Reading is Thinking Reading, Writing And Thinking In The Active Literacy Classroom By Stephanie Harvey 22nd - 23rd November 2012, Dubai

Philosophy:   Kids thinking matters!   When our students begin to understand that their thinking matters, learning changes.  They develop a passion for literacy.  The refrain of What time is recess? When’s lunch? becomes an anthem of “Can we please go read now?”   As educators, we take kids thoughts, ideas, questions, opinions and learning seriously.  In this workshop we advocate instruction that engages kids and guides them as they read, write and think their way through the day and across the curriculum.  We teach the reader not merely the reading,  by sharing and modeling strategies that support readers  to merge their thinking with the information,  ask questions, construct meaning, acquire knowledge and actively use it.  Our staff development efforts support teachers to plan engaging instruction that places an emphasis on teaching for understanding.  Based on the comprehension research of David Pearson and his colleagues, our focus is on teaching comprehension strategies that lead students to become thoughtful, active, independent readers and writers.  We advocate active literacy classrooms where students do not spend the day filling in bubbles and blanks, but rather read, write, talk, listen and investigate their way into thinking, learning and understanding.  Inquiry based learning and project based learning are central to understanding and acquiring knowledge in classrooms such as these. Principles that guide our work include Teach for understanding and engagement Foster passion and curiosity Make thinking visible Create an environment that values collaborative learning and thinking Support kids to read extensively in text they can and want to read Build instruction around authentic,  relevant and significant topics Provide explicit instruction with the Gradual Release of Responsibility framework Create a common language for literacy Differentiate instruction and text Teach with the end in mind Create deep, curious thinkers and lifelong learners   Objectives:   Have a better understanding of how to explicitly teach comprehension strategies Discover new ways to engage kids and support them to expand their thinking, and acquire knowledge Get a good idea of what an active literacy classroom looks like so they can create a similar environment in their own classroom Have a better understanding of inquiry based learning Learn about four types of inquiry circles that we use in school across the curriculum throughout the year Interact with each other throughout the two days Have fun   Agenda:   Day 1 Morning Session   8:30 - 10:00 The principles of reading achievement and learning Why do we teach comprehension? The comprehension continuum and the active use of knowledge Comprehension strategies: The inner conversation and monitoring comprehension 10:00-10:20 Break 10:20-11:45 Proficient reader strategies as tools for understanding Make thinking visible: The gradual release of responsibility instructional framework The components of Active Literacy: Reading, writing, drawing, viewing, talking, listening and investigating Read Write and Talk: The process from the inside out. Participants read and respond to nonfiction pieces 11:45-12:45 Lunch     Afternoon Session   12:45-1:45 Active Literacy Video: Viewing and discussion             1:45-2:00 Break  2:00-3:30 Nonfiction Literacy:  Strategies for reading informational text Integrating comprehension instruction with content instruction in science and social studies Video of comprehension merged with content instruction in science and social studies:Viewing and discussing 3:30-4:00 Reflection and Q&A              Day 2 Morning Session 8:30 - 10:00 The Power of Collaboration How proficient collaborators think and act What social strategy use looks and sounds like (and doesn’t!!) Explicit collaboration lesson on video: Viewing and discussing     9:30-10:00 Inquiry Based Learning: Content VS Coverage 10:00-10:20  Break 10:20-11:45 Small Group Instruction and Inquiry Circles  Four Types of Inquiry Circles 11:45-1:00 Lunch       Afternoon Session     1:00-2:30 Video of inquiry circles at different grade levels:  Viewing and discussing Model my own Inquiry Participants engage in inquiry 2:30-2:50 Break            2:50-3:30 Assessment and Evaluation:  Look at student work to assess comprehension, collaboration and inquiry and to inform instruction 3:30 -4:00 Reflection, Back home plan and Q&A   Trainers Profile   Stephanie Harvey has spent the past thirty-eight years teaching and learning about reading and writing.  She received her BA from the University of Denver and her MA from the University of Colorado.  After sixteen years of regular elementary and special education teaching in the Jefferson County Schools in Lakewood, Colorado, Stephanie became a staff developer for the Denver based Public Education and Business Coalition (PEBC), a partnership of leaders from education and business who support innovation in public schools. In that role, she has worked with teachers, librarians, staff developers and principals throughout Colorado coordinating literacy projects, leading workshops and conducting classroom demonstrations.  Insatiably curious about student thinking, she is a teacher first and foremost and continues to work in schools on a regular basis savoring any time spent with kids. Stephanie also serves as a private consultant to schools and districts throughout the country. She travels extensively and works with educators in inner city, suburban and rural districts around the United States and Canada. A regular presenter and keynote speaker at conferences, she speaks on comprehension, active literacy, nonfiction reading, writing and research, content literacy, inquiry based learning, collaboration, reading and writing workshop, and the role of passion, wonder and engagement in teaching and learning. Each summer she offers her annual Reading Is Thinking comprehension institute.  She loves to write and has published articles in Language Arts, Instructor and other educational periodicals. Her first book, Nonfiction Matters, was published in 1998 by Stenhouse Publishers. In the spring of 2009, Heinemann published her most recent book, Comprehension and Collaboration: Inquiry Circles in Action written with Harvey Daniels. Two DVDs that show inquiry circles from grades K-10 were released by Heinemann that fall. In 2005 Heinemann FirstHand published The Comprehension Toolkit: Language and Lessons for Active Literacy a curricular resource for comprehension instruction written with her colleague Anne Goudvis followed by the Primary Comprehension Toolkit. (2008)  Recently, Stenhouse published a second edition of Harvey and Goudvis’ popular Strategies that Work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding and Engagement. Throughout, Steph and Anne have released a number of DVDs on comprehension and active literacy including a single tape called Read Write and Talk, a three tape series for English Language Learners called Reading the World and, a four tape series aimed at middle grade readers titled Strategic Thinking. Harvey and Goudvis continue to expand the Comprehension Toolkit line of resources as described at www.comprehensiontoolkit.com including the recent Comprehension Intervention books aimed at comprehension instruction with small flexible needs based groups. Additionally, Stephanie serves on the National Geographic literacy council and assisted in the development of the NGS Reading and Writing Workshops, an intermediate grade comprehension resource for information literacy. For the past nine years,   Stephanie  has been proud to offer her annual summer comprehension/active literacy institute in a host of different cities across the United States including Denver, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco and New York.  The two day institute is based on the comprehension work that Steph explored and wrote about with her colleague Anne Goudvis in  Strategies That Work, (Stenhouse 2007 2nd Ed) their popular book on reading comprehension.  Over the years, this institute has evolved to include a focus on inquiry based learning  as described in her book with Harvey Daniels Comprehension and Collaboration: Inquiry Circles in Action.(Heinemann 2009) Stephanie lives in Denver with her husband Edward and spends her free time hiking, skiing, traveling and reading.  She has two grown children, Alex a theater director in New York City, and Jessica, a graduate student in business in Denver     Recent Keynote Addresses   “Comprehension, Collaboration and Inquiry” Hawaii Teachers of English Honolulu  Nov 2010 “Source Sets to Build and Acquire Knowledge Scholastic Literate Thinkers Symposium Oct 2010  “Inquiry and 21st Century Skills”  Teacher College Columbia University August 2010 “Passion and Wonder are Contagious: Teaching Thinking in the Active Literacy Classroom.” Sylvia Brown Luncheon Speaker --Massachusetts Reading Association, Sturbridge, MA, April 2010. “Small Group Inquiry Circles.” Principal’s Conference. Teacher’s College, New York City, NY, Feb 2010. “Nonfiction Literacy—Reading, Writing  and Inquiry.” Ka Hue Heluhelu, Honolulu, HI, Oct. 2009.  “Active Literacy.”  Teacher’s College Summer Reading Institute, NYC, NY, Aug. 2009. “Strategies for Reading Nonfiction Text.” Michigan Reading Association, Ann Arbor, MI, July 2009. “Comprehension and Collaboration: Small Group Inquiry.”  Gwinnett County, GA, June 2009. “Inquiry Circles in Action.” Heinemann Institutes, New Orleans, LA, Jan. 2009. “Comprehension in the Active Literacy Classroom.” Louisiana Reading Association, Shreveport, LA, Oct. 2008. “Thinking Strategies across the Curriculum.” WI Title 1 Assoc., Stevens Point, WI, Oct. 2008. “Comprehension and Collaboration.” Walloon Institute, Lake Geneva, WI, July 2008. “The Inner Conversation.” Purdue Summer Literacy Institute, Lafayette, IN, July 2008. “Thinking about Reading and Writing.” Gwinnett Writing Institute, Atlanta, GA, June 2008. “Content Rich Classrooms:  Teaching Kids to Think.”  “Reading for the Love of It” Conference, New York City, NY, April 2008. “Active Literacy:  Reading Writing Talking Listening and Investigating.” CCIRA, Denver, CO, Feb. 2008. “Content Literacy:  Reading Writing and Thinking.”Oregon Reading Association, Portland, OR, February 2008. “Strategic Reading and Thinking:  Comprehension Strategy Instruction.”Wyoming State Principal’s Conference, Casper, WY, January 2008     Investment:   Investment Includes Course Materials, Lunch and refreshments with Certificate of Participation.   USD 720   USD 670/- Early Bird Offer 15th June 2012   USD 620/- Early Bird offer 1st March 2012   Closing Date : 1st November 2012   Venue:   Dubai Contact:   Shonal Agarwal  CEO  Chapters International  +91-9818362535, +91-991190110  Emaill: shonal@chaptersinternational.com workshops@chaptersinternational.com Website: www.chaptersinternational.com       Register Here