Oregon English Language Arts (ELA) Teacher Update 21
June 2010
Welcome to the Oregon English Teacher Update!
You may sign up for this monthly e-newsletter and other teacher newsletters at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1843 or e-mail .
Previous issues are located at http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=1876. E-mail your ideas and your articles to .
1. Attention Reading Coaches! Literacy Framework Training of Trainers in July
2. Register Now! Seven ESDs Offer K-3 Professional Development for Oregon’s New Literacy Framework!
3. Order Certificates for Oregon’s Summer Reading Program
4. Release of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts
5. Take a Peek at this Treasure Trove of Tools – Doing What Works!
6. Governor Appoints Paulann Petersen as Oregon’s Sixth Poet Laureate
7. Celebrating Poetry at Linn-Benton Community College
8. Teaching and Writing in Science, K-College, Register by June 15
9. Education Northwest’s 6+1 Trait Writing Model of Instruction & Assessment: Don’t Miss Out! June2224, 2010, Portland
10. Instructional Coaching Institute for Coaches and Administrators – July 12-14, NWRESD
11. 2-for-1 Professional Development – Math & Writing – Education Northwest! July 13-14 and 15-16, 2010, Portland
12. The Oregon Writing Project at Lewis and Clark – June 28-July 2
13. The Oregon Writing Project at Willamette Does Poetry – June 25 – July 1
14. The Oregon Writing Project at the U of O – June 21 – July 16
15. The Oregon Writing Project at Willamette University Invites Beginning and Preservice Teachers for August Workshop
16. The Oregon Encyclopedia Project: A Resource for Teachers – June 29 and July 1
17. Conference on Improving Student Writing – October 8
18. Teachers – Write and Earn Academic Credit: Attic Writers’ Workshops
19. First Freedom Student Competition
20. Honoring Our Rivers 2010! Order a Free Copy and Encourage Your Students to Submit
21. Website: Oregon Virtual School District – Excellent, Free Resources for Educators
22. Join the Oregon Council of Teachers of English (OCTE)
23. Join the Oregon Reading Association
24. How to Submit Articles
25. ODE Resources
1. Attention Reading Coaches! Literacy Framework Training of Trainers in July ▲
Reading coaches are invited to apply to participate in the official “Introduction to the Oregon K-12 Literacy Framework” Training of Trainers (TOT) to be held July 22 and 23 in Portland. Please forward this announcement to reading coaches!
Nationally-recognized presenters will provide professional development on the “gist” of the new Framework to the selected coaches. After completing the training, coaches will be official Oregon K-12 Literacy Framework introductory trainers for their schools, for coaches in their districts, and also for coaches in neighboring districts. TOT materials will be prepared and sent to coaches following the training.
Up to 25 reading coaches for grades K-3 and up to 25 reading coaches for grades 4-12 will be selected to attend. The Department of Education will reimburse all travel-related expenses.
To apply, reading coaches must read the 170-page Oregon K-12 Literacy Framework and complete an application. ODE must receive all applications no later than noon Monday, June 21, 2010.
Contact: Julie Anderson at .
2. Register Now! Seven ESDs Offer K-3 Professional Development for Oregon’s New Literacy Framework! ▲
Professional development to support the K-3 portion of the Oregon K-12 Literacy Framework is available July 29 through September 24, 2010, at seven Education Service Districts (ESDs): Lane, Linn Benton Lincoln, Malheur, Multnomah (co-sponsoring with Clackamas), Northwest Regional, Southern Oregon, and Willamette.
Oregon educators are invited to register for courses at any of the host ESDs. Please see updated course descriptions. Specific information is available at each ESD.
The selected courses for these trainings are aligned to the K-3 portion of the Oregon K-12 Literacy Framework. Using materials developed nationally for Reading First, the National Reading Technical Assistance Center (NRTAC) will offer professional development on Advanced Coaching, Advanced Leadership, Using Assessment to Make Informed Decisions, Comprehension, and Vocabulary.
Educators are requested to review online the Oregon K-12 Literacy Framework chapter(s) specific to the course they select to attend (click the Framework icon to navigate).
A Training of Trainers (TOT) model is integrated into each course offered. Because building statewide capacity for the K-3 portion of the Oregon K-12 Literacy Framework is one goal of this professional development, each module serves a dual purpose: professional development for educators as well as a TOT for those knowledgeable participants who also have experience teaching adult learners.
Following participation in a selected course, potential K-3 Framework trainers will receive the course CD containing PowerPoints, speaker notes, and participant materials.
Registration displaying a list of courses, dates, locations, fees, and links to registration at ESDs has been updated. Be sure to bookmark the Oregon K-12 Literacy Framework: PD Opportunities page for upcoming events related to the Framework! Contact: ,
3. Order Certificates for Oregon’s Summer Reading Program ▲
Oregon teachers and their students are invited to take part in the Oregon Summer Reading Program. The Oregon Education Association (OEA) is again providing the colorful co-signed certificates from the State Superintendent and the State Librarian. One is designed for children, “Make a Splash—Read” (illustration—moose reading a book) and one for teens, “Make Waves at Your Library” (illustration—surfboard).
The certificates will be available through the Department of Education and at local libraries. Students may receive a certificate when they have read/listened to 10 books between May 15th and September 15th or completed their library’s summer reading program.
To get an Oregon Summer Reading certificate, mail a list of the ten books that were read/listened to signed by a parent, guardian, or teacher to the Oregon Department of Education (c/o Stephanie Parks, 255 Capitol St. NE, Salem, OR 97310).
Teachers and administrators may request ODE to send certificates for their classrooms or schools at any time by e-mailing Stephanie at (now in service).
The Oregon Summer Reading Program is sponsored by the following partners: Oregon Library Association, the Oregon Education Association, the Oregon State Library, and the Oregon Department of Education.
Contact: Julie Anderson at
4. Release of Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts ▲
The final draft of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics has been released. The standards can be viewed at http://www.corestandards.org/. The State Board of Education will consider the standards for adoption this fall. News Release from CCSSO:
“Suwanee, GA – June 2, 2010 – Today, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) released a set of state-led education standards, the Common Core State Standards, at Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, GA. The English-language arts and mathematics standards for grades K-12 were developed in collaboration with a variety of stakeholders including content experts, states, teachers, school administrators and parents. The standards establish clear and consistent goals for learning that will prepare America’s children for success in college and work.
‘The release of the standards marks the conclusion of the development of the Common Core State Standards and signals the start of the adoption and implementation process by the states. The year-long process was led by governors and chief state school officers in 48 states, 2 territories and the District of Columbia. The final standards were informed by nearly 10,000 public comments and by standards in other top performing countries so that all students are prepared to succeed in our global economy.”
5. Take a Peek at this Treasure Trove of Tools—Doing What Works! ▲
Doing What Works: Research-based education practices online at http://dww.ed.gov/
6. Governor Appoints Paulann Petersen as Oregon’s Sixth Poet Laureate ▲
Governor Ted Kulongoski has named Paulann Petersen of Portland to a two-year appointment as poet laureate of Oregon. Petersen will be Oregon’s sixth poet laureate since 1921 when Edwin Markham first took the post. She succeeds Lawson Fusao Inada of Medford, who held the post since 2006. Petersen is a widely published poet, and has received several awards, including Stanford University’s Wallace Stegner Fellowship in Poetry, two Carolyn Kizer Poetry Awards, and Literary Art’s Stewart Holbrook Award for Outstanding Contributions to Oregon’s Literary Life. She has taught high school English and led dozens of workshops schools libraries, colleges, and writer’s conferences across Oregon. The position is funded with a stipend of $10,000 per year for the poet laureate’s work, with an additional $10,000 available to support the laureate’s travel and other expenses.
7. Celebrating Poetry at Linn-Benton Community College ▲
Poetry is alive and well at Linn-Benton Community College (LBCC). Perhaps unique among community colleges, LBCC has had a Student Poet Laureate since 2008; currently, that position is held by Amy Earls. The Poetry Club, started in 2007, meets once a week and has honored various occasions on campus with poetry. They have featured readings incorporating music (imagine San Francisco beats in the 50s joining contemporary slam poets and jazz musicians with a little Robert Browning and Gwendolyn Brooks in the mix) and have just launched an ongoing favorite poetry project, inviting students and staff to offer poems to be published online with the LBCC college newspaper. Future plans include working with students in the Welding and Fabrication Program to design a poetry marquee for a central campus poem display. The LBCC Poetry Advisory team has held a local Poetry for the Mind’s Joy competition, created a gallery installation for a 2010 Poetry Month exhibit, and planted a Poetry Tree in the college courtyard. For information about poetry at LBCC contact Robin Havenick at (541) 917-4574 or .
8. Teaching and Writing in Science, K-College—Register by June 15 ▲
July 19-23 2010, 8am to 3pm, Willamette University in Salem.
Open to all – grades K-College. No Writing Project experience necessary.
If you teach writing, have you wished that your students could write more like this: The colors are unimaginably vivid: deep blues, ferocious greens, blinding whites” (H. L. Davies) and less like It was a beautiful day with blue skies and birds singing. A cool breeze caressed my cheek as I drank in all the beauty?
If you teach science, have you wanted to engage your students in more than perfunctory lab or field trip notes?
This institute investigates how the intersections between reading and writing in science can inform teaching practices. Included are sample lessons, participant developed lessons, and lots of writing activities. If you’ve thought about attending the Summer Institute but haven’t been quite sure you wanted to commit 4 weeks, this workshop will introduce you to the practices and principles of the National Writing Project.
The fee of $150 covers and OWP@WU journal and 3 quarter hours of WU graduate credit. Registration deadline is June 15, 2010.
Contact Ruth at for more information or to register. Please share this announcement with your colleagues.
9. Education Northwest’s 6+1 Trait Writing Model of Instruction & Assessment: Don’t miss out! June 22-24, 2010: Portland ▲
Education Northwest’s 6+1 Trait® Writing Model of Instruction & Assessment is a powerful framework designed to help teachers use a common language to refer to characteristics of writing as well as create a common vision of what good writing looks like. This training will be offered to two audiences: One for K-2, the other for grade levels 3-12.
Participants will be introduced to this popular analytic model, and provided with best teaching practices to help students identify quality in writing, manage their own writing process, practice effective revision and editing skills, and become confident writers. Objectives for this Institute range from teaching students how to use a rubric for self-assessment to helping teachers plan a complete unit of study for each trait. Discover specific objectives for this 3-day workshop by visiting our website at: http://educationnorthwest.org/event/958
Classroom, special education, and ELL teachers; literacy coaches and trainers; curriculum specialists; and school and district administrators are encouraged to attend. Previous attendees leave this workshop energized and excited to return to the classroom with a new confidence about teaching writing!
10. Instructional Coaching Institute for Coaches and Administrators—July 12-14, NWRESD ▲
Register no later than June 30 for the July 12-14 coaching institute at NW Regional ESD from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, 5825 NE Ray Circle, Hillsboro, OR http://events.nwresd.org/node/484, The cost is $325 and includes lunches, participant workbook, and the text "Instructional Coaching" by Jim Knight, University of Kansas. Instructors are Tiffany Wiencken & Kayla Bell. To register: CLICK HERE.
This Level 1 Instructional Coaching Institute will provide a foundation upon which a solid, effective instructional coaching program can be built. The content of the institute is based on more than eight years of research on instructional coaching conducted by the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. All professional learning is designed to be "hands-on" and practical and to encourage meaningful dialogue, reflection, and action planning.
Participants will learn numerous coaching skills that they can use right away in their professional practice; discuss each strategy, principle, tool, or idea with other coaches to gain multiple perspectives on the learning that is shared; practice selected communication skills with other participants; hear about best practices that are being implemented by coaches across the country; and create specific implementation and communication plans to take back to their schools and districts.
Participants should leave each session with practical materials that they will be able to use right away, and everyone will have ample time to plan how to use the strategies, skills, tools, and other materials that they are most interested in using.
The deadline to register is June 30, 2010. Two PSU credits will be offered for an additional charge to those who attend all three days.
11. 2-for-1 Professional Development –Math & Writing– Education Northwest! July 13/14 & 15/16, 2010, Portland ▲
Check this out—for the first time ever two of Education Northwest’s best known professional development workshops will be offered together! This exciting new 4-day learning opportunity for K-2 and 3-5 teachers will engage teachers in meaningful, hands-on activities that can be immediately used in the classroom. Teachers will receivethe6+1 Trait® Writing Across Content Area training as well as our Fostering Number Sense and Algebraic Reasoning sessions. Join us July 13-16, 2010 in Portland, OR to increase your capacity in both math and writing instruction. Mark your calendar now and watch our website for registration information. Questions? Contact JanLittlebear, Traits, (, 503 275 9581) or Linda Griffin, Math, (, 503 275 9169). Get all of the details at: http://educationnorthwest.org/event/951