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Secondary English Weekly #3

VOLUME THREE, ISSUE THREE /September 21-25, 2020

SecondaryEnglish Weekly #3VOLUME THREE, ISSUE THREE /September 21-25, 2020

Questions and Answers

Here are some of the questions I get asked via email that you may also have been asking. Answers are included:)


-Do I set up my own classes in StudySync? No. Classes are rostered via an automatic sync between Infinite Campus and Clever. If you notice any rostering issues, reach out to Tim Wangler.

-How do I rename my classes in StudySync? After you click the McGraw Hill SSO Icon in Clever, and before you launch the StudySync App, you will see your classes. This year's classes are marked with X and Y. (If you still see last year's classes, know that those will disappear soon since the 4th quarter extension of SY19-20 has ended.) The X classes are for first semester and are the ones you should be using now. The Y classes are for second semester. After you launch any of the classes to get onto StudySync, you may notice that the classes all have the same name when you are trying to choose a "target" class when assigning a lesson, reading, blast, etc. This can be very confusing. Follow this guide to change the names of your classes so that they will show up differently inside StudySync to make choosing a "target" for your assignments easier: StudySync-How to Change Course Names

-Can an Instructional Assistant or Tutor have access to my StudySync classes? CCS and McGraw Hill are working on this. There is a meeting scheduled for Tuesday. Tim Wangler will have the latest information on this topic.

-How do I link my Google Classroom in StudySync? Use this video to understand the process for full integration of Google Classroom and StudySync: Google Integration Video. Then, have students use this student-facing tutorial: Linking Your StudySync Account with Google Classroom.

-What tests do I have to give and when are the testing windows? The testing calendar is being updated, but here is the information I have as of the publication of this newsletter.

  • For the BOY in Grades 6-8, you will administer the iReady Assessment. The current window is open from now through September 30th.
  • For the BOY in Grades 9-12, you will administer the Benchmark Form I for your grade level on StudySync. You can get to this quickly on the Assess Tab. Filter by selecting your grade level and "Benchmark" as the Test type. The window on the current calendar says it is open through September 30th, but I have heard that this may be extended into October with the revised calendar.
  • For teachers who have courses with an OST, there will be two other tests on the calendar that are taken in the ODE portal. These are called ODE Restart Readiness Benchmark Assessments. These will likely be taken in November and January, but that will be determined and put into the revised calendar. I have been told that these two tests are identical full-length OSTs.
  • Once the revised calendar is given to me, I will also publish the MOY and EOY windows. You can see more information about the testing in the "Assessment Information" section below.

-Do I have digital access to the full texts of the novels in StudySync? Some of the novels in the StudySync 9-12 novel-based units and in the 6-8 novel studies are not offered as full texts inside the StudySync library.

  • Some of the novels are available in the StudySync library. These are ones that McGraw Hill either has copyrights to or are in the public domain. You can search for these in the StudySync library. Click the library tab, then select texts, then filter for "Full-text."
  • Other novels can be found inside the COURSE FOLDER for your course found on the ELA 6-12 Webpage at the curriculum Quick Links (Curriculum/Instructional Resources 6-8, Curriculum/Instructional Resources 9-12). Once inside your COURSE FOLDER, you will see folders for novels and novel guides. Several of the novels suggested by StudySync in the novel-based units and the novel studies can be found there in PDF format. To share these with your students, you will need to make your own copy and save it to your drive or download them, then link them through the customization tool when assigning a novel-based unit or novel study in StudySync or share them via Google Classroom. Do not give students a direct link to the PDFs that are inside the COURSE FOLDER. That access is for teachers only.
  • You will also find novels linked inside the Curriculum Maps, at the beginning of each unit of the Scope and Sequence, if we were able to procure them.

-When I click on the Curriculum Folders and Docs on the ELA 6-12 Website, why does it say I don't have access? Due to proprietary items from our adopted resources this year, you will need to be logged into your CCS-credentialed Google account to open any of the curriculum maps, course folders, and course introduction pages that are in the newsletter and on the ELA 6-12 Webpage at the curriculum Quick Links: Curriculum/Instructional Resources 6-8, Curriculum/Instructional Resources 9-12. If you are logged into Google with a personal account, you will not have access.

-Since we are teaching remotely, could the items in Curriculum Maps/on StudySync take more time than is suggested? Yes. The time frames in the Scope and Sequence are, as always, an estimate. It is important to attune to the needs of students learning in a virtual environment when pacing your lessons.

-How come I could launch StudySync/Launchpad yesterday, but today, I click and nothing happens? The easy fix is to go to your browser and clear your cache. Also, you may need to allow pop-ups.

-How can a Student allow pop-ups on a Chromebook? Sometimes StudySync is blocked from launching because of a pop-up blocker. Go to Settings. In the search bar, type "Pop." Follow the highlight flags: Privacy and Security/Site Settings, Content/Pop-ups and redirects. Then, turn off the toggle. Or, when the 'pop-up blocked' icon shows in the search bar, click allow and refresh the page. That should allow popups from that original site and add it to the Allow list.

Monday, September 21st

Tuesday, September 22nd

Wednesday, September 23rd

  • StudySync Webinar: 1-1:30 PM Enhance Social Studies & Science with SyncBlasts Register Now
  • TeachingBooks Webinar: Find the Perfect TeachingBooks Resource 10am Enjoy browsing and searching on TeachingBooks while discovering the perfect resources to meet your needs. We'll share advanced search techniques and locate resources in a variety of formats to reach students with different learning styles. Register

Thursday, September 24th

Friday, September 25th

  • StudySync Webinar: 4-4:30 PM Teach Full Books with Novel Study Units

    Register Now

  • CCS TECH Office Hour: 9-10am; These office hours facilitated by Jesse Ireland are meant to support district personnel in implementing instructional technology to have the highest impact on teaching and learning. Waiting Room is enabled to assist in controlling the flow of people in breakout rooms. https://ccsoh-us.zoom.us/j/95949814314?pwd=OGllcUwvR3Nsa2R2UGpsOFFYdTIrUT09
  • 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival Online

Saturday, September 26th

  • STUDYSYNC SYNCUP SYMPOSIUM: CREATING INCLUSIVE VIRTUAL CLASSROOMS WITH DR. CATLIN TUCKER AND DR. MICHELLE MARTIN (SEPTEMBER 26)

    Saturday, September 26th, 11:45am-3:15pm; Participate in sessions on remote learning, teacher presence, social and emotional learning, and more. REGISTRATION DETAILS

  • Mindfulness Writing Session 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Register (See more information in the "Teacher Opportunities" section of this newsletter.)
  • 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival Online

Sunday, September 27th

  • 2020 Library of Congress National Book Festival Online
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Webpage/Curriculum/Resources

The CCS ELA 6-12 Website is the main site for CCS Secondary English teachers. It is where you will find curriculum docs/folders and CCS guiding docs. You can go the the CCS ELA 6-12 Webpage directly at https://www.ccsoh.us/English6-12 or once on the CCS Website, hover over Departments and Select "English Language Arts 6-12."


You find the curricular and district items on the ELA 6-12 Webpage by clicking on the curriculum Quick Links for your grade level.

Scroll down to see all of the Grade Levels/Courses and to see the Guiding Documents for all Grade Levels once you are on the Curriculum/Instructional Resource page for your grade level.


There are three main Curriculum Items for each course that you will find under the "Curriculum" header for your grade level on the Curriculum/Instructional Resource pages.

  • Course Folders-Contains the Curriculum Map, Standard Items, Adopted Resource Items, Novels/Novel Guides
  • Curriculum Maps-Provides a Year-at-a-Glance, Scope & Sequence, and Unpacked Standards for each course
  • Course Introduction Pages-The first page of the Scope & Sequence with course description and details on resources and teaching for the course.


Here are some short videos to acclimate you to the new Curriculum Docs/Folders and show the correlation between the maps and the adopted digital resources. These are available at the bottom of each of the Curriculum/Instructional Resource page in the CCS ELA Guiding Documents section.


You can see all of the Secondary English Resources with descriptions and access information linked at the bottom of each of the Curriculum/Instructional Resources pages in the CCS ELA Guiding Documents section: CCS Adopted, Supplemental, and Intervention Resources List

NOTE: To access many curricular and district, you must be logged into Google using your CCS credentials and not a personal account.

The Adopted Curriculum Resource for English 6-12

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STUDYSYNC ACCESS

-You AND your students access StudySync via the Clever icon or http://clever.com/in/columbuscity. Click on the McGraw Hill icon. Then, launch the StudySync App.

-Your classes are marked with X and Y. The X classes are for first semester and are the ones you should be using now. The Y classes are for second semester. If you want to change the names of your classes in StudySync, follow this guide: StudySync-How to Change Course Names

-Here is the demo code for StudySync in case you have a co-teacher, building coach, or admin that wants to see the platform and they do not have a class aligned in Clever/IC.

DEMO: my.mheducation.com

UN: StudySync2021

PW: study2021

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Pathways to Success Teacher Feature

TEACHER FEATURE: PATHWAY TO SUCCESS

  • Learn how teaching StudySync’s Core ELA Units transformed one teacher's benchmark scores, and why she never loses sleep over standards. Pathway to Success
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StudySync Tutorials

There is a tutorial for everything! When you are in StudySync, you can get to the Help Center by clicking on your name at the top, right. In the dropdown menu, you select "Help Center." Then type in what you want to know about and it will populate the tutorials. Also, the speech icon in the lower, right gets you access to a live help desk during office hours.


Some of the most popular tutorials and supporting documents are linked below.

Student-Facing Tutorials

  1. How to Use Scaffolds with StudySync
  2. Linking Your StudySync Account with Google Classroom
  3. StudySync Mobile App - How to Find Your App Key & Set up the App
  4. How to Find a Text in the Library


Teacher-Facing Tutorials

  1. StudySync Walkthrough PDF
  2. Google Integration Video
  3. How to Change Course Names (relabeling your course in StudySync for clarity)
  4. Sub-Groups & Differentiation (video)
  5. Navigating a Student Account (video)
  6. Mimic a Student (video)
  7. Distance Learning: The Basics PDF
  8. Top 5 Ways to Engage Students Through Remote Learning PDF
  9. Tips for Creating Instructional Videos
  10. Small-Group Discussion Planning Document
  11. Facilitation Strategies for an Online Discussion
  12. Design a Three-Part Flipped Lesson
  13. Create and Customize an Assignment from a Core Unit (video)
  14. Create an Assignment from the Library (video)
  15. Create an Assignment for multiple classes (video)
  16. Edit an Assignment (video)
  17. Preview an Assignment (video)
  18. Deactivate an Assignment (video)
  19. Search for an Assignment (video)
  20. Copy an Assignment (video)
  21. View Inactive Assignments (video)
  22. View a Report of Student Work (video)
  23. Grade Student Work (video)
  24. StudySync Gradebook & Data Analysis (video)
  25. Navigating Digital Library (video)
  26. Culturally Relevant Instruction (video)
  27. Blasts in Detail (video)
  28. Create a Blast (video)
  29. Teaching a Blast – HS (video)
  30. Teaching a Blast – MS (video)
  31. Show a Blast with Live Data (video)


Parent-Facing Supports

  1. 6–12 Parent Support (video)
  2. English Parent Letter (PDF)
  3. Spanish Parent Letter (PDF)
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StudySync Webinars, Office Hours, & PD

Symposium

  • THIS SATURDAY: STUDYSYNC SYNCUP SYMPOSIUM Saturday, September 26th from 11:45am-3:15pm, you have a chance to participate in sessions on remote learning, teacher presence, social and emotional learning, and more from StudySync. Here are the REGISTRATION DETAILS.

Webinars

Office Hours

    Teacher Sessions: 9/22 8am, 10/1 3:15pm

    Admin Sessions: 9/24 3:15pm, 9/29 8am

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StudySync Recorded Trainings from This Summer

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StudySync Teacher and Student Books

-If you did not pick up a Volume One StudySync Teacher Edition this summer, please have your school's building book person request it from the Hudson Warehouse. The warehouse has sent out the student consumables (Reading and Writing Companion), but will send out the TEs based upon requests from the building since so many of you already picked them up. Volume Two of the TE will be automatically sent to the buildings from the warehouse.

-Student Editions were sent from the warehouse to the buildings. In Grades 6-10, students have one consumable (Reading and Writing Companion) for the year with all 6 units included. In Grades 11-12, students have two consumables (Reading and Writing Companion). Volume 1 is for Units 1-3 and Volume 2 is for Units 4-6.

The adopted curriculum resource for honors & AP

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BEDFORD OVERVIEWS AND TRAINING/Tutorial LINKS

Overview Pages and Slideshows


Launchpad Access

-To get to Launchpad through Clever http://clever.com/in/columbuscity, click the Launchpad icon and click on the name of class/textbook.


Recorded Trainings/Slides and Follow-Up Letter from Summer


MORE Launchpad Trainings

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Bedford Honors and AP Teacher Texts

-If you still need an honors or AP teacher edition, reach out to Carla Mae Phillips (cphillips3865) and she will work with the warehouse to get that delivered to you.


-Students have a hardback text and may have a workbook for Honors 9 and 10.

Honors 9: Foundations of Language and Literature

Honors10: Advanced Language & Literature

AP Language: The Language of Composition, 3rd Edition

AP Literature: Literature and Composition, 2nd Edition

Supplemental resource for CCS Book Lists & Novel/Author Items

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As you know, TeachingBooks is the tool that houses the lists of books we have in the warehouse and in the Secondary English Curriculum Office (TeachingBooks Tutorial). It also is a place to get additional novel and author resources. Here are some ideas TeachingBooks wanted to share with teachers since we are teaching remotely.


TEACHINGBOOKS WEBINARS IN SEPTEMBER

Find the Perfect TeachingBooks Resource Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020 10am
Enjoy browsing and searching on TeachingBooks while discovering the perfect resources to meet your needs. We'll share advanced search techniques and locate resources in a variety of formats to reach students with different learning styles. Register

Enhance Independent Reading with TeachingBooks Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020 10am
Engage readers with resources to preview titles. Add to your reader's advisory bag of tricks. Register

—Register even if you can't attend to get the Sessions sent to you.


TEACHINGBOOKS SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER (BOOKMARKED) ITEMS

September 2020 Edition for Columbus City Schools

  • NEW: Diverse Books Toolkit Want to dive deeply into diversity and inclusion? Check out TeachingBooks' new Diverse Books Toolkit.
  • NEW: Hands-free Book Browsing How are your students selecting books in this age of COVID-19 when shelf-browsing is often restricted? In response to this concern, TeachingBooks has three tools to help students browse and discover books—hands- free! 1: Hands-free Book Browsing: Audiobook excerpts and accessible chapters or passages of books that allow readers to get to know a book without physically having it in their hands. 2: Bitmoji Virtual Classrooms, Libraries, and Bulletin Boards: Provide a welcoming and inclusive virtual learning environment with these templates that are ready to copy, customize, and use. 3: Reader's Advisory: These tools assist in identifying books that match students' interests and needs.
  • Featured Booklist: #OwnVoices Young Adult Literature Diversify your reading list for the 2020-2021 school year with these #ownvoices stories, selected by the Portland Public Library. The #ownvoices hashtag, created by Corinne Duyvis, centers the experiences of marginalized people by promoting stories about characters with marginalized identities written by authors who share those same identities. Explore This Booklist, See other #OwnVoices Booklists
  • Listen In with Matthew Winner & The Children's Book Podcast Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan are co-authors of A Place at the Table (Clarion, 2020). This new middle grade novel in two voices examines the growing awareness of self-identity as we enter middle school. As Saadia and Laura note in this conversation, so many kids want to stand up for what they believe is right, but don’t know how. This story is one answer to that question. Listen To The Podcast, Explore the book on TeachingBooks
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Description: These office hours are meant to support district personnel in implementing instructional technology to have the highest impact on teaching and learning. Waiting Room is enabled to assist in controlling the flow of people in breakout rooms.

Meeting Times/Dates: This meeting will occur each Friday from 9:00 - 10:00 am starting September 11th and running through December 18th and will be facilitated by Jesse Ireland.

Meeting Link:

https://ccsoh-us.zoom.us/j/95949814314?pwd=OGllcUwvR3Nsa2R2UGpsOFFYdTIrUT09

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Assessment Information for Columbus City Schools SY20-21


  • In Grades 9-12, the Benchmark Assessments* in StudySync (three per grade level) replace NWEA MAP/Reading Inventory testing for the BOY, MOY, and EOY.
  • Teachers in Grades 6-8 will use iReady to replace NWEA MAP, but are free to use the Benchmark Assessments for their own classroom information. NOTE: iReady is NOT a curriculum tool for middle school. It is only being used for testing. The adopted curriculum resource is for middle school is StudySync.
  • BOY, MOY, and EOY specific information will come from the testing department. Some of the buildings have already received the calendar. It is my understanding that some of the testing windows may still be adjusted. Currently the BOY window runs through 9/30.
  • The testing calendar will also include two Reset Readiness Benchmarks from the ODE testing portal for courses that have an OST. These allow students to do full-length tests in the same portal as they will on the OST.


All Teachers in Grades 6-12 may use the StudySync Readiness Screener and Reading Comprehension Diagnostic at the beginning for the year. StudySync also has End-of-Unit Assessments in regular and EL forms, and offers SAT/ACT/State Test Preparation Assessments. Here is the entire suite of assessments that you have available to you in StudySync with a description of what they measure. None are mandated by with the exception of the Benchmarks for Grades 9-12 for the BOY, MOY, and EOY:
  • Readiness Screener for Each Grade Level
    • Readiness Screeners assess students’ preparedness on the previous grade-level’s standards-aligned skills and content. Teachers can use this assessment to determine student strengths as well as reteaching and remediation needs.
  • Reading Comprehension Diagnostic for Each Grade Level
    • The Reading Comprehension Diagnostic assesses students’ basic reading comprehension skills. Students are presented with two grade-level appropriate passages, each accompanied by 5 items focused on assessing text understanding.
  • Benchmarks for Each Grade Level (3 Forms at each grade level) * BOY, MOY, & EOY (9-12)
    • There are three Benchmark Assessments for each grade level. They have around 35 questions each and look like the OST. They contain literary and informational readings and paired readings with standard-aligned multiple choice, multi select, Part A/Part B, and drag and drop items. They can be assigned electronically and scored immediately.
    • Benchmark Assessments measure students’ progress toward standards mastery throughout the school year. Three assessment forms – to be delivered at the beginning of the school year, after the completion of Unit 2, and again after the completion of Unit 4 – provide a valid and reliable measure of students’ advancement. There are six units total in the program; each lasts 30-days. All of the ELA standards are taught by the end of Unit Four and that is why they are scheduled as noted above. However, since CCS is using them for the BOY, MOY, and EOY for 9-12th grade, they should be given during the windows set by the testing department.
  • State Test Preparation (3 Forms for Reading and 3 Forms Writing at each grade level)
    • The State Test Preparation assessments can be administered to students throughout the year, leading up to end-of year testing. Students’ growing mastery of the curriculum should result in increasing scores at each administration and determine student readiness for high-stakes testing.
  • End of Unit (6 for each grade level) / EL End of Unit (4 levels: Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, Advanced High for 6 units at each grade level)
    • The End-of-Unit Assessment reports on the outcome of student learning. As students complete each unit of the reading program, they will be assessed on their understanding of key instructional content as well as their ability to write in response to prompts across a series of genres.
  • ACT English & ACT Reading (6 Forms)
    • The ACT Test Preparation assessments can be administered to students throughout the year, leading up to the high-stakes test. Students can use the results of this assessment to gain insight into their strengths and needs for further practice.
  • SAT (2 Forms)
    • The SAT Test Preparation assessments can be administered to students throughout the year, leading up to the high-stakes test. Students can use the results of this assessment to gain insight into their strengths and needs for further practice.
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Newest Resources from the Ohio Department of Education

You can check out the latest tools from ODE for the Standards and OST in their Student Readiness Toolkit. It seems that the link to the student testing site on the last page of this document on the ODE site is not working. HERE is the link for that site.
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2020 National Book Festival-THIS FRIDAY-SUNDAY

Registration is now OPEN for the 20th annual Library of Congress National Book Festival, to be held online Sept. 25-27. More than a hundred best-selling authors, novelists, historians, poets and children's writers will be on hand including Colson Whitehead, Sandra Cisneros, Jason Reynolds, Amy Tan, and John Grisham. REGISTER HERE. MORE INFORMATION HERE.

If you prefer not to register for the virtual platform, author presentations will be made available on loc.gov/bookfest and on the Library’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/loc. Content for children and teens will be posted starting Friday, Sept. 25 at 9 a.m., and content for adults will be posted Saturday, Sept. 26 at 9 a.m.

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ASHLAND UNIVERSITY GIVING AWAY DE-COMMISSIONED BOOKS

Because of increasing classroom demands at the Ashland University Columbus Campus, they have been forced to de-commission their Instructional Resource Center. THIS LIST related to young adult literature is the first segment of resources they are looking to give away to interested parties. Because of their historic partnership with Columbus City Schools, we have the first opportunity to gain additional resources for the benefit of students. The listed material will be available to interested parties at the Columbus Center on a first-come first served basis. They ask that you bring your own box(es) to collect materials. If you have questions, please contact Mary Laura Lutz, Ph.D., Director, Ashland University Columbus Center, 614-794-0803, mlutz3@ashland.edu.

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MORE ITEMS FOR CELEBRATING BANNED BOOKS WEEK

BANNED BOOK WEEK IDEAS FOR NEXT WEEK (SEPTEMBER 27-OCTOBER 3)

Here are some virtual ideas for Banned Books Week coming up later this month.

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Camp Corwin Book Club

Sign up for FREE Camp Corwin Book Club

We invite you to join Corwin authors as they discuss and engage on timely topics.

Camp Corwin Book Club Meetings:

  • Take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 90 minutes
  • Are easy to join via Zoom
  • Focus on specific sections of each book
  • Draw attention to challenges currently facing educators
  • Are appropriate for all educators - teachers, coaches, principals and more

Books are not included and should be purchased separately

Join the book club

NOVEL CONVERSATIONS

Novel Conversations, a fan-favorite podcast about classic literature, is returning for its seventh season! And they are kicking it off with a dystopian theme. Get ready for Big Brother, battles with Morlocks, and some apprehensive book burning. Join them every other Tuesday for eight brand new episodes, featuring titles like Fahrenheit 541 and 1984. See below for all eight books and release dates, or follow us for updates on their Twitter and Facebook pages. Enjoy! Listen Now

Ep 1: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (1953) LISTEN NOW

Ep 2: The Time Machine by H.G. Wells (1895) Sep 22

Ep 3: Advise and Consent by Allen Drury (1959) Oct 6

Ep 4: The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (1996) Oct 20

Ep 5: The Tenth Man by Graham Greene (1985) Nov 3

Ep 6: The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy by Sterne (1759) Nov 17

Ep 7: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Twain (1889) Dec 1

Ep 8: 1984 by George Orwell (1949) Dec 15


STUDYSYNC SYNCUP SYMPOSIUM: CREATING INCLUSIVE VIRTUAL CLASSROOMS WITH DR. CATLIN TUCKER AND DR. MICHELLE MARTIN (SEPTEMBER 26)

THIS Saturday, September 26th, 11:45am-3:15pm; Participate in sessions on remote learning, teacher presence, social and emotional learning, and more. REGISTRATION DETAILS


MINDFUL WRITING SERIES WITH ALEXANDRIA PEARY (SEPTEMBER 26)

The final date in this series happens THIS Saturday.

*Active membership in NCTE is required for participation. Not yet a member? Join us! www.join.ncte.org

Saturday, September 26 | 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Register


LIBRARY OF CONGRESS NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL

Registration is OPEN for the 20th Annual Library of Congress National Book Festival, to be held online Sept. 25-27. More than a hundred best-selling authors, novelists, historians, poets and children's writers will be on hand including Colson Whitehead, Sandra Cisneros, Jason Reynolds, Amy Tan, and John Grisham. REGISTER HERE. MORE INFORMATION HERE.

If you prefer not to register for the virtual platform, author presentations will be made available on loc.gov/bookfest and on the Library’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/loc. Content for children and teens will be posted starting Friday, Sept. 25 at 9 a.m., and content for adults will be posted Saturday, Sept. 26 at 9 a.m.


TEACHINGBOOKS WEBINARS IN SEPTEMBER

Find the Perfect TeachingBooks Resource Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020 10am
Enjoy browsing and searching on TeachingBooks while discovering the perfect resources to meet your needs. We'll share advanced search techniques and locate resources in a variety of formats to reach students with different learning styles. Register

Enhance Independent Reading with TeachingBooks Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020 10am
Engage readers with resources to preview titles. Add to your reader's advisory bag of tricks. Register


THURBER HOUSE AUTHOR VISITS FOR SEPTEMBER

*ONLINE* | The Amazing Story of Stan Lee and the Marvel Universe Pop Culture Phenomenon—with Historian Danny Fingeroth SEP 24, 2020, 7pm

Excelsior! Danny Fingeroth, longtime writer and editor at Marvel Comics who worked with Stan Lee for over four decades, presents A Marvelous Life: The Amazing Story of Stan Lee—the definitive biography of the beloved (and often controversial) co-creator of legendary superheroes and the powerhouse behind the pop culture phenomenon known as the Marvel Universe. Danny Fingeroth’s A Marvelous Life: The Amazing Story of Stan Lee stems from exclusive interviews with Lee himself, as well as colleagues, relatives, friends―and detractors. Fingeroth makes a remarkable case for Lee’s achievements, while not ignoring the controversies that dogged him his entire life―and even past his death. With unique access to Lee’s personal archives at the University of Wyoming, Fingeroth explores never-before-examined aspects of Lee’s life and career, and digs under the surface of what people thought they knew about him.


THURBER HOUSE ADULT WRITING WORKSHOPS (SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER)

  • 9/21 – Mining Memories: Making Stories
  • 9/28 – Going Rogue: Garden Edition
  • 10/5 – True Inflammatory Poems
  • 10/12 – Writing Places and Spaces
  • 10/17 – Here There Be Dragons (Master Class)
  • 10/19 – Capturing Joy Through Poetry
  • 10/26 – Going Rogue: Holiday Edition

Learn More About/Register for Thurber's Adult Writing Workshops HERE


GRAMERCY BOOKS AUTHOR EVENTS (SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER)

At Gramercy Books on Main Street in Bexley, they share our love of books and the arts through a broad range of programming and events that bring the community together. There’s something for everyone. Be sure to check out Gramercy's calendar of events, and discover something new.


ILA (INTERNATIONAL LITERACY ASSOCIATION) NEXT-OCTOBER 3-29

ILA Next (October 3–29) is a new professional learning experience for literacy educators across the globe. Digital by design, ILA Next offers a blend of live and on-demand learning anchored by a weekly workshop series. You bring the device; they'll bring the PD!
They've zeroed in on the most important issues in literacy instruction, recognizing the challenges facing teachers right now, such as the following:

  • Distance and hybrid learning
  • Equity and access
  • Social-emotional development
  • Trauma responsive instruction

Each week, you'll have access to multiple hours of live presentations plus additional hours of on-demand content. Informal Office Hours sessions give you the chance to interact with select speakers and fellow participants. REGISTER NOW


2020 OHIOANA AWARDS MOVES ONLINE (OCTOBER 21)

The 2020 Ohioana Awards, originally scheduled for October 15 at the Ohio Statehouse, will now be presented online on Wednesday, October 21, at 7:00 p.m. The event will feature the presentation of awards to our winners:

  • Fiction: Salvatore Scibona, The Volunteer
  • Nonfiction: Jeannie Vanasco, Things We Didn’t Talk About When I Was a Girl
  • About Ohio or an Ohioan: David McCullough, The Pioneers
  • Poetry: Hanif Abdurraqib, A Fortune for Your Disaster
  • Middle Grade/Young Adult Literature: Jasmine Warga, Other Words for Home
  • Juvenile Literature: Oge Mora, Saturday
  • Readers’ Choice: Kenn Kaufman, Season on the Wind
  • Walter Ramsey Marvin Grant: Brendan Curtinrich

There will no admission charge for the 2020 Ohioana Awards - it is being presented as a free event, open to all Ohioans as a celebration of books and reading. While the event is free, registration is required at this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2020-ohioana-awards-tickets-120406794965

—NOTE: If you missed the Virtual Ohioana Book Festival, the entire festival program is now completely online. You can heck out the panels, discussions, outreach programs, and media interviews, along with drawing and story times for kids, individual author readings, and more. If you did attend the festival, this is your chance to catch something you might've missed - or revisit a program you enjoyed for a second or third time. Go to the schedule page below - click on the title of any linked program and it will take you right there: http://www.ohioana.org/prog…/ohioana-book-festival/schedule/.

You can still purchase books featured at the festival by going online to the official bookseller for Ohioana, The Book Loft of German Village:https://www.bookloft.com


AMLE (ASSOCIATION FOR MIDDLE LEVEL EDUCATION) 2020 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE-OCTOBER 23-25

Class is virtually in session! Just as this is no ordinary year, this is no ordinary conference. You are invited into the #AMLE20 virtual middle school classroom! It’s a space to play, innovate, and be creative. It’s a space to connect with colleagues. It’s a space to contribute and collect tools and resources to meet the needs of your students and your school community. INFORMATION HERE I REGISTRATION HERE


COLLEGE BOARD FORUM VIRTUAL CONFERENCE (OCTOBER 26–28, 2020)

Now, more than ever, educators need to connect and support one another on how to navigate unprecedented challenges due to covid-19. Don't miss the opportunity to join your higher ed and K–12 colleagues at the College Board Virtual Forum, October 26–28.

Attend keynote and panel discussions, colloquia, breakout sessions, roundtable discussions, and networking events, and participate in the annual Forum College Fair. Conference topics will include: Trends in higher education in 2020, Keeping students on track, Addressing the digital divide, Best practices for leaders during covid-19, and Realizing social justice in our work. Register Now I View the Preliminary Program


NCTE (NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR TEACHERS OF ENGLISH) 2020 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE-NOVEMBER 19-22

NCTE’s Convention is the most historic annual literacy convening for teachers and educators. Now celebrating its 110th consecutive year, the historic event connects educators to the most passionate and energetic minds in literacy. Attendees can expect to hear from leading education voices as well as nearly 300 national authors, all engaging together around the pressing topics of the field. Join them to establish new allies in the work of excellent teaching, new connections with luminaries and authors, and enough new books to fill entire shelves in classroom libraries. INFORMATION HERE I REGISTRATION HERE (WILL BE LIVE SOON)


BONNIE CHAMBERS GRANT FOR 6TH GRADE TEACHERS

Recognizing the extraordinary challenges teachers face in the upcoming academic year 2020-21, a one-time $5,000.00 grant will be awarded to purchase books for K-6 students in an Ohio public school building. This Bonnie Chambers Grant is designed to help teachers who strongly promote the use of quality literature in their classrooms. Teachers will use the grant money to select and purchase their own book choices (fiction or non-fiction) dealing with understanding and coping with COVID, racism and equality issues, and/or mental health issues for children and their families.

Application Criteria

  • This grant is open to any* Ohio public school teacher(s) in grades K-6 who demonstrates a need for money in the purchasing of classroom books for their elementary building.
  • If a group of teachers apply, one teacher will apply on behalf of the building and serve as the contact teacher.
  • Need can be demonstrated through free-lunch ratios, recent school-levy results, extraordinary events, etc.

Applications are available and due by December 31, 2020.

Online Application I Print Application

Visit the Bonnie Chambers Grant page for more information: https://www.octela.org/awards/bonnie-chambers/


FREE NEW YORK TIMES SUBSCRIPTIONS.

This could be a great resource for our Publications in Newspaper classes. HERE are the details.


OHIO LITERARY TRAIL

The Ohioana Library is delighted to introduce the Ohio Literary Trail, a new program that will shine the spotlight on Ohio’s unique role in shaping culture and literature worldwide. Ohioana compiled the trail map with more than 70 sites across the Buckeye state, paying tribute to the authors, poets, illustrators, libraries, and creative influencers of the written word who have called Ohio home. The Ohio Literary Trail celebrates Ohio’s diversity through an eclectic range of literary greats who influenced feminism and women’s rights, Black history, religion, LGBTQ+ rights, and American culture through literature. Tourists planning a literary-themed outing, as well as Ohioans who want to discover literary treasures they never knew existed in their own backyard, will find it here: http://www.ohioana.org/resources/the-ohio-literary-trail/


BULK BOOKSTORE GIVEAWAY

On the Bulk Bookstore Facebook page, they are giving away free copies of this fun book The Chocolate Touch. You could be one of six winners of 5 free paperback copies on September 30th.


TEACHINGBOOKS BLOG-CONTESTS AND GIVEAWAYS

HERE are the highlighted contests and giveaways for September 2020.


WE ARE TEACHERS-CONTESTS AND GIVEAWAYS

HERE are the highlighted contests and giveaways.

THURBER HOUSE YOUNG WRITERS' STUDIO (GRADES 9-12)

  • Tuesday, September 29
  • Tuesday, October 13
  • Tuesday, October 27
  • Tuesday, November 10
  • Tuesday, November 24

6:30–8:30 pm ET on Zoom

What is Young Writers' Studio? Students in Grades 9-12 meet every other week for two hours with author and English professor Robert Loss. They kick off the first hour with quality writing prompts and activities. They wrap up the last hour with the chance to workshop pieces that you or others share. It's a safe, low-key, fun opportunity to enjoy writing and meet others! Register HERE

-A limited number of scholarships are available for this program. Email megbrown@thurberhouse.org for more information.


POETRY OUT LOUD 2020-2021

Poetry Out Loud (POL) 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 heritage and contemporary life. Created by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud is administered in partnership with the State Arts Agencies of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Teachers, librarians, or administrators register their high schools each year with the Ohio Arts Council and organize contests with one class, several classes, or a whole school. Contests, workshops, and multi-media program materials, including curricula, are free. Poetry Out Loud is aligned with Common Core and National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) standards.

REGISTER YOUR SCHOOL HERE. I Get more information here.


VOTE FOR THE 2020 BUCKEYE CHILDRENS AND TEENS BOOK AWARDS

Voting is now open for your favorite book from the nominees below. Voting ends November 10th. You can also make your nominations for the 2021 Buckeye Children's & Teens Book Awards!

For Grades 6-8

  • Supernova (Amulet book 8) by Kazu Kibuishi
  • Front Desk by Kelly Yang
  • Grenade by Alan Gratz
  • Guts by Raina Telgemeier
  • Inkling by Kenneth Oppel

The Teen Buckeye Book Award Nominees (for grades 9-12)

  • On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
  • Superman: Dawnbreaker by Matt de la Peña
  • Supernova (Renegades book 3) by Marissa Meyer
  • The Toll (Arc of a Scythe book 3) by Neal Shusterman
  • War Storm (Red Queen Book 4) by Victoria Aveyard

Weekly Stress-Break Video

AJR - BANG! (Official Video)
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did you miss earlier issues of the secondary english weekly newsletter?

Each week, this Secondary English Weekly Newsletter will be linked in an email sent to ELA and ELA-related teachers in Grades 6-12 and posted on the CCS English Language Arts 6-12 Page (https://www.ccsoh.us/English6-12). It will contain all of the latest information that could prove useful to you and your students. If you know of anyone who needs to be added to the mailing list, please send their name(s) to cphillips3865@columbus.k12.oh. Happy Educating!


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Carla Mae Phillips

Lead Secondary English Curriculum Coordinator

Southland Center, Suite 125

Email: cphillips3865@columbus.k12.oh.us
Website: https://www.ccsoh.us/English6-12
Location: 3700 South High Street, Columbus, OH, 43207, USA
Phone: (380) 997-0463