannual-conference-2022%2Fhome&data=04%7C01%7Cksmedberg%40graniteschools.org%7Ce48c5d055f5644ea660008d9d61f89e4%7C2c45b243148f437d99d862605a32b840%7C0%7C0%7C637776253219765228%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=WZoLbl7AJ4Bsi5fdgibrbAhZp8jw%2FJKHLD1lL4EpLnE%3D&reserved=0 https://sites.google.com/uelma.org/annual-conference-2022/home Do you have a service project idea? Do you know someone or a library in need? Let us know how UELMA and its members can help. More information herehttps://sites.google.com/uelma.org/annual-conference-2022/service-project. We want to recognize the fabulous teacher librarians, paraprofessionals, and administrators in our state. Please consider nominating a fabulous library worker or supporter - More information here.https://sites.google.com/uelma.org/annual-conference-2022/information/awards UELMA is in need of volunteers! If you would be willing to help at the conference, please let us know. More information herehttps://sites.google.com/uelma.org/annual-conference-2022/volunteers.
USBE & DonorsChoose Launch $12 Million Effort for Educators The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) officially launches the allocation of $12 million in COVID-19 relief funds to directly help K-12 public school educators get classroom resources for the school year through DonorsChoosehttp://www.donorschoose.org/, a nonprofit crowdfunding website. The collaboration between USBE and DonorsChoose is the largest of its kind to date in the nation and will provide Utah educators with up to $1,000 in funding for their projects, empowering them to support their students' success with classroom resources. As part of the partnership with USBE, DonorsChoose will ensure any requests for instructional materials align with the Utah Core Standards. For any requests for non-instructional items, DonorsChoose will confirm that projects relate to one of the four main goal areas identified in USBE's strategic plan: safe and healthy schools; early learning; personalized learning; and effective teachers and leaders. Any Utah full-time equivalent K-12 public school employee who spends the majority of their time directly educating or counseling students is eligible to create a project. Eligible projects are anticipated to be funded within one week of posting. Projects will be funded up to $1,000 in total costs for student-focused resources. USBE will begin funding eligible requests on a first-come, first-served basis beginning January, 18, 2021 and for as long as funding is available. Educators can learn how to create an eligible DonorsChoose project in the organization's Help Centerhttps://help.donorschoose.org/hc/en-us/articles/4415576238487.
Nominate Local Educators "Utah Jazz Most Valuable Educator, presented by Instructure" invites the Utah community to nominate local educators who are making an impact in their schools and communities and who are an inspiration in the lives of their students. Through this program, 21 educators will be recognized during 21 home games throughout the 2021-22 Jazz regular season. Each honored educator will be guests of Instructure at the game and receive a personalized Jazz jersey. In addition, each recipient will receive a $1,000 classroom grant and a surprise classroom visit or organized assembly involving the Jazz Bear mascot, and personnel from the Utah Jazz and Instructure.
More information here.https://www.nba.com/jazz/MVE Nominations end March 31, 2022.
Civil Liberties in Times of Crisis: The Japanese American Experience
JACL and the National Endowment for the Humanitieshttps://neh.gov/ (NEH) are inviting seventy-two educators to explore the historical significance and enduring legacy of the World War II Japanese American incarceration experience and the reparations movement. While past participants are primarily social studies and humanities teachers at the K-12 levels, all are invited to apply. More information can be found here.https://jacl.org/2022-neh-landmarks?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=7a6c7ac5-a7a7-47e3-a39c-240569f60bff
Black History Month with Utah Film Center
Utah Film Center is proud to announce their 2022 edition of Black History Month programming beginning February 1st! This year's selection offers free films and a special event at the University of Utah that delves into the artistry, inspiration and activism of our country's Black luminaries, past and present. Each Tuesday in February, The Utah Film Center will take you on a journey to uncover the stories you thought you knew and on Thursday the 17th, they will partner with Utah Presents for a unique in-person performance by DJ Spooky as part of their Through the Lens series with KUER and RadioWest at Kingsbury Hall. More information here.https://www.facebook.com/UtahFilmCenter/events
Scrible Trainings by UEN
UEN has developed online and in-person training on Scrible, the research, writing, and reading digital platform that USBE has adopted. All Utah public school educators and students have free accounts.
For UEN videos about Scrible visit: https://sites.google.com/pd.uen.org/utah-scrible-amazing/home
NEW OPPORTUNITY: For a self-paced MIDAS course about Scrible, go here. https://uen.catalog.instructure.com/browse/mooc2022/courses/research-ready-with-scrible-2022
To request a Scrible presentation by UEN at your school/LEA, complete this formhttps://form.asana.com/?hash=09cb900a8f94bb4564f8feece9fdd6f935c8a1798d9b4184ae45554d4f512e3f&id=1191987209267891.
2021-2022 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
* January 25, 2022 from 1-3pm virtual * 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
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
