Secondary English Weekly #14
Issue Fourteen / December 3-7, 2018
NEXT MONDAY, DECEMBER 1OTH IS THE DEADLINE TO ENTER THE MLK BREAKFAST SPEAKER CONTEST (ONLY CCS STUDENTS CAN ENTER)
1. MLK BREAKFAST SPEAKER: A CCS STUDENT-ONLY CONTEST-ENTRIES BEING ACCEPTED NOW—DEADLINE DECEMBER 10TH!!
CCS will select one student speaker to represent the district at the 2019 Martin Luther King Breakfast, held on January 21st at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Exhibition Hall C. The student chosen will get into the breakfast free and receive two complimentary tickets for his/her parent or guardians. The competition to become that speaker is open to all students in Grades 6-12. The CCS Superintendent will introduce our student speaker.
- How to Enter: Have your teacher send or share a recording of you reciting your speech to the ELA 6-12 Curriculum Office or have your teacher contact the ELA Curriculum Office to come out and videotape you giving your speech. Teachers can email speeches as attachments or make a requests to have students recorded to cphillips3865@columbus.k12.oh.us, or text/share videos to 740-228-1509. Please Include the student's name, school, grade, contact information, and the teacher’s email & phone number.
HERE is a flyer with all of the details.
Theme of Speech: The Purpose of Education-intelligence plus character
Length of Speech: 3 minutes max.
Deadline for Entry: Monday, December 10th
MLK YOUTH ORATORICAL CONTEST DEADLINE IS THIS MONDAY, DECEMBER 3RD (CITY-WIDE CONTEST)
2. DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. YOUTH ORATORICAL CONTEST-REGISTER BY MONDAY, DEC. 3RD
"It's Our Time. A Movement Toward Justice."
Students from schools all over Central Ohio in Grades K-12 are invited to showcase their oratorical skills! As of 11/14, no students had registered. Encourage your students to get involved:) This year’s contest is on Saturday, December 8th at the King Arts Complex (867 Mt Vernon Ave. Columbus, OH 43203). Students in Grades 6-8 should prepare to speak for 4 minutes and high school students should plan five-minute speeches. Here is a list of suggested topics, however, the students can choose their own topics and can even use the same speech they prepared for the MLK Breakfast Speaker Contest:
- Share the meaning and relevance of The City of Columbus 2018 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Youth Oratorical Contest theme: “It’s Our Time. A Movement Toward Justice.”
- In Dr. King’s famous quotation, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” what was MLK’s interpretation of justice and how does that align with your own belief?
- In Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail," he defends the strategy of nonviolent and justice for all. Dr. King’s Letter provides a moral reason for his being in Birmingham, saying that “he came to Birmingham to battle injustice.” Because he believes that “all communities and states” are interrelated, he feels compelled to work for justice anywhere that injustice is being practiced.
- Relate one’s own commitment to Dr. King’s philosophy of justice.
- The 21st century depends upon me … (Expound on what this means to you.)
- What did Dr. King’s life mean to you (the contestant)?
- Research major events in Dr. King’s life and writings about his life.
The Registration Informational Packet is available HERE. You can download this POSTER to help publicize the event. The Deadline to Register is Monday, December 3rd by 5:00 p.m.
NOTE: A STUDENT MAY BE ABLE TO LENGTHEN THEIR MLK BREAKFAST SPEAKER SPEECH INTO AN ENTRY FOR THIS CONTEST!!
START 2019 OFF "WRITE" WITH A THURBER HOUSE WRITING PROGRAM
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.
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.
DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE ACCESS TO COMPLEX TEXT GUIDES, GRAPHICS, AND VIDEOS?
STANDARDIZED TEST PREP LESSONS FOR AIR SUCCESS USING THE READ METHOD
THIS WEEK'S LESSON and December's Focus:
- December 6, 2018 (Transitions)
- Guiding Page for December
-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)
TIME TO REGISTER YOUR HIGH SCHOOL FOR POETRY OUT LOUD AND ATTEND A TEACHER WORKSHOP
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.
Wild Goose Creative (2491 Summit Street) would like to invite your high school to participate in Poetry Out Loud workshop. (I do not have the date and time yet.) At the workshop, a performance poet and an experienced classroom teacher will explain:
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Launching the program at your high school
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Organizing a contest
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Engaging students
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Coaching students
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Contest rules
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Judging criteria
In addition, participants will receive an official certificate to claim CEU credit.
To register for this workshop, or if you have questions, please contact Caleigh Lavish at caleigh@wildgooseinitative.com or Lydia Simon at lydia@wildgoosecreative.org.
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
RECENT ENGLISH/EDUCATION ARTICLES FOR YOUR PERUSAL AND COGITATION
- Engaging Students with BookSnaps (Student Achievement Partners)
- Addressing Common Challenges with Student Writing (Student Achievement Partners)
- Designing High-Quality Writing Tasks (Student Achievement Partners)
- AP Credits Offer Multiple Benefits Once Students Reach College Brief (Education Dive)
- Professional Development Based on Reality TV (Edutopia)
- Helping Students See Hamlet and Harry Potter in a New Light With Computational Thinking (EdSurge)
- Dungeons & Dragons Storms K12 Education (District Administration Daily)
TEACHER CLARITY RECORDED WEBINAR
-With an effect size of .74, which is well above average, teacher clarity is low-hanging fruit when it comes to students’ learning. We can choose to increase clarity tomorrow and reap the benefits. Teacher clarity just requires that you know what students need to learn, communicate learning intentions and success criteria to students, and deliver lessons in a coherent way so students will learn more. Attend this webinar for expert insight on how to get started. By the end of this webinar, you will be able to:
- Define teacher clarity and describe its impact on student learning,
- Distinguish between learning intentions and success criteria, and
- Increase teacher clarity in your classroom or school.
NCTE CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARDS
Charlotte Huck Award® for Outstanding Fiction for Children
Sweep: The Story of a Girl and her Monster by Jonathan Auxier (Amulet)
From the ashes of Victorian London emerge a girl, her Golem, and the sparks of child labor reform.
Orbis Pictus Award® for Excellence in the Writing of Nonfiction for Children
Between the Lines: How Ernie Barnes Went from the Football Field to the Art Gallery by Sandra Neil Wallace (Simon & Schuster)
Ernie Barnes’s decision to choose a career in art over professional football offers readers a model of masculinity, a pathway for following one’s passions, and a window into the Black Is Beautiful movement.
Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children
Paul B. Janeczko
Paul B. Janeczko has published 40 books in the last 30 years, including poetry compilations, non-fiction guides for young writers, and books for teachers. His books include The Death of the Hat: A Brief History of Poetry in 50 Objects; Firefly July: A Year of Very Short Poems; Hey, You! Poems to Skyscrapers, Mosquitoes, and Other Fun Things, Birds on a Wire, or, a Jewel Tray of Stars (with J. Patrick Lewis); Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms, Dirty Laundry Pile: Poems in Different Voices.
TEACHER CONTESTS AND PD OPPORTUNITIES
TEACHINGBOOKS RECORDED WEBINAR
TeachingBooks.net is an online library of novel and author resources that is FREE for all CCS teachers and librarians. If you were unable to attend the live Webinar last month and want to dig a little deeper into this resource, watch this Recorded Webinar from Wednesday, November 14th.
TeachingBooks Highlights
-You can access lesson plans, author interviews, videos, text complexity charts, etc.
-Anything on the site can be shared with students and parents in varied ways such as Google Classroom, QR code, email, or bookmark.
-You can make novel lists for classrooms, grade-levels, & libraries and share them with students.
-The lists of novels for Grades 6-12 that are available in the CCS Book Warehouse and the
Secondary English Curriculum Office are housed on TeachingBooks.
FREE CORWIN WEBINAR SERIES
-Here are the final two Free Corwin Webinars for 2018.
What Are You Grouping For? Five Teacher Moves to Jump Start & Sustain Small Group Learning Opportunities by Julie Wright and Barry Hoonan on Monday, December 3, 2018 - 6:30pm.
With all the demands schools face today, time never seems to be on our side. With that comes big responsibilities for how we spend our time during reading workshops to make the biggest impact possible. In this webinar, the authors of What Are You Grouping For? How to Guide Small Groups Based on Readers—Not the Book, will walk you through five teacher moves for growing students’ reading muscles through small-group learning experiences: kidwatching, pivoting, assessing, curating, and planning. During this interactive webinar (get ready to participate and add your voice to the conversation through a google doc if you choose!), Julie and Barry will share some key strategies that will help you launch and sustain small-group learning opportunities with students’ curiosities, passions, habits, and needs in mind.
How to Grade for Learning by Ken O'Connor on Monday, December 10, 2018 - 6:30pm.
Curriculum, instruction, and assessment have increasingly become standards-based but parallel changes in grading and reporting have been slow, especially in middle and high schools. This webinar will focus on eight guidelines for standards-based grading. Issues that will be addressed include purpose, content standards, performance standards, learning skills/work habits, and hot button issues such as late work and academic dishonesty.
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.
THURBER PRIZE AWARDED THIS WEDNESDAY
The Thurber Prize will be awarded during a red carpet event THIS WEDNESDAY, December 5, 2018 from 6-8:30pm at The Columbus Athenaeum. The three finalists (Jenny Allen-Would Everybody Please Stop?: Reflections on Life and Other Bad Ideas, John Hodgman-Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches, and Patricia Lockwood-Priestdaddy) will read from their nominated books, emceed by the hilarious John Kenney, 2014 Thurber Prize winner. At the close of the event, one author will be presented with the 2018 Thurber Prize for American Humor.
Click Here for Thurber Prize Tickets.
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
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.
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.
LOOKING FOR PREVIOUS ISSUES OF THE NEWSLETTER?
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