Mary Fields, Eastern Oregon University and OFEP (Presenting with Mary will be other Oregon Forestry Education Program Members)
Books, Boots and Briars
Early Childhood, Primary, Elem., Title I
Room: Broadway

Phyllis Ferguson, Oasis School, Richland, WA
Opening Doors to Literacy Through Oral Language
Primary, Elementary
Room: St. Helens

Steven Grubaugh, University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Michael Tanner, Warner Pacific College, Portland
Involved Discussions
Middle School, Secondary, Title I
Room: Hawthorne

Stephanie Harvey, Consultant and Keynote Speaker
Reading and Understanding Nonfiction Text: The Joys, the Perils and a Few How Tos
Upper Elementary, MS
Room: Oregon

Tracy Smiles and Marie Lejevne, Western Oregon University
Using Critical Conversations to Explore Multiple Perspectives Through Literature Circles
Elementary, Middle School, Secondary
Room: Morrison

Ray Brown and Allen Evans, Eastern Oregon University

"All the World’s A Stage: A Lesson in Cross-Curricular Instruction"

Elementary, Middle School
Room: Morrison
'All the World’s a Stage' will present the potential for cross-curricular instruction through the use of Reader’s Theater to connect literacy and social studies content. This will be an interactive session where audience participation will be encouraged.

Mary Fields, Eastern Oregon University and OFEP

Presenting with Mary will be other Oregon Forestry Education Program Members

“Books, Boots and Briars”

Early Childhood, Primary, Elementary and Title 1
Room: Broadway

Join us for a ‘feet-on’ journey as a collector/disperser of seeds with extensions into quality nonfiction literature to support classroom instruction. Literature shared supports dispersal, adaptations, identification of species, as well as follows the story of plant cycle. Drawing for informational texts for session attendees!

Debra Frasier, Author www.debrafrasier.com

"Cut Paper Illustration: A Survey and A Technique"
All Levels
Room: Three Sisters

Debra Frasier illustrates her own picture books using a cut-paper technique. With a mix of both scholarship and delight, she will present a survey of the history of the cut-paper collage, a showcase of other illustrators and their books, as well as a proven approach to involving students in this tactile, low budget, highly graphic art activity. Learn how to bring these artists, books, and techniques to your classroom.

Stephanie Harvey, Consultant and Keynote Speaker
"Reading and Understanding Nonfiction Text: The Joys, the Perils and a Few How Tos"
Upper Elementary, Middle School, High School
Room: Oregon
Reading and understanding informational text is no easy task for developing readers. Nonfiction reading involves reading to learn, understand and remember new ideas, concepts and information. Nonfiction readers need to merge their thinking with the information to learn and understand it. They need to stop, think and react to information. When readers are able to sift and synthesize the important information, they engage more fully and expand their understanding.

Steven Grubaugh, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, and Michael Tanner, Warner Pacific College

“Involved Discussions”
Room: Hawthorne

Middle School, Secondary, Title 1

This presentation will highlight methods for creating Involved Discussion Lesson Plans. Presenters will explore with the audience an assortment of critical thinking tools and techniques to spark and guide discussions.

Mindy Larson, Linfield, Donna Kalmbach Phillips, George Fox University, Tracy Smiles, Western Oregon University, Ken Winograd, Oregon State University

“Working Towards Critical Thinking and Justice in Literacy Teacher Education”
Room: Idaho

Teacher Educators but applicable to all levels of educators

Literacy teacher educators are preparing students that are entering classrooms that are under the influence of NCLB’s scripted curriculums and test-driven focus. This panel presentation offers time for teacher educators to share ways in which they provide opportunities to advance critical thinking and social justice in their literacy courses.

Tony Mann, Principal, Susan Rindone, Literacy Coach, Barb Lim, LASS Teacher, all from Walt Morey Middle School

“Developing an Effective Middle School Reading and Writing Program”
Room: Sellwood

Middle School

A Middle School literacy program that really works! (And, kids like.) Successes and lessons learned while implementing a Balanced Literacy Approach. Focusing on the design of an effective reading intervention system based on RIT, gender needs, supporting research, school-wide literacy initiatives and use of data to drive instruction.

Diantha Mollahan, Greater Albany Public Schools

“Why is She Wearing That Hat? Classroom Management Techniques That Make Each Moment Count.”
Room:Halsey

Early Childhood, Primary, Elementary, Title 1

Every minute counts with classroom management skills that make clever use of daily routines such as passing out materials or moving from one task to the next. Learn to make props to motivate students, as well as techniques for purposeful transitions in your literacy block and beyond!”

Shirley Murta, Title 1 Distinguished Educator

“Children’s Literature to Enhance Math Learning”

Primary, Elementary, Title 1
Room: Ross Island

Help your students make meaning of abstract math concepts by connecting it to real situations in a story. Learn the benefits and ways of using children’s literature in math instruction. Participants will sample titles across the math strands from a bibliography compiled and reviewed by the presenter. An evaluation form for selecting quality literature to use in math will also be shared.

Penny Plavala, Multnomah ESD

“Six-Traits Writing: Terrific Picture Books and Mini-Lessons for Grades 2-6

Elementary, Title 1
Room: St. Helens

Looking for creative ideas to boost your writing in your classrooms? During this interactive session, Penny will share innovative strategies to teach the traits of Ideas & Content and Word Choice. Participants will leave with practical activities they can use right away with their students as well as an annotated bibliography of outstanding picture books.

Jill Schwimmer, Northwest Christian College

“Wonderful Readers from Struggling Readers (And Nothing Less!)”

Elementary, Middle School, Secondary, Title 1
Room: Weilder

Let’s focus on the ‘why’ (theory), the ‘what’ (methodology) and the ‘how’ (practical application) of helping struggling readers. A one-to-one tutoring process and a small group application will be presented that include accuracy, fluency and comprehension in a constructivist approach based on the theories presented.

Alan Lawrence Sitomer, California's 2007 Teacher of the Year
"Hip-Hop Language Arts: Engaging Reluctant Readers"

 Secondary
Room: Mt. Hood
Engage reluctant readers and writers by learning how to use the lyrics of Hip-Hop music as a means of differentiating the curriculum to build a unique bridge to the world of books. Teacher of the Year Award winner and noted author, Alan Lawrence Sitomer, will show you how to tie Tupac to Tennyson, host a poetry slam and meet the standards—all in a manner that students eagerly embrace. Fun activities and sample lessons that provide immediately usuable material will be provided.

Sharon Taberski, Nationally Recognized Educator and Author
"It's Got to Make Sense: Comprehension Instruction Across the Grades"
All Levels
Room: Mt. Bachelor
Comprehension instruction has to make sense from a developmental, classroom-based, and school-wide perspective. Participants will examine the importance of engaging students in comprehension practices that match their developmental needs. They will explore methods that motivate students to want to read as well as equip them with grade-appropriate skills and strategies they need to better understand text.

Mike Artell, author www.mikeartell.com

“Can You Draw Better Than a Fifth Grader?”

All Levels

Room: Oregon

Cartoons are powerful literacy tools and are a perfect way to capture the interest and attention of your reluctant readers/writers. In this session, I’ll give even the most artistically-challenged educators instructions on how to create their own great little cartoons – and then I’ll show them how to use their new creations to teach across the curriculum. No artistic talent required, but bring your sense of humor.

Roni Adams, Southern Oregon University

“Revitalize Reading through Readers Theatre”

Primary, Elementary, Middle School

Room: Mt Hood

In an activity-based workshop setting, participants will learn about Readers Theatre, adapt narratives into scripts, and perform in small groups. Learn or revisit this simple, dramatic, interactive method for increasing reading fluency, comprehension, expression and motivation!

Phyllis Ferguson, Oasis School Richland, WA

“Opening Doors to Literacy through Oral Language”

Primary, Elementary

Room: St. Helens

Research on the power of Oral Language for literacy development will create a foundation for this lively, interactive session. Participants will leave knowing WHY oral language is essential, WHEN to develop it and most importantly HOW to implement ORAL language in their literacy classrooms for maximum benefit.

Kristen Graber, Principal Elgin School District

“Read to Succeed”

Early Childhood, Primary, Elementary, MS, Title 1

Room: Hawthorne

Come learn how Elgin School District created a program to fit their smaller district benefiting students across the grade levels.  Hear how they involved and informed the community, offered parent meetings, made changes to their instructional program and created a summer program.

Bruce Hansen, Beaverton Schools

“Literature Based Writing”

Elementary, Middle School

Room: Mt. Bachelor

Learn how to use the Analytical Writing Traits and the literature present in your classroom to teach your students to be more effective writers. Students examine their classroom literature to see how the author wrote successfully. Using the traits, students create a scoring guide to guide them as they write in the style of the author.

Linda Hilligoss, Younghee Kim and Master of Arts pre-service teachers from Southern Oregon University

“Nurturing Natural Partners: Reading and Science”

Primary, Elementary, Middle School, Title 1

Room: Halsey

Like cookies and milk, a wink and a smile and other “natural partners”-reading and science join for a perfect curricular marriage! Experience some engaging science/reading tri-fold centers linking Project Learning Tree lessons with children’s books. Handouts with book lists and Oregon Content Standards correlations will be provided.

Marcia Hodges, Retired Eugene Educator

“Telling Folktales for Fun and Learning Story Structures”

Primary, Elementary

Room: Three Sisters

Children are delighted by folktales and can easily learn them from to recognize the basics of any story. Learn about different kinds of plot and a useful way to teach setting. Practice telling a story. Get a list of child-tested stories collected over 20 years of telling and teaching tales.

Joni Kaban, Author

“Life in Madagascar: How a Book Has Changed a Malagasy Girl’s Life”

Early Childhood, Primary, Elementary

Room: Ross Island

Joni Kabana will share her experiences in Madagascar and the book that came about because of her travels. She will focus on the images and lives of the people who live there, what we can learn from them and the power of the written word, especially for young readers.

Heitho Reuter, Lisa Spires, and Bonnie Anderson, Greater Albany Public Schools

“Using a Simple Formative Assessment to Inform Secondary Literacy Instruction Cross-the-Content Areas: Practical Strategies that Make a Difference”

Middle School, Secondary, Title 1

Room: Sellwood

Learn how to improve reading skills in cross-curriculum secondary classrooms using practical brain compatible strategies. See how a district is using formative assessment to bring pertinent literacy drive information to every teacher’s desktop. Explore instructional techniques that will make a difference for all secondary struggling readers.

Laurie Skiba, Editorial Content Director

“Reading Strategies for Struggling Readers”

Primary, Elementary

Room: Weidler

Learn how using reading strategies actively helps emerging readers understand the text they are reading, sometimes for the first time. Reading strategy work not only helps them demonstrate reading skills on high-stakes tests, it helps them engage with literature for deeper meaning, allowing for real ‘breakthrough’ reading. This PowerPoint presentation includes activities and handouts that model how to build comprehension, fluency and vocabulary acquisition for your students. With such strategies as connect to prior knowledge, visualize, write things down, and monitor your reading progress, we’ll share best practices that will allow your students to interact with a text to create real meaning.

Tracy Smiles and Marie Lejevne, Western Oregon University

“Using Critical Conversations to Explore Multiple Perspectives Through Literature Circles”

Elementary, Middle School, Secondary

Room: Morrison

This presentation will explore the ways in which literature circles and other means of framing literacy discussions can be powerful inroads towards developing critical conversations in our classrooms. Examples from elementary, middle school and high school classrooms will be shared, including examples of diverse texts that support a critical approach. Participants will receive handouts that include copies of the teachers’ curricular frameworks, schedules, strategies for documenting student growth within holistic classroom structures, and strategies developed for facilitating critical, meaning-based practices within their classrooms.

Peter Thacker, Megan McDonald, and Noel Peterson, University of Portland

“Let’s Trade! An Innovative, Integrated Literacy Activity”

Teachers’ grades 5-12, Title 1

Room: Broadway

Join a workshop modeling directed reading, note-taking skills, and visual art to integrate knowledge of characters from stories or informational text. Discussions describe the process used to create lessons relying on “trading cards.” Similar to baseball cards, to get to know characters.

Sarah Womble, International Reading Association

“Creating Classrooms That Foster Motivated and Engaged Readers”

All Levels

Room: Idaho

 This session will focus on the importance of creating classroom cultures that promote and encourage a motivation to read. The following types of reading motivation will be discussed; extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy. Specific classroom practices that enhance and improve children’s motivations for reading will be shared.

Christine Collins, Corlee Fredrick, and Anne Warrington, Rainer School District
Grassroots Literacy
Primary, Elementary, MS, Secondary, Title I
Room: Hawthorne

Phyllis Ferguson, Oasis School, Richland WA
Dancing Your Way to Phonemic Awareness
Early Childhood, Primary, Title I
Room: Mt. Hood

Teri Daniels and Cornelia Paraskevas, Abiqua School
Reading for Writing
Primary, Elementary, Middle School, Secondary, Title I
Room: Morrison

Carol S. Fitzpatrick, Consultant
Strategies for the 'Strategic'
Primary, Elementary, MS, Title I
Room: St. Helens

Tim Haag, Greater Albany School District
Whole Class Comprehension with the Interactive Whiteboard
Primary, Elementary, Middle School
Room: Three Sisters

Shira Lubliner, Keynote Speaker
Practical Strategies for Building Vocabulary Across the Curriculum and Throughout the School
THIS IS THE FIRST HALF OF A
2-HOUR SESSION 10:15-12:15
All Levels
Room: Oregon

Kathy Moran, Salem-Keizer School District
Vocabulary, an Untapped Resource for Comprehension
Elementary, Middle School
Room: Ross Island

Rosemary Siring with Pre-Service Teachers, Hillary Tidd, Ricky Lankford, Hope Hewport, Robert Kleng, Mykele McClure, Michael Kelleher and Rebecca Holzschuh, Eastern Oregon University
Life and Literature
Primary, Elementary, Middle School, Secondary, Title I
Room: Alaska

Christine Collins, Corlee Fredrick, Anne Warrington, Rainer School District

“Grassroots Literacy”

Primary, Elementary, Middle School, Secondary, Title 1

Room: Hawthorne

Rainer Literacy Coaches will discuss the Rainer grassroots literacy promotion efforts that included developing SMART goals, creating a district literacy plan, organizing professional development, literacy book clubs, giving presentations, etc. Participants will be given guidance and time to develop their own grassroots literacy promotion plan.

Phyllis Ferguson, Oasis School, Richland, WA

“Dancing Your Way to Phonemic Awareness”

Early Childhood, Primary, Title 1

Room: Mt. Hood

Movement and rhythm, blended with songs and chants weave a tapestry of phonemic success as Phyllis connects brain compatible learning, Phonemic Awareness and FUN!

Teresa Goetter, Salem- Keizer School District

“Writer’s and Reader’s Workshop in a Balanced Literacy Program”

Primary, Elementary

Room: Morrison

The presentation will examine the role of Writer’s Workshop and Reading Workshop in an elementary classroom. Why and how they can be taught effectively for any student at any ability level, in any language.

Karyn Gomez and Lee Ann McNerney, Eastern Oregon University

“Highlighting Diversity in Children’s Picture Books”

Early Childhood, Primary, Elementary

Room: Washington

This workshop will provide teachers with examples of quality children’s literature to increase awareness of many forms of diversity in the classroom. Information on literacy strategies highlighting diversity and ways to evaluate children’s literature for issues of diversity will be shared during the presentation.

Tim Haag, Greater Albany School District

“Whole Class Comprehension with the Interactive Whiteboard”

Primary, Elementary, Middle School

Room: Three Sisters

Teachers! Say goodbye to staid, dry, last-minute review exercises. Give your students the opportunity to use the interactive whiteboard to show what they know on so many levels. You’ll be limited by only your imagination (well that, and the minutes on the clock.)

Diane Juttelstad, Beaverton School District

“The Reading-Writing Connection: Using Children’s Literature to Inspire Writing”

Primary, Elementary, Title 1

Room: Sellwood

The Reading-Writing Connection Workshop provides teachers of all grade levels with instructional strategies that connect students with authentic literature and scaffold skills toward becoming proficient writers.

Shira Lubliner, Keynote Speaker

“Practical Strategies for Building Vocabulary Across the Curriculum and Throughout the School" THIS IS A 2-HOUR SESSION - 10:15-12:15

All Levels

Room: Oregon

This workshop will focus on instructional methods that teachers can use to embed vocabulary instruction into every lesson they teach.  Methods will include choosing words to teach, providing explicit, engaging vocabulary instruction, and teaching students to use effective clarifying strategies and metacognitive skills that strengthen comprehension. Participants will learn how to create a word-rich environment that will help all students thrive.

Ben Mikaelsen, Author

“Research – Finding the Heart of a Story”

All Levels

Room: St. Helens

Ben discusses the challenges faced in creating his books. A slide presentation allows a wonderful view inside Ben’s research as he tries to uncover the emotions that bring the heart to each story. These experiences include raising a 650-pound black bear, living with the homeless, working with dolphins, attending Space Camp, going undercover with Drug Enforcement Agents and living with the Maasai in Africa. The diversity of Ben’s writing and research is what has made his books so appealing. This presentation is both informative and entertaining. 

Kathy Moran, Salem-Keizer School District

“Vocabulary, an Untapped Resource for Comprehension”

Elementary, Middle School

Room: Ross Island

Using Beck, McKeown and Kucan’s research, this session will address the components of good vocabulary instruction that can be used in all content areas with all students, including ELL. You will learn strategies for teaching vocabulary that students will retain and use in reading, writing and speaking.

Rebecca Schulte, Pacific University

“Interactive Journals & Constructivist Approach to Phonological Awareness”

Early Childhood, Primary

Room: Idaho

This presentation will describe how student-centered journals are used in preschool and primary grade classrooms to improve phonological awareness and speech production in children with communication disorders.

Rosemary Siring with pre-service teachers Hillary Tidd, Ricky Lankford, Hope Newport, Robert Kleng, Mykele McClure, Michael Kelleher and Rebecca Holzschuh, Eastern Oregon University

“Life and Literature”

Primary, Elementary, Middle School, Secondary, Title I

Room: Alaska

Students and their professor from EOU (Gresham) share diverse experiences in their lives and the value that literature contributed in their experiences. Students also present unique ways to share the literature that can be used in any classroom. No more traditional book reports!  Extensive handouts and book lists are provided.

Deborah White, Dallas School District

“All Twelve’s Are Not Equal—Using Assessments to Make Effective Instructional Decisions”

Primary, Title I

Room Mt. Bachelor

That running record can give you much more information than simply what leveled texts are appropriate for your students. Come see how closer analysis can help you design flexible groups and teach your students the effective reading strategies they need to boost their reading achievement.

John Day, Fort Bend Independent School District

“From Pink Floyd to Homer Simpson: Building Bridges to Literature in High School Language Arts”

Secondary School

Room: Washington

Students today live saturated in music, movies, and television. Why fight it? Pop culture can be used to construct a more meaningful connection between the literature they experience and the world in which they live.

Teri Daniels and Cornelia Paraskevas, Abiqua School

“Reading for Writing”

Primary, Elementary, Middle School, Secondary, Title 1

Room: Morrison

The presentation focuses on connecting reading with writing instruction, specifically through the use of mentor texts. The presenters will show various strategies of helping students create authentic texts for a particular audience and a specific purpose.

Carol S. Fitzpatrick, Consultant

“Strategies for the ‘Strategic’”

Primary, Elementary, Middle School, Title 1

Room: St. Helens

Are you looking for ways to help your kids in the “Strategic” Zone? Carol S. Fitzpatrick, M.S., has more than ten years of successful experience helping struggling readers succeed, both in her intermediate classroom and her “Double Dose” classes. Come learn three of her most effective strategies that you can use tomorrow.

Karren Guthrie, Pacific University

“Writing Memoirs with Diverse Learners”

Primary, Elementary, Title 1

Room: Idaho

This session will allow the participants to experience the writing process while composing a personal memoir. We will use children’s literature as a way to help children begin to write their own personal memoirs and the writing process as a means to foster oral language development.

Gretchen Hamilton, Rogue Community College

“Young Adult Books for MS & HS Students: Opportunity to Apply for an IRA Grant”

Middle School, Secondary

Room: Alaska

How would you like to receive, for free, 300-1500 new, young adult novels, each year, for 3 years? That can happen as an IRA Young Adults’ Choices Team Leader. Find out how easy it is to apply and get hundreds of new books for your middle school or high school. Book talks of last years’ YAC winners will also be presented.

Carol Lauritzen, Eastern Oregon University

“Why is there a ‘g’ in ‘sign’ (and other nagging spelling questions)?

Primary, Elementary, Middle

Room: Ross Island

Are you satisfied with the way you teach spelling? Are you enthusiastic about word study? If not, this active participation session will show you how spelling investigations and word sorts can promote effective and interesting word study in your classroom.

Vicki Hannah Lein, Featured Speaker

“Teaching Language Arts Through Movement and Play”

Elementary

Room: Three Sisters

Teaching language arts through movement and play accesses different parts of the brain and reaches more learners.  Learn how to teach vocabulary and conventions in a way that gets students begging for more. Come prepared to have fun,  be creative and learn some of those grammar rules you don’t quite understand! 

Literacy Coaches All Levels, Portland Reading Council

“Literacy Coaches Forum”

All Levels

Room: Sellwood

As a panel, literacy coaches from all grade levels will share their expertise in a question/answer format. Are you finding your new role as a reading coach daunting? Would you like to talk to those who have been doing it for a while? This is your chance.

Anita McClain-Haley and Ann Matschiner, Pacific University

“Vision and Reading: What Classroom Teachers Need to Know”

All levels

Room: Hawthorne

This presentation will include data collected from a questionnaire regarding what teachers know and need to know about vision and reading. The questionnaire will be discussed with regards to the correct answers and how this information affects teaching reading, working with parents, and eye-care specialists.

Tonya Rosling, Mid-Valley Reading Council

“1+1= Literacy Fun”

Elementary

Room: Mt. Bachelor

Looking for ways to spice up your math curriculum? Why not try literacy? This presentation will focus on creative ways to integrate literacy into your math program. Learn how to use read alouds and writing as springboards to teach your most important math concepts. Handouts and a bibliography will be provided.

Diane Walworth, Independent Consultant

“It’s Critical! The Explicit Teaching of Reading Strategies”

Primary, Elementary, Middle School, Title 1

Room: Mt. Hood

This session will focus on the explicit teaching of comprehension strategies. Before strategies can be taught, teachers need to have an understanding of what efficient readers do and the strategies they use while reading. The goal for students is that they can select and use strategies flexibly and independently while reading.