Secondary English Weekly #16
Issue Sixteen / December 17-20, 2018 and Winter Break
MLK BREAKFAST SPEAKER CONTEST WINNER CHOSEN
CONGRATULATIONS TO BIANCA MOORE, A SOPHOMORE AT EASTMOOR ACADEMY, WHO HAS BEEN CHOSEN TO SPEAK AT THE 2019 MLK BREAKFAST AT THE COLUMBUS CONVENTION CENTER ON JANUARY 21, 2019!!!
The contest was open to CCS students in Grades 6-12 and the theme of the speech was "The Purpose of Education-intelligence plus character." The judges enjoyed viewing all of the speech entries and want to give a shout out to all of the entrants: C.J. Clayton (Eastmoor), Candace Cook (Dominion), Grace Davenport (Ridgeview), Aya Haki (Ridgeview), Wesley Henderson (Medina), Zaraeyah Hodges (Dominion), Misty Jarvis (Dominion), Kennedy Little (Dominion), Davon Mackey (Medina), Courtney Miers (Dominion), Bianca Moore (Eastmoor), Kalaya Morton (Morton), Alice Ochieng (Ridgeview), Miles Rooks (Medina), Mariata Sall (CAHS), Makiyah Saunders (Dominion), and Jean Shumana (Medina). Entrants will receive participation certificates that will be sent to their schools to be distributed by the teacher who entered them. Look for those in the coming weeks.
FREE DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS FOR TEACHERS ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY
MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH AND ENGLISH CURRICULUM LIAISONS
It is time for each middle school to confirm or select its ELA and Math Curriculum Liaisons. Each middle school and K-6/K-8 building will select one person to act as the ELA Curriculum Liaison and one person to act as the Math Curriculum Liaison for their building.
Principals or Principal Designees should use this form to review or add the names of your school’s selected ELA and Math Curriculum Liaisons by January 10th: https://tinyurl.com/2019CurriculumLiaisons
- Each middle school and K-6/K-8 building will only select two people: one from ELA and one from Math to act as their Middle School Curriculum Liaisons.
- The two people chosen should be leaders in ELA and Math content, respectively.
- They should be chosen by the building administration or BLT and may be members of the BLT. They could also be chosen by collective decision of the ELA and Math teachers in the building.
- They will serve as liaisons between the Curriculum Department and their building administration/teachers, with the understanding that they will share information gained and professional development experienced at scheduled liaison meetings. This is similar to the former Teacher Leader positions.
- Liaisons will receive up to a $600 Stipend based on meeting attendance and sharing back at their buildings.
- Meeting Dates: January 15, February 12, March 12, April 9, and May 7
- Time: 4-6pm
BUCKEYE CHILDREN'S AND TEEN BOOK AWARD WINNERS!!
The Buckeye Children’s and Teen Book Award program is designed to encourage students in Ohio to read literature critically, to promote teacher and librarian involvement in young adult literature programs, and to commend authors of such literature. The Buckeyes are one of the only state reader's choice awards in which students get to nominate the titles as well as vote on the final winners. The only adults who may submit nominations or votes are teachers and librarians who are representing a group of students from their school or library. This allows the Buckeyes to be truly a student-chosen award in all aspects.
THE 2018 AWARD WINNERS WERE ANNOUNCED EARLIER THIS MONTH:
For Grades 6-8:
- Refugee by Alan Gratz
The Teen Buckeye Book Award nominees (for grades 9-12):
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Nominations are open for the 2019 award. Have your students go to www.bcbookaward.info to nominate and see past winners!
1. CAPA INVITES STUDENTS AND ADULTS TO PARTICIPATE IN FIRST-EVER POETRY SLAM COMPETITION FOR HAMILTON TICKETS
The Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA), in partnership with The Columbus Foundation, is hosting a Poetry Slam competition for both experienced and amateur poets. The Poetry Slam will be held at 7 pm on Wednesday, January 23, at Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center Auditorium (546 Jack Gibbs Blvd.). Those interested in competing must attend one of four free spoken word workshops, and then write and present an original poem inspired by themes from the Broadway musical HAMILTON at the Poetry Slam. The top two poets-one in the youth category (18 and under) and one in the adult category (19 and older)-will each be awarded two tickets to the Columbus engagement of HAMILTON on Wednesday, February 6, 2019, 7:30 pm, at the Ohio Theatre. Tickets are non-transferable and must be picked up at Will Call with a photo ID on the day of the performance starting at 5:30 pm. THIS IS A FABULOUS WAY TO ENGAGE YOUR STUDENTS TO BUILD YOUR TEAMS FOR THE SPRING CCS POETRY SLAM!!
Some Specifics
-Workshop participants will experiment with poetic techniques, draft theme-inspired spoken word poems drawn from personal experiences, and share works-in-progress for constructive critique. No previous poetry or spoken word experience is necessary, but registration is required for the workshops.
Workshop dates, times, and locations:
Saturday, January 5, 10 am - 12 pm, Ohio Theatre (55 E. State St.)
Wednesday, January 9, 5:30 - 7:30 pm, Parsons Library (1113 Parsons Ave.)
Saturday, January 12, 10 am - 12 pm, Transit Arts (1251 Bryden Rd.)
Wednesday, January 16, 7 pm - 9 pm, Lincoln Theatre (769 E. Long St.)
-After attending a workshop, those who wish to compete in the Poetry Slam must register at https://www.capa.com/home/hamilton-spoken-word/. At the slam, workshop participants will perform their completed poems for community attendees and a panel of judges. Poems must be written and presented by the workshop participant only and include Hamilton-inspired themes such as overcoming obstacles, being an agent of positive change, and/or creating a legacy.
2. START 2019 OFF "WRITE" WITH A THURBER HOUSE WRITING PROGRAM
Thurber House/Thurber Center (91 Jefferson Ave.) is offering the following writing opportunities. Encourage your students to register and attend.
WRITING WIZARDS FOR GRADES 6-8 ON SATURDAYS FROM FEBRUARY 9-MARCH 9 ($125*)
Register by January 25th at http://www.thurberhouse.org/writing-wizards/.
-Nonfiction with Flair (10am-12pm)
Want to be the next Lin-Manuel Miranda? Do you love history or geeking out over research? We will delve into what it takes to write awesome literary nonfiction, from picking a topic, to how to put the research into an interesting story (or maybe a hit Broadway play). You don't have to be obsessed with Hamilton to enjoy this class.
-Generation Next (1pm-3pm)
Every generation insists that the younger generation is "different." In this class, we'll have fun with the premise that Gen Z really is different. Using genres like science fiction, fantasy, and alternative history, we'll figure out what powers, talents, and philosophies set you apart...and tell the story of how you'll take over the world!
*Scholarships are available but must be applied for on the registration site by January 18th.
YOUNG WRITERS' STUDIO FOR GRADES 9-12 ON WEDNESDAYS 1/8, 22; 2/5, 19; 3/5, 19; 4/2, 16, 30 FROM 6:30-8:30PM ($15 PER SESSION*)
Register at http://www.thurberhouse.org/young-writers-studio/.
Encourage your students to join other high school students from across the city for a brand new year of writing! If your students love crafting characters, settings, and conflict--not to mention throwing in a few well-placed plot twists—have them check out Young Writers' Studio starting on January 8th! They meet every other week for two hours with author and English professor, Robert Loss. They'll kick off the first hour with quality writing prompts and activities. Then, after a break for provided snacks (of course!), they'll wrap up the last hour with the chance to workshop pieces that you or others bring in. It's a safe, low-key, fun opportunity to enjoy writing and meet others!
*Scholarships are available by contacting Meg Brown at megbrown@thurberhouse.org.
3. TIME TO REGISTER YOUR HIGH SCHOOL FOR POETRY OUT LOUD
The registration for the Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest is OPEN NOW. Go to
oac.ohio.gov/poetryoutloud for more information and to register. Poetry Out Loud encourages students to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. Poetry Out Loud uses a pyramid structure that starts at the classroom level. Winners advance to a school-wide competition, then to a regional and/or state competition, and ultimately to the National Finals. Each winner at the state level receives $200 and an all-expenses-paid trip with an adult chaperone to Washington, DC, to compete for the national championship. The state winner's school receives $500 for the purchase of poetry books. The first runner-up in each state receives $100, with $200 for his or her school. A total of $50,000 in awards and school stipends is awarded annually at the National Finals.To remind yourself of the scope of the contest, get information on the national program at poetryoutloud.org.
STANDARDIZED TEST PREP LESSONS FOR AIR SUCCESS USING THE READ METHOD
THIS WEEK'S LESSON:
- December 20, 2018 (Using Transitions)
-If you have missed any of the lessons released thus far from September and October, they are available below and on the ELA 6-12 Webpage, at the "Thursday Standardized Test Prep" Quick Link. These lessons are based upon the CCS 2018 AIR Data Report and its recommended actions simplified in the READ Method for AIR Preparation.
- September 20, 2018 (Complex Text/Text Annotation)
- September 27, 2018 (Complex Text/Word Pyramid & Question Quads)
- October 4, 2018 (Analyzing Questions)
- October 11, 2018 (Analyzing Answers)
- October 18, 2018 (Writing Guide Acronym)
- October 25, 2018 (Passage and Prompt Analysis)
- November 1, 2018 (Finding Evidence)
- November 8, 2018 (Finding Evidence 2)
- November 15, 2018 (Finding Evidence 3)
- November 29, 2018 (Finding Evidence 4)
- December 6, 2018 (Identifying Transitions)
- December 13, 2018 (Adding Transitions)
USE THIS LIST TO GUIDE WHAT YOU DO IN THE CLASSROOM
1-Make close reading of text central to lesson.
2-Structure majority of instruction so all students read grade-level complex texts.
3-Emphasize informational texts from early grades through graduation.
4-Provide scaffolding that does not preempt or replace text.
5-Ask text-dependent questions.
6-Provide extensive research and writing opportunities (claims and evidence).
7-Offer regular opportunities for students to share ideas, evidence, and research.
8-Offer systematic instruction in vocabulary.
9-Provide explicit instruction in grammar and conventions.
10-Cultivate students’ independence
DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS NO TIME LIKE WINTER BREAK TO BEGIN A READING CHALLENGE?
ARTICLES FOR YOU PERUSAL
- Structured Academic Controversy-Teaching Students to Deliberate
- The Struggle is Real: How Difficult Work Strengthens Student Achievement
- You Do, We Do, I Do: A Strategy for Productive Struggle
- A Sequence for Teaching the Sentence
- Choosing Text Excerpts for Close Reading
- 2018 Education Research Highlights
RETURN BORROWED NOVELS TO THE CURRICULUM OFFICE WHEN YOU FINISH WITH THEM
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian: 36 at Whetstone; 18 at Westmoor; 45 at Dominion (A. Stemen)
The Angel Experiment: 30 copies checked out at Livingston E. (T. Shulze)
Animal Farm: 24 checked out at CNIS (A. Weiss)
The Big Lie: 12 checked out at Hamilton STEM (L. Morehead)
The Diary of Latoya Hunter: 3 checked out at (L. Morehead)
Empty: 30 at Hubbard Mastery (J. Harvey)
The Glass Castle: 60 at West HS (Michelle Prenger), 4 copies at Indepence (T. Gale)
The Glory Field: 34 copies at CGA (B. Shaffer)
The Great Gatsby: 24 at Independence, 30@ Briggs (Scoglietti)
The Hate U Give: 40 at Independence (Lauren Flynn); 19 at Ft. Hayes (C. Johnson)
Holes: 6 at Sherwood (J. Want)
The House on Mango Street: 39 at South (A. Cauthorn)
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: 15 at Marion Franklin (S. Carter)
Let the Circle Be Unbroken: 8 at Hamilton STEM (L. Morehead)
A Long Walk to Water: (44 at Independence; 30-Champion; 15 at Scioto (A. Wyatt); 50 at Sherwood (Barber), 23-CCPSB (Austin)
Native Son: 40 at Independence (G. Pullins)
Night: 47 copies at Eastmoor Academy (B. Alexander)
Nightjohn: 12 at Hamilton STEM (L. Morehead)
The Outsiders: 12 at Buckeye (S. Austin)
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry: 4 at Hamilton STEM (L. Morehead)
Taking Sides: 10 at Sherwood (D. Enoch)
To Kill a Mockingbird: 8 checked out at Briggs (Scoglietti)
Tuck Everlasting: 7 at Hamilton STEM (L. Morehead)
Walk Two Moons: 6 at Hamilton STEM (L. Morehead)
The Whipping Boy: 6 at Hamilton STEM (L. Morehead)
A Wrinkle in Time: 35 at Woodward Park (J. Garriott)
APPLY TO BE PART OF AN ODE TEACHER COMMITTEE FOR OHIO’S STATE TESTS
All Call: Stakeholder Nominations for Assessment Committees
-The Ohio Department of Education is currently accepting applications for participants to serve on stakeholder committees for Ohio’s State Tests. Ohio’s educators and content specialists play a vital role in the creation of valid and reliable assessments and fill this role by serving on our Content Advisory, Rubric Validation, and Fairness and Sensitivity Committees.
-Every test has a Content Advisory Committee. The purpose of this committee is to review and evaluate test questions and related test materials to ensure each question is a valid and appropriate measure of Ohio’s Learning Standards for that particular subject area and grade level. Every test also has a Rubric Validation Committee. The purpose of this committee is to review student responses from machine-scored items administered during the online embedded field test. The review is conducted to ensure the machine is scoring the items accurately. The committee can make changes to the scoring rubric of an item for clarity, accuracy and reliability. All test items are reviewed by a Fairness and Sensitivity Committee. The primary purpose of this committee is to review and evaluate test questions and related test materials to ensure test questions are fair and unbiased for all groups of Ohio students. This committee ensures test questions do not disadvantage groups of students because of their race, ethnicity, gender or disability.
-More information about these committees and test development information can be found on the Department’s Assessment Committees webpage. If you are interested in participating on one of the assessment stakeholder committees, you may complete the Stakeholder Committee Nomination Form. Applicants are asked to describe their experience in education, including expertise with Ohio’s Learning Standards in English Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies. Please be sure to to identify grade level and content area assignment preferences. Applications must be submitted by 4 p.m. EST on Friday, Jan. 18. Applicants selected to participate will be notified by the Department once there is an opening for their preferred grade level/content assessment committee. Please be sure to include an active email address for notifications.
-Please note, the Department continually updates committees when there are vacancies. Submitting a nomination form is not a guarantee that a stakeholder meets the demographic, geographic, or content need of committees with vacancies. Nomination forms will be kept on file for the eventuality of a committee vacancy. We hope you will consider applying to be part of this valuable stage of the test development process. If you have questions or need additional information, please send an email to statetests@education.ohio.gov.
TEACHER CONTESTS AND PD OPPORTUNITIES
TEACHINGBOOKS NEW FEATURES WEBINAR ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18TH
Register Today! Come take a look at what's new on TeachingBooks! This 20-minute webinar will give you a sneak peek of brand new features. Celebrate differentiation with customizable lessons! Exercise accessibility! Tune in to learn more! Mark your calendar for Tuesday, December 18th. We would love to have you join us. If you can’t, sign up and we will send you the recording.
NCTE WINTER BOOK CLUB CAFE
On January 2-4, NCTE Past President Carol Jago will lead a book club with and for NCTE members that explores Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s bestselling novel Americanah. It will take place in a closed Facebook group and feature a live event each day from 11 to 11:30 a.m. ET. Every live event will be recorded so participants can view it at any time.
OCTELA CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
REGISTRATION is open for OCTELA 2019 which will be held at the Worthington Doubletree Hotel on March 1-2, 2019. Keynote speakers will include Dr. Alfred W. Tatum, Marc Tyler Nobleman, blogger Love, Teach, and Dave Stuart, Jr. The theme this year is Lighting the Fire: Inspiring Creativity in Teaching and Learning.
ONLINE ADVANCED CERTIFICATE IN READING FROM TEACHERS COLLEGE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
Up to two-thirds of children in schools across the United States are reading below grade level (NAEP, 2015). A lack of proficiency in reading is a major obstacle to learning in all subject areas. Difficulties with reading affect progression and success in learning environments throughout a student’s educational career. Many teachers need strategies to help their students improve their reading skills, and an Advanced Certificate in Reading from Teachers College, Columbia University addresses that very need. This 15-credit program is designed to promote effective instruction in critically important reading skills. It will prepare teachers not only to understand the reading process but to provide useful reading interventions, thus improving educational practice and removing barriers to learning. Taught by leaders in the field of reading and literacy, the program is offered in an online, asynchronous format. This online format allows students to participate in an interactive experience from their home base without having to travel to New York City. Because all of the courses in the program are asynchronous, students may access the course and instructional materials at any time they choose. The program consists of five courses, offered one per term over one calendar year, to meet the needs of busy educators who are seeking to increase their toolkit in reading practices. Deadline to Apply: April 15, 2019
For more information or to apply: COLUMBIA READING ADVANCED CERTIFICATE
ASCD EMPOWER19 CONFERENCE-MARCH 16-18, 2019
Join ASCD in CHICAGO to explore new perspectives in education. Educators from around the world will embark on this transformational journey at ASCD Empower19: the Conference for Every Educator. Get the pieces you need and SYNTHESIZE the learning in your classrooms, districts, and communities. Come equipped to learn, share knowledge, and gain tools to lead students into the future. General Session speakers/presentations are Remarks by Ashton Kutcher, Teaching Through Adversity: Facing Challenges and Making a Difference/Ron Clark, and Presidential Leadership Lessons: A Conversation with Doris Kearns Goodwin. Register by February 1 and save $100 off the regular rate.
BULKBOOKSTORE $500 MONTHLY GIVEAWAY
BulkBookstore's Educators Monthly Giveaway of $500 in free books shows appreciation for teachers, librarians, and schools around the country. Click HERE to enter.
TEACHINGBOOKS.NET DECEMBER GIVEWAYS
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Carla Mae Phillips
Email: cphillips3865@columbus.k12.oh.us
Website: https://www.ccsoh.us/English6-12
Phone: (614) 365-8386
Tim Wangler
Email: twangler8446@columbus.k12.oh.us
Website: https://www.ccsoh.us/English6-12
Phone: (614) 365-8386