Print Version (PDF)Literacy Matters: News You Can Use
September 2009
Welcome, Fall 2009 FOR-PD participants!
We are very excited to have you collaborate with us this semester and we are looking forward to getting to know you and serving your professional development needs. Our FOR-PD course will help develop your knowledge about scientifically based reading research and instruction. In addition, you will have great experiences working with literacy experts and you will also learn from and with other educators. We also will provide you with a plethora of comprehensive literacy resources to support your classroom instruction.
Advancing teachers’ knowledge in reading through online professional development is what we do at FOR-PD. Your success and learning is our mission. We wish you a successful semester!
In this issue of the FOR-PD Literacy eNewsletter we have provided you with some new and recent information in both reading research and instruction. We have focused on various resources, professional book recommendations, children's literature and young adult literature recommendations, and as always, the Reading Strategy of the Month.
This month we are showcasing how the strategy of Jigsaw can be used for cooperative learning and creating community in the classroom.
Remember, if you have any questions or feedback while taking the course, you may reach FOR-PD at (866) 227-7261 or forpd@mail.ucf.edu. We hope that this newsletter benefits both you and your students. As always, we welcome your feedback
Sincerely,
The FOR-PD Staff
In addition to the regular FOR-PD audiences, FOR-PD has been collaborating with secondary content areas teachers from Career and Technical Education (CATER) who are learning more about how to incorporate reading in their instruction to support students' content-specific reading, vocabulary, comprehension, and discourse.
We have had wonderful experiences with CATER teachers and have been learning along with them.
This year we are servicing secondary content area teachers (especially those in Social Studies, English Language Arts/Reading, Science, and Mathematics) in Correct II middles schools and high schools. As part of differentiated accountability efforts to help Correct II secondary schools reach AYP goals, content area teachers in the above areas are participating in CAR-PD. FOR-PD is the first course/professional experience they will be having; we are excited to be servicing the needs of our secondary teachers and helping them to improve vocabulary and comprehension instruction, learn how to incorporate assessment data from Florida Assessments for Reading Instruction (FAIR) and other assessments into their instruction, and develop lesson plans that will help all students learn to read, comprehend, and succeed.
Record Number of Students Prepare for Postsecondary Education
From the Florida Department of Education: On August 25th, the College Board released its annual national SAT and Advanced Placement (AP) test results and Florida’s performance continues to rise! Florida saw increases in both performance and participation on the SAT this year, while our AP results, for the fourth year in a row, saw the greatest one-year increase in the number of public school AP exam-takers when compared to all other states. Florida’s minority students also continue to blaze a trail beating the national averages in participation and performance on the SAT and posting a significant increase in participation in AP exams. Be sure to click on the links below to learn more details about the stellar performance of our students.
Next Generation Strategic Plan
From the Florida Department of Education: Increase the proficiency of all students within one seamless, efficient system, by providing them with the opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills through learning opportunities and research valued by students, parents, and communities, and to maintain an accountability system that measures student progress toward the following goals:
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Highest student achievement
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Seamless articulation and maximum access
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Skilled workforce and economic development
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Quality efficient services
Vision:
The Florida Department of Education is committed to changing the culture of our schools from PreK to postsecondary by raising the ceiling and raising the floor to better enable our students for success in the 21st century.Next Generation Strategic Plan – Performance Measures updated May 2009 (PDF, 86KB)
Next Generation Strategic Plan Text only (PDF, 234KB)Next Generation Strategy Life Cycle – Updated May 19, 2009 (PDF, 50KB)
Section 1008.31, Florida Statutes, establishes the mission and vision of Florida's K-20 education system.
2009 Read for the Record
This year's Read for the Record campaign expects to register one million readers to read The Very Hungry Caterpillar on October 8. Special events are planned for New York City, Washington D.C., Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
Find out how you can participate by visiting the Pearson Foundation website or the Jumpstart Read for the Record website.
The Library of Congress Celebrates the Joy of Reading
The 2009 National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2009, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between 7th and 14th streets from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The festival is free and open to the public.
Learn how to create and celebrate your own book festival by visiting the 2009 Young Readers' Took Kit.
2009 Hispanic Heritage Month Recommended Reading List
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated nationwide and begins on September 15, 2009, the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico achieved independence on September 16th and Chile on September 18th. Hispanic Heritage Month has been celebrated in the United States since 1974, when President Gerald Ford issued a Presidential Proclamation extending Hispanic Heritage Week into a month-long observation.
This recommended reading list provides a variety of suggested books by grade level for children of all ages, as well as a selection of suggested books for adult reading. Just Read, Florida! makes reading a priority in Florida’s public schools and among the community groups and volunteer organizations that support them. This recommended reading list serves that goal while increasing students’ interest in the many aspects and contributions of Hispanic culture to the state of Florida.
Florida Department of Education/Macy’s Teacher of the Year 2010
Megan Allen
National Board Certified Teacher
Elementary Education
Cleveland Elementary School, Hillsborough County
From the Florida Department of Education: Megan is known as a master of engaging students in learning. “I do whatever it takes-no matter how out of the ordinary!” She does this through unique teaching strategies, including dressing in crazy costumes, authoring rap songs, and secretly acting as the “Sticky Note Fairy.” You never know when you’re going to see her sporting a “recycled garbage bag ensemble” to promote recycling, hobbling around as a pirate for a writing lesson, or bopping around as Beyonce for a school pep rally, singing “If you elaborate we’re gonna put a 6 on it!” Her students walk through the door never knowing what to expect.
Her young learners current favorites are the “Drop the decimal like it’s hot” dance and the place value dance. She’s also been know to wear wigs and sprinkle positive notes on student work samples outside the classrooms or leave celebratory notes in teacher’s mailboxes from the “Sticky Note Fairy” or the “Fairy FCAT Mother.” She developed a “News on-Live” program to get her fourth grade journalists driving their own inquiry-based learning and reporting their findings to other students via newscasts and podcasts. Whether working with teammates on “Writing Idol” an American Idol-type script or leading the research and planting of school butterfly gardens, Megan is always trying to make a difference in an innovative way.
Megan feels that a teacher’s commitment to children begins in the classroom, but doesn’t end there. Instead of taking a break during her lunch period, she invites students to “Lunch and Learn,” where students can frequently have lunch with her while she reviews or extends whatever topics the students feel they need more practice with. She also boosts student confidence through the “Confidence Squad,” a class pep squad. The “Confidence Squad” writes its own lyrics and scripts, then performs for classes and at pep rallies, spreading the messages “Have Courage in Yourself!” She also began a school service club called “Cleveland SOUL-Serving Others through Understanding and Leadership,” believing that all students need opportunities for leadership and community service at a young age.
Table of Contents
- Literacy Matters: News You Can Use
- New Efforts, New Audiences
- Record Number of Students Prepare for Postsecondary Education
- Next Generation Strategic Plan
- 2009 Read for the Record
- The Library of Congress Celebrates the Joy of Reading
- 2009 Hispanic Heritage Month Recommended Reading List
- Florida Department of Education/Macy’s Teacher of the Year 2010
- In Focus: FOR-PD Feature
- ABCs of Reading
- Pertinent Participant Info
- Chatterbox
- Holidays, Happenings, and Events
About the Literacy Newsletter
FOR-PD's Literacy newsletter deals specifically with literacy and learning for preK-12 teachers of Florida's public schools. As you read and review our newsletter you will find information on local, state, and federal literacy news, upcoming conferences, celebrations, sources of funding, resources on the World Wide Web, and resources you can use with your students. The participant section answers pertinent questions participants have about the course and provides helpful tips for successful completion. We hope that this newsletter will provide educators with useful information to support their literacy development and the work they do with Florida students.
We welcome your feedback on how we can better support you and help you grow professionally. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or comments.
Florida Online Reading Professional Development
4000 Central Florida Blvd.
Teaching Academy, Room 403
Orlando, FL 32816
407-823-6153
407-823-6146 (Fax)
forpd@mail.ucf.edu
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Last Updated:
September 15, 2009