"Story as the Landscape of Knowing" Reflections from the 2014 NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Conference
As an Attendee
Imagine a place where elementary, secondary, and post-secondary English teachers converge together in perfect harmony. Imagine a place where literacy professional development sessions are filled to capacity and there are fights over seating arrangements. Imagine a place where literacy leaders including Kylene Beers, Robert Probst, Nancy Frey, Douglas Fisher, Stephanie Harvey, Anne Goudvis, Kelly Gallagher and others are esteemed as "rock" stars. Imagine a place where free novels are given to teachers for their students and the authors or those novels are actually present at the conference to sign books and talk with attendees. Imagine a place where although you are a nerd, everyone else is as well.
The theme for this conference was "Story as the Landscape of Knowing" and although literature has been the prevailing theme for several years, close reading took the lead for the most sought-after sessions this year. One of the most powerful sessions I attended was led by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis. In their session "Close Reading Is Strategic Reading," Harvey and Goudvis discussed the significance of close reading being seen as a tool to help students comprehend texts not strictly as a goal or outcome. Close reading should be about the reader and the reading. They reiterated that we must not forget about the students (readers) while we are focusing on close reading. Also, discussion should accompany close reading activities. We have to provide students with an opportunity to discuss their knowledge about the text.
Another session called "Creating Lifetime Readers: Building Skill While Nurturing Will," Kylene Beers and Robert Probst discussed text complexity and nonfiction. They stressed modeling how to read informational text and modeling how to infer meanings with students. They also gave questions to use when teaching students to infer meaning in nonfiction texts.
There were many more wonderful sessions on close reading, various modes of writing, informational text, and literature. If you are interested in any of the materials, click the link below:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gdwscoveczngogy/AAA_SWgxtCJALJGh2IJk4qiTa?dl=0
As a Presenter
NCTE is one of my favorite conferences because I have the privilege of presenting each year and sharing new ideas with teachers. The first of three presentations, entitled "Eight Great Multicultural Texts" focused on the significance of incorporating multicultural literature into secondary English classes. I always enjoy this presentation because I have the opportunity to share and discuss literature and the teaching of literature with teachers in a roundtable setting. I learn just as much from teachers during this presentation as they do from me.
The third presentation focused on close reading in an online setting and was actually not a presentation during the NCTE Conference. The Conference on English Leadership is a subsidiary of NCTE and is primarily for literacy teachers who hold leadership positions or are literacy leaders. Until this year, I had never attended this conference. Unlike my previous two presentations, which allowed me to share in a roundtable setting, this was an actual panel session--and it was filled to capacity. My fellow "Dream Teamers" and I discussed close reading and our experiences creating close reading activities for secondary students. We also discussed students' experiences with these activities and the significance professional learning communities had on our development as close reading teachers/educators.
I am inspired, challenged, and renewed for the remainder of this year. All of these attributes are signs of engaging professional development. Until next year, I look forward to sharing as much of this information with others as possible. We can only grow if we learn from one another.
Best,
Victoria Whitfield
(@2live2teach)
Autauga County Schools
