2024 NCTE Annual Convention Program

SCHEDULE

All times are Eastern Time. Times below are subject to change.

Convention events Thursday–Tuesday will take place at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

WEDNESDAY 11/20

4:00–7:00 P.M.—Registration & NCTE Central

THURSDAY 11/21

7:00 A.M.–6:30 P.M.—Registration & NCTE Central

8:00 A.M.–12:00 P.M.—Workshops (see p. 31; additional registration required)

11:30 A.M.–3:45 P.M.—A, B, C & D Sessions

4:00–5:15 P.M.—Opening General Session: Ketanji Brown Jackson

5:30–7:00 P.M.—Section Get-Togethers

FRIDAY 11/22

6:30 A.M.–6:00 P.M.—Registration & NCTE Central

7:15–8:00 A.M.—First-Timers’ Welcome Breakfast: Tonya B. Perry & Emily Kirkpatrick (no charge; registration required)

8:15–9:15 A.M.—Friday General Session: Kate McKinnon

9:30 A.M.–12:15 P.M.—E & F Sessions

10:00 A.M.–6:30 P.M.—Exhibit Hall

11:30 A.M.–1:30 P.M.—ELATE Luncheon: Ijeoma Oluo

11:30 A.M.–1:30 P.M.—Middle Level Section Luncheon: Ruta Sepetys & Steve Sheinkin

12:30–4:45 P.M.—G, H, I & J Sessions

5:00–6:30 P.M.—Annual Business Meeting

6:30–8:00 P.M.—NCTE in Primetime: Dr. Joy Buolamwini & Lee Ann Potter

8:00–9:30 P.M.—Cultural Celebration

View the updated program details here!

SATURDAY 11/23

6:30 A.M.–5:00 P.M.—Registration & NCTE Central

7:00–9:15 A.M.—ALAN Breakfast: Ellen Oh

7:30–8:45 A.M.—Awards Session

8:15–9:30 A.M.—K Sessions

9:45–10:45 A.M.—Saturday General Session: Bryan Stevenson

11:00 A.M.–12:15 P.M.—L & M Sessions

11:00 A.M.–6:00 P.M.—Exhibit Hall

12:30–2:30 P.M.—Secondary Section Luncheon: Celeste Ng

12:30–2:30 P.M.—Children’s Book Awards Luncheon: Sarah Everett & Sneed Collard III

1:15–5:30 P.M.—N, O & P Sessions

5:45–7:00 P.M.—Special Interest Group Sessions

SUNDAY 11/24

7:00–8:45 A.M.—Children’s Literature Assembly Breakfast: Lesa Cline-Ransome & James Ransome

7:00–8:45 A.M.—Affiliate Breakfast: Antero Garcia & Emily Kirkpatrick

8:00 A.M.–12:00 P.M.—Registration & NCTE Central 8:00–11:30 A.M.—Exhibit Hall

8:15–11:45 A.M.—Q, R & S Sessions

10:30 A.M.–12:00 P.M.—National Writing Project Brunch

12:00–1:15 P.M.—Closing General Session: Shelley Rodrigo & Ada Limón

1:30–5:30 P.M.—CEL Annual Convention*

MONDAY 11/25

7:00–10:00 A.M.—Registration

8:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M.—CEL Annual Convention*

8:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M.—ALAN Workshop*

TUESDAY 11/26

8:00 A.M.–2:00 P.M.—CEL Annual Convention*

8:00 A.M.–2:00 P.M.—ALAN Workshop*

* (see p. 303; additional registration required)

WELCOME FROM TONYA B. PERRY PROGRAM CHAIR

Welcome to NCTE 2024, a space for learning and sharing together.

We gather to think more deeply about what it means to teach with heart, hope, and humanity and how we can better work together to do so. When we engage in the work of the heart, we hope for a better world for our students. We invest in them so that they can realize the promise they have within. During our days together, my hope for us is that we will take every opportunity to strengthen our teaching practices during our excellent sessions and workshops, informal meetings, walks through the corridors, and exhibit hall meanderings. Let’s be open to the dialogue and learning everywhere in Boston.

As educators, we are here because we see our students’ brilliance and want to help each student reach the highest potential. The English language arts educator, new or veteran, is the facilitator and careful guide who works with their students, teaching them to develop their abilities to communicate, challenging them to design new ways of thinking, and creating readers and writers who delve deep to explore themselves and the content around them with a sharp eye. We want our students to collaborate to create the synergy and change we need. Only when the promise of every child is allowed to be fulfilled do all have the opportunity to be who they are destined to be. That is teaching with hope, heart, and humanity.

We ask ourselves important questions during our time together at this Convention:

• How can we grow as literacy educators who have hope for the future of our students?

• How do we make learning actionable, relevant, purposeful, and engaging for our students?

• How do we create assignments that really push our scholars to think differently about learning?

• How does our teaching impact learning for students and their families and communities?

• How do students use their literacies to enact change in the world with hope, heart, and respect for humanity?

When we teach our students, it is far more than teaching for that moment and far more than teaching a particular skill in isolation. When we teach our students, the larger, more far-reaching purpose is for our scholars to learn to use the lessons from the classroom to transform their own lives and the lives of others.

Let’s take every opportunity to grow together in Boston.

With much hope, heart, and humanity,

Tonya B. Perry

NCTE

President-Elect

and 2024 NCTE Annual Convention Program Chair

VOLUNTEERS

NCTE would like to thank all of those volunteers who helped proposal writers, reviewed proposals, and assisted in making the Convention a success!

2024 Local Arrangements Committee Chairs

PATTI FORSTER

Local Committee Co-Chair

Camden Hills Regional High School, Rockport, ME

Five Towns Community School District, ME

MCELA President

TODD MCKINLEY

Hospitality Co-Chair

Middle School of the Kennebunks, Kennebunk, ME

Maine Regional School Unit 21, ME

MCELA Vice President

CATHY SOSNOWSKI

Registration Co-Chair

Central CT State University, New Britain

Torrington Public Schools, CT

NCTE SCOA Region 1

Representative/NEATE, CTCTE Board Member

MINDY BUTLER

Local Committee Co-Chair

University of Southern Maine, Portland

NEATE President-Elect

MCELA Member

AFFILIATES:

REBECCA ASHLEY

Local Committee Co-Chair

Canton High School, MA

Canton Public Schools, MA

NEATE President

TRISH WALTON

Hospitality Co-Chair

Hopkinton Middle/High School, NH

Hopkinton School District, NH

NHCTE Annual Conference Chair

DEBBIE WOELFLEIN

Office Co-Chair

NHTI – Concord’s Community College, NH

NEATE Finance Chair

DINA SECCHIAROLI

Registration Co-Chair

DKS Advanced Educational Solutions, CT

ACES PDSI, CT

CTCTE President

JILL PINARD

Office Co-Chair

James Faulkner Elementary School, Stoddard, NH

School Administrative Unit 24, NH

NHCTE President

CTCTE: Connecticut Council of Teachers of English

MCELA: Maine Council for English Language Arts

NEATE: New England Association of Teachers of English

NHCTE: New Hampshire Council of Teachers of English

Planning Meeting Reviewers

Gabriel Acevedo

Mónica Baldonado-Ruiz

Rachel Bear

Nadia Behizadeh

Sarah Bonner

Yavanna Brownlee

Jonathan Bush

Christina Cantrill

Limarys Caraballo

Josh Coleman

Michael Domínguez

Jacquay Durant

María Fránquiz

Jennipher Frazier

Antero Garcia

Joel Garza

Joanne Baird Giordano

Keisha Green

Ileana Jiménez

Danny Martinez

Renee Moreno

Michele Myers

Tonya Perry

Darius Phelps

Luke Rodesiler

Shelley Rodrigo

Anna J. Small Roseboro

Lisa Scherff

Melanie Shoffner

Tiana Silvas

Kara Hinderlie Stroman

Josh Thompson

Nancy Valdez-Gainer

Yang Wang

Leah Werther

Darius Wimby

Proposal Coaches

Whitney Jordan Adams

Kimberly Allred

Nicole Amato

Robin Atwood

Heather Barton

Bedashruti Mitra Basu

Diane Beers-Gallop

Victoria Boecherer

Sarah Bonner

Amy Bouch

Kristin Bourdage

Michael Bundalow

Joshua Cabat

Annette Calhoun

Brooke Carpenter

Ashley Carter

Anthony Celaya

Leticia Citizen

Jamita Cobb

Sarah Combs

Jennifer Dail

Fredeisha Darrington

Amy Davis

Jason DeHart

Giselle Elias

Raymond Epps

Shauna Evans

Carol Frow

Glenda Funk

Huan Gao

Ricki Ginsberg

Caroline Godfrey

Cassandra Grosh

Michelle Arellano Haberberger

Sara Herrera-Dandridge

Katherine Hoffman

Gordon Hultberg

Julianna Kershen

Ted Kesler

Jennifer Kirchoff

Jori Krulder

Catherine Lammert

Amber Lawson

Susan Luft

Emily Madison

Becki Maldonado

Courtney Marshall

Kristina McGee

Erin McNeill

Liz Murray

Liz Nelson

Dairee Njie

Marlena Peduzzi

Darius Phelps

Joseph Pizzo

Ann Marie Quinlan

Ann Reddy

Brittney Reeves

Larry Reiff

Carol Reuman

Ryan Schey

Lindsay Schneider

Faith Thompson Sears

Tara Shanley

Karen Shaw

Leora Smith

Kristina Stamatis

Melissa Stewart

Justin Stygles

Cathline Tanis

Valerie Taylor

Maria Underwood

Axa Khalid Warraich

Michelle Boyd Waters

Rick Williams

Proposal Reviewers

Suriati Abas

Brenda Abbott

Whitney Jordan Adams

Susan Adamson

Danelle Adeniji

Kathryn Struthers Ahmed

Michelle Alcaraz

Keisha Allen

Johnny Allred

Kimberly Allred

Nicole Amato

Kristi Amatucci

Jon Ambrosio

Gary Anderson

Phylicia Anderson

Sardia Anderson

Patrick Andrus

Joe Anson

Laura Ascenzi-Moreno

Robin Atwood

Michael Avery

Rebecca Babcock

Abbey Bachmann

Michelle Bahr

Mónica Baldonado

Kimberly Ballinger

Arianna Banack

Will Banks

Susan Barbee

Chelsey Barber

Molly Bardine

Lois Barker

Jonathan Bartels

Heather Barton

Bill Bass

Bedashruti Mitra Basu

Katherine Batchelor

Margo Batha

Deanne Battle

Crystal Beach

Jane Bean-Folkes

Melissa Bedford

Diane Beers-Gallop

Glynis Benbow-Niemier

Denine Benedetto

Sheila Benson

Susan Bernstein

Richard Beyer

Khadeidra Billingsley

Shameer Bismilla

Jennifer Blair

Elizabeth Blye

Victoria Boecherer

Sarah Bonner

Amy Bouch

Paula Bourque

Sara Brandt

Carolyn Brown

Rebecca Brown

Sally Brown

William Christopher Brown

Yavanna Brownlee

Dan Bruno

Jose Bruzon

Alexis Bryant

Michael Bundalo

Georgia Bunnell

Jonathan Bush

David Bwire

Candice Byers

Joshua Cabat

Kara Kalmer Caccuitto

Jordan Caldwell

Carolyn Calhoon-Dillahunt

Annette Calhoun

Nicole Campbell

Julie Carbaugh

Laura Cardona-Berrio

Brooke Carpenter

Jessica Carpenter

Ashley Carter

Autumn Carter

Christina Cedillo

Anthony Celaya

Grace Choi

Minkyung Choi

Mary Christel

Jocelyn Cipolaro

Leticia Citizen

Maria Clinton

Jamita Cobb

Richetta Coelho-Tooley

Meredith Collins

Natalie Colosimo

Sarah Combs

Michelle Commeret

Sean Connors

Annamary Consalvo

Sharon Cooke

monét cooper

Kaitlynn Cooper

Amy Croel-Perrien

Caryl Crowell

Christine Cucciarre

Wenqi Cui

Jonathan Cullick

Jamie Culver

Amy Cummins

Sara Cuzzo

Jennifer Dail

Melissa Dameron-Vines

Dolores Dangelo

Fredeisha Harper Darrington

Gita DasBender

Ann David

Amy Davis

Janine Davis

Dulce de Castro

Gilda De La Cruz

Jason DeHart

Stefanie DeLeon

Amanda Deliman

Matthew Deroo

Camille Despain

Michelle Devereaux

Michele DeVirgilio

Tim Dewar

Lorise Diamond

Adriana Diaz

Carol Dietrich

Susan Dillon

Darryn Diuguid

Cindy Dixon

Kinga Varga Dobai

Sarah Donovan

Kara Douma

Renee Drouin

Meghan Wilson Duff

Vivett Dukes

Amber Dumbuya

Sybil Durand

Sarah Dwyer

Darlene Dyer

Giselle Elias

Katie Harlan Eller

Raymond Epps

Carla España

Cecilia Espinosa

Amy Estersohn

Alex Evans

Shauna Evans

Michelle Falter

Danielle Filipiak

Christen Fillmore

Dawn Finley

Miranda Finn

Jessica Fixelle

Amy Flick

Shalonda Foster

Shianne Fouts

Jennifer Fox

Lindsey Franklin

Jennipher Frazier

Emily Freeman

Kylie Frontczak

Carol Frow

Glenda Funk

Denise Furlong

Nancy Valdez Gainer

Madison Gannon

Huan Gao

Romeo García

Traci Gardner

Shelly Garnett

Alexa Garvoille

Joel Garza

Suzanne Gatto

Sierra Gilbertson

Brent Gilson

Ricki Ginsberg

Joanne Baird Giordano

Cyndi Giorgis

Andrea Glaws

Caroline Godfrey

Chris Goering

Maria Goff

Eva Goins

Christy Goldsmith

Rubén González

Mike Goodwin

Emily Graboski

Jennifer Gray

Mara Lee Grayson

Ann Green

Barbara Green

Robert Greenberger

Jason Griffith

Cathy Griner

Cassandra Grosh

Sarah Gross

Rima Gulshan

Michelle Arellano Haberberger

Katie Hackett-Hill

Xenia Hadjioannou

Margaret Hale

Kailyn Hall

Jairus Hallums

Ling Hao

Paula Harmon

Brian C. Harrell

Nicole Harris

Kathleen Harsy

Liza Harville

Christopher Hass

VOLUNTEERS

Dawn Hayden

Stacy Haynes-Moore

Marcela Hebbard

Jillian Heise

Matthew Helmers

Lorrie Henrie-Koski

Nadger Henry

Wyatt Hermansen

Sara Herrera-Dandridge

Bailey Herrmann

Carla Higgins

Joshua Hill

Kathleen Hinchman

Jasara Hines

Michelle Hock

Katherine Hoffman

Daniel Hoilett

Cory Holding

Erica Holyoke

Huili Hong

Peggy Hopper

Sonja Howard

Aileen Hower

Dana Huff

Nancy Hulan

Gordon Hultberg

Melanie Hundley

Joe Mary Ibanez

Cathy Ikeda

Lindsay Illich

Sawsan Jaber

Brenda Jacks

Gina M. Jackson

Morgan Jackson

Sharon Jackson

Melissa Jacobsen

Brad Jacobson

Wanda Jaggers

Carol Jago

Victoria James

Adrienne Jankens

Gage Jeter

Kimberly Johnson

Sarah Z. Johnson

Wintre Johnson

Heather Jones

Karis Jones

Raven L. Jones

Sara Jones

Sylvia Jones

Kelsey Jones-Greer

Chris Judson

Katherine Judy

Suzanne Kail

Sara Kajder

Heidi Kaminski

Rachel Kanz

Lauren Katzman

Jacques Kayigema

Martha Keller

Katie Kelly

Madonna Kemp

Chelsea Kent

Julianna Kershen

Ted Kesler

Brittany Kester

Ellin Kim

Stephanie King

Jennifer Kirchoff

Paulette Koubek-Yao

Cindi Koudelka

Alison Kreiss

Kelly Kriner

Jori Krulder

Jonna Kuskey

Angela Laflen

Maria Lamattina

Catherine Lammert

Peter Landino

Sharon Langley

Gilberto Lara

Amy Larsen

Benjamin Lathrop

Jonathan Lawrence

Mary Lawrence

Amber Lawson

Teresa Layden

Kate Lechtenberg

Beth Lee

Cassidy Lee

Christopher Lehman

Maria Leija

Marie LeJeune

Jennifer Lemberg

Laura Leonard

Steven Lessner

Melina Lesus

Mark Letcher

Angie Lew

Elizabeth Lewis

Mark Lewis

Liz Lietz

Heather Lippert

Diana Liu

Maria Perpetua Liwanag

Mychuwan Logan

Beatrice Lopez

Julia López-Robertson

Kim Lovejoy

David Low

Ruth Lowery

Kris Lowrey

Susan Luft

Julianna Lux

Quang Ly

Nancy Mack

Emily Madison

Stephanie Maenhardt

Steffany Maher

Shiva Mainaly

Becki Maldonado

Victor Malo-Juvera

Dana Maloney

Christian Marcuzzi

Pam Brown Margolis

Jonathan Marine

Courtney Marshall

Davis Mary

Sharon Matthews

Lauren May

Jayleen Mayes

Russell Mayo

Jennifer Mazur

Sarah Mazure

Thomas McCann

Carol McCarthy

Dominique McDaniel

Jennifer McDaniel

Emily McDonald

Jen McDonough

Honor McElroy

Katie McGee

Kristina McGee

Keisha McIntyre-McCullough

Temptaous Mckoy

Erin McNeill

Amy Mecklenburg-Faenger

Cruz Medina

Mohit Mehta

Emily Meixner

Laura Mendoza

Diane Mertens

Craig A. Meyer

Caitlin Miller

Derek Miller

Nicole Mirra

Angela Moore

Daniel Moore

Renee Moreno

Sam Morris

Wendi Moss

Suki Mozenter

Jon Mundorf

Dana Munson

Liz Murray

Michele Myers

Rosa Nam

Mary Napoli

Jessica Nastal

Siskanna Naynaha

Jill Nelson

Liz Nelson

Cydny Neville

Beatrice Newman

Donna Niday

Christina Nikodemski

Dairee Njie

Lori Norton-Meier

Amy Nyeholt

Laura O’Brien

Laura O’Dea

Lakisha Odlum

Motunrayo Ogunrinbokun

Marie Ojofeitimi

Zachary Oneill

Jon Ostenson

Juan Ouvina

Joe Pacitti

Leah Panther

Erin Parke

Denise Patmon

Alexandra Patterson

Marlena Peduzzi

Jenell Igeleke Penn

Carolyn Perry

Chris Pesta

Emily Peters

Paul Peterson

Tien Pham

Darius Phelps

Sidonie Phillips

Christine Photinos

Jill Pinard

Janeen Pizzo

Joseph Pizzo

Grace Player

Bilal Polson

John Poole

Dina Portnoy

Rebecca Powell

Wendy Puljanowski

Tairan Qiu

Pengtong Qu

Ann Marie Quinlan

Caroline Rabalais

Amie Ranum

Roberta Raymond

Samantha Razem

Ann Reddy

Allison Reeder

Sarah Reid

Stephanie Reid

Lawrence Reiff

Carol Reuman

Rexana Rhoney

Kristin Richard

Beth Rimer

Grace Rivera

Jessica Rivera-Mueller

Skye Roberson

Meg Davis Roberts

Bradley Robinson

Kim Rocha

Luke Rodesiler

Mario Rosado

Heather Rundo

Michelle Ryan

Christina Saidy

Cori Salmeron

Erika Sanders

Kristen Schaefer

Lisa Scherff

Ryan Schey

Kellie Schmidt

Pauline Schmidt

Gillian Schneider

Lindsay Schneider

Shantel Schonour

Gretchen Schroeder

Karen Schubert-Ramirez

David Schultz

Megan Schumacher

Melissa Screven

Bethany Seal

Annabel Sengstock

Byung-In Seo

Haley Shaffer

Paul Shamchuk

Tara Shanley

Ritu Sharma

Sonia Sharmin

Caron Sharp

Katrina Sharp

Karen Shaw

Timothy Shea

Ellen Shelton

Melanie Shoffner

Emily Shrestha

Nicole Siffrinn

Haley Sigler

Katie Silvester

Philippe John Sipacio

Katrina Sire

Laura Slay

Bonner Slayton

Kaylee Smedley

Danielle Smith

Dywanna Smith

Hiawatha Smith

Jaclyn Smith

Jonathan Smith

Leora Smith

Melissa Smith

Mukkaramah Smith

Cathy Sosnowski

Lauren Spenceley

Holly Spinelli

Michelle Sprouse

Kristina Stamatis

Sheridan Steelman

Josephine Stewart

Melissa Stewart

Scott Storm

Jennifer Stumphy

Justin Stygles

Terri Suico

Danielle Sullivan

Vanessa Sullivan

Tadayuki Suzuki

Terre Sychterz

Ami Szerencse

Katie Szwejbka

Jay Taniguchi

Cathline Tanis

Islah Tauheed

Anna Taylor

Valerie Taylor

Alexis Teagarden

Allison Teicher-Fahrbach

Dianna Tejada

Marcey Thomas

Faith Thompson

Josh Thompson

Marisa Thompson

Mary Langer Thompson

Shawn Towner

Katie Trautman

Cher Treacy

Laura Turchi

Maria Underwood

Sarah Valter

Valerie Vancza

Josef Vice

Erin Vogler

Kelly Vorhis

Alison Vowell

Diane Waff

Michelle Wagner

Barbara Wahlberg

Elisa Waingort

Michelle Walker

Mary Kay Waterman

Michelle Boyd Waters

Erika Watts

Kristen Weinzapfel

Dianne Wellington

Melissa Wells

Leah Werther

Melissa Wheeler

Kristen White

Shauna Wight

Lauren Wilkie

Jennifer Williams

Nichole Wilson

Shelbie Witte

Joanna Wong

Rachel Wortherley

Alexis Wright

Shuling Yang

Michelle Yang-Kaczmarek

Deborah Yarbrough

Karen Yelton-Curtis

Ana York

Colton Young

Michael Young

Sheena Zadai

Steven Zemelman

Xuanya Zhou

Xiaodi Zhou

Emily Zuccaro

Welcome to NCTE 2024!

WELCOME FROM NCTE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR EMILY KIRKPATRICK

NCTE cordially welcomes you to Boston’s Seaport District. The fusion of history and a newly developed area with a modern convention center, new hotels, and restaurants offers so much to experience. We hope you enjoy all that our facilities and neighborhood have to offer.

The programming available at this Convention offers a similar fusion: legendary voices you love coupled with presenters new to the NCTE community. This year’s program features more than 1,000 total sessions. We will make new history when we welcome the first Supreme Court Justice to speak live at an NCTE keynote session, alongside a humanitarian, a comedic writer, and our current US Poet Laureate. We invite you to meet as many people as you can!

Our theme of “Heart, Hope, and Humanity” calls all of us forward to embrace what is unique and universal in each person. We envision conversations during this Convention that are based in the desire to learn more about each other and ourselves. NCTE is a community in which a great diversity of talent, experiences, and perspectives live.

The contributions of so many people have been required to bring this Convention to life. NCTE’s fine staff who work throughout the year to support our community certainly lead this list. I am proud of our staff’s consistent commitment to lead and serve with great heart. Our amazing partners who see the importance of NCTE’s work and bring their best to share with attendees are integral to the experiences you will enjoy across this event. The hospitality community will involve nearly 1,000 employees to support us during this Convention. We thank you in advance for appreciating their important role in our event. We also thank the contributors to NCTE’s scholarship program. Many investments pooled together enable more than 100 people to attend this event on scholarship. These meaningful contributions are important to the field and very much appreciated!

Thank you to every attendee who booked a hotel room within the NCTE room block. It is our collective purchasing that enables NCTE to deliver room rates that are far below market rates. This is a small but meaningful way in which each attendee can contribute to opportunity for all.

Enjoy all the learning and community that’s in store for you in Boston, and stay involved in the NCTE community across the year. Upon the conclusion of this Convention, you have the opportunity to propose a session for 2025 or consider serving as an online reviewer of sessions in winter 2025. We invite you to do both!

Welcome! We are glad you’re with us.

Emily Kirkpatrick NCTE Executive Director

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SUPPORTERS

From July 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024, an incredible 477 donors stepped forward to ensure that NCTE continues to elevate literacy education, support and celebrate teachers, and fight censorship.

EVERY GIFT COUNTS

Whether you give $1 or $100,000, your support sustains NCTE’s work. Together, we can provide scholarships, fund innovative programs, and shape the future of literacy education. Here are ways that you can make a difference:

• Give to the NCTE Scholarship Fund and help more teachers attend our Convention.

• Consider a legacy gift through estate planning to leave a lasting mark on the future of literacy education.

• Make a major gift to launch bold new initiatives.

• Contribute through grants or customized giving opportunities.

SCAN TO DONATE NOW

Wouldn’t it be great if every teacher who wanted to attend the NCTE Convention could do so? Help bring more teachers to next year’s Convention by scanning the QR code below. Your gift fuels the future!

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22

10:30–10:50 A.M.

BYS.1 Love Makes a Family

Kelsie Corriston Burnett, The University of Texas at Austin

Emily McDonald, The University of Texas at Austin

Katie Trautman, The University of Texas at Austin

11:00–11:20 A.M.

BYS.2 Heart Books to Inspire Readers

Greg Micek, Maercker School District 60/Holmes Primary School

Katie Russell, Murphysboro Middle School

SCHEDULE

11:30–11:50 A.M.

BYS.3 Translingual Picturebooks and Multilingualism: Challenging English as the Norm

Kathy G. Short, University of Arizona

12:00–12:20 P.M.

BYS.4 The Hope for Muslim YA: Humanizing through Heartfelt Narratives

Zainab Jabak, Alief Taylor High School

12:30–12:50 P.M.

BYS.5 Envisioning Future Worlds

Cathline Tanis, North Plainfield School District

1:00–1:20 P.M.

BYS.6 The Heart of the Matter: Centering Mental Health with Picturebooks

Jessica Walsh, Granger Middle School, Indian Prairie District #204, Aurora, IL

Maria Walther, literary consultant, Aurora, IL

1:30–1:50 P.M.

BYS.7 Picturebooks That Scaffold Excavation, Regulation, and Transformation in Classroom Communities

Clare Landrigan, Stenhouse

Keisha Smith-Carrington, Princeton Public Schools

Michelle Yang-Kaczmarek, Dobbs Ferry School District

2:00–2:20 P.M.

BYS.8 Books with Powerful Author’s Notes

Lynsey Burkins, Dublin City Schools

Franki Sibberson, Franki Sibberson, LLC

2:30–2:50 P.M.

BYS.9 We Keep Us Safe

Anna Falkner, University of Memphis

Noreen Naseem Rodríguez, Michigan State University

3:00–3:20 P.M.

BYS.10 2024/2025 Notable Poetry Books and Verse Novels

Junko Sakoi, Tucson Unified School District, and the NCTE Children’s Poetry Awards Committee

3:30–3:50 P.M.

BYS.11 “Where a Flower Blooms, So Does Hope”: Books That Celebrate Nature

Michelle Houts, Ohio University Press/Feeding Minds Press/ Random House

Laura Shovan, Vermont College of Fine Arts

Tricia Springstubb, Holiday House/ Peachtree/Pixel+Ink

4:00–4:20 P.M.

BYS.12 Great Debuts in YA

Michelle Peterson-Davis, Uniondale UFSD

Christina Zandstra, Roy C. Ketcham High School

5:00–5:20 P.M.

BYS.13 What Do Picturebook Authors Read?

Josh Funk, Union Square Kids

5:30–5:50 P.M.

BYS.14 A Picturebook Is Worth a Thousand Words: Reading and Writing with Powerful Picturebooks

Joellen McCarthy, The Educator Collaborative

Jen Vincent, Bannockburn School

6:00–6:20 P.M.

BYS.15 Stanzas of Hope and the Plea against Palestinian Dehumanization

Kefah Ayesh, Maarif School

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23

11:00–11:20 A.M.

BYS.16 Texts That Cultivate Wonder and Curiosity about Our Natural World

Kristine Schutz, University of Illinois Chicago

Jen Vincent, Bannockburn School

11:30–11:50 A.M.

BYS.17 Storybook Connections: Supporting Children of Incarcerated Parents through Literature

Vivett Dukes, Teachers College, Columbia University

12:00–12:20 P.M.

BYS.18 Science in Poetry: Picturebooks and Poetry Collections That Weave Facts and Form

Marcie Flinchum Atkins, Oak View Elementary School/Fairfax County Public Schools

12:30–12:50 P.M.

BYS.19 From Hushed to Heard: The Picturebooks That Amplify the Accomplishments of Black Women and Their Impact on the World

Markesha Tisby, Tisby Educational Consulting

1:00–1:20 P.M.

BYS.20 Books That Give Us HOPE for HUMANITY

Laura Haney, L.W. Conder Arts Integration Magnet School

1:30–1:50 P.M.

BYS.21 What the Heart Wants: Books That Don’t Get Returned Carrie M. Santo-Thomas, Warren Township High School Almond Campus

2:30–2:50 P.M.

BYS.22 Pairing Picturebooks and Novels

Aliza Werner, Bookelicious

3:00–3:20 P.M.

BYS.23 Characters (Real & Fictional) That Inspire Hope, Heart, and Humanity

Bitsy Parks, Beaverton School District

Mandy Robek, Olentangy Local School District

3:30–3:50 P.M.

BYS.24 Read Alouds of Resistance and Joy in the Face of Grief and Pain

Samira Ahmed, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Luz Yadira Herrera, California State University, Dominguez Hills

Nawal Qarooni, NQC Literacy

Jasmine Warga, Balzer + Bray/ HarperCollins

4:00–4:20 P.M.

BYS.25 Reading Is Life: Diversity. Equity. Cultures.

Joyce Brooks

Mary Jade Haney, Horrell Hill Elementary School/Richland County School District One

Erica Jennings

Deedra Lee, Southeast Middle School

4:30–4:50 P.M.

BYS.26 Inspiring Hope with Queer Representation

Julie Hoffman, Springfield Public Schools

Cindi Koudelka, Fieldcrest CUSD 6/Aurora University

5:00–5:20 P.M.

BYS.27 People You Should Know: Engaging Biographies for Middle Grade and High School

Michelle Houts, Ohio University Press/Feeding Minds Press, Random House

5:30–5:50 P.M.

BYS.28 The Orbis Pictus Award®: Selected Nominated Titles You Should Know

Caryl Crowell, Retired, Tucson Unified School District

Julia López-Robertson, University of South Carolina

Janelle Mathis, University of North Texas

Melissa Summer Wells, University of Mary Washington

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President ROCHELLE (SHELLEY)

RODRIGO

University of Arizona Tucson, AZ

ANTERO GARCIA

Stanford University Palo Alto, CA

Representative-at-Large

KARA HINDERLIE STROMAN

Irving Elementary School Portland, OR

President-Elect

TONYA B. PERRY

Miles College Fairfield, AL

Past President MARÍA E. FRÁNQUIZ

University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX

TIANA SILVAS

East Side Community New York, NY

Secondary Section

Representative-at-Large

DARIUS B. WIMBY

DeKalb County School District Atlanta, GA In Memoriam

Chair, CCCC FRANKIE CONDON

University of Waterloo Ontario, Canada

Chair, CEL EMILY MEIXNER

The College of New Jersey Ewing Township, NJ

Chair, Elementary Section

Associate Chair, CCCC

JENNIFER SANO-FRANCHINI

West Virginia University Morgantown, WV

Chair, ELATE NADIA BEHIZADEH

Georgia State University Atlanta, GA

NANCY VALDEZ-GAINER

Texas State University San Marcos, TX

SARAH BONNER

University of North Carolina Wilmington, NC

Chair, TYCA

JOANNE BAIRD GIORDANO

Salt Lake Community College Salt Lake City, UT

University of South Carolina Columbia, SC

Chair, Secondary Section

JOSH THOMPSON

Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA University Kalamazoo, MI

IN MEMORIAM

Celebrating the Lives of Educators

Although the title of this page could read “The Lives of Educators No Longer with Us,” that phrase would be inaccurate. Even after they die, educators who have given so much to their profession, their colleagues, and their students continue, in fact, to live through us. Their commitment to teaching and learning enables so many people to express themselves, learn from others through words and interactions, generate new meanings, and make the world a better place. NCTE celebrates the lives of the educators listed below. We will continue to benefit from all that they accomplished as dedicated educators.

Members’ deaths we’ve learned about since the 2023 NCTE Annual Convention:

John Brereton

Lillian Bridwell-Bowles

Peter Carino

Beth Daniell

Edmund James Farrell

Sheila Mary Fitzgerald

Sandi Forsythe

William Hart-Davidson

Gail Hawisher

John Stephen Newmann

John W. Stewig

Dorothy Watson

Darius B. Wimby

Remembering our dear friend

GENERAL CONVENTION INFORMATION

REGISTRATION

The NCTE Registration Desk is located in the North Lobby, BCEC (level 1).

REGISTRATION HOURS

Wednesday, Nov. 20 4:00–7:00 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 21 7:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 22 6:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 23 6:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 24 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Admission Statement and Name Badges

Attendance at the 2024 NCTE Annual Convention requires credentials. Admittance to all sessions, workshops, and the Exhibit Hall is limited to registered attendees with Convention badges. Name badges will be available onsite for all registrants. No name badges were mailed in advance. Visit the NCTE Registration Desk located in the North Lobby, BCEC (level 1), to pick up your badge. Registration is not transferable.

Meal Tickets

Access to Convention meal functions will be available via your name badge. A limited number of tickets will be available for purchase onsite. Visit the NCTE Registration Desk to purchase tickets. Tickets for meal functions are not refundable. For attendees interested in hearing speakers but not purchasing meal tickets, limited theater seating is available in most meal event rooms and will be open to other attendees after the meal is finished.

Photography and Videography

NCTE will capture photographs and videos throughout the Convention. By registering for this event, attendees understand that NCTE may use photographs and/or videos of their likeness taken at the event for all purposes, including publicity purposes, whether in print, electronic, or other media. If you prefer your likeness not be included, contact NCTE at NCTEevents@ncte.org.

Audio or Video Recording/Live Streaming

NCTE does not allow recording in sessions. As a courtesy to speakers, please request permission before taking photographs. Speakers reserve the right to refuse permission.

EXHIBITS

The Exhibit Hall is located in Exhibit Hall A, BCEC (exhibit level).

EXHIBIT HALL HOURS

Friday, Nov. 22 10:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24 8:00–11:30 a.m.

Be sure to stop by the Exhibit Hall during these times, as well, when nothing else is scheduled: Friday: 4:45–6:30 p.m. & Saturday: 12:15–1:15 p.m.

A map and list of exhibitors begin on page 306 of this Convention Program.

NCTE Central

Located near Registration in the North Lobby of the BCEC (level 1), NCTE Central will feature the latest NCTE products and publications. Browse a huge selection of NCTE books, Convention-themed apparel, and gift items, and pick up a free journal sample.

Author Signings

Information about author signings is available in the Meet the Authors booklet. Pick up your copy at the Registration Desk. Listings and updates will also be available in the mobile app.

Build Your Stack®

Visit the Build Your Stack® stage in the Exhibit Hall for 20-minute sessions featuring authors and educators talking about their favorite books and how to use them in the classroom. See the complete schedule on pages 12–13.

NCTE Annual Convention Mobile App

The NCTE Annual Convention mobile app is available for Apple and Android devices. It provides a quick way to search Convention sessions, view maps of Convention Center and Westin meeting rooms, and connect with other attendees. The app is where the most up-to-date information about session locations, speakers, and events can be found. Any room changes will be updated in the app. To download the app, search for “eShow Events” in your app store and select the 2024 NCTE Annual Convention from within the app. The access code is NCTE24 (case sensitive). Prior to the Convention, all registered attendees will also receive an email inviting them to set up an account within the app.

Activities of the 2024 NCTE Annual Convention will be held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC), 415 Summer Street, and the adjoining Westin Hotel.

Locations of each session, meeting, and event are noted in this program.

Convention Center Security

Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) has implemented Evolv Express, which requires all attendees entering the building to pass through a state-of-the-art scanning system, along with other enhanced perimeter screening procedures. Evolv Express® uses a safe, ultra-low frequency, electromagnetic field, and advanced sensors to detect concealed weapons. It is a reliable and convenient option to move large groups of guests quickly and safely into an event without making them wait in line or take off their bags.

In addition, NCTE reserves the right to implement additional security and safety measures onsite, including but not limited to additional security screening to enter certain functions at the Annual Convention.

SERVICES

Nearby Urgent Care

AFC Urgent Care Back Bay

575 Boylston Street (617) 869-0500

Open 8 a.m.–8 p.m., 7 days a week

https://www.afcurgentcare.com/back-bay/patientservices/urgent-care/

Nearby Hospital

Tufts Medical Center Emergency Department + Trauma Center

830 Washington Street, North Building, 1st floor (617) 636-5566

Open 24 hours, 7 days a week https://www.tuftsmedicine.org/get-care/locations/ tufts-medical-center/tufts-medical-center-emergencydepartment

In case of emergency, contact the closest facility staff member for assistance or call 911.

Nearby Pharmacy

CVS Pharmacy

333 Washington Street (617) 742-0783

Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.

Saturday–Sunday, 9:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.

https://www.cvs.com/store-locator/boston-mapharmacies/333-washington-street-boston-ma-02108/ storeid=49

First Aid in the Convention Center

For all emergencies, call the public safety command center immediately. In-house black phones dial 2222 (speed dial press 2) or 617-954-2222 from any cellular phone.

The MCCA Public Safety Department are trained medical first responders and work with Boston EMS to ensure your safety.

The BCEC has 30 AEDs located throughout the facility. Each AED is inspected on a shift-by-shift basis and is certified to be working and ready for use. AEDs are easy to use and offer a step-by-step guide inside the cabinet that anyone can follow. In the event of a medical emergency requiring the assistance of an AED, call for help, then locate the nearest AED to your location. AEDs are clearly marked with signage.

A comprehensive Bleeding Control Kit is located next to every AED. Each kit contains tools that anyone can use in the event of severe bleeding emergencies. The tools include individual packets that can be removed from the larger kit and easily taken to the site of the emergency; they contain a tourniquet, wound packing gauze, scissors, gloves, and quick clot chemicals to stop bleeding.

Evacuations and Emergencies

In the event of an emergency that requires the evacuation of the building, you will hear alarms, automated instructions, and PA announcements providing clear instructions on how to evacuate safely. Please listen to all instructions and leave the building as quickly and safely as possible.

In some emergencies it may be safer to remain in the building and find a safe area until the emergency is cleared. Should the MCCA’s Public Safety leadership, or in coordination with local authorities and first responders, order to shelter in place, the following guidelines should be followed to stay informed and remain safe: Remain calm and follow all instructions. Listen for emergency directions from the building’s Public Address System. Find a safe area away from windows, lock doors, and close any airways (if possible). Be prepared to improvise and use your surroundings to stay safe. Assist others around you who may need assistance. Stay in your shelter location and listen for the “All Clear” signal.

Session Room Equipment & Wi-Fi

NCTE will provide an LCD projector with accompanying screen, microphone, and sound patch. No other media equipment will be provided. The Wi-Fi bandwidth in the Convention venues will not be sufficient to present streaming video.

GENERAL CONVENTION INFORMATION

Lost and Found

Found items should be turned in to the NCTE Registration Desk, North Lobby, BCEC (level 1). You may also check with the Convention Center’s Public Safety Command Center: 617-954-2222. (Complete a claim form at https://www.signatureboston.com/ attend/public-safety#lost.)

Child Care

NCTE does not provide child care services. Please check with your hotel staff for available services.

Lactation/Breastfeeding Room

There is a Mamava Nursing Pod located in the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (Southeast Level 1, adjacent to restroom). This free-standing, private lactation suite is specifically designed for breastfeeding and pumping. Each Mamava Pod has a SmartLock with Bluetooth technology that connects with the Mamava Mobile App, allowing you to reserve, find, and unlock the pod through your smart phone. See the FAQ on our website for instructions on how to access the pod: https://convention.ncte. org/faqs/

Sign Language Interpreters

NCTE provides American Sign Language (ASL) at the following convention sessions:

• General Sessions on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

• First-Timers’ Welcome Breakfast on Friday

• Board of Directors Meeting on Friday

• NCTE in Primetime on Friday

• NCTE Awards Session on Saturday

• ALAN Workshop General Sessions

Scooters & Wheelchairs

The BCEC is ADA-friendly and equipped with accessibility in mind. A limited number of wheelchairs are available free of charge at each facility for guest convenience. For personal assistance, please contact the Public Safety Department at 617-954-2222.

To rent a motorized scooter, please see the Scoot Around website or phone 1-888-441-7575.

Gender-Inclusive Restrooms

NCTE is committed to producing events where everyone may learn and network in an environment of inclusion and mutual respect. With this in mind, the Annual Convention provides gender-inclusive restrooms in our rented space within the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.

Restaurants

The Boston Convention & Exhibition Center offers a wide array of options from coffee stands to specialty food carts throughout the Convention Center and on the Exhibit Hall floor. There is also a variety of dining options within walking distance of the Convention Center.

Finding Your Way Around

Volunteers from the New England Association of Teachers of English, the Maine Council for English Language Arts, the Connecticut Council of Teachers of English, and the New Hampshire Council of Teachers of English will be positioned throughout the Convention Center to assist you in locating a session room, the Exhibit Hall, the nearest restroom, or the closest exit to get back to your hotel.

Annual Business Meeting

The Annual Business Meeting for the Board of Directors and Other Members of the Council will take place Friday, November 22, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. in Room 210 C, BCEC (level 2). All registered attendees are invited to attend. Only NCTE voting members may participate in discussion and vote at the meeting. NCTE staff will verify your membership at the door by checking your Convention registration badge and provide voting cards. Note to Directors: Please obtain your voting card at the door before the meeting. The agenda and rules of conduct for the meeting will be available at the door of the meeting. The rules of conduct for the meeting are also included on pages 304–305 of this Convention Program. Resolutions will be presented and voted on during the meeting.

Nominations for the 2025 Elections

The nominating committees of NCTE, ELATE, TYCA, and the Elementary, Middle Level, Secondary, and College Sections of NCTE will accept nominations for the 2025 elections during the 2024 Convention. Bring your questions and nominations to the Annual Business Meeting on Friday, November 22, and to the committees’ open meetings on Saturday, November 23, 12:00–1:00 p.m. (Webster Room, lobby level, Westin) and Sunday, November 24, 9:00–10:00 a.m. (Room 051, BCEC, exhibit level).

EVENT POLICIES

CODE OF CONDUCT

NCTE expects all participants to adhere to the following policies while in attendance at the Annual Convention. NCTE reserves the right to dismiss any participant from the Convention whose conduct is inconsistent with these policies.

MUTUAL RESPECT & ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY

NCTE is committed to producing events where everyone may learn, network, and socialize in an environment of mutual respect. Therefore, some behaviors are expressly prohibited: harassment or intimidation related to gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, disability, race, age, religion; deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following; harassing photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or events; inappropriate contact and unwelcome sexual attention. Participants are expected to observe this code of conduct policy in all venues and events. Contact eventcommunications@ ncte.org if you believe you have been harassed or that a harassing situation exists. All reports will be directed to NCTE leadership immediately.

DEMONSTRATIONS POLICY

Demonstrations and protests will be conducted in a peaceful and organized manner, will be within the policies of the venue, and will be compliant with federal, state, and local laws. Such activities are strictly forbidden in exhibition space, and protesters will not be permitted to block the entrance to traffic flow within the exhibit area. NCTE retains the right to permit protests to occur in predetermined areas and to terminate any protests that occur on its property or property NCTE is renting, leasing, or otherwise using for a specific time to host an event. Attendees who do not uphold these standards may jeopardize their membership and/or event participation.

Individuals and groups interested in demonstrating/ protesting should contact our Convention Operations Team, at eventcommunications@ncte.org to register their plans and obtain further details.

USE OF MULTIMEDIA

By attending the Convention, you acknowledge and agree that NCTE, or others acting on its behalf or through sponsorship or exhibitor contracts, may take photographs and video (by any means) and/or make sound recordings during the Convention (including through the digital event platform and via social media) and that you may appear in such photographs and videos and be heard in such sound recordings, and that NCTE may edit and use the footage it captures for marketing and promotional activities (including through social media) now and in the future, and for any other lawful purpose in the ordinary course of its business.

Please be respectful of presenters and other attendees when photographing, videoing, or sound recording any part of any Convention sessions or other content. Please request permission of presenters before photographing or recording and/or posting on social media. Live streaming out any part of the Convention on a personal device is prohibited.

PRESENTER REGISTRATION

The expectation is that all presenters are to register and attend the Convention in person. This request is out of respect for the attendees who will travel to Boston expecting to see live presenters and to ensure a positive experience for the attendees.

GENERAL SESSIONS

THURSDAY OPENING GENERAL SESSION

KETANJI BROWN JACKSON

11/21 | 4:00–5:15 P.M

KETANJI BROWN JACKSON was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in Miami, Florida. She received her undergraduate and law degrees, both with honors, from Harvard University, then served as a law clerk for three federal judges, including Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer of the Supreme Court of the United States. Jackson subsequently practiced law in the private sector, worked as an attorney and later as Vice Chair and Commissioner of the US Sentencing Commission, and served as an assistant federal public defender. In 2012, President Barack Obama nominated Jackson to the US District Court for the District of Columbia. Elevated to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 2021, Jackson made history in 2022 when President Joseph Biden nominated her as an Associate Justice. The first Black woman ever confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States, she took her seat on June 30, 2022.

In her recently published memoir, Lovely One, Justice Jackson shares how her heritage, powerful family stories, and formative experiences throughout her life shaped her academic and legal careers.

FRIDAY GENERAL SESSION

KATE MCKINNON

11/22 | 8:15–9:15 A.M.

KATE MCKINNON is an award-winning performer and writer best known for her tenure as an Emmy Award-winning cast member on Saturday Night Live. Young readers will recognize her voice roles as Ms. Fiona Frizzle in The Magic School Bus Rides Again for Netflix and as Lulu the Guinea Pig in DC League of Super-Pets. Her film work includes Ghostbusters, Bombshell, Yesterday, and Greta Gerwig’s Oscar-nominated worldwide blockbuster, Barbie The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science is her debut novel.

A book signing will follow the session.

PHOTO CREDIT: KENNEDI CARTER

PHOTO CREDIT: JACKIE ABBOTT

KETANJI BROWN JACKSON

KATE MCKINNON

All times are Eastern Time.

NCTE IN PRIMETIME

Primary Sources & Poetry

Celebrating English Language Arts with the Library of Congress & the Poet of Code

11/22 | 6:30–8:00 P.M.

Join your fellow #NCTE24 attendees to celebrate together on Friday night with two exemplary speakers: Dr. Joy Buolamwini and Lee Ann Potter. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to network with each other and be inspired by the gems waiting for you and your students at the Library of Congress and the brilliance of the Poet of Code. NCTE in Primetime is open to all attendees and is included as part of your Convention registration. The evening will begin with a networking reception with hors d’oeuvres.

DR. JOY BUOLAMWINI is the founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, a groundbreaking researcher, and a renowned speaker. Her writing has been featured in publications such as TIME, The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, and The Atlantic. As the Poet of Code, she creates art to illuminate the impact of artificial intelligence on society and advises world leaders on preventing AI harms. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Rhodes Scholarship, the inaugural Morals & Machines Prize, and the Technological Innovation Award from the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. Her MIT research on facial recognition technologies is featured in the Emmy-nominated documentary Coded Bias Born in Canada to Ghanaian immigrants, Buolamwini lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

LEE ANN POTTER is the Director of Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives at the Library of Congress. She leads a dynamic team committed to developing educational programs and materials based on primary sources. Before coming to the Library, she created and directed education and volunteer programs at the National Archives and Records Administration for 16 years. Prior to that, she worked at the Smithsonian on a project to build museum-school partnerships, and before that, she was a high school social studies teacher. During the 2009–10 school year, she served as a Fulbright Roving Scholar of American Studies in Norway. She has conducted hundreds of presentations and is the author of more than one hundred articles promoting teaching with primary sources.

NCTE gratefully acknowledges the support of the Library of Congress for this special event and the ongoing work to expand the use of primary sources in English language arts.

A book signing will follow the session.

DR. JOY BUOLAMWINI

LEE ANN POTTER

GENERAL SESSIONS

SATURDAY GENERAL SESSION

BRYAN STEVENSON

11/23 | 9:45–10:45 A.M.

BRYAN STEVENSON is the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), a human rights organization in Montgomery, Alabama. Under his leadership, EJI has won major legal challenges eliminating excessive and unfair sentencing, exonerating innocent death row prisoners, confronting abuse of the incarcerated and the mentally ill, and aiding children prosecuted as adults.

Mr. Stevenson has argued and won multiple cases at the United States Supreme Court, including a 2019 ruling protecting condemned prisoners who suffer from dementia and a landmark 2012 ruling that banned mandatory life-imprisonment-without-parole sentences for all children seventeen or younger. Mr. Stevenson and his staff have won reversals, relief, or release from prison for over 140 wrongly condemned prisoners on death row and won relief for hundreds of others wrongly convicted or unfairly sentenced.

Mr. Stevenson has initiated major new anti-poverty and antidiscrimination efforts that challenge inequality in America. He led the creation of EJI’s highly acclaimed Legacy Sites, including the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, and Freedom Monument Sculpture Park. These new national landmark institutions chronicle the legacy of slavery, lynching, and racial segregation, and the connection to mass incarceration and contemporary issues of racial bias. Just Mercy, his book chronicling one EJI case, is a bestseller and inspired a blockbuster film.

A book signing will follow the session.

PHOTO CREDIT: EQUAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE

BRYAN STEVENSON

All times are Eastern Time.

SUNDAY GENERAL SESSION

SHELLEY RODRIGO & ADA LIMÓN

11/24 | 12:00–1:15 P.M.

SHELLEY RODRIGO is the senior director of the writing program and professor in rhetoric, composition, and the teaching of English in the Department of English at the University of Arizona. Rodrigo teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in writing, rhetoric, and film studies, and has coauthored three editions of The Wadsworth/Cengage Guide to Research, coedited Rhetorically Rethinking Usability, and recently published the award-winning Teaching Literacy Online: Observing, Analyzing, and Producing in Multiple Media (NCTE). Currently NCTE President, Rodrigo also has served on the NCTE Executive Committee as the Chair of the College Section Steering Committee; the CCCC Executive Committee, both as an elected member and as Parliamentarian; TYCA West Executive Committee as elected Chair and Treasurer; and on the TYCA Executive Committee.

ADA LIMÓN is the author of six books of poetry, including The Carrying, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award; Bright Dead Things, which was nominated for the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award; and The Hurting Kind, which was short-listed for the Griffin Poetry Prize. Her upcoming children’s book, And, Too, the Fox, is scheduled for release in January 2025. Limón is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship. Her new book, In Praise of Mystery, is a transcendent picturebook featuring the poem that will travel into space on NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft, which will be launched to the second moon of Jupiter in October 2024.

As the 24th Poet Laureate of the United States, her signature project, called You Are Here, focuses on how poetry can help connect us to the natural world. She will serve as Poet Laureate until the spring of 2025. In October 2023, she was awarded a MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship, and she was named a TIME magazine Woman of the Year in 2024.

A book signing will follow the session.

PHOTO CREDIT: AYNA LORENZO

Courtesy of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

SHELLEY RODRIGO

ADA LIMÓN

MEAL EVENTS

FIRST-TIMERS’ WELCOME BREAKFAST

FRIDAY | 11/22 | 7:15–8:00 A.M.

TONYA B. PERRY, Provost and Senior Vice President at Miles College in Fairfield, Alabama, is a tireless advocate for students and educators who are often denied a voice. She works with and for educators, students, and communities to develop programs and initiatives that uplift historically marginalized peoples. In addition, she has advocated for others on numerous committees, including as a member of the NCTE Executive Committee, NCTE Research Foundation trustee, member of the NCTE Inclusivity Task Force, NCTEAR chairperson, NCTE Editorial Board member, and director for NCTE’s Cultivating New Voices among Scholars of Color program.

She currently is NCTE President-Elect and serves on the National Writing Project’s board of directors. Perry has also served the nation as a 2000 National Teacher of the Year finalist and a two-time National Board Certified Teacher. She has worked as a middle school teacher, teacher educator, full professor, executive director, and principal investigator for a large GEAR UP grant, director of the Red Mountain Writing Project, and both interim department chair and executive director for outreach and engagement for a school of education. Her coauthored book Teaching for Racial Equity: Becoming Interrupters (2022) is a collaborative work with two teacher educators, Steven Zemelman and Katy Smith, and other brilliant teacher-writers.

The breakfast is complimentary, but a ticket ordered in advance is required.

ELATE LUNCHEON

FRIDAY | 11/22 | 11:30 A.M.–1:30 P.M.

IJEOMA OLUO is a Seattle-based writer, speaker, and internet yeller. She is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling books So You Want to Talk about Race; Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America; and Be a Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World—and How You Can, Too. Her work on race and gender has been published in The New York Times, the Washington Post, and NBC News, and she has been featured on The Daily Show and NPR’s All Things Considered. Named on the TIME100 Next list and The Root 100, she’s been awarded the Harvard Humanist of the Year Award, the American Humanist Association’s Feminist Humanist Award, Gender Justice League’s Media Justice Award, and the Equal Opportunity Institute’s Aubrey Davis Visionary Leadership Award.

A book signing will follow the luncheon.

TONYA B. PERRY

IJEOMA OLUO

PHOTO CREDIT: SAMUEL ENGELKING

MIDDLE LEVEL SECTION LUNCHEON

FRIDAY | 11/22 | 11:30 A.M.–1:30 P.M.

RUTA SEPETYS (rutasepetys.com) is an internationally acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction published in over sixty countries and forty languages. Her novels Between Shades of Gray, Out of the Easy, Salt to the Sea, The Fountains of Silence, and I Must Betray You have won or been shortlisted for more than forty book prizes and are included on more than sixty state award lists. Between Shades of Gray was adapted into a graphic novel and the film Ashes in the Snow, and her other novels are currently in development for TV and film. She is also the author of You: The Story. A winner of the Carnegie Medal, Sepetys is passionate about the power of history and literature to foster global awareness and connectivity. She has presented to NATO, to the European Parliament, in the United States Capitol, and at embassies worldwide. Sepetys was born and raised in Michigan and now lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee. Follow her on X and Instagram (@RutaSepetys) and on Facebook (facebook.com/RutaSepetys).

STEVE SHEINKIN is the acclaimed author of fast-paced, cinematic nonfiction histories, including Impossible Escape, Fallout, Undefeated, Born to Fly, The Port Chicago 50, and Bomb. His accolades include a Newbery Honor, three Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards, a Sibert Medal and Honor, and three National Book Award finalist honors. He lives in Saratoga Springs, New York, with his wife and two children. He can be found online at SteveSheinkin.com. Follow him on X (@SteveSheinkin) and on Facebook (facebook.com/Steve.Sheinkin).

A book signing will follow the luncheon.

ALAN BREAKFAST

SATURDAY | 11/23 | 7:00–9:15 A.M.

ELLEN OH is an award-winning author and editor of middle grades and young adult novels, including Haru, Zombie Dog Hero; Finding Junie Kim; The Dragon Egg Princess; the Spirit Hunters trilogy; and The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee. She has also edited and contributed to On the Block: Stories of Home; You Are Here: Connecting Flights; and Flying Lessons & Other Stories She is a founding member of We Need Diverse Books, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing diversity in children’s literature. Oh lives in Rockville, Maryland, with her husband, three human children, and two dog children.

A book signing will follow the breakfast.

RUTA SEPETYS

STEVE SHEINKIN

ELLEN OH

PHOTO CREDIT: ERICA MILLER

MEAL EVENTS

CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARDS LUNCHEON

SATURDAY | 11/23 | 12:30–2:30 P.M.

SARAH EVERETT is the author of The Probability of Everything as well as several books for teens. Charlotte’s Web was the first book that ever made her cry, and while she despises spiders, she still has an abiding love of stories that move her. When she is not reading or writing, she is dreaming about summer, gearing up for her next travel adventure, perfecting her tree pose, or yodeling with her dog. Her next book, The Shape of Lost Things, is a heartfelt exploration of family and change as twelve-year-old Skye reunites with her older brother, Finn, after he spent four years on the run with their father. Everett lives in western Canada.

SNEED B. COLLARD III has written more than ninety books for young people, including his newest picture books Border Crossings; Like No Other: Earth’s Coolest One-of-a-Kind Creatures; and Waiting for a Warbler. Before beginning his writing career, Collard graduated with honors in marine biology from the University of California at Berkeley and earned a master’s in scientific instrumentation from UC Santa Barbara. To research and write his nonfiction books, he has traveled to Australia, Costa Rica, Southeast Asia, South America, and the deep-sea floor.

In addition to his nonfiction, Collard has written several popular middlegrade and YA novels and is a regular contributor to adult nature and science magazines. His third book for adults, Birding for Boomers—and Everyone Else Brave Enough to Embrace the World’s Most Rewarding and Frustrating Activity, was released this fall. Collard is an entertaining, award-winning speaker; he has visited more than six hundred schools and has been invited to more than one hundred professional educational conferences.

To learn more about Collard, visit his website, www.sneedbcollardiii.com, and keep up with the birding, writing, and photography blog he writes with his son, Braden, at www.FatherSonBirding.com

A book signing will follow the luncheon.

SECONDARY SECTION LUNCHEON

SATURDAY | 11/23 | 12:30–2:30 P.M.

CELESTE NG is the number one New York Times bestselling author of the novels Everything I Never Told You, Little Fires Everywhere, and Our Missing Hearts. Ng is the recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation, and her work has been published in over thirty languages.

A book signing will follow the luncheon.

PHOTO CREDIT: KIERAN KESNER

SARAH EVERETT

SNEED B. COLLARD III

PHOTO CREDIT: CASSANDRA WILLIAMS

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE ASSEMBLY BREAKFAST

SUNDAY | 11/24 | 7:00–8:45 A.M.

JAMES E. RANSOME has been honored with the 2023 Children's Literature Legacy Award by the American Library Association in recognition of his exceptional contributions to children's literature. With a career spanning more than 34 years, Ransome has illustrated more than 70 books. His passion for art began in Rich Square, North Carolina. As a teenager, he moved to Bergenfield, New Jersey, before pursuing a BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and his MFA from Lesley University. Ransome's talent has garnered him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Coretta Scott King Awards, ALA Notables, a Jane Addams Award, and NAACP Image Awards. He resides in Rhinebeck, New York.

LESA CLINE-RANSOME is the author of numerous nonfiction and historical fiction titles for picturebook, chapter book, middle grade, and young adult readers, and her work has been named to ALA Notable Books and Bank Street Best Children’s Book lists. Her verse picturebook biography of Harriet Tubman, Before She Was Harriet, was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and received a Jane Addams Honor, a Christopher Award, and a Coretta Scott King Honor for Illustration. Finding Langston, the first in the Finding Langston trilogy, was the winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction and received the Coretta Scott King Award Author Honor. One Big Open Sky, featuring the lives of three female narrators journeying along the Oregon Trail in 1879, is her debut novel in verse.

A 2022 MacDowell fellow, she serves on the SCBWI Advisory Council and is a host of KidLitTV's Past Present: Giving Past Stories New Life Cline-Ransome is the mother of four and frequently collaborates with her husband, illustrator James Ransome. She lives and works in the Hudson Valley region of New York, where each day she takes long walks and short naps. In between she writes. A book signing will follow the breakfast.

AFFILIATE BREAKFAST

SUNDAY | 11/24 | 7:00–8:45 A.M.

ANTERO GARCIA is an associate professor in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University. His research explores the possibilities of speculative imagination and healing in educational research. Prior to completing his PhD, Garcia was an English teacher at a public high school in South Central Los Angeles. His recent research explores learning and literacies in tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons and the civic learning possibilities in various learning environments. Based on his research, Garcia co-designed the Critical Design and Gaming School—a public high school in South Central Los Angeles. His recent books include All through the Town: The School Bus as Educational Technology, Everyday Advocacy: Teachers Who Change the Literacy Narrative (coauthored with Cathy Fleischer), and Civics for the World to Come: Committing to Democracy in Every Classroom (coauthored with Nicole Mirra). Garcia currently coedits La Cuenta, an online publication centering the voices and perspectives of individuals labeled undocumented in the US.

JAMES E. RANSOME

LESA CLINE-RANSOME

ANTERO GARCIA

MEAL EVENTS

NWP BRUNCH

SUNDAY | 11/24 | 10:30 A.M.–12:00 P.M.

We Can Make Something Beautiful: Worldbuilding with Arts-Infused Writing Pedagogies

“What is the brightest, most just, most loving vision of education you can imagine? What colors do you see? What sounds do you hear? How does your body move in this space? What captivates you? Now, imagine your students experiencing school as a place of freedom and justice. What do you see, hear, and feel? . . . How might this vision of education serve to ground and inspire you as you approach your students, your curriculum, and your colleagues?”

With these opening questions, Kelly Wissman, director of the Capital District Writing Project and associate professor in the Department of Literacy Teaching and Learning within the University at Albany School of Education, invites readers of her book Teaching with Arts-Infused Writing Pedagogies to engage in freedom dreaming for educational justice.

Come to the NWP Brunch to “dwell [if only for 90 minutes] in a space of affirmative possibility and to engage in creative acts of building new worlds reflective of that possibility.” Drawing from her work with a multigenerational collective of writers, artists, students, and teachers, Wissman will share how arts-infused writing pedagogies can open up portals to educational worlds illuminated by heart, hope, and humanity. Join us for a morning of collaborative writing, artmaking, and freedom dreaming.

WORKSHOPS

Dig Deeper into Topics with a Thursday Workshop

Enrollment is limited. Registration is required and will be checked at the door of each workshop. Visit the NCTE Annual Convention Registration Desk to add a Workshop to your Convention Registration.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 8:00 A.M.–12:00 P.M.

W.1 A Heartfelt, Hopeful, and Culturally Proficient ELA Block for Elementary Latinx/o/a/e Learners

W.2 Boston Writing Marathon

W.3 Centering the Human in the English Classroom: Creation, Connection, and Inquiry with Digital Technology

W.4 Coaching the Human: How Starting with Heart, Hope, and Humanity Can Amplify Instructional Coaching

W.5 Committing to Inclusive ELA Instruction and Classroom Spaces: The Act. Change. Empower. Project

W.6 Contemporary Poetry That Inspires: Teaching Strategies, Writing, and Community Building In Person with Author José Olivarez

W.7 Crafting Purposeful Prose: A Workshop on Classroom Approaches to Sentences, Rhetoric, and Meaningful Writing

W.8 Creating Critical Consumers of American Indian Content to Achieve Equitable Representation

W.9 Designing Spaces for Students to Reshape Their Worlds: An Antiracist Pedagogy Workshop

W.10 E.A.R.T.H. Lit: A Collaborative and Culturally Relevant Resource for Teachers on Embedding Environmental Justice into Their Literacy Instruction

W.12 Humanizing the Grading System: Implementing a Growth Grading System for the Changemakers in Our Classrooms

W.15 Moving from Spectators to Players in Education Conversations: Writing for Publication

W.16 Nurturing Humanity: Integrating Hope and Arts in Teacher Education for Transformation

W.17 Read-Alouds That Celebrate Learners and Teach Racial, Historical, and Critical Literacies

W.18 Shakespeare and Way Beyond: Actively Empowering Students with Language and Literature

W.19 Text Tapestry: Weaving Diverse Text Sets for Dynamic Literacy Learning

W.20 Understanding the Armenian Genocide through Primary Sources and Memoir

W.21 We Are Family: Literacy Events and Engagements That Embrace Families and Communities

W.22 With Eyes of Appreciation: Looking at Student Work to Understand Children’s Language and Literacy Learning

W.23 Writing as a Catalyst for Transformation—for Ourselves and Our Students

W.24 Writing I.R.L.—Real-World Connections for Student Engagement

MEETINGS

Meetings are held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center and at the adjoining Westin (as noted).

ASSEMBLIES

Children’s Literature Assembly Board Meeting

Friday, 6:00–9:00 p.m., Room 151 A (level 1)

Genders and Sexualities Equality Assembly Board Meeting

Saturday, 4:15–5:30 p.m., Stone Room (Westin, lobby level)

Assembly for Research Annual Business Meeting

Saturday, 5:45–7:00 p.m., Room 104 B (level 1)

The Rural Assembly on English Language and Literacy

Education Business Meeting & Social Saturday, 5:45–7:00 p.m., Room 204 B (level 2)

COMMITTEES

Unless otherwise noted, committee meetings are closed.

3D (Digital Democratic Dialogue) Cohort Meeting

Thursday, 11:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Room 154 (level 1)

Build Your Stack® Committee Meeting

Friday, 3:30–4:45 p.m. (open), Hancock Room (Westin, lobby level)

Charlotte Huck Award® for Outstanding Fiction for Children Committee Meeting

Thursday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Stone Room (Westin, lobby level)

Children’s Poetry Award Committee Meeting

Thursday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Otis Room (Westin, lobby level)

College Section Nominating Committee Meetings

Friday, 9:30–10:45 a.m. (closed), Webster Room (Westin, lobby level)

Saturday, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (closed), 12:00–1:00 p.m. (open), Webster Room (Westin, lobby level)

Sunday, 9:00–10:00 a.m. (open), 10:00–11:00 a.m. (closed), Room 051 (exhibit level)

College Section Steering Committee Meeting

Thursday, 1:00–3:30 p.m., Webster Room (Westin, lobby level)

Cultivating New Voices among Scholars of Color Fall Institute

Thursday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Room 052 A (exhibit level)

Cultivating New Voices among Scholars of Color Reception & Mentor Panel

Thursday, 7:30–9:30 p.m., Room 253 A-C (level 2)

Elementary Cohort Meeting

Friday, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Webster Room (Westin, lobby level)

Sunday, 8:00–9:30 a.m., Room 050 (exhibit level)

Elementary Section Nominating Committee Meetings

Friday, 9:30–10:45 a.m. (closed), Webster Room (Westin, lobby level)

Saturday, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (closed), 12:00–1:00 p.m. (open), Webster Room (Westin, lobby level)

Sunday, 9:00–10:00 a.m. (open), 10:00–11:00 a.m. (closed), Room 051 (exhibit level)

Elementary Section Steering Committee Meeting

Thursday, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., Room 104 A (level 1)

LGBTQIA+ Advisory Committee Meeting

Friday, 3:30–4:15 p.m. (closed), 4:15–4:45 p.m. (open), Room 052 A (exhibit level)

Middle Level Section Nominating Committee Meetings

Friday, 9:30–10:45 a.m. (closed), Webster Room (Westin, lobby level)

Saturday, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (closed), 12:00–1:00 p.m. (open), Webster Room (Westin, lobby level)

Sunday, 9:00–10:00 a.m. (open), 10:00–11:00 a.m. (closed), Room 051 (exhibit level)

Middle Level Section Steering Committee Meeting

Thursday, 1:30 p.m.–3:00 p.m., Room 104 A (level 1)

NCTE/SPA Reviewer Training

Friday, 9:00–11:30 a.m., Stone Room (Westin, lobby level)

NCTE/SPA Report Overview for EPPs

Saturday, 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m., Paine Room (Westin, lobby level)

NCTE Nominating Committee Meetings

Friday, 9:30–10:45 a.m. (closed), Webster Room (Westin, lobby level)

Saturday, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (closed), 12:00–1:00 p.m. (open), Webster Room (Westin, lobby level)

Sunday, 9:00–10:00 a.m. (open), 10:00–11:00 a.m. (closed), Room 051 (exhibit level)

Orbis Pictus Award® for Outstanding Nonfiction in Children’s Literature Committee Meeting

Thursday, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Paine Room (Westin, lobby level)

Professional Dyads and Culturally Relevant Teaching Program Meeting

Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Otis Room (Westin, lobby level)

Promising Young Writers Advisory Committee Meeting

Friday, 1:00–2:15 p.m. Room 159 (level 1)

Public Language Awards Committee Meeting

Friday, 3:30–4:45 p.m. (open), Room 052 B (exhibit level)

All Council assemblies, committees, caucuses, and collaboratives that meet during the Convention are listed alphabetically.

Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines Committee Meeting

Thursday, 1:00–2:30 p.m. (closed), 2:30–4:00 p.m. (open), Hancock Room (Westin, lobby level)

Research Foundation Board of Trustees Meeting

Thursday, 3:00–6:00 p.m., Room 050 (exhibit level)

Resolutions Committee Meetings

Thursday, 8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (closed)

Friday, 9:30–10:45 a.m. (closed)

Friday 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Open Hearings, Paine Room (Westin, lobby level)

If resolutions are received, drafts will be available at the Open Hearings.

Secondary Section Nominating Committee Meetings

Friday, 9:30–10:45 a.m. (closed), Webster Room (Westin, lobby level)

Saturday, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (closed), 12:00–1:00 p.m. (open), Webster Room (Westin, lobby level)

Sunday, 9:00–10:00 a.m. (open), 10:00–11:00 a.m. (closed), Room 051 (exhibit level)

Secondary Section Steering Committee Meetings

Thursday, 2:00–3:00 p.m., Room 104 B (level 1)

Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., Room 050 (exhibit level)

Standing Committee Against Censorship Meeting

Friday, 3:30-4:45 (open), Webster Room (Westin, lobby level)

Standing Committee on Affiliates Meeting

Friday, 3:30-4:15 p.m. (closed), 4:15-4:45 p.m. (open), Paine Room (Westin, lobby level)

Standing Committee on Diversity and Inclusivity Meeting

Friday, 2:30-3:15 p.m. (closed), 3:15-3:45 p.m. (open), Room 104 C (level 1)

Standing Committee on Global Citizenship Meeting

Friday, 3:30–4:45 p.m. (open), Room 051 (exhibit level)

Standing Committee on Literacy Assessment Meeting

Thursday, 2:30–3:45 p.m., Room 210 A (level 2)

Standing Committee on Research Meeting

Friday, 9:30–10:30 a.m. (closed), 10:30–10:45 a.m. (open), Hancock Room (Westin, lobby level)

View the updated program details here!

CAUCUSES

American Indian Caucus Business Meeting

Saturday, 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m., Room 051 (exhibit level)

Asian/Asian American Caucus Open Forum Saturday, 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m., Stone Room (Westin, lobby level)

Asian/Asian American Caucus Networking & Mentoring Event Saturday, 5:00–7:00 p.m., Otis Room (Westin, lobby level)

Black Caucus Business Meeting Saturday, 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m., Room 052 A (exhibit level)

Jewish Caucus Open Forum Thursday, 2:30–3:45 p.m., Room 205 C (level 2)

Latinx Caucus Open Forum Saturday, 11:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m., Room 050 (exhibit level)

CONSTITUENT GROUP COMMITTEES

CEL Executive Committee Meeting Saturday, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., Otis Room (Westin, lobby level)

ELATE Executive Committee Meeting Thursday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Room 051 (exhibit level)

ELATE Graduate Student Strand Get Together Friday, 5:00–6:30 p.m., Room 210 A (level 2)

ELATE Nominating Committee Meetings Friday, 9:30–10:45 a.m. (closed), Webster Room (Westin, lobby level)

Saturday, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (closed), 12:00–1:00 p.m. (open), Webster Room (Westin, lobby level) Sunday, 9:00–10:00 a.m. (open), 10:00–11:00 a.m. (closed), Room 051 (exhibit level)

LLA Executive Board Meeting Thursday, 12:00–4:00 p.m., Room 103 (level 1)

Two–Year College English Association (TYCA) Executive Committee Meeting

Saturday, 8:15–9:30 a.m., Paine Room (Westin, lobby level)

Two–Year College English Association (TYCA) Nominating Committee Meetings Friday, 9:30–10:45 a.m. (closed), Webster Room (Westin, lobby level)

Saturday, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (closed), 12:00–1:00 p.m. (open), Webster Room (Westin, lobby level)

Sunday, 9:00–10:00 a.m. (open), 10:00–11:00 a.m. (closed), Room 051 (exhibit level)

SESSION STRANDS

Convention sessions with a special focus or in special sequences fall into session strands. Attend multiple sessions within a single strand for an in-depth learning experience with any of these important themes:

Early Childhood Education Strand sessions focus on issues pertaining to the education of children from birth to age eight, their families, and their teachers. Early literacy is a key concept in these sessions that also address diversities in early childhood and highlight practices and processes that are situated in social, historical, and cultural contexts.

ELATE Strand (English Language Arts Teacher Educators) sessions focus on issues, research, and practices pertaining to teacher development, professional development, and teacher education programs, including preservice and induction programs. These sessions highlight the practice of those who prepare literacy educators or support their continued development through courses, workshops, and inquiry.

LGBTQIA+ Strand sessions focus on issues pertaining to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/ questioning, intersex, asexual, and plus students, their families, and their teachers. These sessions address representations of sexual and affectional difference, and they offer a broad understanding of diversity, free inquiry and expression, critical pedagogy, and democratic teaching practices. The sessions encourage the creation of safer, more inclusive schools.

LLA Strand sessions focus on whole language theory and practice and are reviewed by Literacies and Languages for All leaders. These sessions push understandings of critical literacy, inquiry, and collaborative learning, and integrate literacy with other sign systems and knowledge systems situated in social, historical, political, and cultural contexts.

National Writing Project Strand sessions focus on research, practice, and innovation at Writing Project sites, including promising designs for professional learning and leadership programs; youth, community, and civic engagement projects; and fresh looks at curriculum and pedagogy in the teaching of writing. These sessions highlight the potential of teacher-leaders, and educators more broadly, to work collectively to improve the teaching of writing for all learners.

Rainbow Strand sessions focus on issues and strategies related to teaching and affirming culturally and linguistically diverse students, especially African Americans, Latinxs, American Indians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders.

Research Strand sessions have been chosen through a refereed selection process sponsored by the NCTE Standing Committee on Research (SCR). Although reports and discussions of research are distributed throughout the Convention Program, sessions labeled “Research Strand” are those that report on rigorous and original research studies as refereed by the SCR.

A SESSION FOR EVERY LEVEL

Throughout the following session descriptions, each title includes a letter icon, indicating the level or levels of interest embraced by the topic:

AWARDS

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

James R. Squire Award

This award recognizes outstanding service, not only to the stature and development of NCTE and the discipline which it represents, but also to the profession of education as a whole, internationally as well as nationally.

Recipient: Kylene Beers, renowned teacher and professional author, TX

Advancement of People of Color Leadership Award

This award is given to an NCTE member of color who has made a significant contribution to NCTE and the development of our professional community. It supports those who advocate for policies and practices that influence and advance the understanding of equity and antiracism.

Recipient: Bilal Polson, Northern Parkway Elementary School, NY

Distinguished Service Award

The NCTE Distinguished Service Award recognizes a person or persons who have exhibited valuable professional service to the profession, scholarly or academic distinction, distinctive use of the language, and excellence in teaching.

Recipient: Ulrich H. Hardt, Portland State University, OR

LGBTQIA+ Advocacy and Leadership Award

The NCTE LGBTQIA+ Advocacy and Leadership Award recognizes a member of the LGBTQIA+ community who has made a significant contribution to NCTE and the development of our professional community.

Recipient: Saurabh Anand, University of Georgia

SPECIAL COUNCIL AWARDS

David H. Russell Award for Distinguished Research in the Teaching of English

This award recognizes published research in language, literature, rhetoric, teaching procedures, or cognitive processes that may sharpen the teaching or the content of English at any level.

Recipient: “K for the Way”: DJ Rhetoric and Literacy for 21st Century Writing Studies by Todd Craig, New York City College of Technology and CUNY Graduate Center

Julia E. Berry Research Award to Study Careers of English Majors

The Berry Research Award to Study Careers of English Majors (Berry Research Award) supports NCTE members in the teaching, learning, and application of literacy learning. The Berry Research Award provides research support for an NCTE member(s) who proposes a research project that studies the careers of English Majors and/or the role and function of English in career development.

Recipient: Kelly J. Sassi, Northern Michigan University, “Versatility and Resilience in English Alumni from a RuralServing Institution”

Media Literacy Award

This award showcases NCTE members who have developed innovative approaches for integrating media analysis and composition into their instruction.

Recipient: T. Philip Nichols, Baylor University, TX

George Orwell Award for Distinguished Contribution to Honesty and Clarity in Public Language

Given by the NCTE Public Language Awards Committee, the Orwell Award recognizes writers who have made outstanding contributions to the critical analysis of public discourse.

Recipient: Making Americans: Stories of Historic Struggles, New Ideas, and Inspiration in Immigrant Education by Jessica Lander, Lowell High School, MA

Promising Researcher Award

Given by the NCTE Standing Committee on Research, this award recognizes the promise of a researcher early in their career based on the quality of a manuscript’s statement of a research problem, literature review, methodology and data analysis, grounding of evidence, significance of results, and clarity and style.

Recipient: Alex Corbitt, SUNY at Cortland, NY

Alan C. Purves Award

The Alan C. Purves Award is presented annually to the author(s) of the Research in the Teaching of English article, from the previous year’s volume, judged most likely to have a significant impact on literacy learning and/or teaching.

Recipient: “Adopting an Empathizing Stance in Classroom Argumentation: Pedagogical Constructs and Affordances” by Min-Young Kim & Sanghee Ryu (May 2024)

Honorable Mention: “I’m Outside the Box. Too Outside the Box, I Explode It!’: Exploring Literacies of Dignity with Middle School Youth” by Danielle R. Filipiak (February 2024)

Orbis Pictus Award® for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children

Established to promote and recognize excellence in the writing of nonfiction for children.

Recipient: Border Crossings by Sneed B. Collard III, illustrated by Howard Gray (Charlesbridge)

Join us to celebrate many of these 2024 NCTE award recipients at a special breakfast session (all attendees are welcome; no ticket is required): Saturday, Nov. 23, 7:30–8:45 a.m., Room 205 B (BCEC, level 2).

National Intellectual Freedom Award

The purpose of this award is to honor individuals, groups, or institutions that merit recognition for advancing the cause of intellectual freedom.

Recipient: Henry “Cody” Miller, SUNY Brockport

Honorable Mention: Honesty for Ohio Education, cofounded by Lisa Vahey

Early Career Educator of Color Leadership Award

This award provides early career teachers of color a national forum at the NCTE Annual Convention for professional collaboration and development, and supports them as they build accomplished teaching careers as active NCTE members.

2024–2025 Recipients: Lakeya Afolalu, University of Washington, Seattle

Huan Gao, University of Memphis, TN

Wenyu Guo, University of South Florida, Tampa

Rachel Jordan, Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School, Philadelphia, PA

Lakisha Odlum, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY

Rocio Rivas, Trevor Browne High School, Phoenix, AZ

2023–2024 Recipients: G. Edzordzi Agbozo, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Elizabeth Castro, University of California, Davis

Rabiyatu Jalloh, West Philadelphia High School, PA

Darius Phelps, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY

Sherita Roundtree, Towson University, MD

Cultivating New Voices among Scholars of Color

The NCTE Research Foundation’s two-year program is designed to provide support, mentoring, and networking opportunities for early career scholars of color. The program aims to work with graduate students of color to cultivate their ability to draw from their own cultural/linguistic perspectives as they conceptualize, plan, conduct, and write their research. The program provides socialization into the research community and interaction with established scholars whose own work can be enriched by their engagement with new ideas and perspectives. 2024–2026 Fellows: Janice Baines, University of South Carolina

monét cooper, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Rubén A. González, Stanford University

Adrianna González Ybarra, University of Missouri, Columbia

shea wesley martin, The Ohio State University

Mohit P. Mehta, The University of Texas at Austin

Alex Feliciano Mejia, San Francisco State University

Cristina S. Méndez, University of California, Berkeley

Rashida Mustafa, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY

Tairan Qiu, University of Houston

Yvette M. Regalado, Texas State University

Ankhi G. Thakurta, Boston College

Charlotte Huck Award® for Outstanding Fiction for Children

Established to promote and recognize excellence in the writing of fiction for children.

Recipient: The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett (Clarion Books)

ELEMENTARY SECTION AWARDS

Donald H. Graves Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Writing

Recognizes teachers in grades K–6 who, through the teaching of writing, demonstrate an understanding of student improvement in writing.

Recipient: Jen Vincent, Bannockburn School, IL

Outstanding Elementary Educator in the English Language Arts Award

Established in 1995, this award recognizes a distinguished national or international educator who has made major contributions to the field of language arts in elementary education.

Recipient: Angie Zapata, University of Missouri

Language Arts Distinguished Article Award

This award recognizes outstanding Language Arts articles that move forward the Elementary Section Steering Committee‘s mission of the pursuit for justice and equity, bring the sociocultural realities of children’s everyday lives into language arts instruction, and facilitate conversations of rich and authentic literacies.

Recipient: “What about the 1%? Transforming Current Literacy Pedagogy for Students with Significant Support Needs” by Monica C. Kleekamp, Maryville University, MO (January 2024)

MIDDLE LEVEL SECTION AWARDS

Outstanding Middle Level Educator in the English Language Arts Award

This award recognizes exceptional English language arts teachers of grades 6–8 who have demonstrated excellence in teaching and inspired a spirit of inquiry and a love of learning in their students.

Recipient: Donald Jenkins; North Whidbey Middle School and Apex Virtual Learning School; Oak Harbor, WA

Richard W. Halle Award for Outstanding Middle School Educator

Honors a junior high/middle level educator who has worked to promote understanding of the developmental needs and characteristics of young adolescents, especially in the English language arts.

Recipient: Carla España, Brooklyn College, CUNY

AWARDS

Linda Rief Voices from the Middle Award

Recognizes an outstanding publication in Voices from the Middle written or cowritten by classroom teachers or literacy coaches.

Recipient: “‘On the Air with…’: Boosting Youth-DJs’ Speculative Civic Literacies on Local Radio” by Cassie Brownell (December 2023)

SECONDARY SECTION AWARDS

High School Teacher of Excellence Award

This national award celebrates high school teachers who have been nominated by their state affiliates.

Recipients: Rudy Esposo, Valley High School, AZ

Melanie West, Hubert Middle School, GA

Rachelle Blue, Eisenhower High School, KS

Dawn M. Reed, Okemos High School, MI

Tyler Thompson, Gering High School, NE

Laura Mundorff, Rex Putnam High School, OR Steve Kucinski, Dublin City Schools, OH

Adam Rudebusch, Castlewood High School, SD

Michelle D. Atkins, Roanoke Public Schools, VA

Marcy Siolka, School District of Bonduel, WI

English Journal Edwin M. Hopkins Award

This biannual award recognizes outstanding English Journal articles written by authors who are not high school teachers.

Recipient: “Seeing Beyond the Surface: Using Critical Lenses to Combat Anti-Blackness in the English Classroom” by Christian M. Hines and Jenell Igeleke Penn (September 2023)

Honorable Mention: “Possibilities for Rural Queer Liberation: Toward a Queer Rural Place-Based Pedagogy” by Josh Thompson and Clint Whitten (July 2024)

Honorable Mention: “Mirrors, Windows, and Mentors: Developing Critical Mentor Text Sets to Cultivate Student Writers’ Identities” by Elizabeth Thackeray Nelson and Margaret Osgood Opatz (September 2023)

Honorable Mention: “Relational Practices of Queer Literacy Educators in the US/Mexico Borderlands” by Em Bowen and Carol Brochin (July 2024)

Paul and Kate Farmer English Journal Writing Award

This award recognizes two articles published in English Journal during the previous school year that were written by high school teachers.

Recipients: “Black Teachers’ Use of Liberatory Design to Promote Literacies of Healing” by Jessica Lee Stovall, Lamar Timmons-Long, Thomas J. Rodney, and Taylor Hall “(November 2023)

“Resisting the Chilling Effect of Censorship and Scripted Curriculum” by Brooke Bianchi-Pennington and Arianna Banack (January 2024)

Honorable Mention: “Relational Literacies for More-thanEnglish Worlds” by Kelly Victor (May 2024)

COLLEGE SECTION AWARDS

Richard Ohmann Award for Outstanding Article in College English

This award recognizes an outstanding article published in College English in the past volume year.

Recipient: “’I’m a Bad Writer’: Latina College Students’ Traumatic Literacy Experiences” by María P. Carvajal Regidor (September 2023)

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS TEACHER EDUCATORS (ELATE) AWARDS

Geneva Smitherman Cultural Diversity Grant

This grant is offered for first-time NCTE Convention presenters who are members of ethnic groups historically underrepresented in NCTE and ELATE.

Recipient: Vincent Price, North Carolina Central University, Durham

Janet Emig Award for Exemplary Scholarship in English Education

The Emig Award recognizes an exceptional article for excellence in scholarship and educational leadership published in the ELATE journal English Education within the previous calendar year.

Recipient: Ankhi G. Thakurta, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, “Research: Solidarity-as-Project: Charting Democratic Co-inquiries in an Asian American Girl and Woman–Centric English Education Community” (July 2023)

Richard A. Meade Award

The Richard A. Meade Award for Research in English Language Arts Education recognizes published research that investigates English/language arts teacher development at any educational level, of any scope and in any setting. The award was established in 1988 in honor of the late Richard Meade of the University of Virginia for his contributions to research in the teaching of composition and in teacher preparation.

Recipient: Dominique Skye McDaniel, Kennesaw State University, GA

James Moffett Award

The James Moffett Memorial Award for Teacher Research is a grant offered by ELATE to support teacher research projects that further the spirit and scholarship of James Moffett. Moffett, a great champion of the voices of K–12 teachers, focused on such ideas as the necessity of student-centered curricula, writing across the curriculum, alternatives to standardized testing, and spiritual growth in education and life.

Recipient: to be announced

ELATE Research Initiative Grants

The ELATE Research Initiative Grants contribute to ELATE’s mission and efforts to communicate more effectively with many different audiences: state and federal policymakers, accreditation agencies, school/department administrators, researchers, teacher educators, practicing teachers, and other education leaders.

Recipients: Karis Jones & Emily Schindler, “Facilitating ELA Teacher Learning at San Diego Comic Con”

Stephanie M. Robillard, “Club YESS! A Book Club for Young Engaged Sister Scholars”

Kelli A. Rushek & Katherine E. Batchelor, “Neoliberalism as It is Framed in Literature for Youth: Critical Analysis of School Choice Initiatives with Preservice ELA Teachers”

Honorable Mention: Erica Holyoke & Heather Dunham, “Shared Transformative and Inclusive Education Research: Literacy Teacher Inquiry Groups Focusing on Young Multilingual Learners”

ELATE Graduate Student Research Award

This award seeks to support graduate student research that advances the work of ELATE as articulated through the organization’s position statements and sponsored publications.

Recipient: Rubén A. González, “Developing and Enacting an Abolitionist Praxis: Novice Teachers of Color and a Community of Abolitionist Praxis”

Honorable Mention: Anthony Voulgarides, “Youth Media Production as a Vehicle for Civic Action: A Case Study”

CONFERENCE ON ENGLISH LEADERSHIP (CEL) AWARDS

Best Article of the Year Award

This award is given annually to the author of an article written and published in English Leadership Quarterly (ELQ)

Recipient: “From Interrogation to Action: Transformative Equity in English Classrooms” by Sawsan Jaber (October 2023)

Honorable Mention: “A Collaborative Effort to Develop and Implement an Online Social Justice Professional Development for Urban School Teachers” by Alma D. Stevenson, Sabrina N. Ross, Calvin Walton & Ming Fang He (August 2023)

Kent Williamson Exemplary Leader Award

This award is given annually to an NCTE member who is an outstanding English language arts educator and leader.

Recipient: Kelly Gallagher, Anaheim Union High School District, CA

Teacher-Leader of Excellence Award

This award is given to a classroom educator who leads the way of literacy instruction by sharing their work with others at local and/or national levels.

Recipient: Sarah Mulhern Gross, High Technology High School, NJ

Innovative Leadership Award

This award is given to an early/mid-career leader in recognition of their innovative leadership at the local, regional, and/or national level.

Recipient: Matthew Helmers, Ransom Everglades High School, FL

AFFILIATE AWARDS

Affiliate Excellence Awards

This award is given to affiliates that meet standards of excellence to which all affiliates should aspire.

Recipients Georgia Council of Teachers of English (GCTE)

Iowa Council of Teachers of English (ICTE)

Maine Council for English Language Arts (MCELA)

Michigan Council of Teachers of English (MCTE)

New York State English Council (NYSEC)

Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (OCTELA)

Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (TCTELA)

Virginia Teachers of English (VATE)

Student Affiliate Excellence Awards

This award is given to student affiliates that meet standards of excellence to which all student affiliates should aspire.

Recipients: NCTE @ Michigan State University

NCTE of West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Affiliate Intellectual Freedom Awards

This award is given by state, regional, and provincial affiliates to honor individuals, groups, or institutions that merit recognition for advancing the cause of intellectual freedom.

Recipients: Andrea Zellner, Oakland Schools & Michigan State University—Michigan Council of Teachers of English (MCTE)

Dylan Teut, Concordia University—Nebraska English Language Arts Council (NELAC)

Honesty for Ohio Education—Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (OCTELA)

Jenny M. Martin, Bridgewater College—Virginia Teachers of English (VATE)

Affiliate Multicultural Program Awards

This award is given to affiliates who adopt programs, policies, activities, and other events which encourage greater participation and development of multicultural involvement within each affiliate.

Recipients: Arizona English Teachers Association (AETA)

Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (TCTELA)

AWARDS

Affiliate Journal of Excellence Award

This award is given to outstanding affiliate journals.

Recipients: Arizona English Journal, Arizona English Teachers Association (AETA)

California English, California Association of Teachers of English (CATE)

Kansas English, Kansas Association of Teachers of English (KATE)

Northwords, Maine Council for English Language Arts (MCELA)

Oregon English Journal, Oregon Council of Teachers of English (OCTE)

English in Texas, Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (TCTELA)

The Utah English Journal, Utah Council of Teachers of English (UCTE)

Virginia English Journal, Virginia Association of Teachers of English (VATE)

Affiliate Newsletter of Excellence Award

This award is given to affiliate newsletters that are evaluated by a panel of judges as best meeting the award criteria.

Recipients: The English Pub, Arkansas Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts (ACTELA)

Connections Newsletter, Arizona English Teachers Association (AETA)

Scribbles ‘N Bits, Georgia Council of Teachers of English (GCTE)

MCELA Newsletter, Maine Council for English Language Arts (MCELA)

The Michigan English Teacher (MET), Michigan Council of Teachers of English (MCTE)

NEATE News, New England Association of Teachers of English (NEATE)

NYSEC News, New York State English Council (NYSEC)

Chalkboard, Oregon Council of Teachers of English (OCTE) Opportunities, Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (OCTELA);

Texas Voices, Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (TCTELA)

WCTE Update, Wisconsin Council of Teachers of English (WCTE)

Affiliate Website of Excellence Award

This award is given to honor affiliates that have websites that best meet set criteria.

Recipients: Georgia Council of Teachers of English (GCTE)

Iowa Council of Teachers of English (ICTE)

Kansas Association of Teachers of English (KATE)

Kentucky Council of Teachers of English (KCTE)

Maine Council for English Language Arts (MCELA

Michigan Council of Teachers of English (MCTE)

Minnesota Council of Teachers of English (MCTE)

New York State English Council (NYSEC)

Oregon Council of Teachers of English (OCTE)

Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (OCTELA)

Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (TCTELA)

Virginia Association of Teachers of English (VATE)

Western Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English (WPCTE)

NCTE Fund Teachers for the Dream Affiliate Awards

The NCTE Fund invites affiliates to implement initiatives aimed at recruiting English language arts teachers of color and will offer grants to those selected affiliates.

Recipients: Arizona English Teachers Association (AETA)

Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (OCTELA)

Oregon Council of Teachers of English (OCTE)

Texas Council of Teachers of English (TCTELA)

Affiliate Leadership Development Awards

The award is designed to encourage the participation of early career teacher leaders in both NCTE (beginning at the Annual Convention) and the affiliate (through all its activities).

Recipients: Elias Dallmann, York High School—Nebraska English Language Arts Council (NELAC)

Olivia Johnson, Olentangy Shanahan Middle School—Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (OCTELA)

Kent D. Williamson Affiliate Membership

This award is given to affiliates with the highest percentage of membership increase. To be eligible, affiliates must electronically send their membership lists to NCTE.

Recipients: California Association of Teachers of English (CATE)

Kansas Association of Teachers of English (KATE)

Maine Council for English Language Arts (MCELA)

Michigan Council of Teachers of English (MCTE)

Minnesota Council of Teachers of English (MCTE)

Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (TCTELA)

Western Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English (WPCTE)

HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF NCTE

NCTE leaders of tomorrow are like you—active, dedicated NCTE members of today! Are you interested in running for a steering or nominating committee position? Or do you have a colleague you’d like to nominate for office in NCTE?

The nominating committees of NCTE; ELATE (English Language Arts Teacher Educators); TYCA (Two-Year College English Association); and the Elementary, Middle Level, Secondary, and College Sections of NCTE will accept nominations for the 2025 elections during the Annual Convention. Visit the committees at the following times:

FRIDAY, 5:00–6:30 PM SATURDAY, 12:00–1:00 PM SUNDAY, 9:00–10:00 AM

Annual Business Meeting Webster Room (Westin) Room 051 (BCEC) Room 210 C (level 2) (lobby level) (exhibit level)

ncte.org/get-involved/volunteer/elections/

FUTURE CONVENTIONS

NCTE ANNUAL CONVENTION

2025 NCTE Annual Convention

November 20–23

Denver, Colorado

Program proposal deadline: 9 a.m. ET

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

2026 NCTE Annual Convention

November 19–22

Site tba

OTHER CONVENTIONS & CONFERENCES

2025 CCCC Annual Convention April 9–12 Baltimore, Maryland

2025 NCTE-NCTM Joint Conference June 16–18

Chicago, Illinois

2025 CEL Annual Convention November 20–23 Denver, Colorado

2025 TYCA National Conference April 9 Baltimore, Maryland

2025 ELATE Summer Conference July 10–13

Charleston, South Carolina

2026 CEL Annual Convention

November 22–24

Site tba

CONVENTION FLOOR PLANS

LOBBY LEVEL –WESTIN

The Westin hotel is next door to the convention center. Meeting rooms are accessible from the 2nd floor skywalk from the convention center, or from walking outside.

1. WEBSTER

2. STONE

3. HANCOCK

4. OTIS

5. PAINE

MEETING LEVEL 1

You know that feeling you have right now in Boston at #NCTE24?

What if you could access that all year long?

You can with an NCTE membership!

Envision a year where you have hands-on resources for every stage of your career that help you:

• Engage your students with innovative ways to approach topics

• Prepare your lessons with our Video Library and book rationale database

• Take care of yourself when you’re feeling overwhelmed

• Teach in challenging times with articles and expertise from the NCTE community

Other membership benefits include:

• Exclusive invitations to a diverse tapestry of events and online learning for ELA educators

• Discounts at the NCTE bookstore and for Convention registration

• A biweekly digest of opportunities to engage with other teachers, apply for awards and special project opportunities, and learn about NCTE’s national work supporting literacy educators

• Access to discounted insurance, including professional liability insurance, that helps you navigate today’s challenging climate

Keep the energy alive beyond Boston. Become an NCTE member today. ncte.org/membership

PROGRAM

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

WORKSHOPS — 8:00

A.M.–12:00 P.M.

All workshops will be held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center unless otherwise noted.

Registration is required to attend a workshop (name badges will be checked). If space is available, workshop registration may be purchased onsite at the NCTE Registration Desk (North Lobby, level 1).

W.1 A Heartfelt, Hopeful, Culturally Proficient ELA

Block for Elementary Latinx Learners

ROOM 257 B (LEVEL 2)

Elementary Latinx learners routinely score lower than their White peers on reading assessments. This session offers a solution—culturally proficient ELA instruction. Join a grade 4 teacher ESL expert and award-winning children’s book authors as they highlight the value of ELA blocks with equitable access to nonfiction and mirrors in fiction for Latinx learners and their classmates.

Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Ernesto Cisneros, Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins

Rene Colato Lainez, Holiday House

Torrey Maldonado, SCBWI/Penguin Random House

Katherine Palacesnarita, NRSD Teacher/Chalk + Ink Podcast

Cindy L. Rodriguez, HarperCollins/Cardinal Rule Press

Melissa Stewart, Reycraft

W.2 Boston Writing Marathon

ROOM 254 B (LEVEL 2)

After hearing a brief introduction from the facilitator who founded the New Orleans Writing Marathon and has led Writing Marathons across the country, participants take part in a three-hour Writing Marathon writing and sharing their work in small groups around Boston before returning to the meeting room to reflect on the process as a community of teachers/writers.

Chair: Richard Louth, Southeastern Louisiana University

W.3 Centering the Human in the English Classroom: Creation, Connection, and Inquiry with Digital Technology

ROOM 254 A (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by Assembly on Computers in English (ACE)

In this Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) workshop, participants will engage in digital literacy practices that encourage creation, connection, and inquiry using digital tools. Attendees will be led through activities centered on artificial intelligence, podcasting, writing instruction, journalistic learning, and map-based narratives.

Presenters: Johnny Allred, Brigham Young University

Abbie Atkinson-Jones, Diamond Fork Middle School

Bill Bass, Parkway School District

Celeste Kirsh, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto

Ewa McGrail, Georgia State University

J. Patrick McGrail, Jacksonville State University

Jon Ostenson, Brigham Young University

W.4 Coaching the Human: How Starting with Heart, Hope, and Humanity Can Amplify Instructional Coaching

ROOM 255 (LEVEL 2)

Discover the impact of infusing empathy, optimism, and a human-centered approach into instructional coaching. Explore practical strategies for building connections, creating a positive coaching environment, and leveraging confidence to enhance outcomes. Through engaging activities, learn how prioritizing heart, hope, and humanity elevates the effectiveness of instructional coaching.

Presenter: Alissa Crabtree, Crabtree Coaching Collaborative

WORKSHOPS

— 8:00 A.M.–12:00 P.M.

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

W.5 Committing to Inclusive ELA Instruction and Classroom Spaces: The Act. Change. Empower. Project

ROOM 156 A (LEVEL 1)

This workshop introduces attendees to inclusive writing pedagogy, focusing on both designing instruction as well as cultivating spaces—both in and outside of traditional classroom settings—underpinned by this approach. The session framework, which facilitators will use to guide participants through discussions, exercises, and activities, centers on the Act. Change. Empower. (ACE) Project.

Presenter: Elizabeth Lewis, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA

W.6 Contemporary Poetry That Inspires: Teaching Strategies, Writing, and Community Building in Person with Author José Olivarez

ROOM 156 C (LEVEL 1)

In this interactive workshop featuring author José Olivarez, participants will explore his poems, honoring the legacy of Gwendolyn Brooks, and learn new poetic forms. We will share culturally responsive strategies for teaching poetry, and write and share our own poems in a dynamic writing workshop led by Peter Kahn.

Chair: Melissa Smith, Lake Norman Charter High School Tradebook Author/Illustrator: José Olivarez, Macmillan Workshop Leader: Peter Kahn, Poet-Educator LLC

W.7 Crafting Purposeful Prose: A Workshop on Classroom Approaches to Sentences, Rhetoric, and Meaningful Writing

ROOM 157 A (LEVEL 1)

This interactive and entertaining workshop explores a foundation for writing often taken for granted: sentences. NCTE Past President Beverly Ann Chin joins sought-after coach and author Brandon Abdon, YouTube ELA sensation Timm Freitas, and consultant extraordinaire Chris Judson to explore approaches to sentence-level teaching that can transform students' writing and overall thinking.

Chair: Brandon Abdon, Murray State University

Presenters: Beverly Ann Chin, University of Montana

Timm Freitas, Whitinsville Christian School

Chris Judson, University of Notre Dame

W.8 Creating Critical Consumers of American Indian Content to Achieve Equitable Representation ROOM 256 (LEVEL 2)

This session will provide participants with strategies for implementing Indigenous content into classrooms and learning spaces through culturally respectful and responsible approaches. Focusing on literary practices, we will discuss crucial understandings regarding American Indians to achieve equitable, engaging environments for both Native and non-Native students.

Presenters: Tawny (Good Woman) Cale, Great Falls Public Schools

Jordann (Bright Trail Woman) Lankford, Great Falls Public Schools

W.9 Designing Spaces for Students to Reshape Their Worlds: An Antiracist Pedagogy Workshop

ROOM 252 B (LEVEL 2)

Students bring to the literacy classroom a wealth of resources such as linguistic competencies and reasons to compose. Yet their literacy education is often only designed for them to prove that they can meet state standards. This antiracist workshop will teach participants how to design and assess assignments that guide students’ use of these resources to address the social change they desire.

Workshop Leaders Kevin Eric DePew, Old Dominion University

Michelle Fowler-Amato, Old Dominion University

Cynthia Lopez Guerrero, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Tomas Guerrero, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Sawsan Jaber, Maine District 207/Education Unfiltered Consulting

Kole Matheson, Old Dominion University

Jessica Mattox, Radford University

W.10 E.A.R.T.H. Lit: Collaborative and Culturally Relevant Resources for Teachers on Embedding Environmental Justice into Their Literacy Instruction

ROOM 257 A (LEVEL 2)

Join our workshop where educators unleash the power of storytelling in intersectional environmental justice. Dive into diverse literature, activities, and resources. Ignite discussions empowering your classroom to shape a future where stories foster environmental consciousness and action. Be part of the movement for a sustainable, equitable future through ELA instruction. View www.earthlit.org

Presenters: Lauren Fletcher, Colorado State University Stanislaus

Erica Holyoke, University of Colorado Denver

WORKSHOPS — 8:00 A.M.–12:00 P.M.

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

W.12 Humanizing the Grading System: Implementing a Growth Grading System for the Changemakers in Our Classrooms

ROOM 151 B (LEVEL 1)

Teacher-author Sarah Zerwin and teachers from across the country will outline the steps they have taken to inspire students to see their humanity beyond the numbers in the gradebook. This workshop will provide opportunities for participants to begin the process of decentering the grade—and themselves—in the classroom and provide specific practical steps that teachers can take immediately.

Presenters: Liz Campbell, Ellicott Mills Middle School

Allyssa Graham

Jolene Heinemann, Oak Park and River Forest High School

Elizabeth Kelly, Santa Clara High School

Maichen Liu-Grossman, Santa Clara High School

Jeanette Swank, Ellicott Mills Middle School

Sarah Zerwin, Fairview High School

W.15 Moving from Spectators to Players in Education Conversations: Writing for Publication ROOM 157 C (LEVEL 1)

Classroom teachers must engage as public scholars, contributing to and disrupting conversations about education, especially when our voices are missing from journals and policies. This workshop provides time and tools to examine teacher-crafted articles from contemporary journals. Oregon Writing Project coaches and authors offer both strategies and a platform for participants to kickstart drafts.

Presenters: Linda Christensen, Rethinking Schools/Oregon Writing Project Director (retired)

Ty Marshall, McDaniel High School, co-editor of Teaching for Transgender Justice

Kara Stroman, OWP coach, Irvington Elementary School

W.16 Nurturing Humanity: Integrating Hope and Arts in Teacher Education for Transformation

ROOM 252 A (LEVEL 2)

Participants will begin at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston by downloading an app we developed to support preservice teachers in this specific art space. Then we will model the app with a work of art before allowing participants to use the app to explore the museum in small groups.

Workshop Leaders: Matthew Kruger-Ross, West Chester University of PA

Pauline Schmidt, West Chester University of PA

W.17 Read-Alouds That Celebrate Learners and Teach Racial, Historical, and Critical Literacies

ROOM 153 A (LEVEL 1)

This session helps educators design lessons that thematically integrate texts aligned to social studies so that students learn to value and advocate for the appreciation of human differences across a broad range of characteristics and traits, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, language, religion, (dis)ability, age, and national origin.

Chair: Keisha Smith-Carrington, Princeton Public Schools

Presenter: Michelle Yang-Kaczmarek, Dobbs Ferry School District

W.18 Shakespeare and Way Beyond: Actively Empowering Students with Language and Literature

ROOM 251 (LEVEL 2)

Experience the Folger Method, a scaffolded sequence of strategies that puts students directly inside the language and issues of complex texts. Teachers will be on their feet speaking the words of authors, and connecting with the characters and ideas in Shakespeare and other complex texts in just the way they will with students.

Presenters: Liam Dempsey, Folger Shakespeare Library Liz Dixon, West Lafayette High School, IN Deborah Gascon, Dutch Fork High School, Irmo, SC

W.19 Text Tapestry: Weaving Diverse Text Sets for Dynamic Literacy Learning

ROOM 153 C (LEVEL 1)

Explore the art of building dynamic text sets in this session, designed to enhance literacy through diverse resources. Learn to craft conceptually coherent collections, accommodating various learning needs and fostering deep understanding. Discover strategies for engaging students, aligning with educational standards, and creating impactful, multi-dimensional learning experiences.

Presenter: Shannon Bosley, Reading Ways

WORKSHOPS — 8:00

A.M.–12:00 P.M.

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

W.20 Understanding the Armenian Genocide through Primary Sources and Memoir NORTH LOBBY (LEVEL 1)

On Thursday, Nov. 21, join us in the heart of one of the oldest, most vibrant Armenian American community centers in the US—Watertown, MA. This full-day workshop (8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.) begins at the Armenian Museum of America (AMA) (https://www. armenianmuseum.org/), where participants will enjoy a tour of the exhibits and be guided through the fundamentals of the history of the Armenian Genocide, as well as the use of literature and survivor memoirs from master educators, museum staff, and local Watertown educator, Houry Boyramian, the daughter of an Armenian Genocide survivor and memoir author. At noon, the workshop moves to the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) (https:// naasr.org/), for an authentic Armenian lunch and an examination of its extensive primary source archive and a workshop on how to access and incorporate them into lessons about the Armenian Genocide. (Arrangements will be made to transport participants from NCTE to the workshops and back.)

Presenter: Kerri Flynn, The Genocide Education Project

W.21 We Are Family: Literacy Events and Engagements That Embrace Families and Communities

ROOM 155 (LEVEL 1)

Participants will take part in some sample literacy engagements that can be utilized for school-based literacy programs. These include a literacy escape room, book tasting, writing marathon, book clubs, author events, and more. Suggestions for planning, budgeting and grant funds, potential partnerships, and more will be explored in this workshop.

Presenter: Rebecca Harper, Augusta University Writing Project

W.22 With Eyes of Appreciation: Looking at Student Work to Understand Children’s Language and Literacy Learning

ROOM 153 B (LEVEL 1)

This workshop for P–12 teachers, preservice teachers, and teacher educators uses the concepts of resource pedagogies and appreciative inquiry as frames for looking at student work from literacy/ELA classrooms as a means to understand children’s literacy learning. We will employ a variety of LASW protocols to inform future collaborative work in professional learning communities.

Chair: Crag Hill, University of Oklahoma

Presenters: Tracy Hunt, Mid-Del Schools

Brianne Johnson, University of Oklahoma

Julianna Kershen, University of Oklahoma

Shelly K. Unsicker-Durham, University of Oklahoma

Michelle Boyd Waters, University of Oklahoma

W.23 Writing as a Catalyst for Transformation—for Ourselves and Our Students

ROOM 156 B (LEVEL 1)

What we tell ourselves about our experiences can either empower or limit us. In this workshop, we will explore the generative power of two modes of writing: reflective writing, which can help us learn and act from our authentic, whole selves, and expressive writing, a research backed approach for liberating ourselves from limitations. Bring a favorite pen/pencil and notebook.

Presenters: Margaret Perrow, Southern Oregon University

Jay Schroder, Southern Oregon University

W.24 Writing IRL: Real-World Connections for Student Engagement

ROOM 157 B (LEVEL 1)

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to effectively integrate real-world writing experiences into their classrooms, employing cross-curricular inquiry methods and project-based learning to enhance student writing skills and engagement. Participants will be given a full unit of materials and will develop their own exemplars to use in their classrooms.

Presenter: Amber Dumbuya, School for Arts Infused Learning

EXHIBITOR SESSION

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

1:00–2:15 P.M.

ES-B.01 Disciplinary Literacy in Middle and High School ELA ROOM 155 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by Carnegie Learning

Ask seven English teachers what disciplinary literacy means in ELA and you'll get seven different answers. In this session, we'll briefly discuss definitions of disciplinary literacy, then get to work unpacking an instructional model that integrates informational and literary texts intentionally to develop disciplinary, rather than generic, reading and thinking skills.

Presenters: Stephanie Bolyard, Content Specialist, Literacy

Megan Jensen, Senior Director of Literacy Impact

Amy Keesling, Senior Manager of School Partnerships, Literacy

Suzanne Simons, Chief Literacy/Languages Officer

SPECIAL EVENT

11:00 A.M.–4:00 P.M.

Leaf and Pen and the New York State English Council's Drop-in Writing Space

NORTH EAST LOBBY (LEVEL 1)

Drop in at any point in the Convention, for some time, space, and inspiration to do your own writing, in any form. We provide tools and activities for everything from brainstorming to generation to sharing. Feel free to try these—and bring them back to your schools and classrooms—or to make your own use of this space for writing, creativity, reflection, and breath.

Hosts: Eve Becker, Diana Liu, Lauren Nappi

All sessions will be held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center unless otherwise noted.

A SESSIONS — 11:30 A.M.–12:45 P.M.

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

A.1 #MakersInTheMiddle—Through the Eyes of an Author and a Teacher: Transforming Students’ Stories beyond the Page

ROOM 210 C (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the Middle Level Section Steering Committee

Embark on an immersive journey during this session where the dynamic synergy of an award-winning author and middle level teachers unfolds. Engage with captivating multimodal storytelling that transcends traditional boundaries. Dive into an interactive activity that beckons audience participation. Leave with innovative concepts to ignite inspiration in your students.

Presenters: Eva Goins, Northwest Independent School District

Haley Shaffer

Tradebook Author/Illustrator: e.E Charlton-Trujillo

A.2 Using Children's and YA Lit in Teaching and Teacher Education

ROOM 160 B (LEVEL 1)

Centering young adult (YA) literature, this panel demonstrates how these texts can challenge traditional classroom practices at the college level and engage multilingual learners in upper elementary classrooms. Additionally, presenters will explore representations of characters with autism spectrum disorder in YA realistic fiction.

Presenters: Jane Kelley, Washington State University, “Representation of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Children’s and Young Adult Realistic Fiction”

Sara Sterner, Cal Poly Humboldt, “Preparing Literacy Educators with Heart: Enacting Ginsberg’s Model for Challenging Traditional Classroom Spaces with YA Literature at the Undergraduate Level”

A.3 Using Comics and Graphic Novels to Make Literacy Come Alive in the Secondary ELA Classroom

ROOM 162 A (LEVEL 1)

This session offers perspectives on comics and graphic novels in the classroom. Presenters will give participants ample resources and research to bring comics and graphic novels to life for your students, including using book clubs and connections to multilingual education.

Presenters: Michael Gianfrancesco, North Providence High School/LitX, “Comics and Graphic Novels Are Great, but How Do I Teach with Them?”

Christian Hines, Texas State University, “Smells Like Teen Spirit: Exploring Empathy, Identity Development, and Critical Literacies with Book Clubs”

A.4 Toward Linguistic Justice in Literacy Development ROOM 258 C (LEVEL 2)

In this session, presenters will consider the notion of linguistic justice in writing and professional literacy learning activities. Centering justice and anti-Blackness, they consider how educators can implement pedagogies that honor the linguistic contributions of learners.

Presenters: Emily Duley, Jefferson County School District, Birmingham, AL, “Critical Professional Development in ELA: Bridging Critical Literacy and Antiracist Black Language Pedagogy”

Faith Thompson, Salisbury University/Archbishop Spalding High School, “Linguistically Just Writing Pedagogy: Insight into Tutor Practices”

A.5 Disrupting the Canon with LGBTQIA+ Themes, Stories, and Discussions

ROOM 259 (LEVEL 2)

These presentations offer strategies for incorporating LGBTQIA+ themes and stories in education, including integrating the stories of transgender parents in early childhood education and utilizing online communities to navigate challenges such as censorship of queer topics and literature.

Presenters: Nathaniel Bryan, The University of Texas at Austin, “Diversifying Queer Families: Elevating the Voices of Trans Parents in Early Childhood Teacher Education”

Claire Collins, The University of Texas at Austin, “It would be ‘good trouble’: Teachers’ Online Discussions of LGBTQIA+ Literature”

Grace MyHyun Kim, The University of Texas at Austin, “It would be ‘good trouble’: Teachers’ Online Discussions of LGBTQIA+ Literature”

Carolina Snaider, The University of Texas at Austin, TX, “Diversifying Queer Families: Elevating the Voices of Trans Parents in Early Childhood Teacher Education”

A.6 Promising Writing Practices from Middle Grades through College That Lead to Postsecondary Success

ROOM 102 (LEVEL 1)

When their voices are valued, student writers explore more, share more, and gain confidence along the way. Leaning on the Framework for Success in Postsecondary Writing, we situate promising writing habits to create conditions that compel students to write first for themselves and then take a risk, sharing their ideas with others.

Presenters: Ana Contreras Charmelo, Harper College

Sharon Murchie, Okemos Public Schools

Andy Schoenborn, Clare Public Schools

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions. A SESSIONS — 11:30 A.M.–12:45 P.M.

A.7 Powered by Picturebooks: Lessons to Ease Students into Text Analysis, Reading Response, and Writing with Craft ROOM 102 B (LEVEL 1)

Sharing picturebooks is essential for building empathy and strong readers, writers, and thinkers. In this session, participants will learn to use diverse picturebooks as a vehicle for the intellectual work of discussion, writing, and responding to reading. Teachers will leave with their own writing and access to lessons for over 50 picturebooks to use in their classrooms tomorrow.

Presenters: Kayla Briseño, San Antonio Academy, TX

Stephen Briseño, St. George Episcopal School, San Antonio, TX/ Random House Studio

A.10 Literacy through Looking: A Replicable School and Museum Partnership Model

ROOM 151 A (LEVEL 1)

Learn how classroom teaching and museum learning partnerships can enhance literacy skills in students at the middle school level. Presenters will share a program model that builds literacy skills through the visual arts. Participants will receive practical instructional materials along with planning templates and teaching tips.

Presenters: Lisa Ryan, Diocese of Bridgeport Schools

Jessica Sack, Yale University Art Gallery

A.11 Empowering Readers beyond State Standards:

Implementing Lessons from an NEH Summer Institute on the History of American Literature Instruction

ROOM 152 (LEVEL 1)

A.8 Recognizing and Deepening the Brilliance of Students: Facilitating Literacy Experiences That Reflect the Hope, Heart, and Identity of Students ROOM 104 B (LEVEL 1)

Students enjoy relevant, engaging literacy experiences when educators are mindful of the knowledge and brilliance students bring and support them to make connections between the known and unknown as they make meaning of texts and themselves. Participants will learn to pose challenging questions that elevate the role of conferring and text sets to get at the heart of transformational literacy.

Presenters: Afrika Afeni Mills, Open Windows, Open Minds

Laura Reece, Marquardt School District 15

Hannah Schneewind, Trusting Readers LLC

Jennifer Scoggin, Trusting Readers LLC

A.9 Using Kid-Lit to Co-Teach Hope, Humanity, and Empathy in Challenging Times

ROOM 104 C (LEVEL 1)

Using powerful kid-lit paired with real classroom examples, this session blends practice with digestible ideas to adapt immediately. Explore steps to guide kids toward writing and drawing on their own experiences, empowering them to be critical thinkers, discerning researchers, and empathic readers, all while using books as co-teaching tools to locate the heart and humanity in all stories.

Presenters: Trudy Ludwig

Joellen McCarthy, The Educator Collaborative

Marissa Moss

Kathryn Otoshi

Four K–12 presenters show how the history of American literature instruction serves as vital context for designing curricula that empower student readers within the framework of required state standards. Participants will gain a stronger understanding of how reader-response can flourish even in times that privilege scientific, formalist approaches to reading. Materials and resources provided.

Presenters: Samantha Collins, Lexington High School, MA

Sarah Esberger, Eagleville School, TN

Ryan Judkins, Marblehead Veterans Middle School, MA

Jonna Perrillo, The University of Texas at El Paso

Leah Singerman, The Smith School, New York, NY

A.12 Enlivening Translingual Literacies through Picturebooks

ROOM 160 A (LEVEL 1)

This interactive panel will feature picturebooks’ approaches and planning guides to amplify the translingual literacies that thrive among racialized bi/multilingual children. Participants will reimagine picturebook collections and rethink literature instruction as essential, translingual work for literacy development and anti-oppressive classroom conditions.

Presenters: Adrianna Gonzalez, University of Missouri-Columbia

Mary Adu-Gyamfi, University of Missouri-Columbia

Whitney Hoffmann, Grant Elementary School/Parkade Elementary School, Columbia, MO

Angie Zapata, University of Missouri-Columbia

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

A.13 Falling for Nonfiction: How Nature Can Nurture Heart in Young Writers ROOM 160 C (LEVEL 1)

Impactful writing comes from the heart. When approaching nonfiction writing with hearts first, students are more engaged and invested in the process and the writing is richer. Join this panel of STEM authors as they share how their passions and curiosity for the natural world led to their creative processes and offer ideas for inspiring students to keep their own hearts at the center of their writing.

Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Nell Cross Beckerman, Scholastic/ Abrams

Adriana Hernández Bergstrom, Scholastic

Cedar Pruitt, Simon & Schuster/Capstone Editions

Michelle Schaub, Norton/Sleeping Bear

Randi Sonenshine, K–12 Literacy Specialist, Cartersville Schools/ Candlewick Press

A.14 Fiction as Social Commentary: A Unit Designed to Capture Hearts and Instill Hope in Humanity ROOM 161 (LEVEL 1)

We share a “Fiction as Social Commentary” unit designed to engage the hearts and minds of students and connect them to the world. This unit demonstrates the formative power of classroom spaces and curriculum centered around strategies that give voice to students’ understanding of the world. Walk away with the design principles and resources to adopt, adapt, or create your own engaging unit.

Presenters: Katelyn Baker, Olentangy Berkshire Middle School

Kristin Bourdage, Olentangy Schools

Scott Dills, Olentangy Schools

Jennifer Ebersole, Olentangy Berlin Middle School

A.15 Unlocking the Potential of Picturebooks: Literacy Experiences That Inspire Communication, Compassion, and Connection ROOM 162 B (LEVEL 1)

Join four optimistic educators as they discuss techniques for merging conversation-rich readalouds, short bursts of shared reading, and proven practices that support independent readers. Discover picturebooks and ideas to help learners enact positive change within themselves, their classroom, and their community. Together, let’s inspire the next generation of communicators and innovators.

Presenters: Vera Ahiyya, The Tutu Teacher, Random House Children’s Books

Juan Edgar Gonzalez Jr., Lobit Elementary, Dickinson, TX

Raakhee Mirchandani, Little Brown

Maria Walther, Literary Consultant, Aurora, IL

A.16 Critical Mentorship and Literacy Leadership with Preservice Teachers: Going beyond the Imposter Syndrome

ROOM 203 (LEVEL 2)

What happens when directors from a National Writing Project site and a university writing center learn they have much in common, including mentorship of students well positioned to grow with heart, hope, and humanity? They invite them to take on leadership roles within a critical mentorship framework, including an invitation to learn from authors of children’s and young adult texts.

Presenters: Nohea Breeden, Fairfield University

Joanna Dalton, Fairfield University

Max Limric, Fairfield University

Mentors: Elizabeth Boquet, Fairfield University

Bryan Ripley Crandall, Connecticut Writing Project/Fairfield University

Tradebook Author/Illustrator: Patricia Park, Random House Children’s Books

A.17 Ecoliteracy Can Change the World: How Reading and Writing about Our Environments Can Inspire Hopeful Activism

ROOM 204 A (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the ELATE Commission on Climate Justice, Inquiry, and Action

Climate change is a significant threat to human existence; one of the most powerful survival tools we have is the power of empathetic imagination. A panel of award-winning authors, scientists, and educators will discuss the vital role that ELA teachers play in our fight to preserve life on our planet and provide suggestions for ecoliteracy extension activities.

Chair: Nora Shalaway Carpenter, Running Press Kids/Hachette Book Group

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Margarita Engle, Simon & Schuster

Karina Iceberg, Heartdrum

Russell Mayo, Chicago Public Schools

Jewell Parker Rhodes, Arizona State University/LBYR

Gabriel Valdez, Pacifica High School, Oxnard, CA

Padma Venkatraman, Penguin Random House

A SESSIONS

— 11:30 A.M.–12:45 P.M.

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

A.18 Facilitating Fabulous Feedback: Middle Grade

Authors’ Proven Techniques for Running Effective and Supportive Critique Groups in the Classroom

ROOM 204 B (LEVEL 2)

A group of authors from a long-running critique group will use their works-in-progress to model the strategies teachers can use to create safe, supportive, and creative environments in which students can learn to critique each other’s work. Attendees will gain practical insights into how to set up and guide critique groups, along with a treasure trove of ideas to try in the classroom.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Kate Albus, Margaret Ferguson Books at Holiday House

Chrystal D. Giles, Random House Children’s Books

Rina Heisel, HarperCollins

Sylvia Liu, Scholastic/Penguin Random House/Razorbill

Evelyn O’Hara, Oceanside School District

Victor Pineiro, Sourcebooks

Jessica B. Speer, Familius

Alysa Wishingrad, HarperCollins

A.19 First Texts for Change: Possibilities for Humanizing ELA Classrooms

ROOM 205 A (LEVEL 2)

Where to start? Rationales for 7 texts leading to 7 different ways to start the year in ELA with a panel of teachers, teacher educators, and a debut author. Approaches that will inspire changes in your curriculum with new twists on classics, “linguistic activism,” YAL, networked literacies, and more. Includes time for sharing ideas. Join us for this popular session, now in its 8th year!

Presenters: Briana Asmus, Aquinas College

Steven Bickmore, Emeritus, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Fawn Canady, Sonoma State University

Jennifer Johnson, Sonoma State University

Christopher Nagle, Western Michigan University

Anna J. Small Roseboro, Michigan Council of Teachers of English

Gretchen Rumohr, Aquinas College

Rene Saldana, Texas Tech University

Katie Sluiter, Wyoming Junior High School

A.20 Teachers as Readers: Building Book Knowledge in Service of Reading Joy

ROOM 205 B (LEVEL 2)

This session honors teacher book expertise while inviting participants to build and share book knowledge. Through a series of turn-and-talks, participants will discuss books they’re currently reading and resources they draw on to stay current in the world of books. Award-winning authors will also serve as a resource for teachers in this session dedicated to book love and reading joy.

Presenters: Jennifer Buehler, Saint Louis University

Donalyn Miller, The Book Whisperer, Inc.

Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Kathleen Glasgow, Random House Children’s Books

Ellen Hopkins, Penguin Random House

Jo Knowles, Candlewick

Lesléa Newman, Levine Querido

A.21 Censorship and Its Impacts: Research Roundtables

ROOM 205 C (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the Standing Committee Against Censorship

In this roundtable, researchers present findings from their studies on the impacts of censorship. Topics include community organizing, teacher and librarian partnerships, methodological considerations, and others. Additionally, researchers and participants will share strategies for protecting participants while researching such a politically charged topic.

Roundtable Leaders: Katharine Covino-Poutasse & Caitlin

Moriarity, Fitchburg State University, “Persevering in a Time of Censorship: Reflections from Today’s English Classrooms”

Christine Emeran, National Coalition Against Censorship, “Educational Censorship”

Ann D. David, University of the Incarnate Word, “Beyond the Numbers: Using Arts-Based Methodology to Understand Censorships Impacts”

Stacy Haynes-Moore, Coe College, “Navigating Censorship, Negotiating Identity: Iowa ELA Teachers’ Classroom Choice”

Tadayuki Suzuki & Keith Newvine, SUNY Cortland, “How Educators Make Sense of and Navigate Book Challenges”

Amber Warrington, Boise State University, “Impacts of State Legislation on Teachers’ Decision Making”

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

A.22 The Use of Graphic Novels to Engage Multilingual Learners in the Classroom

ROOM 206 A (LEVEL 2)

In a study of future teachers, graphic novels were implemented as a way to reach the multilingual learner in the upper elementary classroom. Student teachers spent the first part of a Curriculum and Instruction course learning about the text and visual features of graphic novels and then used their new-found knowledge to work with ML students in their field placements in small group settings.

Presenters: Jamie Caudill, Georgia Gwinnett College

Christine Reilly, Georgia Gwinnett College

A.23 “How the Light Gets In”: Using Kintsugi to Explore Brokenness and Beauty

ROOM 206 B (LEVEL 2)

Join presenters for a panel demonstration in which attendees will develop an understanding of the traditional Japanese art of kintsugi (“golden joinery”) and the multifaceted ways this concept can be implemented in the classroom to engage students in reshaping their notions of damage, repair, resilience, and beauty as they analyze, reflect, write, collaborate, and grow as school leaders.

Chair: Nichole Paquet Smith, Bentonville Schools, AR

Presenters: Julie Griggs, Thaden School

Hung Pham, University of Arkansas

A.24 Living Our Lineages: Considering Contemporary Applications for the History of English Education

ROOM 207 (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the ELATE Commission on the History of English Education

This session conducted by members of the ELATE Commission on the History of English Education will explore the ways that we live the legacies set by some of the great thinkers in our field. The aim of this session is to both position our contemporary practices as the products of the thinkers they came from and to offer the teachers in the room practical applications of these ideas.

Chair: Meg Davis Roberts, SUNY New Paltz

Presenters: Natalie Davis-Porada, Convent of the Sacred Heart

Shannon Potts, Special Music School

Maura Roosevelt, Teachers College, Columbia University

Ashlynn Wittchow, Louisiana State University

Respondent: Sheridan Blau, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Santa Barbara & Teachers College, Columbia University

A.25 Lives and Events of Heart and Hope That Led to Positive, Transformational Change and a Better Life for ALL

ROOM 208 (LEVEL 2)

Award-winning authors will share their research, writing techniques, and ways they have chosen to inform, inspire, and engage readers. They will share compelling stories, demonstrating the impact of heart and hope, to achieve a goal. They will discuss how past events have impacted life today, improving conditions for all of humanity. Instructional strategies will also be shared.

Presenter: Donna Knoell, Retired Teacher/Educational Consultant

Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Ray Anthony Shepard, Retired Teacher/Astra Publishing House

Tonya Bolden, ABRAMS Books

Candace Fleming, Random House Children’s Books

Steve Watkins, Bloomsbury Children’s Books

A.26 Bringing Down Barriers to Belonging with We Are America and Facing History

ROOM 209 (LEVEL 2)

How can we unite head, heart, and conscience to empower students to bridge differences and find belonging in our shared humanity? This interactive session will focus on practical ways to elevate student voices on themes of borders and belonging in literature and their own lives. Hear from a student author and a teaching fellow with We Are America and explore a new ELA collection from Facing History.

Presenters: Sarah Casimiro, North Quincy High School

Jessica Lander, We Are America Project/Lowell High School

Nicole Renner, Facing History and Ourselves

Stella Wong, Bentley University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

A.27 Words That Mend: Finding Heart, Hope, and Humanity within the Healing Power of Poetry

ROOM 210 A (LEVEL 2)

Get ready to break through the anxiety some students and teachers bring to writing poetry in a session that bridges the challenges of nurturing connections through community. Author and poet

Ann E. Burg shoots a poetic arrow through fears, and we jump into prompts, share unifying verses, and exchange feedback that disrupts the digital separations in our classrooms, opening writers to poetic healing.

Tradebook Author/Illustrator: Ann E. Burg, Scholastic

Roundtable Leaders: Susan Ahlbrand, Jasper Middle School

Tammi Belko, North Ridgeville City Schools

Sarah Donovan, Oklahoma State University

Wendy Everard, Cazenovia High School

Kimberly Johnson, Pike County Schools

Jennifer Jowett, St. Gerard School

Denise Krebs, Al Raja School (retired educator)

Leilya Pitre, Southeastern Louisiana University

Margaret Simon, Iberia Parish Gifted Program

A.29 Where Advocacy, Inquiry, and Youth Participatory Action Research Meets the ELA Curriculum

ROOM 159 (LEVEL 1)

In this session, we discuss the importance of audience and purpose when designing social justice projects for 6–12 ELA classrooms. We will share examples, lessons, and resources from a middle school project on tolerance and a dual-credit inquiry into injustices within students’ communities. Each positioned students as decision makers, inquiring into matters closely tied to their day-to-day lives.

Presenters: Meagan Pike Dean, The University of Texas at Austin, “Designing Our Now: Writing for Change in Secondary ELA”

Emily McDonald, The University of Texas at Austin, “Designing Our Now: Writing for Change in Secondary ELA”

Glenn Rhoades, Georgia State University, Atlanta, “Raising Critical Awareness with YPAR Social Justice Book Clubs”

A.30 How Do We Define Justice, and What Does This Mean for Our Teaching?

ROOM 211 (LEVEL 2)

A.28 It’s Not So Black and White: Considering Antiracism in a Complex World

ROOM 210 B (LEVEL 2)

Two educators and their students draw on research and lived experiences, discussing the necessity of connecting to others and honoring antiracist behaviors, well-being, and cultural relevance. Panelists share insight from their courses, offering ideas for action as a means of understanding the value of empathy, humanity, and cultural literacy in a complex world. Together, we’ll move toward hope!

Presenters: Lauren DeJulio Bell, University Illinois Chicago/ Uplift Community High School

Savannah Johnson, University of Illinois Chicago

Erica Lande, University of Illinois Chicago

Alex Sainvilier, University of Illinois Chicago

Will Singleton, University of Illinois Chicago

Four teacher educators describe their experiences in an English Language Arts Teacher Educators (ELATE) working group to define justice relative to their contexts and what that means for their teaching. Panelists will guide participants to define justice relative to their personal, institutional, and geographic contexts—and the affordances and constraints therein—and what they then do in the classroom.

Presenters: Sara Cooper, Murray State University

Naitnaphit Limlamai, Colorado State University, Fort Collins

Jessica Rivera-Mueller, Utah State University

Elisabeth Spinner, Alma College

A.31 Groundwork: Heart, Hope, and Humanity in Rural Education

ROOM 258 A (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by The Rural Assembly of English Language and Literacy

The Rural Assembly of English Language and Literacy (TRAELLE) at NCTE presents roundtables that explore rural sites of celebration of humanity and hope for our future as we focus on laying the groundwork for leading with our hearts in rural education.

Chairs: Rebekah Buchanan, Western Illinois University

Chea Parton, Purdue University

Roundtable Leaders:

Roundtable 1: Preservice Teachers: Hope for the Future

Carlin Borsheim-Black, Central Michigan University, “Laying the Groundwork to Sustain Field Experiences in Partnership with Small Town Schools”

Rebecca Chatham-Vazquez, North Dakota State University, “Laying the Groundwork for Rural Teacher Support”

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Roundtable 2: Reading Rural: Exploring Humanity and Social Justice

Janine J. Darragh, University of Idaho & Ashley S. Boyd, Washington State University, “Reading for Justice: Using The Benefits of Being an Octopus to Inspire Students to Engage in Social Action in Their Rural Communities”

Erika L. Bass, University of Northern Iowa, “Reading Rural Together: Running a Rural-Focused Book Club”

Roundtable 3: Queering Rural: Inspiring Hope with Rural Youth

Stephanie Anne Shelton, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, “Cornbread and Community: Queer-Affirming Learning in a Rural Southern High School”

Gretchen Schroeder, Millersport High School/The Ohio State University, “Hosting a Queer Book Club in a Rural School”

Roundtable 4: Engaging Students: Getting at the Heart of Rural Action

Zoe Buccella, Frontier High/Middle School, “Rural Changemakers: Implementing Student Action Plans”

Layne Ilderton, Arizona State University, “Writing Apprehension in Rural Settings”

Roundtable 5: Supporting Rural: Sharing Hope for Rural Teachers

Kelsey Jones-Greer, Penn State University, “Humanizing Rural ELA: A Virtual Critical Friend Group’s Exploration of RuralSpecific Antiracist Curriculum and Instruction”

Alisha White, Western Illinois University, “Middle and Secondary ELA Teachers Bringing Heart and the Arts into Rural Classrooms”

Roundtable 6: Rural Resources: Initiatives with Heart

Crystal L. Beach, Union County Schools/University of Georgia, “Moving Mountains with Strategic Literacy Initiatives”

Rachelle Kuehl & Amy Price Azano, Virginia Tech, “Rural Literature Library: A Searchable Online Resource for Teachers”

Roundtable 7: Supporting Students: Honoring the Humanity of Rural Youth

Paul Thomas, Furman University, “Honoring Rural Literacy in the ‘Science of Reading’ and Censorship Era”

Giulia Weeda, Cascade Public Schools, MT/Montana State University, “The Influence of Exploring Rural Literature on Students’ Written Reflections of Self”

Roundtable 8: Dreaming and Belonging: Finding Hope in Rural Spaces

Asia Thomas Uzomba, American University, “Porch Literacies: Bridging New Educational Futures through Black Storytelling, Belonging, and Knowledge Sharing”

Wendy Glenn, University of Colorado Boulder, “Big Dreams in a Small Town: Access and Ableism in Rural Sporting Spaces”

A.32 Using Picturebook Biographies of South Asian Trailblazers to Raise Changemakers with Hope and Humanity

ROOM

258 B (LEVEL 2)

Picturebook biographies are extensively researched works of literature and art that inform and inspire. They help students expand their worldviews, imagine possibilities, and see potential in their own hopes and dreams. Attendees will explore South Asian biographies focusing on visual literacy, authentic cultural portrayal, and cross-curricular themes, and leave with resources and activities. At each roundtable, speakers will share curriculum resources specific to their books and offer personal experiences from classroom visits.

Roundtable Leaders: Jyoti Rajan Gopal, author/teacher, Candlewick Press, “Desert Queen: Harish Kumar defies gender boundaries and shatters stereotypes about masculinity and dance”

Rina Singh, author/teacher, NorthSouth Books, “The Forest Keeper: How a young environmentalist and innovative problem solver saved an entire ecosystem with a bag of seeds and a vision”

Suma Subramaniam, author, “She Sang for India: Subhalakshmi advocates for peace and justice through song”

Srividhya Venkat, author/teacher, Little Bee, “Seeker of Truth: Kailash Satyarthi’s fight to end child labor”

A.33 I May Be Just a Teacher, but Please Listen: Advocating for Amplifying Teacher Voice in the Pursuit of Social Justice

ROOM 259 A (LEVEL 2)

This session, crafted for educators, unveils teachers’ voices in today’s challenging education landscape. Exploring advocacy and social justice, it delves into insights crucial for teacher education programs, aiming to amplify narratives and advocate for equitable education. Educators leave with a deepened understanding of their challenges and pivotal role in shaping effective education.

Presenters: Carrie Buckner

Jarvais Jackson, Georgia Southern University

Anne Valauri

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

B.1 HS Matters—Stories of Hope and Humanity: Exploring Captivating and Compelling Memoirs

ROOM 211 (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the Secondary Section Steering Committee

Memoirs highlight unique voices, tell gripping stories from an author’s adolescence, or offer compelling coming-of-age experiences. This panel will share stories related to gender identity, diverse cultures, overcoming adversity, belonging, and finding a purpose. Classroomsituated responses will offer immediate, useful strategies for weaving powerful nonfiction memoirs into the classroom curriculum.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Cyndi Giorgis, Arizona State University

Elvira Gonzalez, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group

George M. Johnson, Macmillan

Marie LeJeune, Western Oregon University

Amra Sabic-El-Rayess, Macmillan

B.2 Teaching Secondary Students to Use AI with Heart and Humanity to Improve Literacy Skills

ROOM 153 A (LEVEL 1)

Generative AI is not an issue that we can simply ignore. Our students will use it in ways familiar and unfamiliar to us. So, how can we help them learn to use AI as a tool that empowers them instead of as a replacement for their own voices? This session will share several lessons that we have used in teaching high school students to use AI as a valuable tool in their literacy learning.

Presenters: Chris M. Peck, Orem High School

Thomas Smith, Utah Valley University

B.3 Generative AI as a Tool for Cultivating Criticality with Students and Teachers

ROOM 160 B (LEVEL 1)

Everyone’s talking about GenAI, so come join the conversation! These interactive presentations explore the intersection of generative AI (GenAI) and English language arts (ELA) education, offering concrete strategies for integrating GenAI as a learning tool in ELA teacher education, reconceptualizing critical digital literacies for the current moment, and providing tips for using GenAI in elementary literacy teaching and teacher education.

Presenters: Carin Appleget, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, “Generative AI for Elementary Literacy Teachers and Teacher Educators”

Melissa Arasin, University of Toronto-OISE, “Critical Digital Literacies for an AI Era: Approaches for Education”

Jonathan Bartels, University of Michigan-Flint, “Heart, Hope, Humanity, and the Machine: Critically Exploring the

Intersections of Generative AI and English Language Arts Teacher Education”

Shuling Yang, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, “Generative AI for Elementary Literacy Teachers and Teacher Educators”

B.4 History and ELA Critical Literacies

ROOM 203 (LEVEL 2)

This panel offers teachers two ways to take a critical look at history. Through a lens of critical literacy, engage in interactive presentations that offer a glimpse into integrating history and ELA in ways that allow participants to challenge recent attempts to erase the real history of these United States.

Presenters: Andrew Flanagan, Teachers College, Columbia University, “A Critical Literacies Approach to Teaching the Truth about Thomas Jefferson and Ourselves”

Abdul-Qadir Islam, Teachers College, Columbia University, “Extraordinary Historians: The Utility of Archival Resources in Constructing Memoirs of Belonging in Schools”

B.5 Integrating Diverse Texts, Perspectives, and Languages in Literacy Education

ROOM 258 A (LEVEL 2)

This panel provides multiple approaches for elementary preservice and inservice teachers to create culturally relevant learning experiences in their classrooms through self-reflection, linguistically diverse text selection, critical metalinguistic engagement, and integration of Indigenous perspectives into curricula.

Presenters: Kathryn Accurso, University of British Columbia, “Integrating Indigenous Education and Language Arts Priorities in Elementary Teacher Education”

Renata Love Jones, Georgia State University, “Pursuing Language with Heart, Hope, and Humanity”

Jen McCreight, Kent State University, “’Can I say it?’ Elementary Preservice Teachers Examine Lived Linguistic Experiences to Create Linguistically Safe Spaces for Students”

Joaquin Munoz, University of British Columbia, “Integrating Indigenous Education and Language Arts Priorities in Elementary Teacher Education”

Patrick Proctor, Boston College, “Pursuing Language with Heart, Hope, and Humanity”

All sessions will be held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center unless otherwise noted.

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

B.6 Picturing Hope: How Novels with Graphic Elements and Nontraditional Structures

Engage Readers, Create Space for Emotion, and Spark Connection

ROOM 102 A (LEVEL 1)

Middle school is a time of transition. As readers cross the bridge into adolescence, they’re often dealing with big changes in their lives. In this session, trade book authors and a notable educator-author share stories behind their unconventional novel structures along with best practices for engaging readers with books that explore big changes in ways that spark conversation and connection.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Mary E. Cronin, Dennis-Yarmouth Regional Schools

Lisa Fipps, Penguin Young Readers/Nancy Paulsen Books

Jo Knowles, Candlewick

Kate Messner, Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Phoebe Sinclair, Candlewick Press

B.7 Professional Writing Methods for Reluctant Young Writers

ROOM 102 B (LEVEL 1)

Is there one “right” way for students to approach writing? The answer is no! In this panel, authors share professional tips for approaching the intimidating “getting started” stage of writing. Whether planning out plots, writing spontaneously, or creating art before words, attendees will learn actionable classroom tips to help younger students approach writing and unlock their inner voices.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Phaea Crede, Viking Books/Barefoot Books

Carol Gordon Ekster

Kari Percival, Chronicle Kids/Rise X Penguin Workshop

B.8 Youth Ingenuity and Artificial Intelligence

ROOM 204 B (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the Standing Committee on Research

Participants in this panel will highlight research with and alongside youth who use AI in consequential ways across a range of activities. Unique to this panel are reports of the varied contexts where youth are productively using AI to transform and speak back to narratives that de-center their lived experiences.

Presenters: Jennifer M. Higgs, University of California, Davis

Clifford Lee, Mills College at Northeastern University

José Ramón Lizárraga, University of Colorado Boulder

Danny Martinez, University of California, Davis

Anna Smith, Illinois State University

B.9 Translanguaging Perspectives on Writing Practice and Pedagogy: Learning from Findings across Contexts

ROOM 104 C (LEVEL 1)

Embodying the multilingual and multicultural representation of emergent bilingual students, families, educators, and communities of practice with whom we work, this panel presentation brings together research grounded in a translanguaging perspective on writing instruction and practice across a variety of contexts (e.g., elementary and secondary classrooms, community spaces, teacher education).

Presenters: Mariana Castro, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Lucia Cardenas Curiel, Michigan State University

Tracey T. Flores, The University of Texas at Austin

Mileidis Gort, University of Colorado Boulder

Susana Ibarra Johnson, New Mexico State University

Heather Reichmuth, University of Maine

Kate Seltzer, Rowan University

Katie Trautman, The University of Texas at Austin

Thea Williamson, Salisbury University

B.10 Ink Bonds: Shaping Writing Identities and Communities among Preservice Teacher Writers through a University-Based Writing Across the Curriculum Course

ROOM 151 A (LEVEL 1)

Through this interactive panel, university educators and preservice teachers share the impacts of a Writing Across the Curriculum course designed to shape writing identities and communities among future educators. Participants will explore innovative teaching practices, student work samples, and hands-on exercises meant to foster authentic writing experiences.

Presenters: Megan Breaux, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

H. Michelle Kreamer, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Emma Landaiche, Student/University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Abbey Poirier, Student/University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

B.13 Toward Empowerment, Equity, and Education for Liberation: The Intersections of Critical Literacy and Social Justice

ROOM 153 C (LEVEL 1)

This panel discussion focuses on intersections of critical literacy and social justice. Grounded in classroom practice, presenters will showcase ways of incorporating student literacies and critical literacy in diverse teaching environments for the empowerment of teacher practice and student voice. The panel also considers the challenges educators encounter when engaging in this work.

Presenters: Nadia Behizadeh, Georgia State University

Katharine Covino-Poutasse, Fitchburg State University

Jessica Edwards, Northern Kentucky University

Christina Fields, Marist College

Kierstin Giunco, Boston College

Sara Hoeve, Hope College

Sawsan Jaber, Maine District 207/Education Unfiltered Consulting

Wintre Johnson

Cara Mulcahy, Central Connecticut State University

Louise Shaw, Southern Connecticut State University

B.14 Being and Becoming Writers in an Age of AI: Reconnecting with Our Values and Reclaiming Writers’ Agency

ROOM 210 A (LEVEL 2)

AI tools that draw from large language models continue to complicate what it means to be and become a writer, as well as a teacher of writing. This session will share strategies and examples for guiding students as they engage with AI in order to help them reclaim agency, as writers, over the technologies that they encounter.

Presenters: Troy Hicks, Central Michigan University

Andy Schoenborn, Clare Public Schools

Jill Stedronsky, William Anin Middle School

Kristen Turner, Drew University/Drew Writing Project

B.15 Empowering Voices on Every Shelf: The Journey of Arts in Action to Bookshelf Diversity ROOM 156 A (LEVEL 1)

We will explore the remarkable impact and evolution of Arts in Action, a class project which led to the creation of Bookshelf Diversity (BSD). Sparked by a student project, and cofounded by English teachers, BSD’s aim is to enhance diversity in classroom libraries. Participants will learn how this initiative began and persevered through pushback and will identify ways to bring BSD to their state.

Presenters: Kristina Peterson, Exeter High School/Heinemann

Sylvia Foster

Dennis Magliozzi, Exeter High School

Ken Mendis

Kelly Touhey-Childress

B.16 It Takes Heart to Be a Hero: Three Approaches to Teaching Superhero Texts in ELA

ROOM 156 B (LEVEL 1)

This presentation offers three different approaches secondary ELA teachers can use to incorporate and teach superhero narratives in their classrooms. Additionally, this presentation offers three different modalities that can be used in secondary ELA classrooms. Participants will review curriculum and student work to generate their own ideas for using superhero texts in their classrooms.

Presenters: Christian Hines, Texas State University

Carrie Mattern, Michigan Council of Teachers of English

Jillian Miley, P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School, University of Florida

Henry Cody Miller, SUNY Brockport

Jon Mundorf, P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School, University of Florida

René M. Rodriguez-Astacio, California State University, Fresno

B.17 Heart, Hope, and Humanity behind Bars: Fostering Empathy with Incarcerated Adolescents and Adults

ROOM 156 C (LEVEL 1)

Two seasoned teachers highlight strategies for cultivating empathy among incarcerated youth and adults. Rooted in ELA curricula, they’ll showcase the use of virtual reality to deepen understanding, emphasizing the importance of comprehending how individual actions impact others. We’ll also explore the role of communities of practice in literacy classrooms, fostering empathy within and beyond bars.

Presenters: Deborah Appleman, Carleton College

Megan Mercurio, Woodside Learning Center

Respondent: Peter Williamson, Stanford University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

B.18 What It Means to Be a Good Creature: Developing a More Expansive and Hopeful Inquiry Curriculum with Young Children

ROOM 157 A (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by the Center for Expansion of Language and Thinking

In this presentation, we share how a preschool teacher helped young children inquire into their roles and responsibilities to the more-than-human world the lands, waters, and creatures with whom we live. Drawing on Sy Montgomery’s 2020 book Becoming a Good Creature, we will share examples from this critical inquiry and the literacy engagements that expanded the preschool literacy curriculum.

Presenters: Tasha Tropp Laman, Western Washington University

Charlene Montaño Nolan, Western Washington University

Justine Williams, Mary E. Theler Early Learning Center/North Mason School District

B.19 Uplifting Student Voices in the Writing Classroom: Instructing with Hope, Humanity, and Heart

ROOM 157 B (LEVEL 1)

This panel presentation highlights the classroom practices of writing instructors who worked with preservice teachers. Utilizing humanistic curricular approaches, this presentation highlights ideas that can be implemented into the classroom to teach writing through diverse texts centering on hope and humanity with consideration of the sociopolitical contexts of our students.

Presenters: Joy Chang, Academy for Careers in Television and Film

Diana Liu, Brooklyn Technical High School/Teachers College, Columbia University

Rashida Mustafa, Teachers College, Columbia University

Manan Pandey, Jonas Bronck Academy

Respondent: Eve Becker, Leaf and Pen/Pace University/ Teachers College, Columbia University/New York State English Council

B.20 Reading Banned Books as an Act of Love: Walker, Morrison, and Baldwin in First-Year College English

ROOM 157 C (LEVEL 1)

This panel shares teachers’ experiences of teaching Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, and James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” to first-year writing community college students. With the recent trend of banning books, teaching these controversial texts takes on an even greater power by asking: how can we truly love others if we cannot hear their stories?

Presenters: Lindsay Brand, St. Charles Community College

Jacqueline Gray, St. Charles Community College

Rachel McWhorter, Century College

B.21 Preparing Culturally Responsive Elementary Teachers through Culturally Responsive Teacher Education Practices

ROOM 160 A (LEVEL1)

A teacher educator and six undergraduate preservice teachers share their experiences in elementary literacy methods courses. The courses centered on culturally responsive-sustaining pedagogy (CRSP) for urban elementary classrooms and utilized CRSP in the college classroom. Presenters will focus on how the courses deepened their knowledge about CRSP and how the courses could have been improved.

Presenters: Kathryn Struthers Ahmed, Hunter College, CUNY

Sonia Begum, Hunter College, CUNY

Jia Jiang, Hunter College, CUNY

Jessie Song, Hunter College, CUNY

Victoria Song, Hunter College, CUNY

Oumwatie Sooklall, Hunter College, CUNY

Samantha Wong, Hunter College, CUNY

B.22 Creating a Third Space: Bridging the Gap between High School and College via Collaboration and Culturally Responsive English Instruction

ROOM 160 C (LEVEL 1)

Third Space English, co-developed by high school and college faculty, was created to better fill the equity gap in dual-enrollment education and to prepare disenfranchised students more for college courses. This presentation highlights the philosophy and development of the course, an instructor’s perspective on what it looks like in the high school classroom, and the students’ success thus far.

Presenters: Rachel Brooks-Pannell, Columbus State Community College

Beth Koruna, Columbus State Community College

Whitney Larson, Columbus State Community College

Molly Spears, Franklin Heights High School

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

B.23 Dialogic Teaching and Caring Thinking about Literature as Tools for Teaching Humanity ROOM 161 (LEVEL 1)

Reading promotes humanity, but facilitating dialogue is the actionable, powerful practice that teaches humanity. We describe caring thinking and inquiry dialogue, demonstrating “quality talk” facilitation moves that stress caring for others as much as they do critical thinking about the text. Dialogue is the vital link between reading and connecting with others to engage the heart and mind.

Presenters: Elizabeth Addy, Olentangy Local Schools, Berkshire Middle School

Katelyn Baker, Olentangy Berkshire Middle School

Kristin Bourdage, Olentangy Local Schools

Scott Dills, Olentangy Local Schools

Jennifer Ebersole, Olentangy Berlin Middle School

Nathan Mitch, Olentangy Local Schools

B.24 Using Literature to Address Antisemitism in Early Childhood, Elementary, Secondary, Postsecondary, and Teacher Education Classrooms

ROOM 162 A (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by the Jewish Caucus

Antisemitism is ubiquitous, pernicious, and a threat to democracy in the United States. A team of six former classroom teachers, teacher educators, and children’s literature scholars introduce participants to outstanding children’s literature with Jewish themes to explore, problematize, and advocate against antisemitism across grade levels.

Chair: David Bloome, The Ohio State University

Presenters: Madeline Gottlieb

Huili Hong

Laurie Katz, The Ohio State University

Ted Kesler, Queens College, CUNY

Respondent: Mara Lee Grayson, Hillel International

B.25 Jewish Picture Books: Modeling Heart, Hope, and Humanity for Every Classroom

ROOM 162 B (LEVEL 1)

In this session, a panel of award-winning authoreducators will share a breadth of picture books demonstrating universal values drawn from Jewish traditions and culture. Lesson plans will highlight Jewish ideals and their origins, including kindness; respect; charity; environmentalism; social action; caring for one’s neighbor, the sick, and the elderly; gratitude; and pursuing justice and peace.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Laura Roettiger, children’s book author/teacher

Chana Stiefel, author, speaker

Liza Wiemer, Penguin Random House/Kalaniot Books

B.26 Centers of Heart and Hope: Using Picturebook Biographies to Advocate for Libraries ROOM 204 A (LEVEL 2)

This panel of educators and authors will highlight picturebook biographies of librarians and community activists and share strategies for using these informational texts as part of a larger library advocacy toolkit in the current era of book challenges. Attendees will leave this panel with ways to empower student voices and encourage book access for all in the face of budget cuts and censorship.

Presenters: Anika Aldamuy Denise, HarperCollins

Angela Burke Kunkel, Vergennes Union Middle High School/ Teacher-Librarian/ Random House Children’s Books

NoNieqa Ramos, Lerner/Carolrhoda Books

Pat Zietlow-Miller, Viking

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

B.27 Dig Dis! Digital Discourse Practices in ELA for Heart, Hope, and Humanity

ROOM 205 A (LEVEL 2)

Learn how ELA teachers can engage with digital discourse to create learning communities that amplify student voice and sustain teacher practice. Oriented around the question, “Digital discourse for what?”, this session is a choose-your-own-adventure featuring strategies, frameworks, and approaches that National Writing Project teachers have found generative and meaningful in their classrooms.

Roundtable topics include:

Digital Discourse & AI: Can AI Be a Creative Thought Partner?

Social Making: How Do Texts Give Birth to New Texts?

Social Annotating: How Do We Dialogue with Texts?

Social Exchange: How Do We Make Sense of Texts Together?

Digital Discourse & Equity: Digital Discourse for What?

Digital Discourse & Appreciative Inquiry: What Can We Learn Together?

Chairs: Elyse Eidman-Aadahl, National Writing Project

Amy Stornaiuolo, University of Pennsylvania

Respondents: Nicole Mirra, Rutgers University

Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, University of Michigan

Roundtable Leaders: Shelly Ballinger, Denver Writing Project/ Thornton High School

Bonnee Bentum, Philadelphia Writing Project/Science Leadership Academy at Beeber

Katie Burrows-Stone, Philadelphia Writing Project/Fennville High School

Christina Cantrill, National Writing Project

Angela Crawford, Philadelphia Writing Project/Martin Luther King High School

Alex Crawford

Joe Dillon, Aurora Highlands P-8

Jennifer Dunbar, Denver Writing Project/Centaurus High School

Miranda Egger, University of Colorado Denver

Latrice Ferguson, University of Pennsylvania

Jen Freed, University of Pennsylvania

June Freifelder, Philadelphia Writing Project/Academy at Palumbo

Rabani Garg, University of Pennsylvania

Jennifer Henderson, Denver Writing Project

Rolyn Heywood, Philadelphia Writing Project/Central High School

Christina Puntel, W.B. Saul High School

Sam Reed III, Philadelphia Writing Project/U School

Molly Robbins

Barrett Rosser, Philadelphia Writing Project/University of Pennsylvania

Jon Saliman, Denver Writing Project/Littleton High School

Emmy Talian, University of Pennsylvania/Write4Change Project

Geoffrey Winikur, Philadelphia Writing Project/Carver High School of Engineering and Science

Michael Wohlust, Denver Writing Project/Endeavor Academy High School

Sarah Woodard, Denver Writing Project/University of Colorado Denver/Denver Public Schools

B.28 Mental Health Literacy and ELA: Using Books to Normalize Conversation ROOM 205 B (LEVEL 2)

This session will provide participants books and strategies for integrating mental health literacy into the classroom as a means of normalizing conversation on mental health. Educators, mental health specialists, and authors will lead roundtable discussions on titles featuring mental health themes with strategies for guiding readers through the pillars of mental health literacy and ELA objectives.

Roundtable Leaders: Oz Atwood, Lesley University

Katherine Buckett, Lesley University

Nick Calway, Lesley University

Jill Donlan, Lesley University

Brooke Eisenbach, Lesley University

Junior Pena Figueroa, Lesley University

Emily Finnegan, Lesley University

Daphne Freeman

Jason Frydman, Lesley University

Reese Hogan, Lesley University

Susan James

Dr. Tori Kelley, Central Florida Mental Health

Bailey McCarney, Lesley University

Cristina Ruiz, Lesley University

Neve Sheckells, Lesley University

Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Nora Shalaway Carpenter, Running Press Kids/Hachette Book Group

Kerry Cerra, Carolrhoda Books, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group

Alexandra Flinn

Melody Maysonet, Blackstone Publishing

Tony Weaver, Macmillan

B.29 Decolonizing Middle Level Literacy

ROOM 205 C (LEVEL 2)

In this interactive session, you are invited to join the presenters as they collectively unpack their discoveries and learning around decolonizing middle level literacy instruction.

Presenters: Michael Domínguez, San Diego State University

Alexis Molina, Clark County School District

Courtney Prather, Illinois State University

Robyn Seglem, Illinois State University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

B.30 Shake Up Your Shelf: An Interactive Roundtable Discussion to Help Meet Your Students Where They’re At

ROOM 206 A (LEVEL 2)

Bring your literary wants and needs to this roundtable presentation with award-winning authors and seasoned educators. In our time together, attendees can share classroom literature needs and wants, ask questions of the authors, and brainstorm ways to expand and explore a wider literary canon with their students. Leave with book lists, read-alikes, teaching ideas, and more!

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Ashley Belote, Random House Children’s Books

Michael Leali, HarperCollins

Steph McHugh, Yorkville CUSD #115

Lauren Magaziner, Simon & Schuster Children’s Books

Kekla Magoon, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Katherine Roy, Norton Young Readers

Liz Garton Scanlon, Random House Children’s Books

Lakita Wilson, Viking Children’s/Penguin Random House

B.31 Everything Is Not Okay: Black Teens Changing Their Worlds

ROOM 206 B (LEVEL 2)

Young people use critical literacy skills to read their worlds every day, decoding society’s often unjust systems. Teens face daily decisions about when and how to challenge those systems. On this panel, authors and educators offer ways for teachers to support critical consciousness in schools using young adult literature about Black teens who challenge oppressive systems.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Autumn Allen, Penguin Young Readers

Jennifer Baker

Daren Graves, Simmons University

Don Hooper

Kim Johnson, Random House Children’s Books

Ibi Zoboi, Children’s Book Author

B.32 Saving Ourselves: How Black Women Educators Change and Heal from Unjust Systems

ROOM 207 (LEVEL 2)

This panel of Black women educators will discuss strategies, healing literature, and support structures needed to change unjust systems in efforts to create a community of care and hope for humanity.

Presenters: Erica Buchanan-Rivera, Butler University

Lisa Harton, Washington Township Schools/Black Teacher Project

Dennisha Murff, MSD Wayne Township Schools

Dena Simmons, LiberatED

B.33 Embracing Heart, Hope, and Life Lessons: Presenting Authors Whose Books Inspire and Engage Readers, Leading to a Lifelong Love of Reading

ROOM 208 (LEVEL 2)

Award-winning authors will discuss ways to truly inspire and engage readers: when characters embrace heart, hope, and communicate important life lessons. Authors will share compelling stories, emphasizing the importance of friendship, relationships, and courage that make stories meaningful to readers. Strategies will be shared for enriching literacy instruction when using outstanding trade books.

Presenter: Donna Knoell, Retired Teacher/Educational Consultant Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Gennifer Choldenko, Random House Children’s Books

Sharon Draper, Simon & Schuster

John Hendrix, ABRAMS Books

B.34 These Books Will Save the Planet: Perspectives on Ecological Justice in the Classroom from Book Award Winners and Teacher Educators

ROOM 209 (LEVEL 2)

In this panel presentation, the co-chairs of the Social Justice Literature Award will be in conversation with award-winning climate justice author Dany Sigwalt. We will discuss her book, other award-winning ecological justice books, and engage with ecological justice book text sets and kits that promote sustainable classroom engagement.

Presenters: Judith Dunkerly, Old Dominion University

Char Moffit, California State University, Chico Tradebook Author/Illustrator: Dany Sigwalt, The Quarto Group

B.36 Break Up with That Book! How to Build Positive Relationships with Reading through Collaborative Reader Workshop

ROOM 210 B (LEVEL 2)

Many students see reading as a chore, done alone. We want to create readers who “delve deep,” exploring themselves and the world around them, and it’s not enough simply to make time for silent reading. This session provides a practical framework to build a community of readers through collaborative reader workshop, a model that creates the synergy needed to foster reading lives outside of school.

Presenters: Stephanie Fleck, Lake Park High School

Allyssa Graham

Jolene Heinemann, Oak Park and River Forest High School

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

B.37

Embracing Our Book Love: Overcoming Obstacles to Build Literacy Communities of Hope and Humanity

ROOM 210 C (LEVEL 2)

The Book Love Foundation is a varied, vibrant community of teachers, scholars, leaders, creators, and authors. We are determined to ensure all K-12 students have equitable access to inclusive literature. This roundtable session features grant recipients and authors who will share practices for connecting students to each other within and beyond their community.

Chair: Penny Kittle, Plymouth State University Roundtable Leaders: Jasmine Bazemore, “Empowering Change Agents: Engaging Students in Nonfiction to Foster Critical Thinking and Real World Impact”

Michael Billotti, Merton Williams/Hilton CSD, “Boys in the Middle: Building Empathy and Enthusiasm in the Reading Lives of Boys”

Amy Bowden, Western Oregon University, “Making Book Recommendations without Reading Your Whole Library”

Maggie Bryant, “Joyful Reading: Encouraging and Motivating Readers”

Nathan Burr, Paramus School District, “Reading Celebrations at the Middle and High School Level”

Natalie Campbell, Don Tyson School of Innovation, “Reading Heart, Writing Hope: Common Formative Assessments That Embrace Choice in Reading and Cultivate Writing Craft”

Kaitlynn Cooper, Washoe County School District, “Using Humanity to Connect Hope”

Megan Davidhizar, Random House Children’s Books, “Using a Love of Reading to Foster a Love of Writing”

Rebecca Decker, Brick Memorial High School, “Cracking the Spine of Choice Reading”

Sheila Dugan, “Creating Community through Independent Reading”

Michael Méndez Guevara, “Independent Choice Reading Is Your Curriculum”

Lynn Hagen, Columbia Public School, “Using a Writer’s Notebook with a Graphic Novel Book Club”

Zainab Jabak, Alief Taylor High School, “Rewriting the Narrative: Unpacking and Healing Reading Traumas”

Lori Jordan, Westwood High School, “Building Leaders through Book Love”

Kelly Landen, Overland High School, “Teaching Literary Terms for Independent Readers”

Molly Love, Dublin City Schools, “Fostering a Love of Reading through Student Agency and Choice”

Madison Martin, Tell City Jr.–Sr. High School, “Reaching Reluctant Readers”

Kimberly Ouellette, Kingsclear Community School

Karlen Shupp, Trumbull High School, “Navigating Book Bans?"

B.38 Advocacy Writing from Students’ Lived Experiences and Creative Genres ROOM 152 (LEVEL 1)

Harnessing the power of student voice is the aim of many ELA classrooms. These presentations will provide attendees with strategies to employ writing instruction that empowers students to engage in poetry writing, personal narrative, and real-world writing for change.

Presenters: Keri Epps, Wake Forest University, “(Re)Imagining Invention: Teen Authors Creating Change across Genres”

Nathan Freeman, Authoring Action, “(Re)Imagining Invention: Teen Authors Creating Change across Genres”

Wyceta Thompson, Prince George’s County Public Schools, MD, “Empowering Change through Writing: Inspiring Secondary Educators to Cultivate Student Advocacy and Engagement”

B.39 Getting (Un)Stuck in the Middle: Generating a Digital Community of Heart, Hope, and Humanity for Teachers ROOM 251 (LEVEL 2)

This presentation will share what happened when three middle-grade educators came together to create a digital space to share the things happening within our classrooms that excited us in order to feel less isolated in our practice.

Presenters: Emelio DiSabato, Seattle Girls’ School

Shannon Potts, Special Music School

Zach Kohn, The Anderson School

B.40 Using Picturebooks as Tools for Change, Empathy, and Empowerment across Economic and Linguistic Lines

ROOM 252 A (LEVEL 2)

Six Latina picturebook authors will discuss the importance of storytelling as a tool to empower early readers, families, and educators. Picturebooks that depict cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic diversity help students understand the world with heart, hope, and humanity. Resources and lesson plans will be provided to foster student learning and enable carryover in the classroom setting.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Gabriella Aldeman, Charlesbridge Publishing

Gabriela Orozco Belt, HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray

Jackie Morera, Beaming Books

Alyssa Reynoso-Morris, Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Aixa Perez-Prado, Florida International University

Cindy L. Rodriguez, HarperCollins/Cardinal Rule Press

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

B.41 Telling Our Stories: Representation and Participation in Communities of Color ROOM 252 B (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the Early Career Educator of Color Leadership Award

This panel features projects developed by winners of the 2023 NCTE Early Career Educator of Color Leadership Award. This panel will focus on the projects of two award winners. Infusing history, art, and community-based literacies, the projects will include a focus on reshaping higher education courses and resources that focus on multiliteracies and communitybased literacies.

Committee Chair: Andy Chen, John Burroughs School; Early Career Educator of Color Co-Director

Presenters: Elizabeth Castro, University of California, Davis

Rabiyatu Jalloh

Darius Phelps, New York University

Respondent: Tiffany A. Flowers, Early Career Educator of Color Co-Director

B.42 Heart, Hope, and Humanity for Queer- and Trans-Affirming Education ROOM 253 A-C (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the Genders and Sexualities Equality Assembly

This roundtable session offers a variety of teaching and research approaches to queer work (meaning both LGBTQ+ identities and work that disrupts norms) in ELA classrooms. Keynote speakers and roundtable leaders will engage attendees in conversations that center queer joy through heart, hope, and humanity in and for queer- and trans-affirming education across K–12 and teacher education.

Committee Chair: Rae Oviatt, Eastern Michigan University

Committee Members: Adam Crawley, University of Colorado Boulder

Brandon Haskey-Valerius, University of Missouri

Presenters: Lindsey Allen, University of Maryland

Ryan Burns, Smithfield High School, RI

Darryn Diuguid, McKendree University

Toby Emert, Agnes Scott College

Heidi Fliegelman, Henderson High School/West Chester Area School District

Jill Hermann-Wilmarth, Western Michigan University

Kim Kelly, East Side Community High School

Taylor Lewis, University of Maryland

Jen McLaughlin Cahill, Penn State University

Summer Pennell, University of Vermont

Kevin Roach, Saint Louis University

Caitlin Ryan, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Reina Salgado, San Miguel High School

Stephanie Anne Shelton, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Nicole Sieben, SUNY Old Westbury

Kyle Smith, University of Michigan

Tadayuki Suzuki, SUNY Cortland

Torie C. Wheatley, North Mecklenburg High School

Emily Wilkinson, Teachers College, Columbia University

Craig Young, Commonwealth University of PA-Bloomsburg

Deb Zollmann, Greenwood Friends School

B.43 Cultivating Students’ Agency in Writing: Our Transformational Journey

ROOM 254 A (LEVEL 2)

As we build liberatory writing practices, we recognize that teaching writing is messy and time consuming. Formulas and programs offer easy solutions, but to get to the heart of writing, we have to invest time and effort into the writing process. In this session, we will share techniques that help students generate ideas and volume, focus and elaborate, and utilize conventions to convey meaning.

Presenters: Amanda Dey

Jessica DiBeneditto

Sara Kugler, Fairfax County Public Schools

Amanda Manno, Fairfax County Public Schools

B.44 When Resilience Stands Tall: Ten Years of Writing with Immigrant and Refugee Youth

ROOM 254 B (LEVEL 2)

In 2014, a National Writing Project site pitched an idea for creating summer programs for immigrant and refugee youth. Ten years later, the work continues and has expanded throughout the school year with partnerships and collaborations. Ubuntu Academy and Hope Club were built from human togetherness and the power of community. As youth write their lives, voices are added to the beautiful tapestry.

Presenters: Jessica Baldizon, Bridgeport Public Schools

Bryan Ripley Crandall, Connecticut Writing Project/Fairfield University

William King, Central High School

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

B.45 Purposeful Writing with Young Learners: PreK through First-Grade Teachers Share Ideas and Connect Learning through Drawing and Emergent Writing

ROOM 255 (LEVEL 2)

Explore emergent writing with teachers and university educators from the Philadelphia Writing Project. Since 2017, we have been supporting early childhood teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators in learning how to integrate learning across language processes, including a range of home languages, and documenting the positive impact a systematic developmental approach has on young learners.

Presenters: Mandy Crozier, Kinder Academy PreK Center

Robin Meadows-Fuller, Kinder Academy PreK Center

Danielle Murray, Spruance Elementary/School District of Philadelphia

Carol Roth, Philadelphia Writing Project

Leslie Spina, Director/Kinder Academy PreK Center

Diane Waff, Philadelphia Writing Project/University of Pennsylvania

Jen Winterle, Kinder Academy PreK Center

Respondent: Judy Buchanan, National Writing Project

B.47 Beyond the Mean Girl Narrative: How Fiction and Nonfiction Can Foster Social-Emotional Growth in the Classroom and Beyond

ROOM 257 A (LEVEL 2)

Conflicts in tween and teen female friendships are common. How do we help girls navigate these unexpected and often painful changes? Authors and educators explore using fiction and nonfiction to support social-emotional learning and growth. Stories featuring relatable narratives, authentic characters, healthy communication, and prosocial behaviors foster empathy, hope, and humanity in students.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Malia Maunakea, Penguin Workshop

Cheryl Mizerny, Cranbrook Schools

Anne Rellihan, Holiday House

Jessica B. Speer, Familius

Andrea Wang, Kokila Books/Neal Porter Books

B.48 Teaching YAL Methods in All Contexts and for All Purposes

ROOM 257 B (LEVEL 2)

This session creates a celebration space for all things young adult literature (YAL) methods in various contexts and for the many purposes we use with students of all age groups. YAL methods experts will share best practices for teaching YAL to middle grades, high school, and to preservice teachers while participants share their own.

Chairs: Crag Hill, University of Oklahoma

Victor Malo-Juvera, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Presenters: Steven Bickmore, Emeritus, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Ashley Boyd, Washington State University

Fawn Canady, Sonoma State University

Chris Crowe, Brigham Young University

Janine Darragh, University of Idaho

KaaVonia Hinton-Johnson, Old Dominion University

Melanie Hundley, Vanderbilt University

Gretchen Rumohr, Aquinas College

T. Hunter Strickland, Georgia College & State University

B.49 Supporting Middle Level Students’ Original Research to Foster Curiosity, Critical Thinking, and Hope for the Future

ROOM 258 B (LEVEL 2)

Original research design and execution is commonplace for graduate students seeking master’s and doctorate degrees, however it is virtually non-existent for middle-level students. This presentation will delineate how I supported grade 8 students in following their “wondering” to conduct original research.

Presenter: Jennifer Morrison, Sam Houston State University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

B.50 Inviting Learners to Harness AI to Disrupt Colonialism and Reclaim History: AI, Social Studies Curriculum, and Indigenous Histories and Futures

ROOM 258 C (LEVEL 2)

As young people come of age in social studies classrooms, they encounter problematic texts such as The Iroquois. We need to create classrooms where learners ask about authorship and naming and ownership, where they set out to reclaim history—and where AI, surprisingly, can help in the task of anticolonialism. Join us to find out about teaching young people to harness AI as critical researchers.

Presenters: Mary Ehrenworth, Teachers College, Columbia University

Philip Seyfried, Teachers College, Columbia University

Rachel Talbert, Teachers College, Columbia University

Marc Todd, MS 289, NYC

B.51 Pathways for Dual Enrollment Partnerships: Collaborative Curriculum as a Catalyst for Hope and Change

ROOM 259 A (LEVEL 2)

This presentation highlights the development of social justice curriculum through a collaborative partnership between a university and rural high school offering college English courses. We share the process of collectively redesigning curriculum, navigating tensions around social justice pedagogy in rural classrooms, and finding hope as students become agents of change in rural communities.

Presenters: Kelly Moreland, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Jessica Possin, St. Clair Public Schools

Stephanie Rollag Yoon, Minnesota State University, Mankato

B.52 Building Hope One Video at a Time: A Montage of Teaching and Learning with Digital Video ROOM 259 B (LEVEL 2)

This panel presents key findings and examples or practice from the edited volume Digital Video Composing: Multimodal Learning, Teaching & Assessment. Providing a montage of how DV is being used in a range of educational settings, the chapter authors will share examples of purposefully designed learning that cultivates opportunities to think differently about learning that inspires hope.

Presenters: David Bruce, University at Buffalo

Candance Doerr-Stevens, University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee Writing Project

Damiana Gibbons Pyles, Appalachian State University

Russell Mayo, Chicago Public Schools

Ben McCorkle, The Ohio State University at Marion

Ewa McGrail, Georgia State University

J. Patrick McGrail, Jacksonville State University

J Palmeri, Georgetown University

Sunshine Sullivan, Newberg-Dundee Public Schools

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

C.1 HS Matters—Critical Literacies as Resistance: Finding Heart, Hope, and Humanity in Today’s English Language Arts Classrooms

ROOM 203 (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the Secondary Section Steering Committee

Today’s classrooms are rife with possibilities for teaching students to embrace heart, hope, and humanity. However, teachers often face restrictions to this practice through varying levels of divisive policy. This presentation shares the stories of ELA teachers who have resisted and risen above these challenges by imbuing their classrooms with strategies that embody ideals of critical literacies.

Presenter: Caroline B. Rabalais, Georgia State University

C.2 Literature and Primary Sources: The Perfect Pairing for Fostering Student Learning and Prompting Curiosity

ROOM 102 B (LEVEL 1)

Explore with past Library of Congress Teachers in Residence, Tom Bober and Rebecca Newland, who will demonstrate ways in which TPS strategies for incorporating primary source analysis of items such as maps, photographs, video and audio recordings, and manuscripts enrich the study of a variety of literature, including fiction and nonfiction, by fostering curiosity, building context, and enhancing critical thinking skills.

Presenters: Tom Bober Rebecca Newland, Fairfax County Public Schools

C.4 A World at War: Planting Seeds of Heart, Hope, and Humanity through Cosmopolitan Literacy Practices Using Global Children’s Literature

ROOM 151 B (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by the Standing Committee on Global Citizenship

In a cosmopolitan approach, students become adept at investigating issues and understanding varying perspectives. They are encouraged to recognize their capacity to contribute to the future of their world. Recently the wars in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Sudan have filled the news. This session provides a way to use literature to address issues of war and plant seeds of heart, hope, and humanity.

Presenters: Hee Young Kim, West Texas A&M University

Cynthia Ryman, California State University, Monterey Bay

C.5 Elevating the ELA Classroom: Tech-Centered Practices to Awaken the Content Creator in Every Student ROOM 152 (LEVEL 1)

Disadvantaged schools tend to use technology for consumption rather than creation. Drawing from her research, the presenter will share data on disparate practices and suggest equitable approaches. Participants will gain tech-centered resources to promote collaboration and higher-order thinking in a real-world context. Let’s explore ways to empower and awaken the content creator in every learner!

Presenter: Amy Var, Waiakea Intermediate School

C.6 Jewish Caucus Open Forum ROOM 205 (LEVEL 2)

C.3 ABAR in ELA in 2024: Preparing Literacy Educators for an Antiracist Future with Heart and Hope through “Strong Backs, Soft Fronts, and Wild Hearts”

ROOM 151 A (LEVEL 1)

We will share our experiences as ELA teacher educators who integrate the NCTE Standards for the Initial Preparation of Teachers, which are infused with ABAR principles and practices. Using multicultural literature, multimodal activities, and reflective teaching practices, our goal is to empower ELA teachers to teach with “strong backs, soft fronts, and wild hearts” during these challenging times.

Presenters: Angie Hansen, Northern Arizona University

Andie Lenhart, Northern Arizona University

This is an open forum for all interested in the NCTE Jewish Caucus.

Committee Chair: Mara Lee Grayson, Hillel International

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

C.7 Teachers as Advocates of Change: Harnessing Young Adult Literature in Challenging Times ROOM 153 A (LEVEL 1)

Teacher preparatory courses must strengthen preservice teachers’ capacity to critically teach literature and mitigate a “politically neutral” school system. In this session, participants will examine meaningful ways to engage teacher candidates in using critical literacy to guide their reading of young adult literature and the selection of classroom texts.

Presenters: Lauren Fletcher, California State University, Stanislaus Derek Riddle, California State University, Stanislaus

C.8 Encouraging Explorations of Identity through Creative Writing ROOM 153 C (LEVEL 1)

This program will discuss the importance of creative writing as a modality for discovering “spokes” of identity in self and others. Tools for student self-reflection will be presented, as well as a variety of follow-up activities aimed at crafting opportunities for students to give voice to their identity-driven experiences and the experiences of others in ways that are authentic and uncensored.

Presenter: Jessica Brosnan, Parsippany Hills High School

C.9 Family Matters: Adapting Our Literature and Lessons for Adoptive and Foster Families

ROOM 153 B (LEVEL 1)

Although there are 4.5 million adopted children in the US, their learning needs are often neglected. This presentation offers insight into adoptive children’s educational issues, interventions, and resources to create adoption-sensitive classrooms. Attendees will receive tips for positive adoption language, appropriate adoption text titles, adoption-friendly activities, and educational websites.

Presenter: Heather Bixler, Beaver Area High School

C.10 Going Micro: Using Microtexts to Explore the Literary Landscape

ROOM 156 B (LEVEL 1)

Microtexts: tiny texts that pack a big punch! Learn where to find authentic microtexts and how to leverage them in your secondary classroom through dynamic discussions, text analysis strategies, and writing activities that will hook even your most reluctant readers and writers. Great things really do come in small packages!

Presenter: Sarah Honore, Houston ISD

C.11 Using Literature to Affirm and Validate Palestinian American Students’ Identity and Classroom Experiences in the Midst of Political Turmoil

ROOM 156 C (LEVEL 1)

This session explores ways teachers can promote an empathetic and humanistic learning environment to their Palestinian American students. Resources and texts centered on personal narratives, culture, and history will be shared so that teachers can better incorporate them in the curriculum to see the value of Palestinians’ lives.

Presenter: Rashida Mustafa, Teachers College, Columbia University

C.12 Reclaiming Revision: Emphasizing Process over Product in the Age of AI

ROOM 157 A (LEVEL 1)

Two high school English teachers explore strategies and new ways of thinking about writing instruction in the age of AI. Presenters will share their experiences of creating a “process over product” mindset in their classrooms. Attendees will leave with new methods for creating community through the learning process, as well as non-traditional ideas to connect through writing and speaking.

Presenters: Tamara Empson, Louisiana State University Laboratory School

Anne McConnell, Louisiana State University Laboratory School

C.13 “Wait, Was That the Bell?”: Growing Learner Engagement from Grades 9 through 12

ROOM 157 B (LEVEL 1)

Engagement is critical in improving the quality of learning and heightening student ownership of their academic success. Appalachian educators Kristine Alvarez and Chase Leone share how students develop the skills necessary to navigate cooperative learning structures and visible thinking routines while teachers can simplify lesson planning and increase student engagement in literature and writing.

Presenters: Kristine Alvarez, Morgantown High School, WV Chase Leone, Morgantown High School, WV

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

C.14 Empowering First-Year College Students through Mindfulness: Creating Actionable, Relevant, and Transformative Learning Experiences

ROOM 159 (LEVEL 1)

As an assistant professor at El Paso Community College, I will share insights from my research on implementing mindfulness practices for first-year college students. Mindfulness enhances academic performance, promotes engagement, and fosters purpose. This presentation addresses actionable learning, literacies for change, critical thinking, teacher preparation, and impact on students and families.

Presenter: Patricia Flores Hutson, El Paso Community College

C.15 Restoring Humanity through Culturally Relevant Texts: An Examination of the Challenges and Benefits of Reading Urban Street Literature with Students

ROOM 160 A (LEVEL 1)

This session will explore the controversy around the genre of Urban Literature and the research that supports its use as a tool for critical literacy learning and cultural validation, particularly for young Black girls. Educators will then be invited to share their perspectives and experiences with the genre after examining powerful passages from selected Urban Literature texts.

Presenter: Melissa LaCaze, The Ohio State University

C.17 Swimming with Students in a Sea of Meaning

ROOM 160 C (LEVEL 1)

We aim to simulate our experience in a Practical Criticism workshop to explore how students from varied backgrounds can “learn and unlearn” how to teach poetry with more heart, hope, and humanity. Taking audience members through an unseen poem, we discuss how international teachers can blend their cultural literacy practices with important active poetry pedagogies in ELA classrooms today.

Presenters: Jing Du

Tara Maria Fernandes, Teachers College, Columbia University

C.18 From the Classroom to a Platform: How ELA Teachers Are Using TikTok to Address Mental and Physical Health

ROOM 161 (LEVEL 1)

This paper provides examples of secondary ELA teachers using TikTok to address mental and physical health in education. Juxtaposed with content that is positive and humorous, these TikToks depict serious conversations and introspective questions, encouraging us, as teachers and teacher educators, to bring these difficult topics into discussion with colleagues and English education students.

Presenters: Lauren May, Longwood University

Heather Lynn Wright, Gardner-Webb University

C.19 People over Papers: (Re)establishing Connection through Labor-Based Grading ROOM 162 A (LEVEL 1)

This presentation is intended to illustrate how laborbased grading practices can refocus both studentwriters and writing teachers on what really matters: learning, risk-taking, authentic writing experiences, and the connection between reader and writer.

Presenter: Seth Czarnecki, Algonquin Regional High School

C.20 Reading Sprints: Quick and Easy Ways to Encourage Independent Reading in Classrooms ROOM 162 B (LEVEL 1)

Reading sprints have taken social media platforms by storm and encourage many of our students to read more on their own. Bringing this creative idea into our classrooms allows us to provide independent reading time daily, while still achieving state standards through applicable mini-activities. This quick activity has made a huge difference in creating life-long readers in our students.

Presenters: Allyssa Graham

Lindsay Stappert

C.21 Storytelling from the Caribbean Diaspora ROOM 102 A (LEVEL 1)

What stories do students en route to becoming early childhood and childhood educators know and use in a teacher preparation program? We will examine how teacher candidates read, enjoy, and plan instruction highlighting BIPOC storytellers who use multilingual voiced perspectives to present unfamiliar historical events that took place in nearby neighborhoods. Results address actionable joy in learning.

Presenters: Melissa Garcia, Lehman College, CUNY

Raquel M Ortiz

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

C.22 Ensuring Equity in English Language Arts Classrooms

ROOM 204 A (LEVEL 2)

Equity in ELA classrooms is crucial for fostering inclusivity and ensuring that all students have opportunities to succeed. This session will discuss strategies that teachers can implement to address diverse learning needs, promote a sense of belonging, and reduce educational disparities.

Presenter: Carissa McCray

C.23 When Students Own the Learning: The Power of Metacognition

ROOM 204 B (LEVEL 2)

Join us in exploring powerful practices that empower students to take ownership of their learning! Metacognition can augment ELA skills while quantifying the soft skills of engagement, participation, and reflection. With this session, you will be empowered with tools for authentic integration of metacognition in your curriculum.

Presenters: Rebekah Gerard, Andover High School

Stacy Giggie, Andover Public School

C.24 Kid by Kid: Teaching the Hearts in Front of Us

ROOM 205 A (LEVEL 2)

This session will journey into the beautiful intersection of heart and science to teach the hearts in front of us within our classrooms each day. We’ll explore using data to understand each student’s unique reading needs and design strategies to foster their growth. This approach ensures every child is seen, heard, and supported in their reading journey. Expect a blend of theory and practical examples.

Presenters: Mary Brower

Jonathan Winslow

C.25 Spreading the Writing Love: Multigrade Writing Groups in High School

ROOM 205 B (LEVEL 2)

Writing groups can build a strong foundation for a writing community—but what if those writing groups included multiple grades and classes? We’ll share how we implemented online writing groups based on student interests rather than grade level. Join us as we describe our experiences and how writing groups led to a rise in our students’ motivation, writing confidence, and academic relationships.

Presenters: Ronelle Kilmer, Grand Island Northwest Public Schools

Melissa Pilakowski, Arthur County High School

C.26 Decolonizing Literacy Teaching and Learning through Indigenous Community Partnerships

ROOM 206 A (LEVEL 2)

We will tell the story of an elementary school’s journey to decolonize how literacy is defined, taught, and learned. Guided by culturally responsive pedagogies and local Indigenous knowledge keepers, teachers engage in processes of unlearning the traditional colonial tenets that guide their practices. Examples of reimagined pedagogical approaches to literacy teaching and learning will be shared.

Presenters: Donna Kozak, University of British Columbia/School District 23 Central Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, Canada

Lisa Wilson, School District 23 Central Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, Canada

C.27 Using African American Historical Graphic Novels to Teach English and Social Studies

Collaboratively in Florida ROOM 206 B (LEVEL 2)

This presentation will discuss ethnic studies, citizenship, media history, and how to teach graphic novels using a critical civic pedagogical framework. Additionally, we will discuss our problematic history and promote civic engagement using graphic novels at the secondary and postsecondary level, either in a social studies or English classroom or a combined methods course.

Presenters: Sarah Mathews, Florida International University

Keisha McIntyre-McCullough, Florida International University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

C.28 Cultivating Community: A Mixed-Methods Study Examining Community Literacy Practices in the Secondary ELA Classroom

ROOM 207 (LEVEL 2)

Though we know that students naturally engage in literacy practices in their lives, these are often completely disconnected from their literacy learning in schools. This session focuses on how (and why) to implement community literacy in secondary classrooms as a regular, essential part of instruction, while also analyzing community literacy pedagogies for teachers.

Presenters: Anna Heilers

Jess Smith, Bellarmine University

C.29 Breaking Barriers with Baking Impossible ROOM 208 (LEVEL 2)

Teachers and leaders of all levels will gain ideas for cross-curricular projects in this session that features what might seem like an unlikely pair: a veteran English teacher and a lighting engineer who was the winner of Netflix’s Baking Impossible. Participants will learn strategies for integrating hands-on projects into all aspects of the curriculum with a focus on reinforcing literacy skills.

Presenter: Shantel Schonour

C.31 “Can a Test Have Healing Potential?” ELA Teachers Experiment with Restorative and Transformative Assessments

ROOM 211 (LEVEL 2)

What does it mean for ELA teachers to create restorative and transformative assessments? This study follows six teachers in the Alternative Assessment Collective as they design and enact liberatory assessment alternatives. Analysis of meetings, interviews, and classroom artifacts surfaced three major findings: assessments characterized by 1) cogenerativity, 2) activism, and 3) healing.

Presenters: Kevin Ho, Chicago Public Schools

Daniel P. Moore, Stanford University

C.32 Reframing How We Teach Classics: Piecing Together Diverse Perspectives of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein with Multimodal Texts

ROOM 251 (LEVEL 2)

How might we reconsider how classic novels are traditionally taught? This session will focus on how we can teach a classic like Frankenstein in a way that asks students to consider the impact of such an iconic text from multiple perspectives. This Frankenstein unit includes multimodal texts from multiple perspectives as students consider who the real monster is.

Presenter: Amanda Manning, Albuquerque High School

C.30 Mentoring Strategic Reading: Using Cross-Grade Collaborative Structures to Help Maturing Readers Gain Confidence and Expertise Using Self-Monitoring Strategies

ROOM 209 (LEVEL 2)

We know the benefits of strategic reading in small groups to improve comprehension. What about boosting self-image and confidence through crossgrade collaboration? How can “social feedback” play a part in strategy acquisition? In this session, participants will learn how students in diverse classrooms mentor younger peers to establish self-monitoring practices through engagement and feedback.

Presenters: Meghan Schofield, Brunswick School Department

Justin Stygles, Brunswick School Department/Corwin Literacy

C.33 Highlighting Black Royalty: Reimagining the Way We Think about Black History

ROOM 252 A (LEVEL 2)

Traditionally, lessons about Black history have been centered around certain aspects of the lives of activists like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Harriet Tubman. This presentation will help educators reimagine how we think about teaching Black history by highlighting the “before slavery” perspective and centering love, joy, royalty, and expansion.

Presenter: Tatisha McKay, Boston College

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

C.34 The Imagination Study: Developing a Curriculum to Explore Children’s Understanding and Usage of Imagination in the Classroom

ROOM 252 B (LEVEL 2)

Where does imagination live in learning spaces?

Interactive read-alouds open opportunities to amplify and enrich students’ voices through multi-genre book engagements. A small study blossomed into an imagination curriculum. Attendees are invited to hear findings from the imagination study, investigating books, and teaching practices that support curiosity and creativity.

Presenters: Mollie Welsh Kruger, Bank Street College of Education

Peggy McNamara, Bank Street College of Education

C.35 Inquiry toward Justice: Taking a Written Inquiry Stance toward Your Heart to Cultivate Humane Educational Environments

ROOM 254 A (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the National Writing Project

In this interactive session, Boston Writing Project educators address the transformative practice of reflection through inquiry-based personal writing. Presenters and participants will collectively talk, write, and envision ways to adopt an inquiry stance about matters of injustice, race, identity, power, and culture within K–16 classrooms.

Presenters: Dominique Herard, Public Schools of Brookline/ Boston Writing Project

Katie McGuire, Director of Data Inquiry, Boston Public Schools

C.36 Neurodiversity: Not So “Different” in Literature and Life

ROOM 254 B (LEVEL 2)

Teachers can improve student awareness, empathy, and acceptance with neurodivergence in literature and in writing. In this highly interactive, student-centered session, participants will learn about disabilities and neurodivergent characters as well as practice close reading and composition skills.

Presenters: Nancy Carol Bryant, Calhoun Community College

Amy Dobbs, Calhoun Community College

C.37 “Write” Down the Line: Using the School “Lifespan” to Support Writers in Effective Use of Generative AI

ROOM 255 (LEVEL 2)

As generative AI transforms learner landscapes around writing, teachers across writer development must take action to shape the writers themselves for efficient, effective, and ethical use of this technology. Panelists will share a “lifespan” framework for defining and supporting “heart, hope, and humanity” in writing in an age of AI.

Presenters: Cindy Minnich, Upper Dauphin Area High School

Kim McCollum-Clark, Millersville University of PA

Jennifer Shettel, Millersville University of PA

C.38 “Dear Universe…”: The Power of Writing Letters to Awaken Student Voice, Encourage Empathy, and Enact Change

ROOM 256 (LEVEL 2)

The letter is a perfect vehicle for connecting author and audience, text and purpose. “Dear Universe…” is a letter writing project that students can use to wield the power of their voices, as well as deepen their capacity for empathy and advocacy. This presentation outlines a 2–3-week unit on writing a portfolio of letters, and it can be adapted for all ELA courses and grade levels.

Presenter: James Sieck, Oak Park and River Forest High School

C.39 Thriving in Today’s Schools: Digging Deeper into Successful Social-Emotional Learning Strategies

ROOM 257 A (LEVEL 2)

In this presentation we will dive deep into showing how we look at neuroscience of the brain and ways that students’ behavioral issues might stem from lacking executive function skills. We will show social-emotional learning strategies, self-monitoring guides, and ways to successfully set up your classroom to help all students be successful in their learning.

Presenters: Mason Kuhn, University of Northern Iowa

Marissa Schweinfurth, University of Northern Iowa/Jacobson Center for Comprehensive Literacy

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

C.40 Imagining Democratic Futures: Reflections on Critical Writing Pedagogy from Kindergarten to College

ROOM 257 B (LEVEL 2)

Critical pedagogies, specifically critical writing pedagogies, offer ways to examine systems of power in classrooms, communities, and beyond to honor students’ racial, linguistic, and cultural diversity. Teachers may feel unprepared to engage in the liberatory work critical democratized praxis offers. In this presentation, we reflect on the ways we have supported K–16 students and teachers, through classroom practice and teacher education, to inflect the writing curriculum with opportunities to practice democratic citizenship.

Presenters: Maria Jose Botelho, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Meghan Whitfield, University of Massachusetts Amherst

C.41 HumAnIzed: Empowering Students and Educators through Ethical and Intentional Partnership with AI in the ELA Classroom

ROOM 258 A (LEVEL 2)

This presentation introduces a novel method for offering and utilizing personalized, ongoing feedback in English classes, emphasizing the writing process over the final product. It combats unethical AI use, engages students in their learning journey, enhances critical literacy skills, and highlights the significance of iterative improvement in writing and interaction with advanced language models.

Presenter: Aimee Firmani, Beaver Area High School

C.42 Stories of Scale: Climate Change Memoirs and Self-Life Writing in the Classroom ROOM 258 B (LEVEL 2)

This presentation discusses both the teaching implications of recent climate change memoirs by authors such as Greta Thunberg, Daniel Sherrell, and Brianna Craft, as well as offers instructional methods for engaging with self-life writing about climate change in the composition classroom.

Presenter: Lucas Rodewald, Georgia Institute of Technology

C.43 Creative Writing Portfolios to Celebrate Divergent Thinkers and Connect with Communities

ROOM 259 A (LEVEL 2)

Creative writing portfolios allow divergent thinkers to construct their identities as writers and as their authentic selves. Students need safe spaces to develop their voices, connect with their community, and celebrate their progress as writers. With 30 years of experience as a middle school English teacher, I will share strategies for managing creative writing portfolios in the classroom.

Presenter: Elizabeth Gennosa, Hofstra University

C.44 A Literary Art Exhibit: An Exposition of Artistic Artifacts from the Classroom That Explore Literature through Art

ROOM 259 B (LEVEL 2)

This Literary Art Exhibit showcases various student artworks that have been created in secondary English classrooms as explorations of literature. From quick visual journals, thematic clay sculptures, collaging to look at diction, color mixing strategies for character profiles, and much more, participants will view a collection of hands-on activities they can bring to their English classroom.

Presenter: Ariela Robinson, Rochelle Zell High School, Northbrook, IL

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

D.1 Education, Can You Hear Me Now? Using Podcasts in the Classroom

ROOM 102 A (LEVEL 1)

As our world becomes more digital and interconnected, it is imperative that as educators we help our students be successful in this world. This session will introduce ways to integrate podcasts into daily lessons, and as an assessment tool to help engage and enhance students’ learning and digital skills. This use of technology will help promote engagement, collaboration, and critical thinking.

Presenters: Rebecca Decker, Brick Memorial High School Joseph Stefanelli, Brick Memorial High School

D.2 Writing from the Heart for Humanity:

Multimodal Approaches as a Bridge to Rigorous and Complex Composition

ROOM 102 B (LEVEL 1)

Multimodal composition is all the rage, but does it ever feel too nebulous? Explore lessons with student samples and assessment scales from current classroom educators to fill your toolbox. This straight to the point session focuses on lessons that push our scholars to think differently about learning while also preparing educators to enter or move through multimodal composition comfortably.

Presenter: Ramona Puchalski-Piretti, Conard High School

D.3 Understanding Bias: Empowering Students to Navigate News Sources ROOM 151 A (LEVEL 1)

Perceptions and allegations of news media bias are commonplace, but teaching students how to think carefully about this nuanced subject can be difficult. Join the News Literacy Project to learn how to help your students cut through the partisan bluster to better determine the fairness and accuracy of news coverage.

Presenter: Hannah Covington, News Literacy Project

D.4 Canvases of Insight: Art and Literature in the Secondary English Classroom

ROOM 151 B (LEVEL 1)

Unleash the power of art in the English classroom! Inspired by NCTE’s call for transformative assignments, this session will guide educators on using fine art to ignite critical thinking. Explore how images inspire inquiry, foster a sense of community, and enhance learning. Don’t miss the chance to discover valuable resources and delve into research-backed methods for an engaging classroom.

Presenter: Karen Gately, Conestoga High School, TredyffrinEasttown School District

D.5 Renewing Our Hope: Becoming Authentic Readers and Writers while Teaching

ROOM 152 (LEVEL 1)

It’s important to fill our personal wells to avoid burnout and keep our heart for teaching alive. As writers, we can join students in sharing our words and reveal the threads of humanity that tie us together. In this session, two teachers share how they use authentic writing with students to renew hope in the classroom while achieving their dreams of becoming published authors.

Presenters: Megan Davidhizar, Random House Children’s Books

Nashae Jones, Simon & Schuster

D.6 Navigating a Minefield: Using Art, Music, and Theater to Teach a Controversial Topic in a Politically Diverse School Community ROOM 153 A (LEVEL 1)

How to teach a controversial topic in a politically polarized environment? This session examines a unit on the AIDS crisis, asking students to grapple with how a marginalized community uses art, music, and theater to take action and connect the historical reality of homophobia to today. This session will provide strategies for unit planning and communication with the school community.

Presenters: Ari Karpel, Milken Community School Leora Smith, Milken Community School

D.7 Stripping the Yellow Wallpaper: Moving beyond “Teaching Books by Women” in the High School Classroom ROOM 153 B (LEVEL 1)

It’s happened to most of us at some point: we teach women-authored novels but find ourselves shifting away from feminist topics in favor of themes perceived to be more “universal” within a co-ed classroom. This presentation explores how teachers can strip back Gilman’s infamous wallpaper and “free” ourselves to reimagine the ways we teach books by and about women—to students of all genders.

Presenter: Samantha Doolittle, Abbott Lawrence Academy, Lawrence High School

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

D.8 Education “Gag Laws,” Politicized Harassment, and Teacher Resilience

ROOM 153 C (LEVEL 1)

Thirty “gag laws” limiting what teachers can teach have been passed. More are in the works. News routinely reports harassment of teachers who teach to raced and LGBTQ+ identities. This session will provide and invite information sharing regarding what teachers can do to protect themselves and support practical discussion of how to negotiate typical harassment scenarios.

Presenter: Christine Ross, Defense of Democracy/Rochester Institute of Technology

D.9 Centering the Work of the Heart to Do the Work of the Hands: Exploring How Our Identities Shape Our Teaching ROOM 210 C (LEVEL 2)

To what extent, if any, can an examination of teachers’ intersectional identities, via an archeology of the self, help them learn how to teach in justice-oriented ways? In this session we’ll develop an understanding of how we can do the work of ourselves and our hearts before engaging in instructional change, and what that instructional change might therefore look like.

Presenters: Naitnaphit Limlamai, Colorado State University, Fort Collins

Elisabeth Spinner, Alma College

D.10 Cultivating Racial Literacy through Children’s Literature: Do You See What I See? ROOM 156 A (LEVEL 1)

Critical educators of literacy education must be able to identify the “misconceptions” that tend to “dull or omit the critical edge” in the children’s literature that they share with their students. In our session we will show our audience how to identify such misconceptions, and how to use these misconceptions to teach criticality and racial literacy.

Presenters: Yarbel Mercedes, Teachers College, Columbia University Saba Vlach, University of Iowa

D.11 Critical Media Literacy in the Classroom

ROOM 156 B (LEVEL 1)

This interactive session will guide participants in strategies for implementing critical media literacy in the classroom that engage students in analyzing and questioning media. Some of the strategies that will be discussed and demonstrated are comparative analysis, deconstruction of social media posts, critical viewing, current event analysis, and the utilization of media journals.

Presenter: Samantha Udeagha

D.12 Start with Story: Native American Boarding Schools

ROOM 156 C (LEVEL 1)

Through first-person narratives, our short documentary introduces students to federally run boarding schools for Native American children. The accompanying lesson uses children’s literature to inspire empathy as students learn about the effect of these institutions on young people and explores how the boarding school experience continues to affect Native American communities today.

Presenters: Odia Wood-Krueger, education consultant Filiz Yargici, Retro Report

D.13 I’m with the Banned: Planning for and Engaging in Conversations about Book Bans

ROOM 157 A (LEVEL 1)

With book challenges continuing to dominate the news, how can we prepare ourselves to address this hot topic both with students and with adults? In this timely session, participants will experience a planning session geared toward developing a position on book challenges and walk away with resources for engaging students and adults in conversation.

Presenter: Sarah Honore, Houston ISD

D.14 Watering a Future Not Our Own: Enacting Culturally and Historically Responsive Education with Preservice Teachers

ROOM 157 B (LEVEL 1)

Join us as we share insights from our use of interactive read-alouds, lesson planning, mentoring reflections, and unit mapping to prepare culturally and historically responsive preservice teachers. Using Gholdy Muhammad’s framework, we show how scaffolding PTs to sustain children’s development of the five pursuits might create classrooms of heart, hope, and humanity.

Presenter: Kelsie Burnett, The University of Texas at Austin All sessions will be held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center unless otherwise noted.

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

D.15 Environmental Justice Comics: Reading and Making Comics with Students at the Intersection of Local History, Science, and Social Justice

ROOM 157 C (LEVEL 1)

Participants will learn how to use middle grade graphic nonfiction science texts to jump start projects with students in grades 4-12 to research local social justice, environmental, and science issues, learn scripting and graphic storytelling techniques, and create their own social and environmental justice comic books.

Presenter: Cindy Jenson-Elliott, Lee & Low Books/San Diego Unified School District

D.16 Finding Our Humanity through Nonfiction Lit Circles

ROOM 159 (LEVEL 1)

Nonfiction lit circles allow for our students to engage in collaborative learning environments where they are encouraged to see, feel, and hear the experiences of others to bolster empathy while also fostering student autonomy. This presentation provides teachers with the resources to prepare for an engaging and successful lit circle experience in their classrooms.

Presenters: Jacqueline Rasnic, Edmond Public Schools

Alison Sterba, Edmond North High School

D.17 BLAST: Bringing Libraries and Schools Together

ROOM 160 A (LEVEL 1)

Though we advocate for school librarians in every district, we know this cry often falls on deaf ears. Our middle school has been without a librarian for over a decade. In response, we have teamed up with our local public library and created BLAST, giving our students access to our public library—and a certified librarian!—on a regular basis. Come learn about our library collaborative.

Presenters: Mary Giuffre, Frederick W. Hartnett Middle School

Erin O’Leary

D.18 Celebrating Our Roots: Sharing Ancestor Stories in an American Literature Course

ROOM 160 B (LEVEL 1)

How can American literature teachers celebrate the diverse cultures of our students? This seminar is an overview of a unit where students read model stories and poems before creating their own works that reflect upon and celebrate ancestral roots. Students learn research, analysis, composition, and public speaking skills; the true value, though, is in the creation of a joyful classroom community.

Presenters: Jamie Lundy, St. Ignatius College Preparatory

Carole Nickolai, St. Ignatius College Preparatory

D.19 A New Chapter: Integrating Accessibility for Diverse Voices in College English Courses ROOM 160 C (LEVEL 1)

Come learn some strategies you can use in your college English courses to make your class more accessible to a diverse set of learners. The landscape for students with disabilities in particular can change drastically from high school to college. This session focuses on building structures into your courses so that, regardless of ability, more students can respond to your course content.

Presenter: Thomas Ohno-Machado

D.20 Justice, Humanity, and Community: Using Literature to Spark Conversations and Action about Empathy and Accountability ROOM 161 (LEVEL 1)

Literature has a unique capacity to foster empathy and compassion. In this session, participants will receive tools to transform this concept into actionable outcomes through student-centered, classroom-ready activities for both the middle and secondary levels.

Presenters: Nichole Wilson, William Mason High School Blake Taylor, Walnut Hills High School

D.21 No More Elegies: Building the Habit of Joy in the Classroom ROOM 162 A (LEVEL 1)

Using Clint Smith’s poem, participants will discover how to provide poetic pauses, to help students find new ways to look at the world: to see, acknowledge, and take refuge in the moments of connection and celebration. As much as it is a habit to find and interrogate the inequalities and the injustices that we see in the world, it is also a habit to notice and take delight in what brings us joy.

Presenters: Linda Christensen, Rethinking Schools/Oregon Writing Project Director (retired)

Ty Marshall, McDaniel High School/co-editor, Teaching for Transgender Justice

Kara Stroman, OWP coach, Teacher Irvington Elementary School

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

D.22 Start Lighthouse: A Literacy Nonprofit Partnering with Title 1 Schools to Bring the Joy of Reading to NYC Students ROOM 162 B (LEVEL 1)

D.25 Focusing on Sentences to Empower Proficient, Critical Reading

We transform abandoned libraries within public schools into dynamic Start Lighthouse Literacy Hubs. Our dedicated team offers daily lessons, supports students in building their own home libraries, and hosts interactive workshops with BIPOC authors and artists, fostering a love for reading in vibrant, inclusive environments.

Presenters: Rina Madhani, Start Lighthouse Deborah Rose, Start Lighthouse

D.23 Voices of Hope: Integrating Oral History Projects into the ELA Curriculum ROOM 203 (LEVEL 2)

Voices of Hope provides teachers with an introduction in how to successfully conduct an oral history interview project within their ELA classrooms, augmenting class reading and writing assignments. Oral history projects celebrate students’ unique family origins, cultural identity, and lived history. Participants will learn how to conduct, record, and preserve a formal interview through StoryCorps.

Presenter: Erica del Riego, St. Brendan High School

D.24 The 3 Cs of Engagement: How to Foster a Collaborative, Connective, Communicative Classroom in an Increasingly Digital Era

ROOM 204 A (LEVEL 2)

As teachers, we spend much of our time trying to entice our students to “look up” from devices and sustain interest in classroom lessons. This highly interactive session will engage participants in a playful, hands-on lesson of quickly moving content that ignites and holds interest, builds skills, and has students exclaim, “Today went so fast!”

Presenters: Emily Gallo, Milton Hershey School Gloria McElwain, Milton Hershey School

ROOM 204 B (LEVEL 2)

Though grammar and sentence structure are often discussed in the context of writing, this session explores how sentence-focused instruction can also support reading—both basic comprehension and critical, close reading of texts. Two ELA teachers share engaging strategies that empower students to look closely at sentences, break them apart, and analyze how they convey meaning, tone, and more.

Presenters: Rachel Knecht, Brigham Young University

Kaylee Smedley, Provo High School

D.27 Bridging the Gap between Secondary Writing and College Composition

ROOM 205 B (LEVEL 2)

In my experience teaching in secondary and higher education, I have found that students struggle with communicating their thoughts clearly through writing. This session will discuss the value of and provide strategies for teaching students how to read with the intent to write and clearly communicate with evidence and elaboration frames.

Presenter: Carissa McCray

D.28 On the Network to Freedom: Writing Boston’s Future and the African Meeting House as Sanctuary

ROOM 206 A (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the National Writing Project

In this interactive presentation, Boston Writing Project educators and Boston-area students share their inspired work accomplished through an NEH grant. Students conducted research in Boston’s Museum of African American History, teaching teachers and presenting their learning projects in a culminating museum exhibit. Join us if you want to center heart, research, and agency in public education.

Presenters: Pamela Doiley, Boston Public Schools

Denise Patmon, University of Massachusetts Boston/director, Boston Writing Project

Neil Pischner, Cambridge Public Schools

Christian Walkes, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

D.29 Reflecting on ELA Curricular Resources: Finding Inclusivity through Content Analysis ROOM 206 B (LEVEL 2)

English language arts educators must understand how they can make the classroom inclusive for students. This session explains one way teachers can survey and scrutinize their text choices for biased messaging. Insight is given to educators to determine what changes should be made to taught texts and how to avoid a hidden assimilationist curriculum within common resources.

Presenter: Autumn Frykholm Damann

D.30 Why Even Good People Can Disagree: How Rhetorical Reading Strategies Can Help Students Learn about Public Discourse (and Themselves) ROOM 207 (LEVEL 2)

In his 2019 book Hate Inc.: Why Today’s Media Makes Us Despise One Another, Matt Taibbi identifies negative rhetorical appeals in the public sphere that turn citizens against one another. Classroom strategies based on tagmemic rhetoric can teach students to recognize the diverse world views that underlie competing arguments, thus giving hope amid dispute.

Presenter: John Dunn, Eastern Michigan University

D.31 Testimony Service: Centering Black Scholars and Theorists’ Stories in Literacy Education ROOM 208 (LEVEL 2) T

In this session, we will share the tenets of the Black Gaze Framework. We will provide practical strategies on how to center Black scholars and theorists’ stories in ELA teacher education. We will share with session attendees ways to use the stories of Black scholars and theorists to teach with heart, hope, and humanity in ELA teacher education.

Presenters: Shamaine Bertrand, The College of New Jersey Kisha Porcher, University of Delaware

D.32 Revamped Socratic Seminars: Great Ideas

ROOM 209 (LEVEL 2)

Revamp the Socratic Seminar into a student-led “Great Ideas” discussion. Teach question crafting and accountable talk to foster engaged reading. Students drive the analysis by generating open-ended questions. Sit in a circle and track participation while moving through student questions. Students actively participate rather than passively receive teacher lectures.

Presenter: Morgan Taylor, Hamilton Township School District

D.33 Middle School Book Clubs: Reading about and Discussing Relevant Issues Our Students Struggle with on a Daily Basis

ROOM 211 (LEVEL 2)

Give students a choice to dive in to an after-school book club that will allow students time to read for enjoyment, discuss real-world issues that involve them, and discover various perspectives to help develop more understanding among the student population. While learning from others, book clubs also provide each student with an opportunity to reflect and learn more about themselves.

Presenters: Sarah Buchmann

Meredith Schoonhoven, Freeport School District

D.34 Painting with Words: A Loving Gaze of Latina Teachers and a Call to Creating Spaces of Intentionality

ROOM 251 (LEVEL 2)

This presentation focuses on a critical miniethnographic study centering young adult literature to explore the lived experiences of Latina teachers in the Deep South. Testimonios imbued with muxerista portraiture captured stories of otherness, belongingness, resilient mothers, and love for students, teaching, and culture. Implications for future research and teacher development will be discussed.

Presenter: Vanessa Vega, University of South Florida

D.35 Students at the Heart of Reading Instruction: Weaving Together SEL with Research-Based Reading Pedagogy

ROOM 252 A (LEVEL 2)

This presentation presents an approach that centers students and weaves together SEL strategies with research-based reading pedagogy. Participants will engage in scenarios that illustrate how to embrace a child-centered humanizing approach. This approach to literacy teaching centers students, integrates SEL, fronts best practice reading instruction, and is rooted in databased decision making.

Presenters: Lane Clarke, University of New England Krysten Gorrivan, University of New England/Biddeford School District

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

D.36 From Pixar to Black Mirror: Engaging Students through Purposeful Low-Transfer Writing Experiences

ROOM 252 B (LEVEL 2)

This session will demonstrate successful strategies for teaching expository and synthesis writing to high school students by implementing high/low transfer activities. Selected Pixar animated short films, popular music lyrics, works of contemporary art, and episodes from Netflix’s Black Mirror series will serve as core media for this demonstration.

Presenter: Lauren Gottlieb, Watchung Hills Regional High School

D.37 Genocide Education through Literature

ROOM 254 A (LEVEL 2)

In our interdisciplinary Genocide Studies course, we use a variety of literature and testimony in each unit to provide students with an understanding of and empathy for the people who have endured atrocities.

Presenter: Justin Bilton, Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School

D.38 Ending Curriculum Violence through Text Selection

ROOM 254 B (LEVEL 2)

In this session, participants will be able to articulate what curriculum violence is and how it is displayed in our teaching pedagogy. We will ask English educators and teachers to self-examine how text choices can reproduce harmful environments. Participants will consider critical questions about text choice and how to envision text selection as a humanizing praxis for liberation.

Presenter: Stephanie P. Jones, Grinnell College

D.39 Playing Our Positions: A Black English Educator and White English Teacher’s Collaborative Practitioner Inquiry on Hip-Hop Pedagogies in Non-Black Spaces

ROOM 255 (LEVEL 2)

In this session, we, a Black male English educator and a white female 8th-grade ELA teacher, reflect on a collaborative practitioner inquiry on a hip-hop-based unit designed to strengthen white and Asian students’ critical literacy skills. Participants will engage in selfreflection and discussion about the unit and “playing their positions” when implementing hip-hop pedagogies in their contexts.

Presenters: Michele DeVirgilio, Herricks School District

H. Bernard Hall, Drexel University

D.40 Forging Futures: Decolonizing Advanced Placement

ROOM 256 (LEVEL 2)

This teaching demonstration and talk will center on ways in which teachers can decolonize the Advanced Placement curriculum.

Presenters: Lakisha Odlum

Sarah Richard, New York City Department of Education

D.41 Finding the Magic in the Ordinary: Magic Realism, Like Water for Chocolate, and a Cookbook for the Senses

ROOM 257 A (LEVEL 2)

In this session, we will offer a brief overview of our course on magical realism and share our culminating project that asks students to share a recipe from their own family or cultural cuisine and compile those recipes into a class cookbook. We will also share how students analyze the novel and explore how their chosen dish represents the magic to be found in the ordinary.

Presenters: Allyson Buie, Cary Academy

Kara Kalmer Caccuitto, Cary Academy

D.42 Hope for a Work-Life Balance: Ways to Get Students Writing More while Managing the Grading Load

ROOM 257 B (LEVEL 2)

Language arts teachers want students to write a lot, but the time spent grading can feel overwhelming. This session will offer ways that teachers can get students writing more while also providing solutions to keep grading manageable. Come away with ideas that you can implement immediately in your classroom.

Presenter: Stacy Cohen, Mandalay Middle School, Jeffco Public Schools

D.43 Reimagining Narratives: A Critical Exploration of Arab American Picturebooks in the Classroom

ROOM 258 A (LEVEL 2)

Join us as we critically explore Arab American picturebooks and delve into their profound impact in the classroom. Acknowledging historical misrepresentations, we’ll unravel the need for a nuanced examination and pave the way for the selection of authentic narratives. Together, let’s uncover innovative approaches that promise a more inclusive and enriching educational experience.

Presenter: Amanda Najib, New York University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

D.44 Visual Poetry? I Hardly Know Her: Inclusive Possibilities for VisPo in the ELA Classroom ROOM 258 B (LEVEL 2)

This session confronts what we perceive as a lack of visual poetry studies in creative writing classrooms, largely due to its incompatibility with familiar literary devices and analytical tools. As teachers and poets, we will provide prompts, examples, and considerations for teaching visual poetry outside of genre parameters to inform inclusive pedagogy and poetry-making.

Presenters: Meg Davis Roberts, SUNY New Paltz

Marisa Tirado, University of Colorado Boulder

D.45 Reassessing Writing Assessments in the AI Era: Unconventional, High-Yielding, AI-Resistant Assessments from the Field

ROOM 258 C (LEVEL 2)

With AI writing tools impacting classrooms, teachers need strategies to enhance engagement, equitably assess writing, and teach responsible AI use. This interactive session provides ready-to-implement activities that rethink assessments for the AI era through game-based learning, digital storytelling, and other unconventional techniques focused on higherorder thinking.

Presenter: David Rivas, Antelope Valley High School District

D.46 Inquiring Minds Want to Know: Teaching Students to Ask Primary Source Questions in the ELA Classroom

ROOM 104 B (LEVEL 1)

How do we make primary sources relevant and engaging for all students? Discover a simple, inquiry-based approach for bringing historical literary sources to life. When students use their own authentic questions to drive analysis, close reading, and discussion, required texts become visceral and personal. Actively participate, “learn by doing,” and walk away with lesson plans.

Presenters: Lauren Carlton, Foxborough Public Schools

Sarah Westbrook, The Right Question Institute

D.47 Teacher Mindset in Teaching Early Reading: How It Impacts Curriculum Renewal, Pedagogy, and Confidence

ROOM 259 B (LEVEL 2)

Teacher mindset in teaching early reading, how it is communicated through teaching practice, is consequential in the lives of students. In this session, we lay a foundation for the importance of understanding teacher mindset in teaching reading and identify the factors that foster feelings of confidence and efficacy. We refer to these areas as the “4 Ps”: Passion, Purpose, Pitfalls, and Promise.

Presenters: Robin Bright, University of Lethbridge

Adam Browning, Palliser School Division

THURSDAY GENERAL SESSION

EXHIBIT HALL B 1 (BCEC, EXHIBIT LEVEL)

KETANJI BROWN JACKSON

Ketanji Brown Jackson was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in Miami, Florida. She received her undergraduate and law degrees, both with honors, from Harvard University, then served as a law clerk for three federal judges, including Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer of the Supreme Court of the United States. Jackson subsequently practiced law in the private sector, worked as an attorney and later as Vice Chair and Commissioner of the US Sentencing Commission, and served as an assistant federal public defender. In 2012, President Barack Obama nominated Jackson to the US District Court for the District of Columbia. Elevated to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 2021, Jackson made history in 2022 when President Joseph Biden nominated her as an Associate Justice. The first Black woman ever confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States, she took her seat on June 30, 2022.

In her recently published memoir, Lovely One, Justice Jackson shares how her heritage, powerful family stories, and formative experiences throughout her life shaped her academic and legal careers.

During the 2023 NCTE Annual Convention, attendees shared their thoughts about the Convention and what it meant to them!

Share your Convention stories this year!

#NCTE24

PHOTO CREDIT: KENNEDI CARTER

5:30–7:00 P.M.

Elementary Section Get-Together

ROOM 210 C (LEVEL 2)

Meet NCTE’s elected leaders who represent the Elementary Section, network with educators from across the country, and snack on hors d’oeuvres. The recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Elementary Educator Award, Angie Zapata, University of Missouri, will speak.

Presiding: Nancy Valdez-Gainer, Texas State University, San Marcos; Chair, Elementary Section Steering Committee

Speaker: Angie Zapata, University of Missouri

DONALD H. GRAVES AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE TEACHING OF WRITING

Recipient: Jen Vincent, Bannockburn School, IL

LANGUAGE ARTS DISTINGUISHED ARTICLE AWARD

Recipient: Monica C. Kleekamp, Maryville University, MO, for “What about the 1%? Transforming Current Literacy Pedagogy for Students with Significant Support Needs” (January 2024)

OUTSTANDING ELEMENTARY EDUCATOR AWARD

Recipient: Angie Zapata, University of Missouri

Middle Level Meet-Up

ROOM 210 A (LEVEL 2)

Kick off your convention experience with this gathering of Middle Level attendees featuring authors Pablo Cartaya and Jamar Nicholas. The 2024 NCTE Richard W. Halle Award for Outstanding Middle Level Educator recipient, Carla España, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, will also be recognized.

Presiding: Sarah Bonner, University of North Carolina Wilmington; Chair, Middle Level Section Steering Committee

Speakers: Pablo Cartaya and Jamar Nicholas

RICHARD W. HALLE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING MIDDLE LEVEL EDUCATOR

Recipient: Carla España, Brooklyn College, CUNY

Secondary Section Get-Together

ROOM 210 B (LEVEL 2)

This year’s Secondary Section Get-Together will feature Gholdy Muhammad, professor of curriculum and instruction at the University of Illinois Chicago, and author ofCultivating Genius: An Equity Model for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy.

Presiding: Josh Thompson, Virgina Tech, Blacksburg; Chair, Secondary Section Steering Committee

Speaker: Gholdy Muhammad

College Section Get-Together

ROOM 209 (LEVEL 2)

Join leaders of the NCTE College Section and colleagues who teach at the postsecondary level across the country during Thursday night’s College Section Get-Together. Speaking at the event is Tracy K. Smith, a librettist, translator, and the author of five acclaimed poetry collections, including Life on Mars, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. Her memoir, Ordinary Light, was a finalist for the National Book Award. From 2017 to 2019, she served as the 22nd Poet Laureate of the United States. Smith is currently a Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Professor at Harvard Radcliffe Institute and a professor of English and of African and African American studies in the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Presiding: Jonathan Bush, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo; Chair, College Section Steering Committee

Speaker: Tracy K. Smith

RICHARD OHMANN AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ARTICLE IN COLLEGE ENGLISH

María P. Carvajal Regidor for “’I’m a Bad Writer’: Latina College Students’ Traumatic Literacy Experiences” (September 2023)

7:30–9:30 P.M.

CNV Reception and Mentor Panel

ROOM 253 A-C (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the Cultivating New Voices among Scholars of Color Program

Come join the current and former fellows and mentors and friends of the NCTE Cultivating New Voices among Scholars of Color (CNV) Program in Boston, MA, for an evening of community and fun. This year’s event will feature a panel of current CNV mentors.

CNV Program Co-Directors: Latrise Johnson, University of Alabama

Leigh Patel, University of Pittsburgh

Mentor Panelists: Cati V. de Los Rios, University of California, Berkely

Betina Hsieh, University of Washington, Seattle

Lauren Leigh Kelly, Rutgers University

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

7:15–8:00 A.M.

FIRST-TIMERS’ WELCOME BREAKFAST

ROOM 253 A-C (BCEC, LEVEL 2)

TONYA B. PERRY

NCTE President-Elect

EMILY KIRKPATRICK

NCTE Executive Director

Never been to an NCTE Annual Convention before? Don’t miss this event we’re holding just for you! Join fellow first-time attendees for an informative session over breakfast to kick off your NCTE Annual Convention experience. You’ll have the opportunity to hear from NCTE President-Elect TONYA B. PERRY and NCTE Executive Director EMILY KIRKPATRICK. Plus, you’ll meet NCTE leaders and repeat attendees who can walk you through tips and strategies that will enhance your Convention experience, expand your knowledge of NCTE’s resources, and build your professional network.

The breakfast is complimentary, but a ticket ordered in advance is required.

TONYA B. PERRY, Provost and Senior Vice President at Miles College in Fairfield, Alabama, is a tireless advocate for students and educators who are often denied a voice. She works with and for educators, students, and communities to develop programs and initiatives that uplift historically marginalized peoples. In addition, she has advocated for others on numerous committees, including as a member of the NCTE Executive Committee, NCTE Research Foundation trustee, member of the NCTE Inclusivity Task Force, NCTEAR chairperson, NCTE Editorial Board member, and director for NCTE’s Cultivating New Voices among Scholars of Color program. She currently is NCTE President-Elect and serves on the National Writing Project’s board of directors. Perry has also served the nation as a 2000 National Teacher of the Year finalist and a two-time National Board Certified Teacher. She has worked as a middle school teacher, teacher educator, full professor, executive director, and principal investigator for a large GEAR UP grant, director of the Red Mountain Writing Project, and both interim department chair and executive director for outreach and engagement for a school of education. Her coauthored book Teaching for Racial Equity: Becoming Interrupters (2022) is a collaborative work with two teacher educators, Steven Zemelman and Katy Smith, and other brilliant teacher-writers.

8:15–9:15 A.M.

FRIDAY

GENERAL SESSION

EXHIBIT HALL B 1 (BCEC, EXHIBIT LEVEL)

KATE MCKINNON

Kate McKinnon is an award-winning performer and writer best known for her tenure as an Emmy Award-winning cast member on Saturday Night Live. Young readers will recognize her voice roles as Ms. Fiona Frizzle in The Magic School Bus Rides Again for Netflix and as Lulu the Guinea Pig in DC League of Super-Pets. Her film work includes Ghostbusters, Bombshell, Yesterday, and Greta Gerwig’s Oscar-nominated worldwide blockbuster, Barbie The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science is her debut novel.

A book signing will follow the session.

During the 2023 NCTE Annual Convention, attendees shared their thoughts about the Convention and what it meant to them!

Share your Convention stories this year!

BUILD YOUR STACK® LOCATED IN EXHIBIT HALL A (BCEC, exhibit level)

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22

10:30–10:50 A.M.

BYS.1 Love Makes a Family

Kelsie Corriston Burnett, The University of Texas at Austin

Emily McDonald, The University of Texas at Austin

Katie Trautman, The University of Texas at Austin

11:00–11:20 A.M.

BYS.2 Heart Books to Inspire Readers

Greg Micek, Maercker School District 60/Holmes Primary School

Katie Russell, Murphysboro Middle School

11:30–11:50 A.M.

BYS.3 Translingual Picturebooks and Multilingualism: Challenging English as the Norm

Kathy G. Short, University of Arizona

12:00–12:20 P.M.

BYS.4 The Hope for Muslim YA: Humanizing through Heartfelt Narratives

Zainab Jabak, Alief Taylor High School

12:30–12:50 P.M.

BYS.5 Envisioning Future Worlds

Cathline Tanis, North Plainfield School District

1:00–1:20 P.M.

BYS.6 The Heart of the Matter: Centering Mental Health with Picturebooks

Jessica Walsh, Granger Middle School, Indian Prairie District #204, Aurora, IL

Maria Walther, literary consultant, Aurora, IL

1:30–1:50 P.M.

BYS.7 Picturebooks That Scaffold Excavation, Regulation, and Transformation in Classroom Communities

Clare Landrigan, Stenhouse

Keisha Smith-Carrington, Princeton Public Schools

Michelle Yang-Kaczmarek, Dobbs Ferry School District

2:00–2:20 P.M.

BYS.8 Books with Powerful Author’s Notes

Lynsey Burkins, Dublin City Schools

Franki Sibberson, Franki Sibberson, LLC

2:30–2:50 P.M.

BYS.9 We Keep Us Safe

Anna Falkner, University of Memphis

Noreen Naseem Rodríguez, Michigan State University

3:00–3:20 P.M.

BYS.10 2024/2025 Notable Poetry Books and Verse Novels

Junko Sakoi, Tucson Unified School District, and the NCTE Children’s Poetry Awards Committee

3:30–3:50 P.M.

BYS.11 “Where a Flower Blooms, So Does Hope”: Books That Celebrate Nature

Michelle Houts, Ohio University Press/ Feeding Minds Press/Random House

Laura Shovan, Vermont College of Fine Arts

Tricia Springstubb, Holiday House/ Peachtree/Pixel+Ink

4:00–4:20 P.M.

BYS.12 Great Debuts in YA

Michelle Peterson-Davis, Uniondale UFSD

Christina Zandstra, Roy C. Ketcham High School

5:00–5:20 P.M.

BYS.13 What Do Picturebook Authors Read?

Josh Funk, Union Square Kids

5:30–5:50 P.M.

BYS.14 A Picturebook Is Worth a Thousand Words: Reading and Writing with Powerful Picturebooks

Joellen McCarthy, The Educator Collaborative

Jen Vincent, Bannockburn School

6:00–6:20 P.M.

BYS.15 Stanzas of Hope and the Plea against Palestinian Dehumanization

Kefah Ayesh, Maarif School

FRIDAY

FEATURED SESSIONS

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process.

Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

9:30–10:45 A.M.

"‘It’s About Time’: Centering, Supporting, and Learning from HBCUs and Black Brilliance at NCTE”

ROOM 205 C (LEVEL 2)

NCTE welcomes you to a uniquely generative space where all NCTE members can learn from the wisdom, courage, perseverance, and joy of administrators, faculty, and students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and grow in our ability to serve HBCUs as central to NCTE and the literacy education community. Valerie Kinloch, President of Johnson C. Smith University and NCTE Past President, will pose questions to a panel of HBCU representatives as NCTE charts a clear path toward centering HBCUs and our service to them as leaders in the work to remain strong and true to Pro-Black convictions in a time of heightened anti-Black legislation and curricular oppression.

Chair: Kamania Wynter-Hoyte, University of South Carolina

Moderator: Valerie Kinloch, Johnson C. Smith University

Presenters: Khalilah Ali, Spelman College

Janice Baines, Allen University/University of South Carolina

Will Boyles, Allen University

Fatima Brunson, Spelman College

Tamara Butler, Xavier University/College of Charleston's Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture

Flavia Eldemire, Allen University

Damara Hightower, Voorhees University

Tonya Perry, Miles College

Nicole Taylor, Spelman College

Natasha Thornton, Spelman College

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

12:30–1:45 P.M.

Artificial Intelligence in the ELA Classroom: Embracing Our Reality, Owning Our Responsibility ROOM 205 A (BCEC, LEVEL 2)

This session centers a public teacher’s expertise in a discussion on artificial intelligence in the ELA classroom. Come to explore the great potential of this moment, how students and teachers are engaging, alongside the responsibility we share to knowing where risks lie, who is most likely to be left out of opportunity, and where the next generation of oppression lurks. NCTE has specifically curated teaching, technology, and scholarly expertise for this timely conversation.

Presenters: Dr. Joy Buolamwini

Ernest Morrell, University of Notre Dame

Brett Vogelsinger, Central Bucks High School South, PA

DR. JOY BUOLAMWINI is the founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, a groundbreaking researcher, and a renowned speaker. Her writing has been featured in publications such as TIME, The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, and The Atlantic. As the Poet of Code, she creates art to illuminate the impact of artificial intelligence on society and advises world leaders on preventing AI harms. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Rhodes Scholarship, the inaugural Morals & Machines Prize, and the Technological Innovation Award from the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. Her MIT research on facial recognition technologies is featured in the Emmy-nominated documentary Coded Bias. Born in Canada to Ghanaian immigrants, Buolamwini lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

ERNEST MORRELL is the Coyle Professor in Literacy Education and director of the Center for Literacy Education at the University of Notre Dame. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Education, a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association, and past president of NCTE. Dr. Morrell has been annually ranked among the top 200 university-based education scholars in the RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings published by Education Week. He has authored more than 100 articles and book chapters and fifteen books. His scholarly interests include literacy studies, English education, critical pedagogy, media and popular culture, and the African Diaspora. Morrell leads the NCTE James R. Squire Office of Policy Research in English Language Arts at the University of Notre Dame.

BRETT VOGELSINGER is an English teacher at Central Bucks High School South in Pennsylvania with over two decades of experience teaching in middle and high schools. He is the author of Poetry Pauses: Teaching with Poems to Elevate Student Writing in All Genres; his book Artful AI, about the use of generative AI in secondary writing instruction, is coming this summer from Corwin Literacy. He is the founder of Go Poems, a frequent contributor and webinar creator for Moving Writers, and a professional development presenter. Connect with him on LinkedIn, @theVogelman on Instagram, Threads, or X. His website is www.brettvogelsinger.com

BRETT VOGELSINGER

ERNEST MORRELL DR. JOY BUOLAMWINI

POSTER SESSIONS

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Poster presentations will take place at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center at the locations listed below.

9:30–10:45 A.M. / NORTH EAST LOBBY (LEVEL 1)

Cultivating New Voices among Scholars of Color

Sponsored by the Cultivating New Voices among Scholars of Color Program

In this poster session, the presenters will share a delineation of three kinds of justices, which helps us examine to what extent we are pursuing the kinds of justices we say we are.

Committee Chairs: Latrise P. Johnson, University of Alabama

Leigh Patel, University of Pittsburgh

Presenters: Janice Baines, University of South Carolina monét cooper, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Rubén González, Stanford University

shea wesley martin, The Ohio State University

Mohit Mehta, The University of Texas at Austin

Alex Feliciano Mejía, San Francisco State University

Cristina Selena Mendez, University of California Berkeley

Rashida Mustafa, Teachers College, Columbia University

Tairan Qiu, University of Houston

Yvette Regalado, The University of Texas at San Antonio

Ankhi Thakurta, Boston College

Adrianna González Ybarra, University of Missouri

11:00 A.M.–12:15 P.M. / EXHIBIT HALL A (EXHIBIT LEVEL )

AI and Writing: Engaging Student Voices

This poster highlights college students’ voices from a class called “AI, Philosophy, and Writing,” as they grapple with complex philosophical and practical questions raised by AI—including who they are as learners and writers, and the role AI will play in their lives and careers.

Presenter: Margaret Perrow, Southern Oregon University

Blending the Editing and Revising Process

Why don’t students revise and edit? Why do we spend so much time writing little notes to our students to help them become better writers, knowing most won’t read them? Or if they do read them, they don’t apply them? The editing process has been a constant area that students (and teachers) groan about. The answer is simple and has been right in front of teachers for decades: station teaching.

Presenter: Sarah Webster, Camp Ernst Middle School, Boone County Schools

Empowering Intellectually Disabled Students through Systematic Phonics Instruction: Fostering Equitable Education

This poster presentation focuses on a research study in which students who were identified with an intellectual disability were given an intervention of systematic phonics through multisensory teaching for six weeks. After six weeks in a self-contained setting, the students in this study showed growth in phonemic awareness.

Presenter: Theresa Garcia, Texas A&M Central Texas

Multiliteracies for English Language Learners: Multilingual Multimodal Multidimensional Instructional Strategies

Do you have English learners/multilingual learners in your K-6 classroom? Have you noticed how unique each student is when it comes to their language and literacy development? Come to this poster session to expand your toolkit with multidimensional instructional strategies that include multilingual, multimodal, multisensory, and multilevel scaffolds and supports.

Presenter: Andrea Honigsfeld, Molloy University

Cultivating Success: The Power of Strong StudentTeacher Relationships in Building Heart, Hope, and Humanity

Despite being labeled an “alternative school,” Youth Opportunity is a beacon of hope for students who have been rejected by their previous high schools. We invite you to explore how a school-wide approach to creating an environment of hope contributes to the academic success and personal growth of our students, challenging the stereotypes associated with alternative education.

Presenter: Amy Sumor, Youth Opportunity Academy

Listening to Your Audience: Considering the “for” in Books for Children

This poster will showcase three different books for teens and kids and how they write for their specific audience: kids of today, not the past. Each example will explore how readers today need things that readers of even ten years ago didn’t, and why focusing on these differences and introducing these books to today’s kids are important.

Presenter: Nicole Melleby, Algonquin Young Readers

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

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No Los Dos: Creating Multilingual Opportunities in L1 English Classrooms

Despite being a culturally diverse nation, mainstream classrooms in the US rarely provide opportunities for bilingual students to engage their full linguistic repertoire. All educators, regardless of their linguistic capacities, can create spaces of multilingual collaboration by incorporating translanguaging and providing students the opportunity to express meaning through multiple languages.

Presenter: Crystal Narvaez, Texas Woman’s University

The “R”evolution of the Sonnet

This poster presentation explores how the sonnet has evolved to be—at once—a traditional and revolutionary poetic form. From Petrarch, to Spenser and Shakespeare, to Hughes, Coleman, Hayes, Ruben Dario, Hua Nguyen, writers have used the sonnet form to participate in and revolt against tradition. Our history and our present are revealed in the 140 (give or take) syllable universe of the sonnet!

Presenter: Donna DeBenedetti

Writing with Purpose: How Adolescents’ Writing Improves by Connecting with an Authentic Purpose

This poster will explore results of a 2024 study of four high school ELA classrooms to examine how writing improves when teachers use an instructional routine called “Writing with Purpose” to help students write for personally meaningful purposes. The poster will present the study methods, results, and implications.

Presenters: Suzanne Myers, University of Kansas

Jocelyn Washburn, University of Kansas

A Critical Content Analysis of Indian American Immigrants in Contemporary Children’s Literature

Children deserve access to respectful and authentic books representing the plurality of the United States. Indian Americans are the second largest US immigrant population today, yet books about this community have been understudied. This study explores 35 middle grade novels about Indian American immigration. What themes are present in these books? What messages might children construct from them?

Presenter: Danielle Sachdeva, University of North Georgia

Bridging Rural Landscapes and Student Voices: Place-Based and Writing Center Pedagogies

Make writing relevant with the power of place in rural classrooms! Imagine students, inspired by local communities, crafting compelling narratives, poems, and essays with authenticity and confidence. This poster provides strategies to blend place-based writing pedagogies and writing center practices to empower rural students as confident, skilled writers.

Presenters: Brianne Johnson, University of Oklahoma

Michelle Boyd Waters, University of Oklahoma

Collaborate with Colleagues as Students Write across Your School

Don’t stay stuck in your silo! Come to this presentation and learn how you can collaborate with social studies classes, younger/older grades, and music teachers and art teachers in your school.

Presenter: Elizabeth Jorgensen, Arrowhead Union High School

Deeper Learning: Descriptions of Apprenticeship Learning in ELA Classes

Findings from the Study of Deeper Learning indicate students enrolled in schools promoting deeper learning competencies experience more opportunities for deeper learning activities, including in ELA classes. This undergraduate research project examines apprenticeship learning in ELA in literature on deeper learning schools. Our poster outlines research methods, findings, and implications.

Presenters: Julianna Kershen, University of Oklahoma

Guin Nalewajk, University of Oklahoma

Making Thinking Explicit: A Skill Continuum to Support Strategic Use of Think-Alouds

Think-alouds are a practice that most teachers implement frequently. Yet think-alouds can also be challenging to model and teachers may feel stagnant in their skills related to this instructional practice. We present a reflective tool that helps teachers analyze their current think-aloud practices and make intentional changes to improve the quality and explicitness of thinkalouds.

Presenters: Tracey Hodges, The Empowering Advocate LLC

Sharon Pratt, Indiana University Northwest

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Preserving the Soul of the Writer: Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions of the Role of AI in K–8 Writing Instruction

Preservice teachers are beginning their careers at a time when AI is just starting to change the educational scene. Particularly in the area of writing, there are important issues concerning balancing voice, originality, and the “humanity” of good writing with the incredible potential AI has as a helpful teaching tool to guide young writers.

Presenter: Marva Solomon, Angelo State University

Seeing the Promise Within: Using Animal-Assisted Therapy to Enhance Well-Being and Improve Reading Affect

In this interactive presentation, a secondary teacher and registered handler through Intermountain Therapy

Animals (ITA) will address key questions about the feasibility and impact of incorporating a therapy dog into the classroom. Saber the six-year-old Golden Retriever is present for the duration of the presentation to mimic the experience students have during R.E.A.D. visits.

Presenter: Kaitlyn Frakl, Hall High School

Shining the Light on Student Voices

How do preservice and new teachers create an environment that allows students to use their voice to enhance their learning? By bringing an asset-based perspective which honors student backgrounds and experiences, teachers will help to foster a more engaging learning experience. Through multiple years of classroom experience and relevant research, tools and tips will be presented.

Presenters: Karen Kopitsky, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Erica Neal, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Erin Northey, Steele Creek Elementary School, CharlotteMecklenburg Schools

Teaching Literature in the Age of Generative Machines

It’s been a matter of discussion for over a full year now: ChatGPT will change the way that learning happens in classrooms of all sorts. No one can say for certain whether the introduction of generative AI will truly be a pivot-point on which everything will change (only time will tell), however, what is certain is that there are many teachers—particularly teachers of English—seeking answers.

Presenter: Eric Abrams, Iona University

The Case for Civic Engagement in English Class

English class remains one of the main places students feel confident discussing ways to make the world a better place. “The Case for Civic Engagement in English Class” poster session merges civics, English, history, and media literacy through the work of three education organizations: PBS NewsHour Classroom, Our American Voice, and Indiana University’s Center on Representative Government.

Presenters: Elizabeth R. Osborn, Indiana University Center on Representative Government

Victoria Pasquantonio, PBS NewsHour Classroom

Too Scared to Share? Using Clips with Verse Literature Circles

Helping students find their voice in a post-pandemic classroom is paramount to self-awareness, confidence, and comprehension. Verse Literature Circles provide students with contemporary texts that include themes they can relate to, such as cultural identity, family, grief, and love. Using Clips, students collaborate with their peers using their voices and interactive audiovisual elements.

Presenter: Jennifer Jepsen, Oak Lawn Community High School

Unit-Runners: When Teacher Candidates Design

Interdisciplinary Units around Hosseini’s The Kite Runner

Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner comes alive through interdisciplinary connections. As teacher candidates designing first units, we want to experiment with literature that expands beyond different content boundaries. Through SEL and social studies connections, unit design suggestions and research, new teachers and students will gain a unique and conceptual understanding of the content.

Presenters: Michele Castleman, Heidelberg University

Lexi Cheek, Heidelberg University

Trey Combs, Heidelberg University

Makenna Finnegan, Heidelberg University

Writing Apprehension in Rural High Schools (AZ, IN)

This poster demonstrates highlighted data from the presenter’s Writing Apprehension survey instrument. This survey instrument was conducted in rural high schools in Arizona and Indiana in 2023–2024. The instrument consisted of 16 quantitative questions as well as six qualitative questions in pursuit of solutions for and reasons behind writing apprehension in rural settings.

Presenter: Layne Ilderton, Arizona State University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

12:30–1:45 P.M. / EXHIBIT HALL A (EXHIBIT LEVEL )

Exploring “Fake Reading”: Authentic Engagement in Independent Reading

A common refrain against the idea of independent reading in secondary classrooms is the fear of students “fake reading.” This fear can lead to the implementation of assessments and accountability practices, from reading logs to projects, essays, or the use of Accelerated Reader. This poster shares findings about “fake reading” that emerged from a study of veteran middle grades teachers’ practice.

Presenter: Jess Smith, Bellarmine University

Armenian Bird Letters: Discovering Our Shared Humanity through Language and Art

Exploring Armenian language and culture through the illuminated manuscripts, students will gain an understanding of the Armenian language and cultural identity. Using a variety of reading and video activities, students will learn about Armenian history, culture, and language, and replicate Armenian Bird letters of their own names, discovering our shared humanity through language and art.

Presenters: Jessica DePamphilis, Watertown High School

Jackie Kemper, Christian School of York

Artful Idea: Critical Creativity and ELA around the Globe

How might we provide learners around the world opportunities to develop deeper language understanding, dynamic communication skills, and agile problem solving mindsets? Explore 40+ freely available strategies for creative expression in any ELA classroom, whether an ESL class in Egypt or a civic engagement seminar in New England.

Presenters: Jacquie Gardy, United States Department of State

Dan Ryder, Community Regional Charter School

Critical Content Analysis of Indigenous (Mis) Representation in Picturebooks

As representations of Indigeneity within elementary curricula remain largely underdeveloped, this poster session highlights the development of a heuristic for critical content analysis to evaluate accurate representations and misrepresentations of Indigenous Peoples in picturebooks commonly used in the elementary classroom.

Presenter: Rachel LaMear, University of Missouri

Paragraphology: The Bright Way to Write

Paragraphology is a multisensory, comprehensive, scaffolded approach to writing and note taking that can be easily utilized by children, teens, college students, and adults.

Presenter: Bridget Barley, The Jemicy School

Empowering Student Identity through Counter-Storytelling

Presentation of this counter-storytelling project, drawing on historically responsive literacy and pedagogy of possibility, will highlight student-created multimodal artifacts and findings centered on disrupting deficitbased approaches to literacy, leveraging diverse student resources and identities, and implications for developing relevant and meaningful curricular experiences.

Presenter: Janina Schulz

K-Pop Pedagogy: Multimodal Literacy and Transmedia Storyworlds

In this poster presentation, Nicholas E. Miller highlights how the transmedia storyworlds of contemporary K-Pop can serve as productive tools in the language arts classroom. This poster, and the accompanying handout, demonstrate how forms of transmedia storytelling found in K-Pop can be used to provide students with multimodal literacy skills and a deeper understanding of key literary concepts.

Presenter: Nicholas Miller, Mary Institute/Saint Louis Country Day School (MICDS)

Perceptions and Practices: Teachers’ Cultural Awareness and Insights on Black Boys

In this session, the presenter will explore teachers’ perceptions of culturally responsive practices and their impact on African American students. The discussion will focus on how gender, ethnicity, and teaching experience influence cultural awareness and the use of these practices. Attendees will gain insights into addressing biases and effectively supporting Black boys in the classroom.

Presenter: Kimberly Burks

First-Person Reading Writing and Speaking

The acts of reading/interpreting and of writing/discovery can be more than parallel, they can be intertwined. My students had to interpret one of ten essays, also used as examples of techniques to employ, and explain their own paralleling event such as the power of peer pressure, the joy of pursuing dreams, and the pain of abuse. The results were shared as both papers and presentations.

Presenter: Michael W. Young, University of Pittsburgh

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Level Up Your Game: A Collaborative ELA and Library Unit on Research Writing

This study explored the impact of a collaborative unit between an ELA teacher and a librarian on secondary students’ research writing skills. The unit focuses on developing research questions, engaging in the research process, and cultivating critical thinking skills. Key findings included increased student engagement, information synthesis, and focused research questions and thesis statements.

Presenters: Ana Katz, University of Utah

Brittany Maloy, Brigham Young University

Utilizing Advertisements to Advance Persuasive Writing Skills

Persuasive writing is one of the most difficult skills for students to master in the English classroom. While there are multiple ways to teach persuasive writing, real-world experience is a valuable tool in doing so. This presentation will demonstrate how students can use the art of media advertising to advance their persuasive writing skills.

Presenter: Tiffany Goldman, University of Mississippi

“‘Uncomfortable’ Reading on Sensitive Subjects”: A Survey of Young Adults’ Knowledge of and Attitudes toward Book Bans

Understanding the kinds of books students want and their objections to certain materials could be powerful knowledge for educators defending students’ access to literature. However, there is presently limited research about students’ knowledge of and attitudes toward censorship attempts. This study’s purpose is to bring students’ perspectives to the forefront of discourse about book challenges.

Presenters: Denise Johnson, William & Mary

Sue Kimmel, Old Dominion University

Shana Pribesh, Old Dominion University

Danielle Sachdeva, University of North Georgia

Digital Game Development in the ELA Classroom: Gamifying the Poster Session

In this interactive poster session, participants will be exposed to Unity, a free cross-platform game engine. While this session leverages one platform it offers a way of thinking about instruction and assessment in English classrooms that embraces the evolving technologies and creative strategies for new modes of storytelling.

Presenter: Chelsey Barber, Teachers College, Columbia University

Education Podcast Production as Meaningful Work in Academia

As teacher educators, we expanded our learning and leading in unforeseen ways by co-producing an education podcast. Interviews with educators cast a light on education issues, while designing newsletters and clipped content segments extended our reach into K–12 professional development and educator preparation. We identified worth in podcasting as a creative research pursuit in education.

Presenters: Joi Patterson, Governors State University

Amy Vujaklija, Governors State University

Embodying Her Words: Cultivating Writer Identity in Middle School Girls through Heart, Hope, and Humanity

An English teacher from Arizona showcases her research on humanizing our middle school girls and their experiences through writing. In an effort to maintain hope and engagement in restrictive teaching contexts, she will present on topics that create impactful learning and center student experiences, such as cultivating identities. She will share writing activities and showcase the work of her students.

Presenter: Adriana Diaz, Arizona State University

Empowering Bilingual Education via University-Rural Community Praxis Partnership

This research addresses global challenges in rural education, aiming to empower communities, harmonize global and local perspectives, and unlock education’s transformative potential.

Presenter: Ivy Haoyin Hsieh, National Dong Hwa University

Implementing Cross-Curricular Literacy Objectives to Meet Private School Accreditation Goals

The presenters will share ideas for developing academic accreditation goals regarding nonfiction literacy growth and the science of reading as it applies to 9–12 high school students. These accreditation goals are intended to help ELA instructors and content area teachers support students’ ability to better comprehend nonfiction texts and provide tools for students’ own independent learning. They will share their experiences of setting and implementing literacy goals for students with various reading abilities at their school.

Presenters: Jessica Colecchi, Cristo Rey Columbus High School

Rachel Dues, Cristo Rey Columbus High School

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Identifying and Describing the Theories That Inform Current Adolescent Literacy Research

This poster outlines our systematic literature review research methods and findings. Our study focuses on peer-reviewed research into adolescent literacy published between 2016 and 2023, with the goal of identifying and describing the theories and frameworks that inform and guide research efforts as well as those that serve as interpretive and analytic lenses.

Presenters: Tracy Hunt, Mid-Del Schools

Brianne Johnson, University of Oklahoma

Julianna Kershen, University of Oklahoma

It’s More than Multimodality: The Importance of Centering Literary Elements in Teaching Remix

My poster takes up the popular pedagogical strategy of remixing texts in a way that emphasizes students’ attention to and use of key literary elements such as setting, casting, and plot. It demonstrates how students are allowed to practice rhetorical skills through argumentation and remixing texts. It also emphasizes connecting texts that may seem irrelevant to students, with their lives.

Presenter: Emma Vaughn

Radical Empathy in Secondary School English Classrooms: The Narrative4 Approach to Improving Peerto-Peer Communication

This poster presents the multifaceted application of Narrative4’s Story Exchange to a secondary English classroom curriculum. Our work covers the positive benefits of the Story Exchange, specific methods and writing prompts that support curriculum standards as well as reinforce the CASEL 5 areas of social-emotional competence, and action steps to empower educators to experiment with this strategy.

Presenters: Amy Leshinsky, Curry College

Nicole LoPorto, Weymouth Public Schools

Social-Emotional Learning in Middle Schools: Teachers’ Experience with Implementation

Although existing literature indicates that SEL has generally had positive effects on students’ academic performance and overall mental and social health, one variable has sometimes been left out of the conversations about SEL: teachers’ voices. This presentation will feature proposed research aimed at filling that gap.

Presenters: Kiesia Anderson, Florida International University Claudine Morris, Florida International University

Special

Education Teachers’ Instructional Practices and Needs Providing Writing Instruction to Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities may experience difficulties across the writing process. Special education teachers were surveyed on their needs and instructional practices teaching writing. While teachers engaged in writing instruction, results suggest the role of teacher preparation and ongoing professional development.

Presenter: Joo-Young Lee, University of Maine

Visual Art as Literacy

Visual arts curricula offers a space for literacy to be embedded in planning stages, artwork creation, and reflections. This poster outlines examples of how a visual arts educator in a New York City public elementary school is applying literacy practices to grades 2–4 curricula.

Presenter: Sarah Sanders, New York City Department of Education, PS/IS 187 Hudson Cliffs

What Do Kids Want to Read? An Investigation of Elementary Kids’ Genre and Format Preferences

What children read is of critical interest as increased reading is linked to positive reading outcomes. We investigated the reading preferences of students in grades 2–4 for both genre and format, and analyzed for differences based on grade, sex, and other variables. We also conducted follow-up interviews to determine other variables influencing their preferences and motivation.

Presenters: Margaret Barr, William & Mary

Hailey Fisher, William & Mary

Katie Rusnak, William & Mary

Maya Sardar, William & Mary

Lily Silverman, William & Mary

Kristin Conradi Smith, William & Mary

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

2:00–3:15 P.M. / EXHIBIT HALL A (EXHIBIT LEVEL )

Heart, Hope, and Humanity: Addressing the Language Arts Content Area Burden through a Culturally Responsive Approach to Teaching

Exploring Children’s Literature to Foster Self-Regulation and Social-Emotional Growth

COVID-19 challenged teachers to manage virtual instruction while upholding literacy standards and text choices. This poster acknowledges that burden, advocating for culturally responsive practices. By honoring the heart, hope, and humanity of teachers, we aim to empower them with tools and strategies to meet diverse student needs and create inclusive instruction where every voice is valued.

Presenter: Stephanie Fumiatti, Southern Connecticut State University

At the Heart of it All: Centering Care in Our Classrooms and School Communities

Explore the transformative synergy of self-regulation strategies and children’s literature in lower elementary classrooms. Join us for insights on fostering emotional regulation through engaging and effective educational practices, as we delve into the power of stories to shape young minds.

Presenter: Natalie James, PK Yonge Developmental Research School, University of Florida

Out of the Ashes: One Teacher’s Journey Evaluating the Impact of Student-Selected Independent Reading on Sixth-Grade Academic Intervention Services

Establishing a community of care in the classroom creates an environment where students feel valued, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential academically, socially, and emotionally. When students feel connected, they are more likely to seek help when needed, communicate openly, and collaborate with peers. In this session, we’ll explore what practices that center care look like.

Presenter: Vivett Dukes, Teachers College, Columbia University

Exploring the Definitions and Experiences of the Digital Divide: It’s More Than a Digital Distraction

This session identifies the need for professional development and instruction around digital distraction. The results of Beyond Digital Distraction: Educating Today’s Cyber Student will be shared. This book shares a wealth of educational stakeholder viewpoints about digital distraction from a 1:1 technology integrated high school. Data was collected before, during, and after the start of COVID-19, which provides a unique view into integrated learning and its transformation since the pandemic.

Presenters: John Rossi

Kurt Schuett, Leyden High Schools (District 212)/Concordia University, Chicago

This qualitative case study sought to evaluate the impact of student-selected independent reading on Academic Intervention Services (AIS) student engagement in AIS English language arts (ELA) class. Over the span of three months, the teacher-researcher facilitated a unit integrating the Flipped Classroom Model (FCM) and student-selected independent reading in hopes of increasing engagement.

Presenter: Michael Hockwater, University of South Carolina

How Implementation Teams Collaborate to Create a Supportive Environment for Writing Instruction

How do systems help and hinder the implementation of high-quality writing instruction? This poster will present findings from a simulation-based research study about educators’ use of a tool to assess schools’ infrastructure for writing instruction and professional learning, and support implementation planning for a new writing initiative.

Presenters: Suzanne Myers, University of Kansas

Jocelyn Washburn, University of Kansas

Keeping the Wonder in ELA Teaching and Learning

By tapping into your sense of wonder, you can design meaningful learning experiences that captivate your students’ interests and ignite their imaginations. Structured around the elements of wonder, surprise, curiosity, freedom, and inspiration, this poster session will showcase learner-centered literary instructional strategies and provide inspiration to create literary lessons that are compelling and purposeful.

Presenters: Ashley Bible

Jenna Copper, Slippery Rock University

Abby Gross, Archdiocese of Cincinnati St. Albert the Great School

Staci Lamb, Cecil County Public Schools

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Poetry in the Intermediate Grades: Bringing the Active View of Reading to Life

Students in intermediate grades (3-5) are expected to read and understand complex texts, yet their understanding of language often inhibits their ability to understand those texts. Reading and writing poetry enabled readers to increase their understanding and use of vocabulary, improved their oral reading fluency, and increased their motivation and participation in class conversations.

Presenter: Rochelle Mitlak, University of Bridgeport

Global Texts at the Heart of Learning: Lessons in Lesson Planning

National Education Association (NEA) Global Teaching Fellows from across the US served as mentor teachers for teacher candidates, using global texts at the heart of their instruction. This poster session will highlight the collaborative process and mentorship model utilized to provide lessons in lesson planning, using diverse texts, for preservice teachers in rural Minnesota.

Presenters: Deborah Jane, University of Minnesota Kathrina O’Connell, Bemidji State University

Who Gets to Write Fiction? Opening Doors to Imaginative Writing for All Students

Literature is an art. What if we gave students consistent opportunities to practice creating in the genres they read as a part of their study of literature? How might this transform students’ relationships to reading, writing, and to one another? Come and see the eight doors we can open when we integrate imaginative writing into our English language arts classes as well as a curriculum structure to support this work.

Presenter: Ariel Sacks, The Renaissance Charter School Queens NY/Norton Professional Books

“___ is something we have lost in the world today.” Celebrating Student Voice through Assignments They Actually Care About

Illustrating a dynamic assignment I created for my grade 12 English students—Write a speech entitled: “_________ is something we have lost in the world today”—this poster session will illustrate how crafting assignments that students truly care about can make all the difference in the ELA classroom, and the importance of students hearing their own voices in the classroom.

Presenter: Tara Maria Fernandes, Teachers College, Columbia University

A Long Long Time Ago in Southeast Asia: Lessons from Southeast Asian Folktales

Kim and McCabe (2018) collected oral folktales from Southeast Asian immigrant families from Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma, and Laos in the city of Lowell, Massachusetts, USA, and turned them into a children’s book. This poster session will present the folktales and examine the forms, functions, and lessons of the folktales for teachers to teach them as culturally sustaining texts

Presenters: MinJeong Kim, University of Massachusetts Lowell Allyssa McCabe

Communities of Student Teachers as Readers (CoSTaR) Project: A Transatlantic Venture

Read-alouds are valued practice in literacy instruction to convey background knowledge, demonstrate readers’ actions and cognitive processes, and build a community within a classroom. This presentation shows how a community of preservice teachers as readers between Ireland and the United States was built, as they mutually developed their skills with using read-alouds in literacy instruction.

Presenter: Sharon Pratt, Indiana University Northwest

Constellating Emotional Dialogues in Secondary Education: Autoethnographic Insights into Queerness, Race, and Compassion

This interactive poster session offers an overview of how one teacher developed a framework rooted in emotion, queer, dialogic, and Walter Benjamin’s new materialist theories to view and deconstruct the heaviest moments of teaching under a lens of compassion. Participants are invited to make novel meanings of these experiences by connecting themes of love, hope, and joy into new “constellations.”

Presenter: Emily Wilkinson, Teachers College, Columbia University

Pedagogy for Using AI as a Tool to Teach Shakespeare to English Language Learners in Secondary Schools

Secondary teachers of English language learners (ELL) can leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize the teaching of Shakespeare in secondary ELA classrooms, addressing the diverse academic abilities of ELLs. By incorporating AI as a supportive teaching aid, educators can optimize time, implement evidence-based strategies, and foster a dynamic learning environment.

Presenters: Ricarma Jean Baptiste, Florida State University, Tallahassee

Alyssa VanLinder, Florida State University, Tallahassee

Lauren Woodham, Florida State University, Tallahassee

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Seeking Hope in “Seek You”: Interdisciplinary Understandings of a Required Freshman Read

A quiet resistance to Ta-Nehesi Coates’s Between the World and Me led to a new choice for a campus-wide required freshman read: Kristen Radtke’s graphic novel, Seek You: A Journey through American Loneliness. Faculty members from different disciplines discuss its value and predict its impact among their most impressionable population.

Presenter: Joanelle Morales, Colorado Mesa University

Supporting Multimodal Composing in Digital Environments: Understanding Needs and Strategies

Best supporting students as they compose using digital tools means understanding that traditional writing process lenses are no longer adequate for these multimodal environments. This presentation reports findings of a process study that moves toward a digital and multimodal process lens to help literacy educators support students sharing their ideas and voices in a digital and multimodal age.

Presenter: Brett Stamm, University of Southern Mississippi

Teacher Candidates’ Readiness to Teach Writing Across the Curriculum

When Fiction Influences Facts: The Significance of Popular Culture’s Connection to Teacher Recruitment, Retention, and Attrition

In this poster presentation, teacher educators provide research exploring the following research question: how does popular culture representation of English language arts educators influence teacher recruitment, retention, and attrition, and how has Abbott Elementary influenced educator representation in media? Interactive conversations will explore the significance of this issue to educators.

Presenters: Peggy Hopper, Mississippi State University

Mary Ann Parker, University of North Alabama

3:30–4:45 P.M.

/ EXHIBIT HALL A (EXHIBIT LEVEL )

Anti-Education Legislation, English Teacher Perspectives, and Subversion in the United States

At a Midwestern education prep program, all education teacher candidates since 2019 have participated in a course on the teaching of writing. Teacher candidates reflected and provided techniques on their readiness to design, scaffold, and assess writing within their content area(s).

Presenter: Michele Castleman, Heidelberg University

Using Art Criticism to Support Student Engagement with and Comprehension of Multimodal Texts in ELA Classrooms

When reading a multimodal graphic novel text, students are often ready to decode the words on the page but need more foundational skills to understand the text’s visual components. This poster gives educators a framework for utilizing the skills used in art criticism to decode multimodal texts in ELA classrooms.

Presenter: Annie Bolter, Lakeland Christian School

In many states, anti-education bills can uniquely impact ELA teachers. This study, a PhD dissertation for the University of Oxford enacted by a HS ELA teacher, connects interviews from 20 teachers with legislation, parents’ rights groups, and politician platforms. I tie conservative rhetoric to concrete experiences and then share how teachers maintain reputations, safety, and well being.

Presenter: Alexa Muse, University of Oxford

Engaging Critical Multimodal Literacies through Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies in the English Classroom

To resist restrictive state legislation that seeks to silence discussions of systemic racism in the classroom, presenters share a social-justice focused unit centered on the novel Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam. Through community involvement, student-led discussions, and mentorship, students engaged in critical multimodal literacies as a way of embodying social justice themes.

Presenter: Kelsey Chingren-Lockhart, Northwest Junior High/ University of Iowa

From Classroom to Global Citizenship: Fostering Multicultural Awareness in Young Minds through ProjectBased Learning

This study investigates how PBL fosters multicultural awareness among young children by integrating language and cultural learning. It provides implications for practitioners to initiate PBL, nurturing linguistically proficient and culturally empathetic learners prepared to engage meaningfully with the interconnected world.

Presenter: Zhen Ren, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Perfect

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Pairings: Blending Genres in Paired Texts

Borne from inspiring experiences of reading paired texts with students, this session introduces a new way to pair texts together: by blending genres. I share blended genres as a new way to pair complementary texts of differing genres. Discussion will include how to create blended genres, examples of blended genre pairs, and complimentary teaching strategies to use with blended genres.

Presenter: Abbey Galeza, Kent State University

Who Is Represented? A Content Analysis of Characters in Award-Winning and Acclaimed Literature for Elementary and Middle School Students

Who are the characters in award-winning children’s books? Do they reflect today’s children? We share an analysis of character representations from awardwinning and acclaimed book lists and invite attendees to look critically at the limitations of this literature, become cognizant of awards recognizing diverse literature, and become advocates for putting diverse books in children’s hands.

Presenters: Sunah Chung, University of Northern Iowa

Melanie Koss, Northern Illinois University

Kathleen Paciga, Columbia College Chicago

Choice and Classical Texts: Bringing Classics to Life for Secondary Students

This poster will offer secondary ELA educators a glimpse into pairing choice texts alongside classic works of literature to engage similar themes and insights into characters. High school students engage more with choice, and this is an opportunity to increase their engagement level while also demonstrating the influence classic texts have on our modern stories.

Presenters: Rachel DiGloria Jennifer Percival

Developing Teacher-Writer Identities in Preservice Content Area Teachers

This poster will highlight the results of a study investigating the extent to which preservice content area teachers conceptualize their responsibilities and development as teacher-writers with lived experiences of practicing content teachers. Viewers will gain knowledge of how preservice content teachers understand the role of writing in their future careers as content area teachers.

Presenter: Alison Bright, University of California Davis

Reflective Practices: Crafting Curriculum to Foster Joy in the AP Literature Classroom

One school’s decision to move to an “AP for All” instructional approach brought anxiety and anger to many students. However, for others, it brought a much-needed opportunity. As teachers of AP Literature, how can we shift curriculum and instruction to create a relevant and joyful space for all? The answer: shifts in curriculum with meaningful texts and a focus on student reflection and feedback.

Presenter: Lindsey Franklin, P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School, University of Florida

It’s Been a Long Time Coming: Teaching Rhetoric through Pop Culture

In this poster session, I will share the curriculum from my recently taught 3000-level Rhetoric and Pop Culture course, which focused on Taylor Swift and her impact on popular culture. I discuss how using pop culture as a tool helps students more effectively engage with rhetorical concepts, such as kairos, and helps students see the application of rhetoric outside of academia.

Presenter: Emily Proulx, University of Central Florida

JOYcabulary: Effortless and Effective Word Acquisition in K–3

Elevate your read-alouds to build knowledge and develop vocabulary. With three shifts, mindset, intention, and extension, engaged students joyfully learn and retain new content, ideas, and words. Rich readalouds are paired along with a warm-up poem to launch the learning. Extensions are where the words are stored in the brain and become accessible for speaking, writing, and thinking.

Presenters: Amanda Schoepflin Kovac, JOYcabulary, Onteora Central School District, NY

Linda Szakmary, JOYcabulary, Sullivan BOCES, NY

On the Same Page: Writing Systems to Improve Content Area Writing

Many teachers are frustrated with the rise of AI “assisted” writing assignments created outside of school and are hungry for techniques to allow more writing in class. Yet each subject taught (history, biology, math, ELA) has its own particular writing challenges, rhetorical organization, and demands. These systems will create schoolwide content writing systems so that AI authors can’t be used.

Presenters: Stacey Adams, Center for Teaching and Learning

Jill Cotta, Center for Teaching and Learning

Katy Inman, Center for Teaching and Learning

Annie Nixon, Center for Teaching and Learning

Glenn Powers, Center for Teaching and Learning

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Pages of Influence: Student-Created Bookshelves

The “Ideal Bookshelf” assignment, inspired by La Force and Mount’s (2012) book, asks students to identify, illustrate, and explain their 10 most influential reads that build student engagement and a community of readers. This visual poster will display the concept of studentcreated bookshelves, show examples, and provide resources for implementing this engaging classroom activity.

Presenter: Suzanne Porath, Kansas State University

Poetry Is the New TikTok

Students today long for the infinite scroll and instant gratification of social media. What doesn’t meet that requirement? Macbeth. What might? Poetry. Poems are short, punchy, and compelling, just like TikTok. Together, let’s commit to using poetry regularly to reinforce and deepen conversations about character, tone, theme, and language while studying longer pieces of literature.

Presenter: Erika Johnson, OLCHS

Breaking Deficit Views through a “Language as Resource” Orientation: One Teacher’s Journey of Shifting Lenses

The “language as resource” orientation holds transformative power in dismantling deficit perspectives of language in monolingual classrooms. This poster presentation traces the critical events of one teacher that led to transformative shifts in embracing a “resourcefulness” view of language. The findings highlight pedagogical possibilities for educators in adopting expansive views of language.

Presenters: Julie Choi, University of Melbourne

Catriona Vo, Groves Christian College, Brisbane, Australia

Sharing Cultures through Literature and Geography

Presenters will have pins and a world map on the poster. Participants will be invited to use a pin and slip of paper to mark an area of the map that reflects the culture of a book they are recommending with the book title and author on the paper. Books may reflect the culture participants live in, teach in, or are from. Recommendations should be appropriate for secondary classrooms.

Presenters: Michelle Clark, Tupelo High School, Tupelo, MS

Peggy Hopper, Mississippi State University

Rosemary Oliphant-Ingham, University of Mississippi

The

Shift: Collapse, Hiding, Fight, or Flight

This work explores human reactions to a large-scale societal shift. The title “The Shift: Collapse, Hiding, Fight, or Flight” suggests a breakdown in normalcy, forcing characters to adapt survival tactics. The world undergoes a critical change, forcing individuals to confront their primal instincts. Society fractures in “The Shift.” Facing a drastic change, characters grapple with primal urges.

Presenter: Kim Groshek, Pause Power Inc.

The World Is

Here: Cross-Curricular Conversations and Applications

Ever wonder how to create a culture of open communication in your classroom? Building a foundation of open conversation is vital as we navigate our various communities. The world is here and we are stronger when we communicate across and through our differences, building on our commonalities. Discuss with us how to grow a learning environment to help students be able to learn together.

Presenter: Stephanie Hasty, Seneca Valley High School

Lifeworlds: Educators’ Reflective Journey toward Equity

How does reflective practice shape our cultural competence and commitment to social justice? In the changing educational landscape, educators should consider their roles as change agents for promoting equity, by examining them through the lifeworld fractions framework.

Presenter: Maria Halkias, Fairleigh Dickinson University

Multicultural Jewish Children’s Literature

This poster will showcase the full spectrum of Jewish cultures and characters, including Middle Eastern, North African, Ethiopian, Persian, and Hispanic. The audience will leave with an annotated list of recommended titles and suggestions for lessons using these books.

Presenters: Jany Finkielsztein, CAMERA Education Institute

Marjorie Gann, Association of Jewish Libraries, Canada

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Using Large Language Models (LLMs) to Teach the Writing Process

This poster focuses on an assignment using large language models (LLMs) in the technical writing classroom, focusing particularly on generating ideas for assignments and considering the revising process.

Presenter: Lisa Litterio, Bridgewater State University

Assessments and Interventions to Use with Reading Workshop

Reading workshops would be worth the time even if all they did was help kids enjoy reading. However, they can be much more than Sustained Silent Reading. They're an opportunity for teachers to assess student learning and employ interventions that struggling readers need. My poster shares how reading workshops allow me to find struggling readers and employ interventions to help them succeed.

Presenter: Andrew Filler, Howard Gardner Charter School, MI

Building Background Knowledge Is Vital for Supporting Students’ Reading Comprehension and Writing

This session is an overview of utilizing background knowledge to support reading comprehension and writing by incorporating the Expeditionary Learning curriculum. This is for teachers currently teaching in middle school classrooms. Attendees will challenge teaching practices and actively discuss positioning background knowledge at the focal point of teaching reading comprehension and writing.

Presenter: Jessica Coyne Ritter

Letter-Writing and Parental Incarceration: A Heart, Hope, and Humanity-Driven Literacy Practice

What is the impact of letter writing on students who go through childhood, through adolescence, and who enter young adulthood with an incarcerated parent? What sparks the intrinsic motivation of students to engage in writing practices that are not assigned, but assumed of their own volition? Explore letter-writing as an authentic literacy practice of students impacted by parental incarceration.

Presenter: Vivett Dukes, Teachers College, Columbia University

Books Build Bridges: Using YA Literature to Support Social-Emotional Learning

Rooted in CASEL’s 5 domains of social-emotional learning, and powered by our two decades in middle school, we will show you how to put the right book in the right hands at the right time. YA literature is the best way to support emotional learning in adolescents, and we’ll share carefully selected titles suited for developing each of the SEL competencies.

Presenters: Mary Giuffre, Frederick W. Hartnett Middle School Erin O’Leary

EXHIBITOR SESSIONS

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

9:30–10:45 A.M.

ES-E.01 Sparking the Writing Revolution with the Latest Insights and Research ROOM 155 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by Amplify

Writing is a powerful lever for deepening knowledge, improving reading comprehension, and enabling all students to access grade-level material. But it’s also the most difficult thing we ask students to do. Join Natalie Wexler and Judith C. Hochman, Ph.D., to learn how to make writing less overwhelming for students, and why you should embed it in your core curriculum across all subjects and grades.

Presenters: Judith C. Hochman, Founder, The Writing Revolution/ Co-Author, The Writing Revolution

Natalie Wexler, Education Writer; Author, The Knowledge Gap/ Co-Author, The Writing Revolution

ES-E.02

Build an On-Demand Professional Learning Library with NCTE (ISTE, ASCD, Corwin, Solution Tree, and more!) Professional Development Content ROOM 158 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by Gale

Create customized professional learning experiences for your district, department, or individual educators. Leave this session with digital access to titles from NCTE, ASCD, ISTE, and others! Reimagine professional learning by leveraging evidenced-based strategies from leading experts, fueled by Gale’s On-Demand platform that becomes the catalyst for consistent, ongoing professional growth.

Presenters: April Angel, Manager, Strategic Partnerships

Andrea Eshelman, Sr. District Sales Manager

11:00–11:30 A.M.

ES-F.01 Bringing Writing to Life: The Essential Components of Effective Writing Instruction

ROOM 155 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by Collaborative Classroom

Join us to unpack the research and find out how teaching writing as a separate content area provides a critical pathway for fostering effective communication skills as well as nurturing creativity and critical thinking, which are essential skills for academic and personal success. You’ll leave equipped with professional resources, lesson examples, and checklists to support your instruction.

Presenters: Kim Still, Collaborative Classroom

ES-F.02 Using DBQ Online to Help Teachers Scaffold and Differentiate Evidence-based Writing Instruction in the ELA Classroom

ROOM 158 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by The DBQ Project

EdTech Digest awarded DBQ Online first place in its prestigious "Cool Tool Award" competition. The writing scaffolds embedded in the platform help teachers differentiate writing instruction while maintaining the rigor needed to accelerate learning for ALL students. Come see what the buzz is all about and leave with a preview account and go to literacy strategies for analyzing nonfiction excerpts.

Presenter: Chip Brady, Co-Founder, The DBQ Project 12:30–1:45 P.M.

ES-G.01 Leveraging Writing and Discourse for Stronger Reading Proficiency in Middle School

ROOM 155 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by Amplify

Join Amplify VP of ELA 6–8 Deb Sabin to explore how two of the key components of the secondary ELA classroom—writing and discourse—can be leveraged to support reading development. We’ll investigate the connections among writing, discourse, and reading, as well as their relationship with the Science of Reading, and explore hands-on activities to ramp up reading proficiency in the secondary classroom.

Presenter: Deb Sabin, Vice President, ELA Education 6–8, Amplify

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

ES-G.02 Bridging the Gap Between “Learn to Read” and “Read to Learn" ROOM 158 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by Newsela

Many states with best-in-class science of reading policies are seeing reading improvements in lower grades, but dips in NAEP Report Card scores after third grade. One cause might be a lack of knowledge building within literacy instruction. In this session, we’ll look at the research and dig into real-world recommendations for building effective literacy programs from elementary into secondary.

Presenters: Dan Cogan Drew, Co-Founder/Chief Academic Officer, Newsela

Natalie Wexler, Academic Writer/Author

2:00–2:30 P.M.

ES-H.01 Cultivating Curiosity: Questioning and Literacy Strategies for Young Children ROOM 158 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by The Right Question Institute

Discover how student-generated questions can enhance literacy learning, participation, and critical thinking. This study used the Question Formulation Technique in an early childhood summer program for under-resourced students. Results showed improved literacy skills as assessed by the OLAI-2, with significant increases in questioning and oral language. Leave with new classroom strategies.

Presenters: Cora Causey, University of Alabama at Birmingham Amelia Spencer, Birmingham-Southern College Faculty Emerita/ Program Evaluation Analyst , Glenwood, Inc.

Sarah Westbrook, Director, Professional Learning, The Right Question Institute

ES-H.02 Using Games to Inspire Creativity ROOM 155 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by Blabbi

Want to get your students excited for class? Looking for a fun, creative exercise to break the ice and spark engagement? We've got you covered! We’ll show you how to use creative games to inspire imagination, improve public speaking, and engage logic—all through the universal language of laughter.

Presenters: Adrian Yu, Blabbi Olive Yu, Blabbi

2:45–3:15 P.M.

ES-I.01 Sharing the Power of Questions: A new model for fostering independent thinking and democratic habits of mind

ROOM 155 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by The Right Question Institute

How can the practice of questioning foster nimble and democratic minds? Teachers around the country have used the Question Formulation Technique to power student-led discussions, close reading, literacy learning, community action projects, and more. Experience the strategy and leave with a simple, actionable plan for fostering skills and habits of mind that are essential for a healthy democracy.

Presenters: Maame Conduah, Education Program Associate, The Right Question Institute

Dan Rothstein, Co-founder, The Right Question Institute

Luz Santana, Co-founder, The Right Question Institute M.

ES-J.01 Literature and Theater Arts Collaboration: Where Shakespeare Means Heart and Humanity, and Social Justice Means Hope

ROOM 155 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by Shakespeare and Social Justice

In the Shakespeare and Social Justice Project, theaterbased education programs make Shakespeare teaching connect literary study and theater arts through social justice principles. Shakespeare teaching matters to 21st Century students when adults engage them in meaningmaking activities, close textual analysis, drama-based pedagogy, and creative re-storying. Incorporating a social justice perspective is essential: no teacher must figure this out alone.

Presenters: Alice Renier, Apocalyptic Artists Ensemble

Cori Stevenson, General Manager, Houston Shakespeare Festival

Lindsay Tanner, Theatre for a New Audience

Kea Trevett, Apocalyptic Artists Ensemble

Laura Turchi, Shakespeare and Social Justice/Shakespeare Center

Los Angeles

Samantha Wyer-Bello, Shakespeare Theatre Company

SPECIAL EVENTS

9:00 A.M.–4:45 P.M.

Leaf and Pen and the New York State English Council's Drop-in Writing Space

NORTH EAST LOBBY (BCEC, LEVEL 1)

Drop in at any point in the Convention, for some time, space, and inspiration to do your own writing, in any form. We provide tools and activities for everything from brainstorming to generation to sharing. Feel free to try these—and bring them back to your schools and classrooms—or to make your own use of this space for writing, creativity, reflection, and breath.

Hosts: Eve Becker, Diana Liu, Lauren Nappi

9:30–11:00 A.M.

the Magic of Reading: A Conversation

ROOM 210 B (BCEC, LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by Booksource

Join award-winning author Kwame Alexander and Project LIT Community co-founder Dr. Jarred Amato for an inspiring conversation, moderated by Booksource President Neil Jaffe, on igniting a love of reading in all students. Together, they will explore the power of storytelling and diverse literature in fostering inclusive and engaged reading experiences. With practical strategies and personal insights, Kwame and Jarred will discuss ways to create vibrant reading cultures that empower students to become lifelong readers, both inside and outside the classroom.

Breakfast will be served. Limit of 250 attendees. First come, first serve event.

2:00-3:15 P.M.

Tend the Flame: A Celebration of Teachers, Students and Writing

ROOM 210 B (BCEC, LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the National Writing Project

NWP Reader's Theater: In celebration of the National Writing Project’s 50th year, beginning at NCTE in Columbus, Ohio, teachers were invited to contribute to “Tend the Flame,” a community poem created by the Wick Poetry Center. This session, an interactive Reader’s Theater Experience, draws on that community poem to celebrate teachers, students, and writing. Need a jolt of inspiration? Join us!

Unlock

with Kwame Alexander and Project LIT Community Co-founder Dr. Jarred Amato

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

NCTE AUTHOR STRAND SESSION

E.1 NCTE Author Strand: Reading the World through Sports and Young Adult Literature

ROOM 151 B (LEVEL 1)

This session is designed to help attendees see students’ engagement in sports culture as a pathway into the meaningful exploration of contemporary sociopolitical issues. Examples provided will support attendees in using awardwinning and recommended works of sportsrelated young adult literature and related texts to teach for critical literacy.

Presenters: Kristen Bakehorn, Fort Wayne Community Schools

Alan Brown, Wake Forest University

Kavitha Davidson

Guy Hill, Triton High School

Mark A. Lewis, James Madison University

Luke Rodesiler, Purdue University Fort Wayne

E.2 Meet the NCTE Editors

ROOM 102 A (LEVEL 1)

Participants will have the opportunity to meet journal and book editors, explore the publishing possibilities available with NCTE and with other publications, and discuss specific project ideas with the editors.

The ALAN Review: Christian Hines, Texas State University & Terri Suico, St. Mary’s College College Composition and Communication: Matt Davis, University of Massachusetts Boston & Natalia Scarpetti, University of Massachusetts Boston College English: Lori Ostergaard, Oakland University

English Education: Melanie Shoffner, James Madison University

English Journal: Amy Burke, Aimee Hendrix-Soto & Mandy Stewart, all from Texas Woman’s University

English Leadership Quarterly: Henry “Cody” Miller, SUNY Brockport

The Journal of Children’s Literature: Jill Hermann-Wilmarth, Western Michigan University; Laura Jiménez, Boston University; Caitlin Ryan, University of North Carolina Wilmington & Craig Young, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Language Arts: Sandra L. Osorio, Erikson Institute Chicago

The Leaflet: Mark Fabrizi, Eastern Connecticut State University

NCTE Books Program: Kurt Austin and Cynthia Gomez

NCTE Journals Program: Kim Morse, Jon Reigelman, and Tom Tiller

Research in the Teaching of English: Mollie Blackburn, David Bloome & Laurie Katz, all from The Ohio State University

Talking Points: Patricia Paugh, University of Massachusetts Boston & Sherry Sanden, Goldendale School District, WA; incoming editors: Ted Kesler & Marcela Ossa Parra, Queens College

Teaching English in the Two-Year College: Darin Jensen, Salt Lake Community College

Voices from the Middle: Shanetia Clark, Salisbury University & Robyn Seglem, Illinois State University

E.3 HS Matters—Humanizing Literacy Instruction through Asset-Based Social Action Research

ROOM 159 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by the Secondary Section Steering Committee

This presentation gives hope through radical love and social action. Learn how two English educators encouraged multilingual learners to become change agents in Boston Public Schools and how one teacher took an asset and advocacy approach to literacy instruction with Indigenous Latinx multilingual learners.

Presenters: Monica Bartholomew, Dover High School, “The Literacy Practices of Students with Limited or Interrupted Education (SLIFE)”

Mary Grady, Ruth Batson Academy, Boston Public Schools, “Becoming Social Change Agents through Reading and Multimodal Composing: Insights from a Multicultural and Multilingual Boston Public Schools Classroom”

Allison Skerrett, The University of Texas at Austin, “Becoming Social Change Agents through Reading and Multimodal Composing: Insights from a Multicultural and Multilingual Boston Public Schools Classroom”

E.4 #MakersInTheMiddle Level Up Humanity with Games: Playing Games for Joy and Literacy in the Middle Grades

ROOM 205 B (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the Middle Level Section Steering Committee

In this exciting session, we will play games that exercise our reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Through gameplay, we will explore how games can challenge and transform our pedagogies in ways that hold space for students’ diverse voices and experiences. By creating opportunities for play, we will uncover innovative ways to craft narratives, arguments, and poetry with youth.

Presenters: Alex Corbitt, SUNY Cortland

Michael Dominguez, San Diego State University

Roundtable Leaders: Sarah Bonner, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Karis Jones, Empire State University SUNY

Robin Lange-Fazio, Tabletop Gold

Robyn Seglem, Illinois State University

Scott Storm, University at Albany, SUNY

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

E.6 “Spilling Tea”: Reframing Gossip in the ELA Curriculum through a Critical Feminist Lens ROOM 162 A (LEVEL 1)

Using a critical feminist lens, panelists created ELA curricula to support gossip as a literary tool to enhance characters’ positions, personalities, allies, and enemies within texts. In three high school units, gossip is used as an analytical tool to promote gender equity, guiding adolescents in critical analysis of the ways systems of power/privilege intersect in the fight for gender equity.

Presenters: Delaney Barrett, Miami University

Katherine Batchelor, Miami University

Julia Beaumont, Miami University

Kelli Rushek, Miami University

Ava Shaffer, Miami University

E.7 “A Deeper Understanding for Why I Think the Way I Do”: Using Ethics Instruction to Enrich Secondary Literacy Education ROOM 050 (EXHIBIT LEVEL)

Critical thinking is more important than ever. Join us in exploring ways to incorporate critical thinking skills in the secondary classroom through ethics education. Prindle Institute for Ethics staff and educators will provide a brief foundation in ethics education and share free classroom resources, followed by a demonstration of interactive learning experiences.

Presenters: Pam Antos, Hilliard City School District

Jeffrey Dunn, The Prindle Institute for Ethics

Merry Guerrera, Hilliard City School District

Emily Knuth, The Prindle Institute for Ethics

E.8 Activating Funds of Knowledge through Intercultural Interaction in Introductory Composition

ROOM 252 B (LEVEL 2)

This panel focuses on an introductory composition curriculum that prioritzes genre-based pedagogy and intercultural competence as an inclusive framework for enacting social justice. It explores how diverse domestic and multilingual students engage funds of knowledge during self-reflective writing and intercultural interaction when navigating new academic, social, and cultural experiences.

Presenters: Hadi Banat, University of Massachusetts Boston

Bradley Dilger

Alexander Langlois, University of Massachusetts Boston

Nasiba Norova, University of Massachusetts Boston

Rebekah Sims, University of Strathclyde Scotland

Phuong Tran, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

E.9 Advancing Academia with AI: Empowering Educators, Students, and Administrators

ROOM 259 B (LEVEL 2)

In this interactive session, learn how to harness the full potential of artificial intelligence platforms both in and outside of the classroom. Come away with practical strategies that educators, administrators, and students can use to leverage AI tools and foster dynamic, innovative learning environments.

Presenters: Kathryn Kritzeck Anderson, Coon Rapids High School/ MCTE

Ellen Gianakis, Holmdel Public Schools

Lorin Ottone, Colts Neck High School, NJ

David Pegram, Paradise Valley Community College

E.10 Affirming the Humanity of Diversity: How to Embrace, Center, and Celebrate Multiculturalism in All Classrooms through Picturebooks

ROOM 209 (LEVEL 2)

Picturebooks that center diverse characters foster acceptance and empathy in students. Often featured exclusively during special occasions, these texts are most powerful when woven seamlessly into day-today instruction. Author-educators demonstrate how picturebooks can combat marginalization, infuse diverse perspectives, and inject hope and heart into lessons across subject matters.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Nathalie Alonso, Barefoot Books

Nancy Churnin, Albert Whitman/Beaming Books

Pamela Courtney, Macmillan (FSG)/educator

Vivian Kirkfield, Calkins Creek/Astra/Holiday House

E.11 Banned Books, Teacher Gag Orders, and Preserving Student Voices in Restricted ELA Classrooms

ROOM 258 C (LEVEL 2)

Participate in a robust and timely conversation about tackling the challenges of restrictive ELA environments where age-appropriate books are challenged in classrooms/libraries and educators’ voices are muffled in the name of protecting students. We’ll discuss strategies for navigating these standards responsibility while preserving the voice of students to express diverse viewpoints through ELA.

Presenters: Scott Alford, Sphere Education Initiatives

Elyse Alter, Sphere Education Initiatives

Shannon Edwards, Wichita North High School

Stephanie Hasty, Seneca Valley High School

Kobi Nelson, Prospect Ridge Academy

Cynthia Nicholson, Norfolk State University

Mark Rockeymoore, San Marcos High School

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

E.12 Coauthoring Change: Educator-Community Strategies for Fighting Book Bans ROOM 203 (LEVEL 2)

Communities play a pivotal role in literacy education, and can offer critical support in the face of rising book challenges. How can educators connect with their local communities to keep diverse books in schools? Join us to learn and share strategies that have worked. Leave with concrete tools for engaging with your community, authors, and support organizations.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Jeanette Bradley, author

Tina Cane, Random House Children’s Books/Writers-in-Schools

Rhode Island

Lamar Giles, Scholastic

Barry Lyga, author

Jamie Michalak, author

Valerie Minteer, Literary Defense Network

Kristy Moore, Elizabethtown Area School District

Patrick Sweeney, EveryLibrary

E. 13 Collaborative Crafting: Building Efficacy through Process Writing ROOM 104 A (LEVEL 1)

With a focus on gradual release, learn how a content specialist, an instructional coach, and a classroom teacher support one another in implementing the progression of writing instruction alongside students, completing each step sequentially as students are guided through brainstorming, crafting multiple drafts and revisions, and underscoring writing as a series of problem-solving decisions.

Presenters: Scott Christensen, Canyons School District

Michelle Hall, Albion Middle School

Stephanie Nasser, Albion Middle School

E.14 Creating Energized Readers: The Key to an Empathetic, Thoughtful, and Hopeful Future ROOM 208 (LEVEL 2)

Access to a wide range of reading options allows children to develop not only literacy skills but also empathy, imagination, critical thought, and respect for the world around them. Join a conversation—with middle grade authors and an educator—about books as an essential catalyst, capable of reshaping our culture and reinforcing what it means to be a creative, compassionate, and hopeful citizen.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Kate Albus, Margaret Ferguson Books at Holiday House

Chrystal D. Giles, Random House Children’s Books

Sylvia Liu, Scholastic/PRH/Razorbill

Linda Oehler-Marx, deputy superintendent, New Paltz Central School District

Alysa Wishingrad, HarperCollins

E.15 Critical Literacy and History-Based Instruction for Social Justice and Hope ROOM 152 (LEVEL 1)

This combined panel will share two perspectives on critical literacy instruction for social justice and hope. One presentation will examine an instructional unit on the real history of the Tulsa Race Riots and the other will offer a perspective on reading documentaries toward social action awareness.

Speakers: Shanedra Nowell, Oklahoma State University, “Laying the Groundwork for Place-Based Inquiry: A Century of Questions about the Tulsa Race Massacre”

Fran Sterling, Life Stories, “Documentary Storytelling: Teaching Compassion and Solidarity alongside Argument and Critical Media Literacy”

E.16 Defying Gravity: Harnessing the “Wicked” Power of STEM and English through Interdisciplinary Learning

ROOM 257 A (LEVEL 2)

Explore the intersection of STEM and English to address “wicked problems”—complex, urgent issues that have no clear solutions. STEM and English teachers will share how they have collaborated with learning partners to create lessons in which students work together to identify and articulate complexity, as well as arrive at breakthroughs about “wicked problems” within and across disciplines.

Presenters: Dee Dee Messer, William Mason High School

Kimberly Parker Warren, Salem High School

Nichole Wilson, William Mason High School

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

E.17 Disability as a Cultural Identity: Fostering Changemakers through Culturally and Disability-Sustaining Literacy ROOM 160 B (LEVEL 1)

What would it mean to honor students’ disability identities as a form of diversity worthy of sustaining? In this interactive session, meet elementary teachers whose literacy instruction centers disabled knowledge and culture and fosters youth who enact change in their communities. Learn about Culturally and DisabilitySustaining Literacy Pedagogy and imagine new possibilities for your teaching.

Presenters: Sam Jacob, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Charlotte Maltby, Little Red Schoolhouse

Lindsay Mann, University of Michigan

Heather Mohamed, Packer Collegiate Institute

Laurie Rabinowitz, Skidmore College

Amy Tondreau, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

E.18 Empowering Writing Communities: Dialogue, Peer Response, and AI in Writing Instruction ROOM 153 A (LEVEL 1)

Highlighting the importance of dialogue, peer feedback, and ethical AI use in writing instruction, this panel shares theories and practices for emphasizing personal reflection, improving feedback through peer responding, and maintaining a sense of community and humanity in writing classrooms while using AI.

Presenters: Patricia Dunn, Stony Brook University, “How Peer Responding Helps Improve the Writing of Student Responders”

Lindsey Ives, Auburn University, “Community Not Surveillance: Centering the Hope, Heart, and Humanity of Writing in the Age of AI”

Ellin Kim, Teachers College, Columbia University, “Discovering Universal Values through Peer Dialogue”

E.19 Extending the Conversation: Exploring GenAI’s Potential for Inspiring Hope and Enhancing the Humanity in Teaching ELA

ROOM 153 B (LEVEL 1)

Building on recent discussions in the field, speakers will discuss efforts to extend the conversation on GenAI and ELA education through collaborative research exploring the use of GenAI tools in various methods courses. The panel will examine AI’s potential to provide teacher educators and preservice teachers avenues for hope while countering pervasive fearmongering generated by the mass media.

Presenters: Nicole Damico, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Laura Jacobs, Towson University

Janell Miller, North Carolina State University

Katie Peachey, North Carolina State University

Beth Poteat, North Carolina State University

Mark Sulzer, University of Cincinnati

Amy Walter, North Carolina State University

Carl Young, North Carolina State University

Respondent: Allyson Young, Wake County Public Schools

E.20 Finding Hope and Heart through Diverse Fiction and Nonfiction Picturebooks

ROOM 161 (LEVEL 1)

In this session, picturebook authors will explore how uncovering heart and hope in diverse fiction and nonfiction stories can invite readers to understand how other people’s cultures, struggles, and goals shape their beliefs and actions and help them develop empathy and become inspired to bring about positive change in their own families, communities, and the world at large.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Alexandra Alessandri

Danielle Joseph

Angela Padron, Atheneum Books

Sita Singh, Anne Schwartz Books/Random House Children’s Books

E.21 Finding Hope and Joy in Spoken Word and YA Literature for the LGBTQIA+ Community

ROOM 153 C (LEVEL 1)

Nonbinary adolescents and members of the queer community are underrepresented in the literature of the ELA classroom. These two presentations offer ways to affirm, honor, and celebrate these identities through spoken word poetry and exploration of YA Literature.

Presenters: Elizabeth Gennosa, Hofstra University, “Spoken Word Poetry Performance as Social Justice Advocacy for LGBTQIA+ Youth”

April Vazquez, University of Delaware, “‘It Meant Something to See Those Characters’: A Nonbinary Teen Responds to Nonbinary Protagonists in Young Adult Literature”

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

E.22 From Inquiry to Action: Igniting Engagement and Purpose through Project-Based Research and Action

ROOM 157 C (LEVEL 1)

This session explores teaching practices that allow students to engage deeply with issues in the world and to take real-world action—all while building valuable research and literacy skills. Presenters give practical tips and ideas for incorporating independent and team research projects and for allowing students to make real-world impact via action research projects.

Presenters: Kelly Lormand, Grand Valley State University

Lauren Malanka, Tenafly High School

Dana H. Maloney, Montclair State University

E.23 Getting to the Heart of Cultural Stories: Using Young Adult Author Retellings of Myths and Fairy Tales as Mentor Texts

ROOM 254 A (LEVEL 2)

Literature has a long history of reimagining and retelling stories, making them new for contemporary audiences. This session introduces three YA authors, their novels, and the stories they retold. The panelists will offer strategies for writing, mentor passages, writing tasks, and resources for teachers and students.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Kalynn Bayron, Bloomsbury Publishers

David Bowles, Bloomsbury Press

Jen Calonita, Disney

Melanie Hundley, Vanderbilt University

Guadalupe Garcia McCall, Bloomsbury Press

Emily Pendergrass, Vanderbilt University

Elizabeth Seeker, Vanderbilt University

Marissa Tessier, Vanderbilt University

E.24 Heart, Hope, and Humanity through Humor

ROOM 104 B (LEVEL 1)

This panel will demonstrate how humor can make learning effective, relevant, and engaging. Presented through the lens of the panelists’ Jewish, African American, and Native American children’s books, this session will foster student engagement with the humor, wisdom, and humanity of all cultures. Our diverse literature examples will demonstrate that literacy can be a seriously fun experience.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Andrea J. Loney, Charlesbridge/Albert Whitman/Penguin Random House/Los Angeles Community College District

Charlotte Offsay, author

Dawn Quigley, HarperCollins Children’s Books

Caron Sharp, North East ISD

Chana Stiefel

E.25 Heartfelt Learning: Nurturing Hope and Humanity through Informal Education Strategies for Black Youth in Reading, Writing, and Theater

ROOM 154 (LEVEL 1)

This panel discusses strategies from two impactful projects that engage middle grade students in immersive reading, writing, and theater. One project teaches students to turn their peers’ stories into short plays, to consider what it means to care for someone else’s story. The other uses diverse literature to guide students in crafting life histories and digital stories with music and images.

Presenters: Cecy Abarca, StoryShare

Susan Browne, Rowan University

Desiree Cueto, University of Arizona

Sharon O’Brien, Literacy Connects

Tonya Strozier, Tucson Unified School District

E.26 Heartfelt Research with LGBTQIA+ Communities

ROOM 160 A (LEVEL 1)

This panel advances various research approaches to honoring the heart of LGBTQIA+ communities in schools. Presenters foreground literary texts and first-hand accounts to support researchers seeking to spotlight LGBTQIA+ stories.

Presenters: Em Bowen, The University of Arizona, “Toward a Trans* Educator-Informed Literacy of Care”

Ryan Schey, University of Georgia, “Teacher Learning and Gender and Sexual Diversity: Queerly Reviewing English Language Arts and Literacy Research”

Sara Staley, University of Colorado, “Teacher Learning and Gender and Sexual Diversity: Queerly Reviewing English Language Arts and Literacy Research”

E.27 Hope Is the Thing with Feathers: How Poetry Makes History Sing ROOM 052 B (EXHIBIT LEVEL)

Many view poetry as flights of fancy and history as dry facts. And yet, poetry can enliven and illuminate true stories, reveal the beating heart of history, and help kids foster deeper connections to our diverse heritages. Exploring poetry in historical fiction and nonfiction in verse, we’ll offer student writers tools to combine information with the inspiration needed to change the world.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Jeannine Atkins, Simon & Schuster

Susan Hood, Susan Hood Books/Simon & Schuster

Irene Latham, Lerner Publishing

Nicholl Montgomery, Simmons University

Nadine Pinede, Candlewick

Carole Boston Weatherford, Atheneum

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

E.28 How Collaborative World-Building in Fiction

Supports Community Building in Reality ROOM 156 A (LEVEL 1)

The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply compromised social connection, especially for children, which makes it even more important to provide literature that both illuminates what it means to build community and models artistic collaboration as a tool for community-building. This panel will examine how and why authors benefit from such collaborations, and the potential for students to do the same.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: William Alexander, Hachette Book Group/Vermont College of Fine Arts

Mike Jung, Algonquin/Allida/Levine Querido

Susan Tan, Roaring Brook Press/Scholastic/University of Massachusetts

E.29 In My Swift Lit Era: Connecting Past and Present Literature to a 21st-Century Audience ROOM 150 (LEVEL 1)

A Communications Division chair, an English instructor, and an instructional designer from Crowder College will present on how collaborating and coteaching an online course centered on comparing Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights and Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar to Taylor Swift’s writing increased student interest in classic literature.

Presenters: Kayla Branstetter, Crowder College

Leandra Toomoth, Crowder College

Stephanie Witcher, Crowder College

E.30 Inquiring into Issues That Challenge and Can Transform Us All: How to Choose Texts, Tasks, Techniques, and Topics That EMPOWER and Engage All Students

ROOM 206 B (LEVEL 2)

Participants will learn research-based frameworks and strategies developed in our own classrooms, including the EMPOWER model of guided inquiry/cognitive apprenticeship, through which we promote student agency and capacity, hope, and humanity, and through conversations about diverse texts, topics, and tasks designed to challenge and prepare them as students and citizens.

Presenters: Jim Burke, Corwin

Jeffrey Wilhelm, Boise State University

E.31 Inspiring Readers: Reading and Responding to True Stories

ROOM 207 (LEVEL 2)

Join educators and author, mom, athlete, and activist Minda Dentler (The Girl Who Figured It Out, 2024, Sourcebooks) in a panel discussion about the importance of inspiring readers through reading and responding to true stories.

Chair: Debbie Myers, Milton Hershey School

Tradebook

Author/Illustrator: Minda Dentler, Sourcebooks

Presenters: Jennifer Kemmery, Milton Hershey School

Nicole Siffrinn, Penn State Harrisburg

Tadayuki Suzuki, SUNY Cortland

E.32 Inspiring Student Voices: The Role of Digital Storytelling in Fostering Heart, Hope, and Humanity

ROOM 102 B (LEVEL 1)

In a time when educators feel like we’re on the losing side of the “attention economy” and powerful AI tools, we offer a path towards inspiring student voice. Three high school teachers share how they put student voice at the forefront of the curriculum, using their interests, passions, and individual stories as source content for creating digital stories.

Presenters: Tim Broeker, Glenbrook North High School

Julie Ann Hill

Jared Zuckerman

E.33 Journal Camp Jamboree: Exploring Writing through Reflection, Nature, Art, and Games

ROOM 254 B (LEVEL 2)

Educators of all grade levels, come swap a teacher hat for a camper hat. This is an open invitation to join a brief summer camp experience involving the pen’s BFF: the journal! Campers can earn two writing badges proving they have what it takes to journal in four different ways: reflection, nature, art, and games.

Presenters: Cheryl Curbishley, Thomas Grover Middle School

Leigh Anne Eck, George Rogers Clark Middle School

Erica Johnson, Teach Write, LLC.

Heather Morris, Trottier Middle School

Christie Wyman, Country School

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

E.34 Literacies for Broken Hearts: Grieving, Organizing, and Surviving while Reading and Teaching the World

ROOM 157 B (LEVEL 1)

In an interactive panel that makes space for both hope and heartbreak, we’ll explore the creative, intentional use of LGBTQIA+ YA literature in traditional and community literacy spaces to center critical engagement with LGBTQIA+ YA texts, help youth and adults make connections, reframe canonical texts, and prioritize care-centered community-building in literacy instruction for a liberating future.

Presenters: shea wesley martin, The Ohio State University

Carrie Mattern, Michigan Council of Teachers of English

Henry Cody Miller, SUNY Brockport

E.35 Literature as Encounter across Religious Difference

ROOM 104 C (LEVEL 1)

Join teachers to discuss the anxieties of talking about religion and exploring characters’ religious identities. Many students encounter new and different religions in literature. What kind of guidance exists for what teachers can say? What about the Constitution? As we prepare students for a pluralistic society, we must give them the tools to engage across difference.

Presenters: Kallie Blakelock, Chesapeake High School, Pasadena, MD

Christine Gallagher, Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies

E.36 Narrative Medicines: The Power of Listening as Pedagogy: Engaging the Heart for the Hope of Humanity

ROOM 204 A (LEVEL 2)

Narrative medicine is the clinical and scholarly discipline that honors the role of deep listening in healing encounters. Narrative medicine pedagogies intersect with those used in English language arts classrooms. By learning from those who practice narrative medicine, ELA teachers can embed those pedagogies into their current practices and engage students’ hearts and minds for greater impact.

Presenters: Margaret Hale, University of Houston

Zainab Jabak, Alief Taylor High School

Tradebook Author/Illustrator: Sayantani DasGupta, Scholastic

E.37 Now More Than Ever: Making Space for Book Clubs in a Time of Polarization

ROOM 211 (LEVEL 2)

In this contentious time in literacy instruction, it’s challenging to enact our values around teaching and learning. We’ll share how book clubs build student agency so that students aren’t passive recipients, respond to students’ needs in the face of scripted curriculum, and expand the kinds of thinking that are valued. Book clubs just might provide what’s missing from the latest literacy initiatives.

Presenters: Amanda Dey

Jessica DiBeneditto

Sara Kugler, Fairfax County Public Schools

Amanda Manno, Fairfax County Public Schools

E.38 Panels Full of Heart, Hope, and Humanity: The Power of Graphic Novels to Foster Critical Literacy and Critical Reading

ROOM 156 B (LEVEL 1)

Graphic novels are powerful tools for building critical literacy and reading skills. Through intertextual images, words, and use of space, they uniquely approach representation, empathy, and compassion. This presentation will explore how graphic novels build critical perspectives of the world while also nurturing students’ empathy for others and helping them gain a deeper understanding of humanity.

Presenters: Julia Lopez-Robertson, University of South Carolina

Jennifer Morrison, Sam Houston State University

Melissa Wells, University of Mary Washington

E.39 Putting Humanity Back into the Humanities: Strategies to Encourage Creative Writing and Student Writers in Your Classroom and Beyond

ROOM 256 (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines Committee

Creativity, original thought, and self-expression are under siege in the ELA classroom; we must learn how to protect and enact these core skills of our discipline. This session offers a range of practical approaches to bring creative writing into your courses, from providing “dotomorrow” class activities to step-by-step ways to build writing communities in your classroom and beyond.

Presenters: Alexa Garvoille, Durham School of the Arts

Laura Gellin, Park Tudor School

Benjamin Lally, Hopkinton High School

David Ragsdale, Clarke Central High School

Gillian Schneider, Neuqua Valley High School

Amy Williams-Eddy, Saint Mary’s Hall

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

E.40 Stories from the Heart: Elevating Voices of Women from the Arab Diaspora ROOM 162 B (LEVEL 1)

E.44 The Making of Antiracist Knowledge: Teaching the Fine Art and Intellectual Labor of Autoethnography and Counterstory

Too often, the voices of Arab women are erased or altogether ignored. This session will focus on Arab and Muslim women taking their own narratives and shedding the burden of a one voice-fits-all narrative, illuminating the disembodied voices of Arab women. Presenters will delve into insightful conversations highlighting the myriad of lived experiences of dynamic Arab women.

Presenters: Kefah Ayesh, Maarif School

Hannah Moushabeck, Chronicle Books/Interlink Publishing

Mona Mustafa, Paterson Charter School for Science and Technology

E.42 The Heart of Secondary School Writing Centers: Where Writing Feedback, Collaboration, Hope, and Humanity Thrive ROOM 252 A (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the International Writing Centers Association

In this session, secondary school writing center directors will share strategies for using the positionality of the writing center model as a way to amplify the voices of students within our connected communities. The directors will discuss specific, actionable ways in which participants can develop centers that become studentcentric avenues of advocacy and change.

Presenters: Heather Barton, Cherokee County Schools

Stacey Hahn, Shenendehowa High School, NY

Laura Peterson, Cherokee County Schools

E.43 The Language Struggle Is Still Real: Transdisciplinary and Transnational Approaches to Linguistic Justice and Antiracist Language/ Writing Pedagogies

ROOM 151 A (LEVEL 1)

This panel brings together a diverse group of educators who will extend the historical SRTOL resolution by providing attendees with transdisciplinary and transnational approaches to Linguistic Justice and antiracist language/writing pedagogies. Attendees will leave the session with approaches that honor linguistically and racially diverse students’ voices in ELA and college composition classrooms.

Presenters: April Baker-Bell, University of Michigan

Jodi Berry, University of Michigan

Aaron Bush, University of Michigan

Stephanie Renteria, University of Michigan

ROOM 258A (LEVEL 2)

In this roundtable discussion, speakers from a variety of institutional contexts and career stages explore the necessity and complexity of accompliceship at the nexus of Black and intersectional feminisms and masculinities for tutors, teachers, and leaders committed to antiracist pedagogy and program administration.

Presenters: Frankie Condon, University of Waterloo

Neisha Anne Green, American University

David Kelly, University of Baltimore

TJ Love, University of California San Bernadino

Vershawn Young, University of Waterloo

E.45 Trauma-Informed Writing Feedback and Teacher Professional Development

ROOM 157 A (LEVEL 1)

This combined session will lead attendees through professional development on trauma-informed instructional practices. One presenter will approach from the lens of a PTSD survivor while the other will inform from the perspective of a foster youth advocate. Attendees will learn gentle, humanizing response and pedagogy strategies.

Speakers: Katie Burnett, Edgewood High School, “Teaching Gently and Moving beyond Trauma-Informed PD: How Being an Advocate for Foster Youth Changed My Classroom”

Christine Ross, Defense of Democracy, Rochester Institute of Technology, “When the Writer Is a Trauma Survivor: Commenting on Student Writing Using Navigating Trauma in the English Classroom”

E.46 Unleashing Creativity through the Power of Podcasting

ROOM 156 C (LEVEL 1)

With a focus on eliciting student creativity, this presentation gives teachers the tools and resources needed to incorporate podcasting as part of their ELA practices. Podcasting supports students in writing process skills, creative thinking, peer collaboration, and digital learning. This presentation offers ELA teachers a variety of easy ways to incorporate podcasting into their classrooms.

Presenters: Jacqueline Rasnic, Edmond Public Schools

Alison Sterba, Edmond North High School

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

E.47 Writing Hope: Channeling the Power of Words through Grief ROOM 255 (LEVEL 2)

As teachers and writers, we often seek to inspire hope and power with our words. But how can we be motivated to teach, write, or create with the energy that others demand when we feel particularly powerless in the face of grief? In this session, a panel of authors and book creators discuss strategies for producing essential stories of hope while coping with global and personal conflict.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Kaija Langley, author

Nedda Lewers, Putnam Young Readers/Penguin Young Readers

Rhonda Roumani, Union Square

Safa Suleiman, author/educator

E.48 Writing Love: Student to Student Writing Connections That Build Heart, Hope, and Humanity through Feedback ROOM 103 (LEVEL 1)

Inspiring feedback needs to be at the heart of writing instruction. Come learn about and experience the collaborative writing discourse among students from classrooms in Pennsylvania and Texas that demonstrates the process of sharing writing, creating meaningful, inspiring feedback, and developing relationships between students across the country to inspire hope and center humanity.

Presenters: Amy Bouch, Chartiers Valley Middle School/Western Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English

Alissa Crabtree, Crabtree Coaching Collaborative

Carol Frow

Eva Goins, Northwest Independent School District

E.49 Writing with Heart: How Four Authors Mine Everyday Moments to Create Unforgettable Stories (and How Your Students Can Too!) ROOM 251 (LEVEL 2)

Four working authors of fiction and nonfiction for kids will share how they found the heart of their recent stories by paying attention to their mostly ordinary days. This author-educator panel offers participants tips and inspiration for ways teachers can nurture and cultivate student writers to discover the heart and promise of their unique voices by mining the stories of their daily lives.

Presenters: Lori Alexander, Calkins Creek/Astra

Karen S. Chow, Christy Ottaviano Books/Little Brown

Harshita Jerath, Random House Books for Young Readers

Dianne White, Chronicle Books/UCLA Writer’s Program

E.50 2024 Notable Books for a Global Society: Stories with Heart and Hope for Humanity ROOM 206 A (LEVEL 2)

The Notable Books for a Global Society Committee selects 25 books that demonstrate diverse genres, voices, and topics to enhance student understanding of people and cultures throughout the world. With multiple table discussions occurring concurrently, participants will be able to choose themes and books that are professionally and personally relevant.

Presenter: Mary Ellen Oslick, Stetson University, “Stories with Heart”

Roundtable Leaders: Jane Bean-Folkes, South Orange & Maplewood School District, NJ, “Standing Tall in the Midst of Change”

Jeanne Gilliam Fain, Lipscomb University, “Hope in the Midst of Journeys”

Tracey Hodges, Sam Houston State University, “Advocacy from Authentic Indigenous Voices”

Jane Kelley, Washington State University, “Courage and Hope in the Midst of War”

Lesli Morris, Canyons School District, UT, “Using Our Own Lives to Inspire Others”

Melissa Parks, Stetson University

Emily Reed, Northern York County School District, PA, “Overcoming Adversity through Music and Movement”

E.51 Current Conversations about Young Adult Literature in the Classroom

ROOM 253 A-C (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by The Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE (ALAN)

This ALAN-sponsored session features roundtable conversations related to the teaching of young adult literature (YAL) in secondary classrooms. Roundtable topics will vary and may include connecting writing and YAL, using YAL to engage with social issues and in political discourse, fostering social and emotional learning through YAL, workshopping of popular YAL titles, and more.

Chairs: Andrea LeMahieu Glaws, Colorado State University

Mark Letcher, Lewis University

Naitnaphit Limlamai, Colorado State University-Fort Collins

Kellee Moye, Hunter’s Creek Middle School, Orlando, FL

Roundtable Leaders:

Table 1: Beth Spinner, Alma College, “Analyzing Political Discourse Using Internment by Samira Ahmed”

Victoria Gill, Lesley University, “Who/What Haunts Us: Using a Vietnamese American YAL Horror Novel to Understand the Impact of Colonialism”

Table 2: Erika L. Bass, University of Northern Iowa, “Highlighting Rural YA Literature: 2023 Whippoorwill Award Winners”

Chris Crowe, Brigham Young University, “How the YAL Past Shaped the Present”

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Table 3: Dywanna Smith, Claflin University, “Revolutionary Wordsmiths: Inspiring a Radical Black Love for Reading and Writing”

Sybil Durand, University of Arizona, “Notes from a Black Girl Book Club: Creating Spaces for Literary Activism”

Table 4: Stephanie Robillard, St. Mary’s College of California & Maggie McConnaha, Michigan State University, “Restorative Justice YAL and Future English Teachers”

Mary Beth Hines & Dan Freeman, Indiana University, Bloomington, “Speculative Fiction, Speculative Pedagogies, and the Cultural Production of Hope”

Table 5: Mercedes Allen, Utah Public Schools, “Making Independent Reading Worthwhile!”

Jennifer Fulton, Fairfax County Public Schools, “Where to Start with YAL in the Secondary Classroom”

Table 6: Arianna Banack, University of South Florida, “Reviewing YAL for Authentic Writing Tasks”

T. Hunter Strickland, Georgia College & State University, “Writing Middle Grades Literature with Teacher Candidates as a Way to Consider Community, Identity, and Early Adolescent Agency”

Table 7: Cheryl North, University of Maryland Baltimore County, “Reading and Writing as a Political Act”

Amy Garrett Dikkers, University of North Carolina & Tracy Daughtry, “Linking Leadership and Literature for Action and Advocacy”

Table 8: Maggie Bryant, Baylor University & Caitlin O’Connor, “Countering Fatphobia on Our Shelves: Books That Humanize Size Diversity”

Callie Hammond, North Carolina State University, “Picturebooks of the Holocaust for Secondary English Classrooms”

Table 9: Michelle Glerum, Arizona State University, “Healing Narratives: Exploring Trauma and Resilience with YAL and ‘What Happened to You?’”

Amber Moore, North Carolina State University, “Turning Pages, Nurturing Hearts: YA Literature as Shepherds through Grief, Loss, and Mourning”

Table 10: Mandy Luszeck, Utah Valley State, “Changing the World through Confronting Biases and Ghost Boys”

David Kuriny, Towson University, “’Ecotone’: Young Adulthood in Motion”

Table 11: Kelly Sassi, Northern Michigan University, “Indigenizing our Definition of Young Adult Literature”

Ashleigh A. Allen, University of Toronto, “Mobilizing Native/ Indigenous YAL to Learn about Indigenous Land and People— Past, Present, and Future: Finding Love in Our Solidary”

Table 12: Alyssa Chrisman, Denison University, “Mental Health in YA Literature Book Club”

Angie Hansen & Andie Lenhart, Northern Arizona University, “Fostering Social and Emotional Learning Through Indigenous Literature”

Table 13: Coley Lehman, Brooklyn College/Western Oregon University, “Queer YA Book Clubs for Teachers: How Powerful Texts Center LGBTQIA+ Students’ Humanity”

Ruth Caillouet, Louisiana Department of Education Innovative Assessment Program, “Answers in Pages: Finding Hope through LGBTQIA+ YA Texts”

Table 14: Gretchen Schroeder, Walnut Township Local Schools/ The Ohio State University, “Using Graphic Novels to Engage with Social Issues”

Federico Erebia, Levine Querido & Jamie Jo Hoang, Random House Children’s Books, “How to Use Three YA Debut Novels to Discuss a Variety of Societal Issues and Writing Styles in Your Classroom”

Table 15: Shaylyn Marks, California State University Bakersfield, “Using Young Adolescent Literature to Inspire Literacy in Preservice Educators”

Table 16: Snow Webb, Colorado State University, “Feeding Literacy: Using Food Narratives to Enhance Young Adult Literacy and Cultural Awareness”

James Blasingame, Arizona State University, “Heroes and Healers of The Water Monster: Connecting the YA Novels of Navajo author Brian Young with the Science of Climate Changes”

Table 17: zero Marshall, Colorado State University, “Using Multilingual YAL to Nurture Multilingual Learner’s Writing Styles”

Leilya Pitre, Southern Louisiana University, “Rediscovering Love and Hope with Literary Characters: Creative Writing in Response to YA Novels”

Table 18: Kevin D. Cordi, Ohio University Lancaster, “A New Way of Comprehension: Creating Radio Dramas from Young Adult Literature”

Kaylee Smedley, Provo High School/Brigham Young University, “Stories Brought to Life: The Labors of Hercules Beal and Embracing Personal Odyssey through Student Experiences”

E.52 Encouraging Empathetic Boys in Elementary and Middle Grades

ROOM 204 B (LEVEL 2)

Join current picturebook and middle grade authors at roundtables to learn about how they’re helping to promote empathetic traits in their male characters and, by extension, their male readers!

Chair: Michael Billotti, Merton Williams, Hilton CSD

Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Derrick Barnes, Penguin Random House

Chris Baron, Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan

Lisa Fipps, Penguin Young Readers/Nancy Paulsen Books

Andrew Hacket, PageStreet Kids/WorthyKids/The Little Press

Ellen Hopkins, Penguin Random House

Jarrett Lerner, Simon & Schuster (Aladdin imprint)

Torrey Maldonado, SCBWI/Penguin Random House

Amber McBride, Macmillan Publishing

Allie Millington, Macmillan

Rex Ogle, Norton Young Readers

Pete Oswald, Random House

Aida Salazar, Scholastic

Dan Santat, MacKids

Alicia D. Williams, Simon & Schuster

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

E.53 Harmony of Hearts and Minds: A Journey into Inclusive Early Literacy at Clark Atlanta University’s School of Education

ROOM 259 A (LEVEL 2)

Join our roundtable at Clark Atlanta University’s School of Education! Explore the heart, hope, and humanity in early literacy. Professors Douglas and Harris, with students, reveal connections between culture, Science of Reading, and navigating policy challenges. Unravel insights, discuss key topics, discover resources, and reflect on transformative practices shaping the future of early literacy.

Presenters: Azjoni Breeland & Amara Jackson, Clark Atlanta Unversity, “Diverse Literature as a Catalyst for Literacy”

Kristian Douglas, Clark Atlanta Unversity, “Professional Development for Inclusive Pedagogy”

Demetrius Dove & Veronica Gordon, Clark Atlanta Unversity, “Student Perspectives and Empowerment”

Towanda Harris, Clark Atlanta Unversity, “Cultural Relevance in Phonics Instruction”

Nila Jones-Burnett, Clark Atlanta Unversity, “Family and Community Engagement”

Anthony King & Breonna Robinson, Clark Atlanta Unversity, “Technology and Inclusivity”

E.54 L. Ramon Veal Research Seminar

ROOM 052 A (EXHIBIT LEVEL)

Sponsored by English Language Arts Teacher Educators (ELATE)

The L. Ramon Veal Research Seminar is an ELATEsponsored invitation-only session at the NCTE Annual Convention created to support graduate students and teacher-researchers engaged in educational research. At NCTE, the Veal Seminar offers a professional space for supportive and directed discussion between experienced scholars in ELA teacher education and those entering the field.

Presenters: Anthony Celaya, Western Washington University

James Chisholm, University of Louisville

Elizabeth Dutro, University of Colorado Boulder

Christine Feliciano-Barrett, Teachers College, Columbia University/KIPP

Jill Flynn, University of Delaware

Kierstin Giunco, Boston College

Maria Goff, Renton School District

Jenny Goransson, George Mason University

Jason Griffith, Penn State University

Alice Hays, California State University, Bakersfeld

Dulcey Hunter, University of South Florida

Rebecca Lee, Michigan State University

Molly Marek, The University of Texas at Austin

Nicole Mirra, Rutgers University

Chinwe Onwujuba, Pflugerville ISD

Joseph Sweet, University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Anthony Voulgarides, Hunter College CUNY

E.55 NCTE Research Foundation Grant Recipient Presentations

ROOM 205 A (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the Research Foundation

In this session, recipients of the 2023 NCTE Research Foundation Research Grants and Teacher Research Grants will share their grant-winning research.

Chair: Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, Teachers College, Columbia University

Presenters: Kristen Berger, Williamsport Area School District, “’Who We Are and What We Love’: Elevating Student Identity and Fostering Community through Poetic Narratives”

Kristie Camp, Gaffney High School/University of South Carolina & Heather White, Gaffney High School, “Naturally Inspired: How an Outdoor Classroom Shaped Teens’ Ideas about Writing, Their Self-Images as Writers, and Their Writing Practices”

Michele DeVirgilio, Herricks School District, & H. Bernard Hall, Drexel University, “Playing Our Positions: A Black English Educator and White English Teacher’s Collaborative Practitioner Inquiry on Hip-Hop Pedagogies in Non-Black Spaces”

Sarah M. Fleming, SUNY Oswego, & Kelly Chandler-Olcott, Syracuse University, “Using Street Data to Revision Equitable Assessment Practices within a Critical Community of Teachers”

Katherine Higgs-Coulthard, Saint Mary’s College, & Danielle DeFauw, University of Michigan, “Exploring Elementary Teachers’ Assessment Practices and Development of Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Writing”

Kelly C. Johnston, Baylor University, “Centering Children’s Wellbeing through Literacy Experiences in a Community-Based Space”

Cierra Kaler-Jones, Rethinking Schools, & Jennifer Turner, University of Maryland College Park, “Stretching toward the Sankofan Sun: Black Girls’ Embodied Literacies and Dreams in a Community Dance Program”

Kelly Kriner, Medina High School, “Innovative Spaces, Inspired Minds: The Impact of Student- Led Design on Engagement”

Chinwe Onwujuba, Pflugerville ISD, “Reading Identity in an Elementary Classroom: Exploring the Confluence of Classroom and Home Literacy Discourse”

Anna Gotangco Osborn, University of Missouri-Columbia, “A Narrative Inquiry into Teacher Stories about Using Graphic Novels to Discuss Social Justice in the Secondary Classroom”

Reanne Rossi, West Hills S.T.E.M Academy, “Rainbows, Sharks, and Love: Young Writers at Work and Play”

Ting Yuan, CUNY, College of Staten Island, “From Unplugged to Plugged In: Computational Storytelling in a 3rd-Grade Classroom”

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

E.56 Unearthing Joy in Teacher Education

ROOM 257 B (LEVEL 2)

Joy can transform education by humanizing relationships and countering oppression. This session explores the power of joy to transform teacher education by focusing on histories, identities, literacies, and liberation, or HILL pedagogies. Participants will engage in one or more of three perspectives of the HILL model in teacher education: research, theory, and practice.

Presenters: Cathryn Devereaux, Drew University

Justin Hauver, Harvard University

Gholdy Muhammad

Maureen O’Sullivan

Sarah Perry, Drew University

Ivelisse Ramos, Harvard University

Kristen Turner, Drew University/Drew Writing Project

Nancy Vitalone-Raccaro, Drew University

E.57 WOWED by Nonfiction! Exploring Nonfiction

Writing with Orbis Pictus Award-Winning Authors

ROOM 258 B (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children

Don’t miss out on this interactive children’s literature session! Join Orbis Pictus award-winning authors and illustrators for engaging roundtable conversations focused on the process of writing nonfiction text and strategies for fostering a love of nonfiction literature in the classroom. All participants will receive a signed book!

Moderator: Jennifer Wimmer, Brigham Young University

Presenters: Eliza Braden, University of South Carolina

Sophie Ladd, University of Nevada Las Vegas

Sanjuana Rodriguez, Kennesaw State University

Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Nell Cross Beckerman, Scholastic/ Abrams

Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, Random House Children’s Books

Patricia Newman, Millbrook Press

Margaret Peot, Holiday House/Muddy Boots

Traci Sorell, Charlesbridge

E.58 Heart, Hope, and Humanity: Scaling Digital Portfolios in a Large, Urban District ROOM 160 C (LEVEL 1)

A digital portfolio is a collection of learning artifacts that demonstrates growth, skills, and a student's heart, hope, and humanity over time. Moreover, it is a tool to cultivate student agency and their reflection of the world. In this session, come learn about ways urban schools can implement and use digital portfolios in ELAR classrooms to showcase adolescent reading and writing development.

Presenters: Nicole Harris, North East ISD

Caron Sharp, North East ISD

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

NCTE AUTHOR STRAND SESSION

F.1 NCTE Author Strand: Deepening Student Engagement with Diverse Picturebooks through a Critical Literature Response Framework

ROOM 102 A (LEVEL 1)

Drawing on the NCTE Policy Research Brief on Teaching Children's and Young Adult Literature, this interactive session will invite participants to reimagine and rethink picturebooks instruction as essential, critical, multimodal, and multilingual work for both literacy development and a broader sense of citizenry among students.

Chair: Cathy Fleischer, Eastern Michigan University (Emerita)

Presenters: Whitney Hoffmann, Grant Elementary, Columbia, MO

Angie Zapata, University of Missouri

F.2 A Conversation with the Donald Graves Award Winner for Excellence in the Teaching of Writing

ROOM 252 A (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the Elementary Section Steering Committee

This presentation will showcase the 2024 Donald Graves Award Winner for Excellence in the Teaching of Writing. The presenter will share examples of teaching in the area of writing and share student work. This session will allow time for participants to be in conversation with the presenter and each other.

Chair: Jennipher Frazier, University of South Carolina

Presenters: Nancy Valdez Gainer, Elementary Section Steering Committee

Valente’ Gibson, Richland School District Two, Jackson Creek Elementary

F.3 “There is Joy in Our Collaboration”: Understanding Teacher Candidates’ Perceptions of Joy in Courses and in Teaching

ROOM 254 B (LEVEL 2)

Inspired by Muhammad’s (2023) Unearthing Joy, we explore how centering joy can counteract negative views of the teaching profession and build resilience in undergraduate teacher candidates. We will share findings about participants’ perspectives on cultivating joy in their coursework and in teaching, and we will then invite attendees to consider how the results apply to their own contexts.

Presenters: Jill Flynn, University of Delaware

Kisha Porcher, University of Delaware

Amy Santos, University of Delaware

Sophia Vilceus, University of Delaware

F.5 Pathways to Literacy Leadership

ROOM 052 A (EXHIBIT LEVEL)

Sponsored by the Conference on English Leadership

What does it mean to be a “literacy leader”? What are the paths K–12 ELA educators can take to make a difference in their schools and communities? To learn more about literacy leadership and connect with other teacher leaders, department chairs, supervisors, literacy coaches, state DOE consultants (and more!), join members of the Conference on English Leadership (CEL) for this interactive session.

Presenters: Matthew Helmers, Ransom Everglades School

Amy Marshall, Anglophone School District South

Emily Meixner, The College of New Jersey

Henry "Cody" Miller, SUNY Brockport

Cathline Tanis, North Plainfield School District

Roundtable Leaders: Oona Abrams, Supervisor of English Language Arts and Media Services, Pequannock, NJ

Jane Bean-Folkes, South Orange & Maplewood School District

Nicholas Emmanuele, McDowell Intermediate High School

Jordan Gribbin, Scotch Plains-Fanwood Public Schools

Liz Lietz, Macomb Intermediate School District

Kristine Lize, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

Lauren Spenceley, Arizona Department of Education

Jason Stephenson, Oklahoma State Department of Education

Kristen Tinch, Kentucky Department of Education

Naomi Watkins, Utah State Board of Education

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

F.6 Adolescent Reading Reimagined: Cultivating Hope, Humanity, and Heart through YA Literature

ROOM 051 (EXHIBIT LEVEL)

This presentation will share an innovative reading program that inspires students to become life-long lovers of reading by focusing on the core components of environment, culture, learning, and agency. You will learn practical approaches and turn-key activities that cultivate hope, humanity, and heart through literacy and that encourage students to set aside their electronics and read for pleasure.

Presenters: David Griffith, Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield, CT

Kaley Kowarick, Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield, CT

Judith Silver, Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield, CT (retired)

F.7 Beyond Grades: Crafting Competency in Middle School Education

ROOM 258 C (LEVEL 2)

This session invites teachers to pull the veil off Competency-Based Learning (CBL) and delve into proficiency scales, student standards, and studentfacing playlists while maintaining engagement in a culturally diverse ELA curriculum. Participants will see a larger scope of CBL and be able to discuss how to go from traditional grading practices to utilizing proficiency scales effectively.

Presenters: Christina Dury, Ritenour School District

Brett Rutledge, Hoech Middle School

Rachel Schafer, Hoech Middle School

F.8 Beyond Spaghetti Dinners and 4-H Fairs: Transformational Community Practices in Rural Education

ROOM 160 C (LEVEL 1)

It’s more than tractors, spaghetti dinners, and 4-H fairs; rural education is the most overlooked area of our school system, yet, the kids who attend rural schools and the educators who serve them are important and unique. Join our group of teachers and authors to learn about how to bring choice reading, podcasts, storytelling and powerful empathy-focused discussions into your rural community.

Chair: Penny Kittle, Plymouth State University

Presenters: Emily Alt, Northport Public Schools

Allyssa Graham

Brian Reed, Producer, S-Town

Lindsay Stappert

Abigail Weber

Jeff Zentner

F.9 Book Banning as an Act of Control: Policies and Practices Obstructing Heart, Hope, and Humanity

ROOM 258 A (LEVEL 2)

Restrictive educational policies increasingly challenge critical literacies. These policies range from divisive concepts legislation, district-level book bannings, and even the CCSS. This presentation reviews literature about the experiences of teachers who face these obstacles and provides implications for resisting and pushing back against these attempts to neutralize one’s teaching.

Presenter: Caroline B. Rabalais, Georgia State University

F.10 Bringing Kids’ Out-of-School Literacy Lives to the Forefront to Boost Engagement and Connection

ROOM 104 A (LEVEL 1)

In this lively, fun, and interactive presentation, you’ll hear from educators who work in different spaces, including school libraries and community youth programs, about ways that students’ out-of-school literacy lives can flourish. You’ll gain fresh insights and practical strategies for inviting kids who seem disengaged in literacy back into your school reading and writing community.

Presenters: Shana Frazin, Scarsdale Middle School

Desiree Waters, CityKids Foundation

Katherine Wischow, Reading and Writing Project

F.11 Can’t I Just Google It? Approaches to Engaging Students in Meaningful Research Projects

ROOM 211 (LEVEL 2)

Three high school teachers present their varied but connected approaches to making academic discourse and research relevant to students after they’ve left the classroom. By personalizing the research, students leave with an eye toward more critical consumption of media as well as an understanding that engagement and service are worthwhile extensions of academic work.

Presenters: Tamara Empson, Louisiana State University Laboratory School

Matthew LaVergne, Louisiana State University Laboratory School

Candence Robillard, Louisiana State University Laboratory School

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

F.12 Centering Critical Hope through Program and Course (Re)Design: Humanizing Teaching and Learning with Preservice and Practicing Teachers

ROOM 208 (LEVEL 2)

Three teacher educators story our individual and collective experiences reimagining programs and courses through a lens of critical hope—an actionoriented desire to instill hope in our students and influence our communities through curricular materials and pedagogical practices. Attendees will be invited to share their positionalities and reflect on their curricular and instructional practices.

Presenters: Ashley Bender, Texas Woman’s University

Gage Jeter, Texas Woman’s University

Aimee Myers, Texas Woman’s University

F.13 Centering Humanity and Justice while Working in Unjust Systems

ROOM 257 B (LEVEL 2)

Participants will learn how to couple mirror work with instructional practices to advance a culture of belonging for students and staff. They will also learn how to help students deconstruct their own humanity, foster civic discourse, and understand how to actively address identity threats in classrooms and institutions.

Presenters: Susan Adamson, Butler University

Erica Buchanan-Rivera, Butler University

Dennisha Murff, MSD Wayne Township Schools

F.14 Centering Humanizing Critical Knowledge in ELA: Preparing to Respond to Racism in the Structure and in the Moment

ROOM 104 C (LEVEL 1)

Professor and scholar, Saba Vlach, moderates a discussion centering the voices of ELA secondary educators and leaders, sharing stories and strategies of students using their literacies to enact change in the world in a state where legislation continues to undermine inclusive libraries, critical pedagogy, and BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ students.

Moderator: Saba Vlach, University of Iowa

Presenters: Petra Lange, Grinnell College

Blueberry Morningsnow

Erin Perry, Valley High School

Carrie Romo

Greg Wickencamp

F.15 Class Dismissed: Fostering Hope and Humanity by Teaching for Social Class Awareness and Economic Justice

ROOM 256 (LEVEL 2)

This session will feature a discussion among attendees and panelists about how ELA teachers might acknowledge and address social class inequality and poverty. Our conversation will seek to foster critical understandings of how striving with our students to understand and ameliorate class-based inequities is an often-neglected yet essential aspect of our vocation as justice-oriented educators.

Presenters: Katelynn DeLuca, SUNY Farmingdale State College

Todd DeStigter, University of Illinois Chicago

Jessica Gottbrath, University of Louisville

Chea Parton, Purdue University

F.16 Creating a Culture of Writing in a Typical High School Setting

ROOM 255 (LEVEL 2)

In this session, a core team of teachers will discuss how hosting a National Writing Project Young Writers Camp sparked the development of a student-led extracurricular writing program that has shifted our school’s culture, strengthened student achievement, and by design tied students to a community of peers and community at large.

Presenters: Zachary Jostad, Bentonville West High School

Peter Madsen, Bentonville West High School

Elizabeth Spicer, Bentonville West High School

F.17 Cultivating and Expressing Queer Joy through ELA Teaching and Research

ROOM 257 A (LEVEL 2)

This panel explores the possibilities of queer joy in ELA teaching and research. Panelists discuss ways to cultivate and express queer joy through ELA, including specific methods of inciting queer joy through the act of teaching, strategies to facilitate queer joy for students, texts that can foster queer joy, and practices of centering queer joy in educational research.

Presenters: Sophie Freeman, Columbia Public Schools

Brandon Haskey-Valerius, University of Missouri

Josh Thompson, Virginia Tech

Clint Whitten, Virginia Tech

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

F.18 Curiosity Killed the Cat: The Power of Not Knowing in the Humanities Classroom

ROOM 205 B (LEVEL 2)

How can we harness the curiosity that students bring to our classrooms to make learning personal and engaging for every student? Good thinkers, readers, and writers ask questions. How do we make that visible for students who have learned to not to question and may fear not knowing? “Learn by doing” and leave with a powerful strategy for teaching students to ask their own questions.

Presenters: Lauren Carlton, Foxborough Public Schools

Ling-Se Chesnakas, Boston Public Schools

Dana Huff, Worcester Academy

Jose Reyes, Marlborough Public Schools

Sarah Westbrook, The Right Question Institute

F.20 Developing Humanity through a Disability Awareness Unit

ROOM 102 B (LEVEL 1)

Our presentation will include: book lists (fiction/ nonfiction with diverse representations), reading responses, activities, home projects, community connection ideas, and problem-based learning scenarios, all used to guide understanding of differentlyabled persons and the historical context of inclusive/ exclusionary practices. We will share student work samples to bring each idea into context.

Presenters: Rachel Ashley

Sarah Gayman

Kelsey Nelson

Karina Sanchez-Ortiz

F.21 Embracing Every Hue: Using Our Narratives to Cultivate Healing

ROOM 161 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by the Early Childhood Education Assembly

Using our personal narratives as testimonies, this panel discussion will demonstrate and speak from personal experience how teachers can use their stories to reflect, strengthen their literacy instruction, and cultivate a space of bravery, healing, and love in their classrooms.

Presenters: Andy Chen, John Burroughs School

Frank Mata, Eleanor Roosevelt High School

Taiyo Na

Darius Phelps, New York University

F.22 Finding Hope and Humanity in Intergenerational Resistance

ROOM 156 A (LEVEL 1)

Practicing hope can be hard, especially now. Yet, as Mariame Kaba writes, “Hope is a discipline.” In this session, teachers and authors explore how to draw on intergenerational resistance, community, and solidarity movements to find a path forward rooted in deliberate hope. Panelists will share insights, experiences, and classroom applications.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Autumn Allen, Penguin Young Readers

Floyd Cheung, Smith College

Tricia Ebarvia, Greene Street Friends School

Jessyca Mathews, Michigan Council of Teachers of English

Alyssa Reynoso-Morris, Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Randy Ribay, Penguin Young Readers

Shifa Saltagi Safadi, Penguin Random House

Tiana Silvas-Brunetti, East Side Community High School

Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Candlewick Publishing

Leah Werther, Guilderland Central School District

F.23 From Headstrong to Heartstrings: Leveraging All Types of Children’s Literature to Showcase Heart, Hope, and Humanity

ROOM 204 A (LEVEL 2)

Children’s literature can be an accessible model for social-emotional learning, providing access to characters with skills like agency, empathy, and kindness. Focusing on a variety of books—from quiet to humorous, fiction to nonfiction—panelists explore ways to engage an array of learning styles to build students’ confidence, character, and connection with each other and the world around them.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Anika Aldamuy Denise, HarperCollins

Casey Robinson, Rocky Pond Books/Penguin Random House

Cindy L. Rodriguez, HarperCollins/Cardinal Rule Press

Pam Vaughan, Pixel+Ink/Holiday House

F.24 Greenwood’s Heart, Hope, and Humanity through Fiction and Narrative Nonfiction

ROOM 205 C (LEVEL 2)

Join authors Victor Luckerson (Built from the Fire, narrative nonfiction) and Randi Pink (Angel of Greenwood, YA fiction) as they discuss their books focused on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre that destroyed the prospering Greenwood Financial District. This panel will also address how fiction and nonfiction work together to create positive learning experiences in the midst of challenging climates.

Presenter: Liz Shults, Homewood High School

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

F.25 Harboring Critical Hope: A National Model for Teacher Inquiry and Youth Participatory Research to Sustain Teachers and Sustain Learning

ROOM 259 A (LEVEL 2)

In this session, you will explore how educators in a national network have developed relationships that have helped them and the high school youth with whom they work to maintain “critical hope” in the classroom. In the process, you will learn strategies of teacher inquiry, YPAR, and equity-based pedagogy that will help you do the same.

Presenters: Janelle Bence, North Star of Texas Writing Project/ New Tech High at Coppell

Giselle Bentley

Jessie Gossett, Colorado State University

Matthew Grace, Colorado State University

Cindy O’Donnell-Allen, Colorado State University

Maggie O’Riley, Colorado State University

Bryn Orum, Greater Madison Writing Project

Tobi Pirolla

Molly Robbins

F.26 Heart, Hope, and Humanity: A Tribute to Sheridan Blau

ROOM 052 B (EXHIBIT LEVEL)

In this session, several members of the NCTE community, many of whom have contributed to an NCTE festschrift entitled Building Literate Communities: In Conversation with Sheridan Blau, will pay tribute to Sheridan, discussing the deep and abiding influence he has had on their perspectives and their practice. Sheridan will offer some closing remarks about becoming a teacher of English.

Chair: Deborah Appleman, Carleton College

Presenters: Jim Burke, Corwin

Tim Dewar

Jessica Early, Arizona State University

Kelly Gallagher, Anaheim Union High School District

Noah Gordon

Mara Lee Grayson, Hillel International

Kathleen Buchanan Kelly

Carol Booth Olson, University of California, Irvine

Andrew Rejan, Darien High School

Paul Rogers

Cheryl Hogue Smith, Kingsborough Community College CUNY

Michael Smith, Temple University

Ruth Vinz, Teachers College, Columbia University

Anne Whitney, Penn State

Jeffrey Wilhelm, Boise State University

Respondent: Sheridan Blau, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Santa Barbara & Teachers College, Columbia University

F.27 Hope, Humanity, and Writing: Student, Teacher, and Researcher Perspectives on AI in the Writing Classroom

ROOM 151 B (LEVEL 1)

This unique discussion and interactive workshop brings together exciting perspectives from the classroom, education research, professional development, and social impact research spaces. The workshop will offer participants the opportunity to interact with writing and tech, moving the conversations about AI beyond the justified concerns to the implications for classroom practice.

Presenters: Sonia Koshy, Kapor Center for Social Impact

Christopher Mah, Stanford University

Molly Montgomery, Albany High School

Hillary Walker, University of California, Berkeley/Bay Area Writing Project

F.28 Humanizing Latinx Identities in Stories and Classrooms

ROOM 152 (LEVEL 1)

Educators and authors discuss the power of transformative texts that help us navigate the nuances of Latinx identity by examining Latinx children’s literature. We will explore pedagogies that bring together texts, topics, and translanguaging. Authors will share how they’ve developed stories that remain true to various Latinx experiences.

Presenters: Lorena German, Multicultural Classroom

Roberto Germán, Multicultural Classroom

Juan Gonzalez Jr, Dickinson ISD

Luz Yadira Herrera, California State University, Dominguez Hills

Respondent: Carla España, Brooklyn College CUNY

Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Julio Anta, Penguin Random House

Aida Salazar, Scholastic

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

F.29 Immigrant and New Generation Children’s Literature Opens Opportunities to Integrate Race and Culture into SEL Teaching

ROOM 207 (LEVEL 2)

The identity journeys of immigrants and their new generations shared through literature offer an opportunity for educators and scholars to explore SEL growth that centers race and culture. A panel of educators and an author will share how a “Welcoming Library” of immigrant-themed picture books and materials built a SEL training course for elementary educators that centers diverse voices.

Presenters: Michelle Amato, Portland Public Schools

Abusana Micky Bondo, In Her Presence/Portland, Maine School Board

Kirsten Cappy, I’m Your Neighbor Books

Darshana Khiani, author

F.30 Implications of Researcher Positionality on Research Praxis: How Do We Account for Who We Are and What We Cannot See?

ROOM 050 (EXHIBIT LEVEL)

The purpose of this session is to provide scholars considering submitting a manuscript to Research in the Teaching of English (RTE) and readers of RTE with an understanding of how researcher positionality is implicated in the research praxis, including its role in research design and data analysis.

Chair: Laurie Katz, The Ohio State University

Presenters: Ana Christina Da Silva Iddings

Michiko Hikida, The Ohio State University

Joanne Marciano, Michigan State University

Ryan Schey, University of Georgia

F. 31 In Conversation about GenAI in ELA Education: Initial Insights and Experiences from ELA Teachers and ELA Teacher Educators

ROOM 157 C (LEVEL 1)

This session features the voices, experiences, and insights of ELA teachers and teacher educators using GenAI tools in their courses. Presenters will share research findings from these experiences showing GenAI’s potential for inspiring hope as a dynamic tool along with a critical awareness of its limitations, thus reinforcing the importance of humanity when it comes to teaching ELA with heart.

Presenters: Anthony Celaya, Western Washington University

Brittany Gaddis, North Carolina State University

Kathryn Hackett-Hill, University of Arkansas

Laura Jacobs, Towson University

David Kuriny

Benjamin Lathrop, Purdue University

Matthew Scialdone, Wake County Public School

Carl Young, North Carolina State University

F.32 Intergenerational Writing Communities for Change: Reimagining Writing and Inquiry Partnerships with Youth ROOM 209 (LEVEL 2)

Panelists from four intergenerational writing communities share how their partnerships with youth reframe relational approaches to writing, inquiry, and reflection. Capturing insights into how educators can reimagine writing practices, we share strategies that sustain our partnerships, empower coalitional writing, and inform meaningful change within and beyond schools.

Presenters: Clara Abbott, University of Pennsylvania/ Write4Change

Giuliana de Grazia, University of Pennsylvania/Youth Civic Engagement Research Project

Jennifer Freed, University of Pennsylvania/Youth Civic Engagement Research Project/Write4Change Project

Rabani Garg, University of Pennsylvania

Barrett Rosser, Philadelphia Writing Project/University of Pennsylvania

Amy Stornaiuolo, University of Pennsylvania

Emmy Talian, University of Pennsylvania/Write4Change Project

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

F.33 Knotted and Complicated: Teaching Writing in Secondary Contexts Can Be Tough

ROOM 251 (LEVEL 2)

Attendees will engage with scholars and practitioners whose research has explored complexities of teaching writing using Rittel and Webber’s wicked” framing of the persistent resistance of fixing social problems by mechanistic solutions. Issues include the writing process.

Chair: Ann David, University of the Incarnate Word

Presenters: Chanel Earl, Brigham Young University

Jessica Hrubik, Champion Local Schools

Amber Jensen, Brigham Young University

Tiffany Larson, University of Central Oklahoma

Denise Morgan, Western Carolina University

Joelle Pedersen, Newton Public Schools/Boston College

J. J. Sylvia, Fitchburg State University

Valerie Taylor, The University of Texas at Austin

Joseph Wiederhold, Provo High School

Amy Williams, Brigham Young University

F.34 Teen BookTok: Great Books for Classrooms and Communities

ROOM 162 B (LEVEL 1)

Come hear high school students from Brown Summer High School (BSHS) and around Rhode Island talk about books! Participants will receive a bookmark with the students’ recommendations and book give-aways of some of the recently taught BSHS books. Each of the teen book club participants will share a recently published novel that they recommend that you read and one that they recommend you teach.

Presenters: Ted Downing

Harris Galvin

Jonathan Goodman, Providence Public School District

Emilie Guan

Jiaqi Liu, Brown University

Laura Snyder, Brown University

Megan Thoma, Paul Cuffee Charter School

Rebecca Willner, Providence Public School District

Student Presenters: Raquel Coronel, Rhode Island Nurses Institute Middle College

Esmeraldas De León Perez, Rhode Island Nurses Institute Middle College

Xiaralix Gonzalez, Paul Cuffee School

Sabrina Hernandez, Classical High School

Katharine LaRoche, Barrington High School

Samantha Lin, Toll Gate High School

Daniela Muralles, The Met High School

Michael Ndimele, The Met High School

Aria Ozvan, La Salle Academy

Kendra Ramirez, Central Falls High School District

Katelyn Santilli, La Salle Academy

Kiley Vasquez, The Met High School

F.35 No Hero Has to Go Alone: The Vital Importance of Community and Connection in Middle Grade Literature

ROOM 157 A (LEVEL 1)

Several award-winning children’s authors and a middle school educator explore the need and power of middle grade stories that highlight community and interconnectedness. Panelists will explore how these themes play out in their latest middle grade novels, which are diverse in authorship and genre but united in their goal of celebrating shared humanity and offering hope and connection to readers.

Presenters: Evan Griffith, HarperCollins/Vermont College of Fine Arts

Veera Hiranandani

Lynne Kelly, Random House Children’s Books

Adina King

Jasmine Warga, Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins

F.36 Poetry to Inspire Explorations of Identity and Place in the Classroom

ROOM 204 B (LEVEL 2)

This session will include poets from the National Poetry Series and Raised Voices Series. The panelists will discuss how they use poetry to explore themes such as family, history, and identity in their lives. Poetry and its ability to access truth can be a transformative experience as they explore writing about the complexities of their lives and the world around them.

Presenters: Albert Abonado, SUNY Geneseo

Aaron Caycedo-Kimura, Trinity College

Alisha Dietzman

Alyssa Hassan, Beacon Press

Danielle Legros Georges

Roque Raquel Salas Rivera

F.37 Purposeful Reflection: Everyday Habits to Strengthen Student Performance and Explore Ways of Understanding the World through Reading, Writing, and Sharing

ROOM 254 A (LEVEL 2)

Meaningful student reflection is a vital facet of learning. This presentation provides practical and useful frameworks to support reflection as an everyday habit. Participants will practice how to guide students in examining their learning before, during, and after a lesson, through varied lenses, and with the desired result of higher student achievement and empathy for self and others.

Presenters: Lynne Dorfman, Arcadia University

Catherine Gehman, Boyertown Area School District

Aileen Hower

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

F.38 Reading the Word and the World: Implementing Authentic Literacy Practices

ROOM 159 (LEVEL 1)

In a world marked by divisiveness, language can be a powerful tool to cultivate understanding, bridge philosophical differences, and increase empathy. In this interactive session, explore and experience strategies for incorporating authentic literacy experiences that will empower students to be critical consumers and active contributors in a global context.

Presenters: Kathryn Kritzeck Anderson, Coon Rapids High School/ MCTE

Ellen Gianakis, Holmdel Public Schools

Lorin Ottone, Colts Neck High School, NJ

David Pegram, Paradise Valley Community College

F.39 Reenvisioning the Conditions of Writing Workshop in Order to Teach to Student Need, Equity, and Social Justice

ROOM 259 B (LEVEL 2)

Writing workshop has traditionally been defined by the three conditions of choice, time, and response. However, research and new understandings of literacy education reveal that other conditions are necessary to extend and support original conceptions. This session introduces an expanded model, provides implementations resources, and helps participants evolve their own workshops to meet the need.

Presenters: Douglas Kaufman, University of Connecticut

Tracey Lafayette, Manchester Public Schools

Kiedra Taylor

F.40 Supporting Civically Engaged Argument Writing with Historical Primary Sources

ROOM 203 (LEVEL 2)

Engage with approaches and text sets for supporting civically engaged argument writing in K–12 classrooms using primary sources from the Library of Congress’s Teaching with Primary Sources program, argument writing routines from the National Writing Project, and Gholdy Muhammad’s Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy Framework.

Presenters: Lisa Lapina, Philadelphia Writing Project/Penn Alexander School

Javaha Ross, Philadelphia Writing Project/Penn Alexander School

Trey Smith, Philadelphia Writing Project/Marian Anderson School

F.41 Teaching in the Wild: Moving Literacy Practices out of the Classroom and into Interdisciplinary Learning Spaces

ROOM 154 (LEVEL 1)

Join in an adventure out of the classroom and into the outdoors as the benefits of nature journaling and place-based writing are explored for teachers and students alike in this uniquely practical look at reminding ourselves how to create and teach with wonder and hope. Cross-curricular and intra-curricular techniques will be explored along with applications for self-care and the classroom.

Presenters: Brian Clements

Jennifer Dail, Kennesaw State University

Jessica Stephenson-Reaves, Kennesaw State University

F.42 Let’s Talk about Palestine: Voices, Experiences, and Education for Liberation

ROOM 258 B (LEVEL 2)

In a world where Palestine and Israel dominate headlines, diverse perspectives on this region spark controversy. This panel of leading experts aims to tackle urgent questions faced by students and educators. It will address ways to meet the needs of students facing discrimination, present accurate mirrors with books, and model ways in which teachers can be agents of justice through their roles.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Sawsan Jaber, Maine District 207/Education Unfiltered Consulting

Hannah Moushabeck, Chronicle Books/Interlink Publishing

Nora Lester Murad, author/educator/activist

Safa Suleiman, author/educator

F.43 Telling to Teach: Latina Educators Testimonios de Corazón y Esperanza

ROOM 150 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by the Latinx Caucus

Through testimonio, Latina educators and teacher educators share our trajectories as language learners and agents of change in bilingual and ESL settings, working with, for, and alongside our students and families. Together, we trace our journeys into education, describing how we draw on our linguistic resources and cultural ways of knowing in our teaching to create curriculum and reclaim our voices.

Presenters: Betsy Barron

Alethea Maldonado Cavin, Lockhart ISD

Tracey T. Flores, The University of Texas at Austin

Jennifer Perez-Castellano

Nina Porter, Marshall Middle School, AISD

Sanjuana Rodriguez, Kennesaw State University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

F.44 Tending to Loko I’a: Creating Sustainable Systems of Collective Hope and Healing ROOM 156 B (LEVEL 1)

Teaching in a colonized system that tries to erase our identity as Indigenous scholars, we hold on to our metaphors of hope in order to thrive. Using the loko i’a, or fishpond, as a metaphor, three generations of kumu will talk about how we sustain hope by creating an empowering and sustainable ecology and speak life into our communities as a form of collective healing.

Presenters: Cathy Ikeda, University of Hawai’i - West O’ahu

Naturalee Puou, Nanakuli High School

Angelo Rossetti, University of Hawai’i - West O’ahu

Lydia Saffery, Wai’anae High School

Coralyn Sunico, Kailua High School

F.45 The Art of Competitive Listening: Creating Debate-Inspired Classrooms to Foster Humanity and Build Community ROOM 160 A (LEVEL 1)

How do we equip readers and writers for criticality in a divisive world? How can we design content learning to build relationship skills while teaching students to navigate disagreement? Teacher and student leaders from the Boston Debate League share how debateinspired classrooms honor the transformative power of education and the role of learning as both deeply socialemotional and academic.

Presenters: Nathalie Arias Aguillon, Boston Latin Academy

Mary Dibinga, Boston Latin Academy/Boston Public Schools

Pamela Doiley, BCLA-McCormack Pilot School

Jana McCarthy, Boston Public Schools

Danielle Spencer, Boston Public Schools

F.46 The Misfit Within: Bringing Heart and Hope to the Classroom

ROOM 153 C (LEVEL 1)

This panel explores the misfits of our literary pasts as well as more recent young adult fictions. Each panelist will share her own struggles with fitting in and the literature that helped save them and influence their paths to teaching. The interactive session will provide participants with teaching ideas to take back to the classroom with lessons and books that bring us all hope.

Presenters: Ruth Caillouet, Louisiana educator

Alice Garcia, edCount

Barbara Holland, Louisiana educator

F.47 Transformative Intergenerational Collaboration Led with Heart, Hope, and Humanity

ROOM 252 B (LEVEL 2)

As intergenerational inquiry gains prominence, it is imperative to collectively counter the educational survival complex, recognizing the unique role of participatory action research with youth (YPAR) in challenging orthodox research practices. This panel will present a conceptual framework for collaboration, highlight youth research, and engage the audience in intergenerational dialogue.

Presenters: Limarys Caraballo, Teachers College, Columbia University

Vivett Dukes, Teachers College, Columbia University

Edith Middleton, Teachers College, Columbia University

Gregory Petershack, Teachers College, Columbia University

Fabiola Quinones, Teachers College, Columbia University

Mijin Yeom, Vanguard High School

F.48 A Narrative for Understanding: Using Story Exchange to Drive Empathy, Curiosity, and Compassion

ROOM 206 B (LEVEL 2)

In the face of information overload, toxic politics, and alienation, teachers often find it difficult to teach the whole student, balancing social-emotional learning against course materials. SEL in isolation can feel forced and ineffective. Attendees will participate in a story exchange to explore how stories can knit ELA with care for the whole student as they grapple with the human condition.

Chair: Brandon Abdon, Murray State University

Presenters: Evan Barker, Narrative 4

Allison Lerman-Gluck, Narrative 4

Meredith Towne, Academy for Software Engineering, New York City Public Schools

F.49 Using Literacy to Spark Hope, Expand the Heart, and Promote Humanity with Preservice/ Inservice Teachers

ROOM 151 A (LEVEL 1)

This panel will discuss how their literacy teaching practices spark hope, expand the heart, and promote humanity among preservice/inservice teachers. Panelists will share how they embed social-emotional learning (SEL) practices into literacy activities to foster brave spaces that promote culturally-responsive teaching and an inclusive classroom environment.

Presenters: Melissa Tobey LaBelle, Bridgewater State University

Sheena Manuel Rancher, Bridgewater State University

Sarah Thomas, Bridgewater State University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

F.50 Using Narrative Nonfiction to Humanize Our Students, Our Communities, and Ourselves ROOM 156 C (LEVEL 1)

As diverse voices are under attack, honoring student voice is vital. Creating opportunities to read and write narrative nonfiction, centering their communities, and communicating deep respect for who they are, lets learners know they matter. Educators will share how they’ve designed experiences using narrative nonfiction to create honest, hopeful, and brave spaces inspiring you to do the same.

Presenters: Tiffany Jewell

Ellen Lathrop

Trisha Moquino, Keres Children’s Learning Center

Islah Tauheed

Sophie Teitelbaum

F.51 Vital Stories That Situate Our Hope and Humanity: Long-Form Nonfiction for Today’s Adolescent Readers and Writers ROOM 160 B (LEVEL 1)

Long-form nonfiction offers powerful opportunities for adolescents to examine issues key to humanity—justice, equity, diverse themes, and cross curricular connections. This session will feature three award-winning authors of long-form nonfiction and inspire educators to expand their classroom use of nonfiction. Detailed book lists, classroom application strategies and responses will be shared.

Presenters: Cyndi Giorgis, Arizona State University

Marie LeJeune, Western Oregon University

Micah Walker, Western Oregon University

Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Neal Bascomb, Scholastic

Simon Boughton, Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Candace Fleming, Random House Children’s Books

F.52 Who’s American? Who Decides? Literature and Lessons of Hope and Recognition

ROOM 153 B (LEVEL 1)

Young people come to the US from every country in the world. Even many whose families have lived in the US for generations see themselves as “other. When do young people see themselves as Americans? When do others welcome them as Americans with open hearts? A teacher and authors of books about the history of immigrants and Native Americans share ideas for classrooms to address these questions.”

Presenters: Donna Janell Bowman, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Jessica Lander, We Are America Project, Lowell High School

Cynthia Levinson, Simon & Schuster

F.53 Write Like John Green: Using the Braided Essay to Teach Authentic, Purposeful Writing (That Students Actually Want to Write!)

ROOM 153 A (LEVEL 1)

Often students see AP writing as formulaic. This panel of AP Lang teachers promotes an authentic genre worthy of our students’ efforts: the braided essay. By giving students more freedom over the structure, style, and content of their writing—and pushing them to imitate professionals—the braided essay bypasses AI-related cheating and fosters genuine interest for all students (not just AP).

Presenters: Erika Eckart, Oak Park and River Forest High School

Will Ejzak, Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep

Jolene Heinemann, Oak Park and River Forest High School

Rex Ovalle, Oak Park and River Forest High School

F.54 Writing for Community: How to Engage Community College Students in Active Learning and Activism

ROOM 206 A (LEVEL 2)

Panelists from two different community colleges will share assignments that encourage actionable learning and lesson plans that push students to consider the role they can and should take in changing their world. Panelists will also discuss how they assist students in seeing the relevancy of writing in an increasingly STEMfocused environment.

Presenters: Jordan Bell, SUNY Dutchess Community College

Shinelle Espaillat, SUNY Westchester Community College

Nicholas Haines, SUNY Westchester Community College

Jina Lee, SUNY Westchester Community College

F.55 Writing Hope Moments into English Teacher Education: Humanizing Pathways for Our Classrooms

ROOM 157 B (LEVEL 1)

This session shares research-based, classroom-tested, student-centered approaches and materials that immerse students (preservice and inservice teachers) in writing-based learning experiences. Presenters emphasize inquiry, agency, and critical reflection practices to create pathways to hope and change in teacher education classrooms.

Presenters: Christine Dawson, Siena College

Allison Karcher, University at Albany

Nicole Sieben, SUNY Old Westbury

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

F.56 The Nerdy Book Club: Engaging Young People with Reading and the World ROOM 253 A-C (LEVEL 2)

The Nerdy Book Club is an online community of teachers, librarians, creators, and families who celebrate children’s and young adult literature and work to expand young people’s experiences through wide reading. In this interactive session, roundtables will exchange instructional moves and resources, discover new books, and explore ideas for sustaining students’ engagement with text and the world.

Roundtable Leaders: Sarah Aronson, Calkins Creek/Highlights Foundation

Tonya Bolden, ABRAMS Books

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Penguin Random House/Dial Books for Young Readers

Melanie Conklin, Little, Brown

Elisha Cooper, MacKids

H.E. Edgmon, MacKids

Lisa Fipps, Penguin Young Readers/Nancy Paulsen Books

Josh Funk, Union Square Kids

Nathan Hale, ABRAMS Books

Jodi-Beth Hazel, IDEA Public Schools

John Hendrix, ABRAMS Books

Donna Barba Higuera, Levine Querido

Morgan Jackson

Jessica Lanan, MacKids

J.S. Lemon, MacKids

Carole Lindstrom, Abrams Books for Young Readers

Natalie Lloyd, Scholastic Press

Donalyn Miller, The Book Whisperer, Inc.

Cindy Minnich, Upper Dauphin Area High School

Daniel Nayeri, Levine Querido

Jamar Nicholas, Scholastic, Inc.

LaQuita Outlaw, Bay Shore Schools

Andrea Rogers, Levine Querido

Rachael Maria Romero, Little, Brown

Colby Sharp

Dashka Slater, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group

Sherri L. Smith, Scholastic

Duncan Tonatiuh, Abrams Books for Young Readers

Tony Weaver, Macmillan

F.57 National Censorship Study Findings and Collective Conversation

ROOM 205 A (LEVEL 2)

Much of the national rhetoric around book banning and censorship has centered the voices of politicians, parents, and extremist groups rather than teachers’ perspectives. This study offers findings from an ongoing national study of teacher perspectives about diverse texts and censorship. Participants will learn about the study and engage in discussion on reported teacher needs.

Presenters: Kyungae Chae

Ricki Ginsberg, Colorado State University

F.58 “I don’t let the challenges challenge me”: Five Teachers Share Pro-Black Practices and Strategies for Staying Strong in the Face of Anti-Black Legislation

ROOM 103 (LEVEL 1)

In this session, teachers and a principal from an elementary school that refuses to limit teaching in the face of anti-Black legislation will actively and vividly share practices that focus on Black excellence, strength, resistance, and joy as well as how they meet challenges, address state and district mandates, and engage families in the work.

Presenter: Susi Long, University of South Carolina

F.59 #freepalestine #climatejustice #barbie #taylorandtravis: Learning from Each Other in a Rapidly Changing World

ROOM 104 B (LEVEL 1)

This session explores ways to build responsive classrooms that center student experience and awareness of world events. Participants are invited to share student work and discuss how to reshape their classrooms to respond to today’s world. Together we will build tools for engaging in conversations about what is happening in the world and in our students’ lives so that we can take action together.

Presenters: Alex Crawford

Kyle Crawford, Denver Writing Project/University of Colorado Denver

Joe Dillon, Aurora Highlands P–8

Jennifer Henderson, Denver Writing Project

Jovan Mays, Aurora Public Schools

Kristina Stamatis

Sarah Woodard, Denver Writing Project/University of Colorado Denver/Denver Public Schools

Respondent: Nicole Mirra, Rutgers University

F.60 Lifting Student Voice: Sociolinguistics in the English Classroom

ROOM 151 B (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by the Linguistic Society of America

Celebrate students’ voices through (socio)linguistic integration in teaching. Sponsored by the Linguistic Society of America, this panel explores linguistic phenomena in the English classroom, tackling discrimination, identity, and language attitudes. Presenters share practical strategies for inclusive teaching, emphasizing (socio)linguistics’ role in literacy and collaborative learning.

Presenters: Michelle Devereaux, Kennesaw State University

Jason Meilands

Mary Millette, Hudson High School

Amy Plackowski, Hudson High School

11:30 A.M.–1:30 P.M.

ELATE LUNCHEON

ROOM 210 A (BCEC, LEVEL 2)

IJEOMA OLUO is a Seattle-based writer, speaker, and internet yeller. She is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling books So You Want to Talk about Race; Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America; and Be a Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World—and How You Can, Too. Her work on race and gender has been published in The New York Times, the Washington Post, and NBC News, and she has been featured on The Daily Show and NPR’s All Things Considered. Named on the TIME100 Next list and The Root 100, she’s been awarded the Harvard Humanist of the Year Award, the American Humanist Association’s Feminist Humanist Award, Gender Justice League’s Media Justice Award, and the Equal Opportunity Institute’s Aubrey Davis Visionary Leadership Award.

Visit the NCTE Registration Desk to purchase a ticket to this meal event (pending availability).

A book signing will follow the luncheon.

View the updated program details here!

IJEOMA OLUO

PHOTO CREDIT: SAMUEL ENGELKING

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

11:30 A.M.–1:30 P.M.

MIDDLE LEVEL SECTION LUNCHEON

ROOM 210 C (BCEC, LEVEL 2)

RUTA SEPETYS (rutasepetys.com) is an internationally acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction published in over sixty countries and forty languages. Her novels Between Shades of Gray, Out of the Easy, Salt to the Sea, The Fountains of Silence, and I Must Betray You have won or been shortlisted for more than forty book prizes and are included on more than sixty state award lists. Between Shades of Gray was adapted into a graphic novel and the film Ashes in the Snow, and her other novels are currently in development for TV and film. She is also the author of You: The Story. A winner of the Carnegie Medal, Sepetys is passionate about the power of history and literature to foster global awareness and connectivity. She has presented to NATO, to the European Parliament, in the United States Capitol, and at embassies worldwide. Sepetys was born and raised in Michigan and now lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee. Follow her on X and Instagram (@RutaSepetys) and on Facebook (facebook.com/RutaSepetys).

STEVE SHEINKIN is the acclaimed author of fast-paced, cinematic nonfiction histories, including Impossible Escape, Fallout, Undefeated, Born to Fly, The Port Chicago 50, and Bomb. His accolades include a Newbery Honor, three Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards, a Sibert Medal and Honor, and three National Book Award finalist honors. He lives in Saratoga Springs, New York, with his wife and two children. He can be found online at SteveSheinkin.com. Follow him on X (@SteveSheinkin) and on Facebook (facebook.com/Steve.Sheinkin).

Visit the NCTE Registration Desk to purchase a ticket to this meal event (pending availability).

A book signing will follow the luncheon.

RUTA SEPETYS

STEVE SHEINKIN

PHOTO CREDIT: ERICA MILLER

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

G.1 HS Matters—Indigenizing English Education: Centering Indigenous Voices and Critiquing Settler Colonialism

ROOM 252 B (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the Secondary Section Steering Committee

This session highlights Indigenous and non-Indigenous secondary English teachers whose curricula: 1) facilitates students’ understandings of and abilities to navigate settler colonialism as an ongoing structure in the US; and 2) centers Indigenous texts and worldviews. Presenters discuss specific lessons/units they have developed, and audience members will leave with concrete ideas to implement.

Chair: Joaquin Munoz, University of British Columbia

Presenters: Jake Arrowtop, Buffalo Hide Academy

Jake Krane, Buffalo Hide Academy

Robert Petrone, University of Missouri

Nicholas Rink, Buffalo Hide Academy

Respondent: Timothy San Pedro, The Ohio State University

G.2 Community Perspectives in Immigrant and Refugee Education

ROOM 104 A (LEVEL 1)

In this session, presenters will highlight how communities can impact the educational lives of refugee and immigrant groups. Topics include heritage language development, migrant teachers, and supports for refugee and displaced communities.

Presenters: Chenlu Jin, Michigan State University, “Fostering Heritage Language Learning among Immigrant Families through Co-designing Community-Engaged Workshops with Asian American Youth”

Yeji Kim, University of Missouri, “Harnessing Transnational Funds of Knowledge through Translanguaging Pedagogy: Insights from an Asian Migrant Teacher”

Jungmin Kwon, Michigan State University, “Fostering Heritage Language Learning among Immigrant Families through Co-designing Community-Engaged Workshops with Asian American Youth” & “Harnessing Transnational Funds of Knowledge through Translanguaging Pedagogy: Insights from an Asian Migrant Teacher”

Min Yu, “Fostering Heritage Language Learning among Immigrant Families through Co-designing Community-Engaged Workshops with Asian American Youth”

G.3 Critical Literacies through Schoolwide Civic Engagement and Algorithms for Change

ROOM 104 C (LEVEL 1)

This plan explores ways critical literacies foster change. The first presentation shares a civic engagement project carried out by a K–6 school community using children’s interests, to contribute to making the world a more humane place. The second discusses a course curriculum on algorithmic literacy, including major assignments, daily activities, and other resources.

Presenters: Carolyn Clarke, St. Francis Xavier University, “Making School with Children: Schoolwide Civic Engagement and Critical Literacies in K-6 Classrooms”

Rachel Morgan, University of Louisville, “Algorithms for Change: Fostering Critical Digital Literacy in the Composition Classroom”

Vivian Vasquez, American University, “Making School with Children: Schoolwide Civic Engagement and Critical Literacies in K-6 Classrooms”

G.4 Developing Antiracist and Critically Conscious Preservice and Inservice Teachers

ROOM 153 B (LEVEL 1)

Centering teacher reflection and action, this panel examines the development of critical race consciousness and antiracist orientations in preservice and inservice ELA teachers, focusing on the power of narrative inquiry as a reflective tool, methods for developing antiracist orientations to racial literacy, and strategies for aiding teachers in taking up theory and practices of culturally responsive and sustaining pedagogies.

Presenters: Shaylyn Marks, California State University, Bakersfield, “Cultivating Identity with Preservice Educators as a Means to Develop Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Pedagogies”

Joanelle Morales, Colorado Mesa University, “Teaching and Sharing Critical Race Consciousness among Preservice English Teachers”

Faith Thompson, Salisbury University/Archbishop Spalding High School, “Developing Antiracist Orientations to Racial Literacy in Preservice and Inservice Teachers”

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

G.5

Building Student

Self-Efficacy

around Writing ROOM 153 A (LEVEL 1)

In a time when student apathy is one of our greatest barriers. In an attempt to meld classic literature with current, relevant topics, we will share our unit plan, student samples, and reflections on how to build student independence with writing. By using model texts, student-led discussion, and cyclical writing with feedback we will share the strategies that led to higher student achievement.

Presenters: Brianna Gee, Hillcrest High School Lesli Morris, Canyons School District

G.6 Formal Writing Instructional Strategies ROOM 153 C (LEVEL 1)

This combined panel offers insight into preparing students in formal writing settings. From an exploration of ways to teach grammar in creative writing settings to finding critical crossover connections between literary analysis and composition.

Presenters: Michael Albright, Southwest Minnesota State University, “Critical Crossovers between Composition and Literature for Concurrent Enrollment Teachers of English”

Catherine Carter, Western Carolina University, “Accountant Bill versus the Zombie Hagfish: Class-Generated Narrative, Grammar and Conventions Instruction, and Engagement”

G.7 Humanizing Teaching and Teacher Education through Artful Inquiry and Writing ROOM 159 (LEVEL 1)

What is the role of art and writing in teaching and teacher education? This panel explores innovative approaches to incorporating art and writing instruction in education, including the use of artful inquiry, engagement with contemporary art, and the integration of Design-Based Learning and Project-Based Learning frameworks to create culturally relevant writing high school and college classrooms.

Presenters: Claire Biscoe, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, "Critical Explorations: Using Artful Inquiry to Humanize Assessment in an Adolescent Literature Class"

Emily Freeman, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, “Critical Explorations: Using Artful Inquiry to Humanize Assessment in an Adolescent Literature Class”

Jacqueline Preston, Utah Valley University, “Writing as Assemblage: Designing Culturally Relevant DBL/PBL Classrooms”

Wendy Tronrud, Queens College, “‘How can the master’s tools dismantle the master’s house?’: Engaging New Teachers in Contemporary Art”

G.8 Innovations in Preservice ELA Teacher

Education: Field Experiences, Residencies, and Professional Learning Communities

ROOM 160 A (LEVEL 1)

This panel showcases innovative approaches to English language arts teacher preparation and professional development, including collaborative networks for preservice teachers during field experiences, redesigned methods courses in a teacher residency focusing on cultural sustainability and antiracism, and asynchronous support tools for teaching controversial topics, all aimed at enhancing learning and teaching in the ELA classroom.

Presenters: Michelle Commeret, University of Florida, “Equipping Middle School ELA Teachers with Asynchronous Support Surrounding Controversial Conversations: Innovative Approaches to Critical Professional Learning”

Denise Morgan, Western Carolina University & Kristine Pytash, Kent State University, “Developing Collaborative Networks to Support English Language Arts Preservice Teachers’ Learning in Literacy Field Experiences”

Andrew Torres & Karoline Trepper, New York University, “Meeting the Moment: English Education for the Culture and Beyond”

G.9 LGBTQIA+ Perspectives in the ELA Classroom

ROOM 206 B (LEVEL 2)

This session features a comprehensive approach to creating a curriculum and teaching a course in LGBTQIA+ literature, including suggestions about the process for approval and leveraging existing supports. Additionally, attendees will learn approaches to help students critically analyze, discuss, and write about LGBTQIA+ topics in canonical works.

Presenters: Kristen Srsen Kenney, Bay High School, “Strategies to Include LGBTQIA+ Themes When Reading Canonical Works in the ELA Classroom”

Stacey Kiggins, Fairfax County Public Schools, “Teaching LGBTQIA+ Perspectives in Literature”

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

G.10 Shake Up Shakespeare: Changing How We Look at Teaching the Bard ROOM 256 (LEVEL 2)

G.13 50 Years of the National Writing Project and Teacher Leadership (The Power of Inquiry)

This combined panel will change the way you look at teaching the Bard. Add to your teaching repertoire new ways to engage students with canonical Shakespeare. From forming book clubs to new strategies, this session will revive your students’ interest in drama and classic literature.

Presenters: Sheridan Steelman, Grand Valley State University, “16th Century Shakespeare and 21st Century Students: Using Book Clubs to Hook Readers and Span Centuries” & “Follow the Yellow Brick Road through Shakespeare’s Sonnets: Alternatives to Teaching the Bard’s Plays”

Audra Whetstone, Northview High School, “16th Century Shakespeare and 21st Century Students: Using Book Clubs to Hook Readers and Span Centuries”

G.11 “A Room Where I Can Be Who I Am”: Diving into the 826 Writers’ Room Model ROOM 207 (LEVEL 2)

At 826, the largest youth writing network, we know that writing is the key to cultivating a new generation of thinkers. One way we engage students is through the 826 Writers’ Room, a creative space within a school dedicated to writing. This session will share the Writers’ Room model, firsthand experiences from educators, and research from Northeastern University showing that this model works.

Presenters: Emily Mann, Northeastern University Carolyn Navikonis, 826 Boston Gabriela Oliveira, 826 National

G.12 “You Ate That Up”: Student Scholar-Artists from Boston Arts Academy Speak to How ArtsIntegrated Literacy Projects in Their Classes Help Them Excel

ROOM 051 (EXHIBIT LEVEL)

The focus question of this panel presentation will be about how literacy projects in the arts-integrated classes at Boston Arts Academy positively impact student learning and achievement. Students will share their work and perspectives in an interactive format. The panel will be framed by compelling research and include an introduction to the Arts Academy, Boston’s only public arts high school.

Presenter: Jen Rose-Wood, Boston Arts Academy

ROOM 102 A (LEVEL 1)

In this interactive, reflecting, and engaging session, the National Writing Project, staff members, and friends are invited to celebrate and share a window into 50 years of NWP work, including inquiry projects and publications, while looking back in time for studies and influences on the work and the ways we might see writing instruction moving forward.

Presenters: Tanya Baker, National Writing Project

Bryan Ripley Crandall, Connecticut Writing Project/Fairfield University

Jessica Early, Arizona State University

Kristen Turner, Drew University/Drew Writing Project

G.14 Beyond Biographies: Empowering Students to Access Their Own Creative Voice

ROOM 252 A (LEVEL 2)

In this session, educators and award-winning children’s authors will highlight picture book biographies of individuals who impacted change through activism and art. Panelists will share strategies for using mentor texts, practicing specific craft moves, and empowering student voices. These ideas can be implemented right away and used across various ages, abilities, and curricula.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Nina Crews, Christy Ottaviano Books/LBYR

Angela Burke Kunkel, Vergennes Union Middle High School/ Random House Children’s Books

Kari Lavelle, Random House Children’s Books/Sourcebooks

Katie Mazeika, Simon & Schuster

Nadia Salomon, Philomel Books/PYR

G.15 Beyond Bridges for Multilingual Learners: Student-Centered and Student-Driven Practices for Equity

ROOM 103 (LEVEL 1)

Our schools can be spaces where all students, especially those from socially and historically marginalized backgrounds, are given space to learn and challenge themselves. We will share specific strategies to counter deficit-based narratives about immigrant and multilingual students. Teachers will share pedagogical methods while students will discuss personal experiences and ideas for change.

Presenters: Casey Andrews, Watertown Public Schools, MA

Luciana Castro, Watertown High School

Ketly DeOliveira, Watertown High School

Eduardo De Souza, Watertown High School

Gilberto Anastacio Do Silva Junior, Watertown High School

Eduardo Espada, Watertown High School

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Eduar Lopez Gamez, Watertown High School

Lori Kouyoumjian, Watertown High School

Uendel Batista Santana, Watertown High School

Layra Souza Silva, Watertown High School

Gabriele Souza, Watertown High School

Maria Venus, Watertown High School

G.16 Breaking Out of a Teaching Rut: Sharing Stories of Breakthroughs to Transform Teaching ROOM 150 (LEVEL 1)

In this session, National Writing Project site leaders share the power of educational breakthroughs, inviting participants into a space where burnout is replaced with a renewed passion for teaching. Resources, writing activities, and writing samples will be shared to help session attendees turn educational challenges into transformative learning experiences for themselves and their students.

Presenters: Megan Breaux, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Toby Daspit, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

H. Michelle Kreamer, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

G.18 Civic Connection in the ELA Classroom: Teachers Sharing Strategies from the NCTE Digital Democratic Dialogue (3D) Project ROOM 258 B (LEVEL 2)

In this session, secondary ELA teachers from across the United States share strategies for fostering civic learning based on their experience participating in the NCTE 3D Project--a network that connects classrooms across time and space to encourage students and teachers to share their experiences, opinions, and hopes for their civic futures.

Presenters: Janelle Bence, North Star of Texas Writing Project/ New Tech High at Coppell

Peter Haun, Oak Park High School

Christopher Kline, Western Hills University High School

Shonterrius Lawson-Fountain, Center Point High School

Nicole Mirra, Rutgers University

Christina Puntel, W.B. Saul High School

Mary Louise Richards, Otter Valley High School

Molly Robbins

Morgan McGlone Smith, Northeast High School

Gabriel Valdez, Pacifica High School

Megan Pittman Wurth, Macomb Senior High School

G.19 Collecting Possibility from the Writing of YA Literature

ROOM 253 A-C (LEVEL 2)

We collect our knowledge of writing from reading. We imagine our voice on the page. Two award-winning YA authors will share how they craft sentences and characters; two teachers will show how this craft impacts the curiosity and creativity of young people.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Kwame Alexander, Little, Brown Books

Kelly Gallagher, Anaheim Union High School District

Penny Kittle, Plymouth State University

Amy Sarig (A.S. King) King, Dutton

G.20 Coming Together in Solidarity During Contentious Times: Teacher Action Research, a Pathway for Sustainable Change in Teaching for Justice

ROOM 160 C (LEVEL 1)

Identifying ways of resisting external mandates and inequitable policies that fail to speak to the unique needs and strengths of our learners and teaching is overwhelming and isolating. Join teachers who share how action research in community with others fuels their fire and offers hopeful possibilities for resisting the status quo necessary to teach for justice and enact humanizing pedagogies.

Presenters: Kelly Adkins, Mahomet-Seymour High School/Illinois State University

Raquel Armas, Hamlin Upper Grade Center, District 125/Illinois State University

Robin Atwood, University of Southern Mississippi/South Mississippi Writing Project

Leah Barnett, Oakland-Flint Writing Project/Royal Oak High School

Linda Denstaedt, Oakland-Genesee Writing Project

Mark Dziedzic, Greater Madison Writing Project/University of Wisconsin-Madison

Danielle Lillge, Illinois State University

Jenny Magee, Greater Madison Writing Project/Northside Elementary School

Bryn Orum, Greater Madison Writing Project

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

G.21 Designing a Joyful Antiracist Writing and Literature Curriculum ROOM 258 C (LEVEL 2)

To aid teachers designing antiracist curricula, Western Massachusetts Writing Project created a course based on Gholdy Muhammad’s 5 Pursuits of Culturally and Historically Responsive Education and focused on humanizing writing pedagogy, selecting diverse readings, antiracist literary critiques, and ways to infuse joy. Instructors will explain course design; participants will share insights and applications.

Presenters: Violet Alvarado-Slatis erin feldman

Jeannette Lee-Parikh, The Cambridge School of Weston, MA

Bruce Penniman, Western Massachusetts Writing Project/ University of Massachusetts Amherst

G.22 Disrupting White Narratives about Race through Podcasting ROOM 206 A (LEVEL 2)

Three researchers present their study of podcasting in a secondary government class. Learn how a studentled investigation into the legacy of redlining offered meaningful and engaging opportunities for students to ask deep and meaningful questions about the nature of privilege and their own communities. We will explore the nature of antiracist pedagogy in mostly white schools.

Presenters: Rhonda Hylton

Molly Schneider, Notre Dame Cathedral Latin School

Beth Walsh-Moorman, ESC of the Western Reserve

G.23 The Intersection of Collective Histories, Communities, and Literacy Pedagogies

ROOM 156 A (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by the Early Career Educators of Color Leadership Award

This panel features projects developed by winners of the 2023 NCTE Early Career Educators of Color Leadership Award. This panel will focus on the projects of two award winners. Infusing history, art, and communitybased literacies, the projects will include a focus on reshaping higher education courses and resources that focus on multiliteracies and community-based literacies.

Presenters: G. Edzordzi Agbozo, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Andy Chen, John Burroughs School; Early Career Educator of Color Co-Director

Sherita Roundtree

Respondent: Tiffany A. Flowers, Early Career Educator of Color Co-Director

G.24 Embracing Artificial Intelligence in the Classroom: How AI and Grammar Instruction Can Make Learning Relevant, Purposeful, and Engaging

ROOM 152 (LEVEL 1)

How can we bridge the divide between the realities of AI and the literacies of the ELA classroom? In this session, participants will explore grammar and language myths, both traditional and modern. Then, participants will examine how AI can help students engage with language in purposeful ways. From paragraphing to genre, AI can help expand our worlds and understandings of language possibilities.

Presenters: Darren Crovitz, Kennesaw State University

Michelle Devereaux, Kennesaw State University

Rob Montgomery, Kennesaw State University

G.25 Everything You Need to Know about Participating in the NCTE Book Awards . . . and More!

ROOM 203 (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the Charlotte Huck Award® for Outstanding Fiction for Children, the Orbis Pictus Award® for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, and the Notable Children’s Poetry Books and Verse Novels List

Calling all educators and literature enthusiasts! Want to get involved with NCTE’s Awards for Excellence in Children’s Literature? Come meet the committees of the Charlotte Huck, Orbis Pictus, and Poetry/Verse Novel awards to learn about the different ways educators, librarians, publishers, literacy advocates, and students can participate! All are welcome.

Presenters: Cecilia Espinosa, Lehman College

Julia Lopez-Robertson, University of South Carolina

Junko Sakoi, Tucson Unified School District

G.26 Finding Hope in Harsh Times: Using Verse Novels to Explore Challenging Topics in History

ROOM 160 B (LEVEL 1)

Verse novels can help classrooms of students explore disturbing topics in history without overwhelming them with information. Students may connect personally to protagonists from the past and from those connections build strengths to carry into the world. The panelists will suggest ways poetry can deepen knowledge of history’s rough edges while highlighting moments that offer hope.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Jeannine Atkins, Simon & Schuster

Marcie Atkins, Oak View ES, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA/ Versify

Nadine Pinede, Candlewick

Kip Wilson, Versify

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

G.27 Flex Your Sketch: Visual Thinking for Comprehension, Composition, and Creativity ROOM 156 C (LEVEL 1)

The benefits of visual thinking are established: deeper comprehension, easier recall/retrieval, increased focus and immersive attention. Yet perhaps your inner voice says “I’m not artistic.” Not to worry. There’s hope! Join us for accessible strategies designed for learners of all ages and abilities. By the end of this session, you’ll optimistically welcome the possibilities for your classroom.

Presenters: Paula Bourque, Augusta School Department

Jarrett Lerner, Simon & Schuster (Aladdin Imprint)

Tanny McGregor, Tanny McGregor Consulting

Kim Zajac, Norton Public Schools

G.28 Fostering Connections and Community through Racial and Social Justice Literacy ROOM 255 (LEVEL 2)

This presentation will demonstrate how implementing a reading and writing for social justice unit with middle schoolers fostered community, collaboration and racial awareness among the diverse young people in those classrooms. Attendees will leave with tools to implement a curriculum that embraces inquiry and empowers students to tackle injustice both in their own communities and in the world.

Presenters: Dana Johnson, Round Rock ISD

Miles Phillips, Round Rock ISD

Sidonie Phillips, Austin Community College

Alice Strenger, Round Rock ISD

G.29 From Fart Jokes to Freedom: How Humor in Middle Grade Novels Can Help Young Readers Find Their Own Voices and Imagine a Better Future

ROOM 162 B (LEVEL 1)

Learn creative ways to use humor in middle grade novels to break down barriers, build empathy, and talk about tough issues from authors writing laugh-out-loud comedy on everything from perfectionism to puberty to fear and grief.

Presenters: Kaitlin Long, Powhatan High School

Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Nashae Jones, Simon & Schuster

Allie Millington, Macmillan

Laura Parnum, HarperCollins

G.30 From Head to Heart to Hand: The Secret of Crafting Engaging Nonfiction ROOM 162 A (LEVEL 1)

Why does students’ nonfiction writing often seem dull and lifeless? Because their hearts just aren’t in it. Listen in as four award-winning authors discuss how they choose a topic, identify a core idea of personal interest, and analyze and synthesize their research to craft engaging prose that’s uniquely their own. They’ll also share strategies to help young writers create nonfiction that sings.

Chair: Grace Enriquez, Lesley University

Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Lesa Cline-Ransome, Simon & Schuster

Candace Fleming, Random House Children’s Books

Melissa Stewart, Reycraft

Traci Sorell, Charlesbridge

G.31 From Studying about Antiracist ELA to Enacting It in the Classroom ROOM 254 A (LEVEL 2)

A group of white, female middle and high school ELA teachers and teacher educators have been meeting virtually, monthly, for three years to support each other in implementing antiracist ELA in classrooms. Panelists will share the structures of meetings, examples of challenges faced and curricular and other strategies utilized to address them, and the impact on students of these efforts.

Presenters: Rebecca Ashley, Canton Public Schools 6–12

Cara Crandall, Glenbrook Middle School

Brittany Cross, Hampden Charter School of Science

Katie Eressy, South High Community High School

Sophia Sarigianides, Westfield State University

Meredith Webber, Holyoke High School

Respondents: Carlin Borsheim-Black, Central Michigan University

Susan Groenke, The University of Tennessee

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

G.32 Heart, Hope and Humanity in the Age of Misinformation: Creative Strategies for Teaching Media Literacy with Award-Winning AuthorJournalists ROOM 156 B (LEVEL 1)

In print, online, and increasingly through AI, students are being bombarded with misinformation, disinformation and mal-information. Award-winning authors who have worked as journalists will share exercises and strategies for teaching students to sharpen critical literacy skills in and out of the classroom. Jennifer LaGarde, an educator specialist in media literacy, will moderate.

Moderator: Jennifer LaGarde, Rutgers University

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Martha Brockenbrough, Macmillan

Katherine Marsh, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/Clarion/ Harper Kids

Dashka Slater, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group

G.33 Hope Is a Verb: Meeting Censorship with Action ROOM 208 (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the Standing Committee Against Censorship

The Standing Committee Against Censorship (SCAC) will offer an overview of the current state of censorship in ELA classrooms, feature a local author to share their perspectives on censorship and storytelling, and offer teachers’ stories of navigating censorship. The SCAC will close the session by highlighting resources and events that participants can attend that address censorship and teaching.

Committee Members: Katie Burnett, Edgewood High School

Mark Letcher, Lewis University

Pamela Mason, Harvard University

Tadayuki Suzuki, SUNY Cortland

Presenters: Katharine Covino-Poutasse, Fitchburg State University

Ann David, University of the Incarnate Word

Christine Emeran, National Coalition Against Censorship

Jo Knowles, Candlewick

Respondent: Christina Dobbs, Boston University

G.34 Inquiry to Activism: How Teacher Communities Support Action in Challenging Times ROOM 151 B (LEVEL 1)

Panelists will explore how teacher communities provide a homeplace for educators as they navigate challenging sociopolitical times. Examples will explore what these communities meant to the participants and how they supported teachers in taking action in their classrooms, schools, and districts. Participants will consider how teacher communities can be created and supported in their contexts.

Presenters: Rebekah Adams, University of Georgia

Madison Gannon, University of Georgia

Emily Grove, University of Georgia

Jill Hermann-Wilmarth, Western Michigan University

Brenda Jaster

Laura Jimenez, Boston University

Kathleen Riley

Caitlin Ryan, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Ryan Schey, University of Georgia

Lindsay Coleman Taylor

G.35 Life Histories: Empowering Youth in an Urban School through Story and Drama ROOM 052 A (EXHIBIT LEVEL)

Life Histories can become a strong catalyst to evoke emotion, compassionate understanding, and the acknowledgement of difference and its challenges. This project works with middle school youth in an urban district. It shows that talking about story, and engaging in collaborative writing and dramatic performances creates a deeper understanding of students’ lives and of possibilities in the broader world.

Presenters: Susan Browne, Rowan University

Tonya Howard-Obamoh, Mastery Charter School, Camden, NJ

Valarie Lee, Rowan University

Marjorie Madden, Rowan University

G.36 Living Out Our Truths: LGBTQIA+ Asian American Youth Narratives as an Escape and Anchor

ROOM 204 A (LEVEL 2)

Our session incorporates student voices that offer reflections and takeaways on reading LGBTQIA+ texts. We will include lesson activities, personal writing, media artifacts, and assessment products. These artifacts will be used to deepen our conversation on ways educators can support and celebrate Asian American LGBTQIA+ youth and lived experiences.

Presenters: Tasha Lindo, University of Iowa

Diana Liu, Brooklyn Technical High School/Teachers College, Columbia University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

G.37 Missing the Heart of It: The Effects of (Pre)

Scripted Curricula in the ELA Classroom

ROOM 259 B (LEVEL 2)

Presenters will share findings of an ongoing qualitative research study of a widely-used scripted ELA curriculum. This study provides an analysis of perspectives on the curriculum and its impact when implemented: missing heart and humanity as felt by teachers and, subsequently, by students. Participants and presenters will collaborate to create a network of support and resources.

Presenters: Laura Jacobs, Towson University

Janell Miller, North Carolina State University

Sarah Montello, North Carolina State University

Carl Young, North Carolina State University

G.38 No More Fake Reading! Leveraging Reading Conferences to Build Student Success and Engagement

ROOM 157 C (LEVEL 1)

Tired of watching kids fake read? Learn strategies that bring clear purpose to independent reading. This panel of teachers will share how they addressed the problem of disengaged readers through reading conferences. Walk away with strategies for building rapport with students, managing time, getting and giving quality feedback about reading, and deciding what to do with the information you gain.

Presenters: Brooke Carpenter, Colonial Middle School

Christine Gaetano, Colonial Middle School

Joe Pacitti

Amanda Thornton, Colonial Middle School

Joan Warwick, Colonial Middle School

G.39 Refining Our Practice for a Loving Pedagogy ROOM 157 B (LEVEL 1)

In this cultural and sociopolitical moment, the conversation about love, hope, and humanity in education is urgent. This panel will discuss how to nurture learning spaces where students realize their genius and inform attendees’ teaching stance as well as philosophy, compelling them to revise aspects of their practice.

Chair: Vivett Dukes, Teachers College, Columbia University

Presenters: Lorena German, Multicultural Classroom

Gholdy Muhammad

Respondent: Chanea Bond, Fort Worth ISD

G.40 Representations of Trans, Nonbinary, and Gender-Nonconforming Characters in AwardWinning Books

ROOM 251 (LEVEL 2)

This research evaluates LGBTQ+ award-winning picture books featuring trans, nonbinary, and gendernonconforming characters, through an analysis of conflicts and recurring plot lines. We identify predominant plot lines and critique their inherent messages in recommended and not recommended books. Lastly, we suggest key questions educators can use when selecting LGBTQ+ books for children and youth.

Presenters: Wendy Keyser, Fitchburg State University

Alyssa Whitford, Hope College, Holland, MI

G.41 Restoring Humanity to Striving Adolescent Readers

ROOM 209 (LEVEL 2)

Literacy ability—and gaps in literacy ability—have farreaching consequences for students, including lasting perceptions of themselves and their place in society. This session explores how to build empathic, restorative mindsets by using high-yield instructional practices to reduce shame and anxiety for striving adolescent readers.

Presenters: Lauren Spenceley, Arizona Department of Education

Jason Stephenson, Oklahoma State Department of Education

Kristen Tinch, Kentucky Department of Education

Naomi Watkins, Utah State Board of Education

G.42 Social Issues Are Human Issues: How Picturebook Biographies Help Teachers and Students Engage Personally with Social Justice Issues

ROOM 104 B (LEVEL 1)

Most students are bombarded by social issues, but they too often think of them as problems faced by other people. Such disconnect risks a lack of societal empathy and interest in becoming positive changemakers. Award-winning authors and educators share how true stories, told in compelling ways, can draw hope while encouraging engagement within and beyond students’ personal spaces.

Presenters: Donna Janell Bowman, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Evan Griffith, Harper/Vermont College of Fine Arts

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

G.43 Social Media: Pluses, Minuses, and Middle Grade Novels That Help Students Sort It All Out ROOM 154 (LEVEL 1)

The tween years are a vulnerable time when students seek connection and affirmation. For many, social media feels crucial to identity, even as its pressures can be hard to handle. This panel of middle grade authors will discuss how fiction provides a safe space for exploring the ups and downs of social media, helping readers find their way to authenticity in themselves and their relationships.

Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Melanie Conklin, Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers

Sydney Dunlap, North Star Editions/Jolly Fish Press

Amar Shah, Scholastic

Tricia Springstubb, Holiday House/Peachtree/Pixel+Ink

Andrea Wang, Kokila Books/Neal Porter Books

G.44 Spreading the Love of Reading from Middle School Classroom to Greater Community ROOM 052 B (EXHIBIT LEVEL)

Belmont Ridge Middle School, like schools across the country, wants its kids to read! How better to encourage reading than to engage the wider community, including staff members and families? Our reading push includes the Million Word Challenge, family book club, staff book club, and schoolwide challenges. Learn about these initiatives and brainstorm how to hype up reading at your school.

Presenters: Heidi Branch, Loudoun County Public Schools

Lori Bryant

Mathias Bryant

Katherine Chiet, Loudoun County Public Schools

Maggie Mason, Loudoun County Public Schools

Margaret Stokes, Loudon County Public Schools

G.45 Teach, Strike, Teach: Inspiring Hope and Fostering Racial and Economic Equity through Social Justice Unionism

ROOM 254 B (LEVEL 2)

In this panel, teachers and teacher educators will share stories and invite attendees to join a discussion about how ELA teachers’ careers and classroom practices can be transformed by their involvement in “social justice unionism,” a model of activism that highlights how teacher unions can struggle (and bargain) for a comprehensive, humanizing, and antiracist vision of schools and communities.

Presenters: Todd DeStigter, University of Illinois Chicago

Nora Flanagan, Chicago Teachers Union

Melina Lesus, Chicago Public Schools

G.46 Teaching in Troubled Times: How to Understand and Navigate the Cultural Conflicts of the Times

ROOM 157 A (LEVEL 1)

Participants in this session will discuss the types and sources of conflict increasingly common in schools and even, for some, the profession itself. The session will focus on how to understand and respond to the challenges of the texts we teach, the instructional techniques we use, and the topics we ask students to study and write about.

Presenters: Deborah Appleman, Carleton College

Jim Burke, Corwin

Carol Jago, University of California Los Angeles

G.47 The Scientific Superpower of Curiosity: How Stories of Scientists Spark Inquiry, Critical Thinking, and Hope in the Classroom and Beyond ROOM 151 A (LEVEL 1)

In a world rife with science denialism, stories featuring scientists and scientific discoveries are our best hope for sparking critical thinking, inquiry, action, and optimism in young readers. This session features four acclaimed nonfiction authors paired with an inquirydriven educator who explore strategies for sharing these and other science trade books in elementary and middle school classrooms.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Sarah Albee, Charlesbridge

Loree Griffin Burns, Candlewick/MITKids

Melissa Guerrette, Oxford Elementary School, MSAD17

Rajani LaRocca, Little Bee Books/Candlewick/HarperCollins/ Abrams/Penguin Random House

Kate Messner, Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Angela Padron, Atheneum Books/educator

G.48 Windows, Mirrors, and Barn Doors: Busting Stereotypes in Rural Literacy and Literature ROOM 257 A (LEVEL 2)

Students in rural America are a minority, and even with a push for more diverse literature, realistic narratives that mirror the lives of the 9.3 million rural students are still underrepresented. Join seven authors and the 2023 Rural Indiana Teacher of the Year in exploring ways to amplify rural voices and ensure accurate representation to help overcome the stereotypes prevalent in children’s literature.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: David Bowles, Bloomsbury Press

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Penguin Random House/Dial Books For Young Readers

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Nora Shalaway Carpenter, Running Press Kids/Hachette Book Group

Leigh Anne Eck, Vincennes Community School Corporation

Jewell Parker Rhodes, Arizona State University/LBYR

Nanci Turner Steveson, HarperCollins/Quill Tree

G.49 Writing Memoir with YA Authors: Raise Your Voice, Claim Your Story

ROOM 102 B (LEVEL 1)

Memoirs by queer authors and authors of color invite diverse students to claim and share their stories. In this interactive session, three authors of recently published illustrated memoirs will share their books’ origins, craftbased excerpts for close reading and discussion, and writing invitations. Participants will leave with seeds for their own memoirs and quickwrites to use with students.

Chair: Jennifer Buehler, Saint Louis University

Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Huda Fahmy, Penguin Random House

Jonell Joshua, Levine Querido

Sarah Myer, Macmillan

G.50 A Functional Approach to Teaching Writing: SFL Multilingual Genre Pedagogy

ROOM 161 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by the North American Systemic Functional Linguistics Association

Systemic Functional Linguistics informed approach to teaching writing uses the Teaching and Learning Cycle to scaffold instruction and encourages flexibility of language use. Students make meaning using all their language resources, reflecting their cultural and linguistic identities. The session will explain and illustrate with classroom examples all the components of the pedagogy.

Chair: Maria Estela Brisk, Boston College

Presenters: Jennifer Dines, Boston Public Schools

Elizabeth MacDonald, Boston Public Schools

G.51 #HackYourStack 2.0: Lessons for Critical Media Literacies with Digital Texts

ROOM 258 A (LEVEL 2)

While NCTE’s #BuildYourStack presentations focus on developing physical classroom libraries, this session’s #HackYourStack presentations will support teachers in developing multimodal and networked “libraries” as well as accompanying critical media literacy strategies to use in our classrooms. Participants will have the

opportunity to access or contribute to a crowdsourced #HackYourStack platform.

Presenters: Trevor Aleo, Greenwich Country Day School

Rabani Garg, University of Pennsylvania

Karis Jones, Empire State University SUNY

William Kist, Kent State University

Angel Huynh Ky, DeWitt Middle School

Caroline B. Rabalais, Georgia State University

Dianne Wellington

G.52 Critical Pedagogy and Closing the Literacy Achievement Gap

ROOM 204 B (LEVEL 2)

Nationwide only 32% of students from HUP are at or above level in reading, maintaining a steady achievement gap (Diette, 2021; Hammond, 2015). This session will allow educators to discuss current best practices in Reading Comprehension and Critically Responsive Teaching & explore how background knowledge is built and how is this knowledge is utilized to generate higher order thinking skills.

Presenters: Robyn Lee-Diaz, Clark County School District

Latoya McIntosh, Proviso Township High School

G.53 Illuminating Our Humanity: Exploring Literature for Empathy, Understanding, and Enacting Change

ROOM 205 B (LEVEL 2)

How can teachers create opportunities that enable students to illuminate humanity? Let the literature do the work! This session explores works focusing on the human experience and our need to empathize with each other in order to enact change. Participants will walk away with ideas for teaching Fences, Frankentstein, The Nickel Boys, Othello, Song of Solomon, and Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Roundtable Leaders:

Table 1: Cindy Dixon, Richmond Hill High School, “Fences”

Table 2: Kelli Sowerbrower, Northgate High School, “Their Eyes Were Watching God”

Table 3: Lisa Boyd, Midtown High School, “Frankenstein”

Table 4: Steven Bickmore, Emeritus UNLV, “Crime and Punishment”

Table 5: Cindi Koudelka, Aurora University, “Invisible Son”

Table 6: Karen Brown, Provo High School, “The Grapes of Wrath”

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

G.54 Inviting Heart, Hope, and Humanity into the Writing Classroom

ROOM 205 C (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the ELATE Commission on Writing Teacher Education

The ELATE Commission on Writing Teacher Education and the National Writing Project Research Network present practical, classroom-based roundtables that will allow teachers to take away writing lesson plans and assignments focusing on reaching our students hearts, inspiring hope, and underscoring everyone’s humanity in the classroom.

Roundtable Leaders: Katie Alford, McKendree University

Cheryl Almeda, Kalamazoo Valley Community College

Erinn Bentley, Columbus State University

Rebekah Buchanan, Western Illinois University

Laura Davies, SUNY Cortland

Christine Dawson, Siena College, Latham, NY

Sarah Donovan, Oklahoma State University

Deborah Van Duinen, Hope College

Jenni Eaton, University of Maryland, College Park

Michelle Glerum, Arizona State University

Rebecca Guerrero, Young Women’s STEAM Research and Preparatory Academy

Kate Hope, Chandler-Gilbert Community College

Lindsey Ives, Auburn University

Brad Jacobson, The University of Texas at El Paso

Amber Jensen, Brigham Young University

Elsie Lindy Olan, University of Central Florida

Maggie Peterson, University of Maryland, College Park

Amanda Plaizier, Utah State University

Christina Saidy, Arizona State University

Nicole Sieben, SUNY Old Westbury

Kate Sjostrom, University of Illinois Chicago

Amanda Stearns-Pfeiffer, Oakland University

Vanessa Sullivan, Arizona State University

Deborah Van Duinen, Hope College

G.55 Learning to Know Student Writers through the Practice of Dialogic Assessment: New Teachers Discuss the Development of Their Agency

ROOM 259 A (LEVEL 2)

In this roundtable session, three first-year teachers in a large urban district will discuss examples of how they have developed agency in practicing studentcentered writing instruction, using tools that originated in a mentorship community of practice that they participated in as preservice teachers. The co-designer of this mentorship program, a teacher educator, will facilitate the discussion.

Presenters: Sarah Beck, New York University

Andrew Cartano, New York City Department of Education

Jacqueline LeKachman, New York City Department of Education

Jill Roberts, New York City Department of Education/Teachers College, Columbia University

G.56 Planning with Purpose: Nuts and Bolts for New College Teachers

ROOM 257 B (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the College Section

Are you a graduate student preparing to teach for the first time? Are you a community college instructor or adjunct professor hired to teach what you know but realize you need to know more? Come connect with leaders in the field who will share their hard-won wisdom and useful hacks for the first years in the college classroom. After short keynotes, participate in expert-led roundtable discussions.

Chairs: Sarah Z. Johnson, Madison Area Technical College

Anna J. Small Roseboro, Michigan Council of Teachers of English

Presenters: Earl Brooks, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Charissa Che, Queensborough Community College

R. Joseph Rodriguez, St. Edward’s University

Roundtable Leaders: Glenda Funk, Pocatello/Chubbuck School District #25

Lisa Fink, NCTE

Alfredo Lujan, Monte del Sol Charter School (retired)

Roz Roseboro, Grand Valley State University

Kelly Sassi, Northern Michigan University

Sheridan Steelman, Grand Valley State University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

G.57 Resisting Scripted Curriculum as Erasure: Holding on to the Heart, Hope, and Humanity of Reading

ROOM 210 B (LEVEL 2)

How do we continue to center students and hold on to what we hold dear in this time of mandates? This roundtable session offers participants a wide range of analyses and examinations of the multiple threats to student access to diverse texts and teacher autonomy and includes practical strategies for resisting scripted curriculum that threatens to undermine and erase student and teacher autonomy.

Presenter: Lester Laminack, Margaret Quinlin Books, “A Parable and an Analogy: Thoughts on Our Times” Roundtable Leaders:

Table 1: Hannah Schneewind & Jennifer Scoggin, Trusting Readers LLC, “Engagement and Motivation Are Foundational Skills: Teaching into Reading Identity”

Table 2: Paul Thomas, Furman University, “Orange: Teaching Reading Not Simply Black-and-White”

Table 3: Katie Kelly, Furman University & Crystal Glover, Winthrop University, “Teaching for Transformation: Literacy Practices Rooted in Love and Liberation”

Table 4: Emily Pendergrass & Melanie Hundley, Vanderbilt

University, “When Students Don’t Know Their Lines; Directing a Play with Only One Script”

Table 5: Mike P. Cook & Lindsey Ives, Auburn University, “Bringing authenticity to the script: Multimodal text sets and critical friend groups in the scripted curriculum classroom”

Table 6: Stacy Haynes-Moore, Coe College, “Strategies to navigate and enrich a narrowed curriculum”

Table 7: Michael Young, Illinois State University, “Structured, scripted, and erased: Recasting the science to cultivate a humanity of reader”

Table 8: Meghan Valerio, Kent State University, “You Don’t Even Have to Think—It’s Done for You!” A School District’s Transition to SOR-Informed Curricula

Table 9: Douglas K. Kaufman, University of Connecticut, “Tools of Resistance: Developing the Teacher Identities and Response Skills That Defy the Scripted Reading Program”

Table 10: Dorothy Suskind, Longwood University, “The Multigenre Research Project: Resisting and Expanding a Narrow Definition of Literacy & Predicting”

Table 11: Andy Schoenborn, Clare Public Schools, “The Banned Book Project”

Table 12: Alyssa Likens, Furman University, “Extra Support Doesn’t Fit in a Box: Centering Students During Intervention”

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

H.1 HS Matters—Making Space for Manga in the ELA Classroom: Introducing and Exploring a Foreign Literary Form

ROOM 104 C (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by the Secondary Section Steering Committee

Manga is essential to the identities and interests of many of our students, yet manga is largely ignored and even perhaps considered to be unworthy or nonliterary by many educators. Teachers in attendance will be given a walk-through of engaging and classroom-ready works of manga that could be used in a variety of classroom settings and purposes.

Presenter: Eric Abrams, Iona University

H.2 (Missed) Opportunities to Build Solidarity through Children’s Books

ROOM 254 A (LEVEL 2)

In this session, participants will hear findings from a study examining Spanish-English bilingual fiction picture books for ways that Black characters were positioned in the narrative and illustrations. They will leave this session with (1) tools to analyze their own picture books for opportunities for solidarity and (2) ideas of how they can counter misrepresentation.

Presenters: Allison Briceño, San Jose State University

Claudia Rodriguez-Mojica, University of California Davis

H.3 Inspiring Middle School Students to Want to Write

ROOM 104 B (LEVEL 1)

Join this session to engage in meaningful strategies for promoting powerful writing instruction in middle school classrooms. Participants will learn about culture, curriculum, and joy, the three pillars that lead students to finding and embracing the writer within.

Presenter: Germaine Tarver

H.4 Access Denied! Hope for Teachers Who Want to Teach Novels but Can’t Get Them

ROOM 254 B (LEVEL 2)

Books are the heart of ELA classrooms. When you can’t get access to books for your students (beyond the dusty old book room) . . . when your requests are refused or barricaded by leadership . . . or when you feel defeated by the systems in place (or not in place), DON’T GIVE UP! Join us for some best practices, inspiration, and workarounds!

Presenters: Rashaun James, The Ohio State University/Miffilin Middle School

Melissa LaCaze, The Ohio State University

H.5 Adult Learning: The Hidden Principles to Becoming an Effective Literacy/Curriculum Coach

ROOM 160 A (LEVEL 1)

In this session, learn first-hand how Literacy/Curriculum Coaches can form and sustain effective working relationships with teachers. Come and learn transferrable strategies on how to be visible, establish trust, and collaborate with teachers. The strategies learned in this session will also help to attend to the characteristics of adult learners. The implementation of these strategies will help schools and school districts build human capacity to increase and sustain reading achievement.

Presenter: Dimple Martin, Miles College

H.6 An Ancient Tale New Told: Pairing Shakespeare with Modern Young Adult Literature

ROOM 102 B (LEVEL 1)

In this engaging and interactive session, experience a unit that pairs Romeo and Juliet with Long Way Down. Learn strategies for pairing Shakespeare with today’s literature and knowledge, engage in discussion about paired excerpts, connect with texts across genres, and walk away with ready-to-use activities. Join this session and reframe how you bring classic texts into the modern classroom.

Presenter: Sarah Honore, Houston ISD

H.7 Beyond “Dividing It Up”: Collaborative Writing Teaching Strategies

ROOM 156 B (LEVEL 1)

Often, students (or teachers) approach co-writing by “dividing up” an assignment, or having one person do most of the drafting. But, these approaches bypass opportunities for deep collaborative idea generation and development. This presentation will offer creative and engaging models of facilitating collaborative writing, drawn from an interview study of 24 writers who co-write across difference.

Presenter: Rachael Shah, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

H.8 Beyond “Nice Work!”: How to Give Better Task, Process, and Relationship-Strengthening Feedback to Writers

ROOM 157 A (LEVEL1)

In this session, we’ll discuss the power of feedback as well as three different types of feedback and how they’re useful (or not!). We’ll invite participants to give feedback on student writing samples and consider ways to make the feedback we give more specific, actionable, and effective, while strengthening our relationships with students. Our session format invites conversation and reflection.

Presenters: Sara Bailey

Kristin Blais, Astra Center for Innovative Education

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

H.9 Beyond the Bell: Transformative Strategies for ELA Engagement

ROOM 252 A (LEVEL 2)

This presentation unveils the power of integrating art, painting, and interactive strategies into English language arts. Explore practical approaches to enhance literacy skills through artistic expression learning. Join me to discover how these dynamic strategies not only captivate students but also deepen their understanding of English language art. Walk away with actionable insights.

Presenter: Khalil Roy, Avoyelles Parish Schools-LaSAS

H.10 Building Friendship Literacy: How a LiteratureDriven Curriculum Can Help Students Become Nuanced Readers of Friendship and Connection

ROOM 259 B (LEVEL 2)

This presentation and flash workshop invites teachers to examine the value and urgency of building students’ friendship literacy. Using literature, theory, and research to make friendship itself an explicit subject of study, we can cultivate students’ friendship literacy and build more grounded and nuanced readers of friendship in literature and community, online and in real life

Presenters: Keira Flynn-Carson, Brookline High School/Schoolwithin-a-School

Karen Harris, Boston University/Brookline High School/NEH

H.11 Critical Conversations: Why Body Representation in Young Adult Literature Matters

ROOM 203 (LEVEL 2)

Participants will receive practical strategies for engaging students in critical dialogue on how youth bodies are represented in current YA literature and techniques for selecting and analyzing texts that represent diverse youth bodies. This session is designed for teachers and teacher educators and will explore current trends in how youth bodies are represented across genres.

Presenters: Katherine Peachey, North Carolina State University

Beth Poteat, North Carolina State University

H.12 Delaware Black ELA Clinical Educator Network: Centering Blackness in English Education

ROOM 259 A (LEVEL 2)

In this session, participants will get an opportunity to engage with some of the Delaware Black teachers who serve in the Delaware Black ELA Clinical Educator Network. Black educators will share their personal

experiences with engaging in mirror work with teacher candidates to develop their multimodal racial literacy development playlists.

Presenters: Mariam Dukuray, Thomas McKean High School/Red Clay Consolidated School District

Michelle Gamble, Delcastle Technical High School/New Castle County Vo-Tech

Kisha Porcher, University of Delaware

Brittany Powell, University of Delaware

Taria Pritchett, Mount Pleasant High School

H.13 Disciplinary Literacies and Seneca Village: Teaching for Hope and Transformation ROOM 151 B (LEVEL 1)

A trip to Seneca Village, virtual guided tour, exploration of primary and secondary sources, and collaborative reflection and lesson planning show how teachers can be taught to teach for inquiry across the disciplines, so they can be more intentional about dismantling racism in the curriculum, while providing opportunities to read, write, see, explore and share with, and alongside, their students.

Presenter: Nadine Bryce, Hunter College CUNY

H.14 Diversifying Text Selection: A Systemic Approach ROOM 204 B (LEVEL 2)

Representation is paramount to a safe and inclusive classroom, and the books students read matter. This session will guide teachers, coaches, and leaders in developing a plan to support clear text-selection criteria that diversify literature while prioritizing both institutional and classroom teacher values.

Presenters: Johnny Cole, Lexington Public Schools

Jon Roy, Lexington Public Schools

Casey Siagel, Lexington Public Schools

H.15 Empowering ESL Learners through Comics and Visual Storytelling ROOM 258 C (LEVEL 2)

Visual art is a universal language that connects us all. How can creating comics bridge cultural differences and language barriers for ESL learners? Two authorillustrators (one a former ESL learner) discuss how comics can help build connections and encourage reading and writing participation. Attendees will leave with resources for comics-based engagement strategies that benefit all students.

Presenters: Jannie Ho, Holiday House

Katia Wish, Katia Wish Studio LLC

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

H.16 Empowering Future Change Agents: Literacy

Meets Global Activism

ROOM 150 (LEVEL 1)

Explore Project Changemaker: a unique initiative blending literacy with activism for middle schoolers. Discover how reading and research skills lead to community impact and how educators can integrate global awareness into teaching, from understanding challenges to executing projects and fostering informed citizenship.

Presenters: Kiley Little Esty Ubuntu

H.17 Finding Inspiration and Renewed Hope Outside the Classroom: Summer Professional Learning Opportunities

ROOM 156 C (LEVEL 1)

In an ever-changing world with increasing demands on educators, it’s easy for teachers to experience burnout. This presentation will highlight opportunities for summer professional development through organizations like Fund for Teachers and the National Endowment for the Humanities to help teachers get back to the heart of why they teach.

Presenter: Chelsea Dodds

H.18 Good Writing Habits, Good Thinking Habits: Using the Writing Process to Foster Intellectual Virtues

ROOM 252 B (LEVEL 2)

We all strive to teach our middle school students to be critical thinkers, but what does that look like in practice? By using the framework of intellectual virtues, along with emphasizing process, writing and writing instruction can be a gateway to teaching your students good thinking habits.

Presenter: Joshua Prichard, St. Peter’s School

H.19 Green Is the Color of Hope: Developing Student Agency through Emulation

ROOM 157 C (LEVEL 1)

Through writing, we are growing humanity. We do this by giving students opportunities to be vulnerable, opportunities to find their way, opportunities to accept themselves and others. When they write with hope, their humanity emerges. Hope comes from the fresh voices we put in front of them. True hope comes from a text that tells us, “You can do this, too.”

Presenter: Bridgette Gallagher, Saratoga Springs High School

H.20 Grounded Relationships: Practicing an Intergenerational Mentorship in Community Literacy Projects

ROOM 157 B (LEVEL 1)

We build on ideas of reciprocity, kinship, materialness, and community literacies in mentorship models to forward the importance of intentionally building intergenerational models of mentorship into any community literacy/engagement project. Building with these stories, the facilitators will invite participants to imagine and work through how intergenerational mentorship models fit into their work

Presenter: Estrella Torrez

H.21 Hearts to the Front: Centering Student Voice and Experience

ROOM 257 A (LEVEL 2)

How do we joyfully, effectively engage students in practices that have the power to improve classroom and school culture (and outcomes well beyond the classroom)? Learn from a dedicated, experienced “lead learner,” about how making space and time for experiences that put “hearts to the front” can improve your relationships with your students, all while strengthening your literacy instruction.

Presenter: Michelle Philippin, Eleanor Van Gelder School, Edgewater, NJ

H.22 Helping Student Writers Get Unstuck: Using the Personal Essay to Propel the Writing Process

ROOM 258 B (LEVEL 2)

We have all seen student writers struggle to get their ideas “onto paper” when faced with a writing assignment. Including the personal essay in the writing repertoire can help break that “writer’s cramp” by centering student voice and experience, giving them authority and agency over their story and its telling.

Presenter: Jennifer Vaida, Sacred Heart Schools

H.23 Hopeful Histories: Unearthing Black Teacher Joy and Praxis through Archival Research

ROOM 153 C (LEVEL 1)

Using works from the Colored Teachers’ Associations, published books, and articles in NCTE journals, this presentation hopes to illuminate those questions alongside reimagining how we, as contemporary members, connect to the past in meaningful ways to build hopeful, historically accurate futures.

Presenter: Abdul-Qadir Islam, Teachers College, Columbia University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

H.24 How Scaffolding Works: Supports for Students’ Literacy Learning

ROOM 162 A (LEVEL 1)

The term scaffolding has been used for decades. There have been numerous studies and practical guides devoted to the practice of scaffolding learning experiences for students of all ages. But what does it mean to scaffold literacy learning? And how can teachers fade scaffolds as students develop their skills and concepts?

Presenters: Douglas Fisher, San Diego State University

Nancy Frey, San Diego State University

H.25 Humanizing the Digital Frontier: Cultivating Hope and Humanity through AI Literacy and Generative AI Tools

ROOM 160 C (LEVEL 1)

Exploring AI in literacy education, this presentation introduces a Generative AI Instructional Framework. It aligns with UNESCO’s literacy definition, focusing on effectively using AI tools for education. The framework covers understanding AI functions, accessing resources, optimizing prompts, verifying AI content accuracy, and ethically integrating AI into teaching.

Presenter: Virginia Reischl, Orange County Department of Education, California

H.26 Institutions of Humanity and Hope: Elevating Student Engagement, Action, and Purpose with Smithsonian Learning Lab ROOM 153 B (LEVEL 1)

The Smithsonian’s mission to “spark curiosity and learning” aligns with educator goals, and its diverse collection of texts and reliable resources offer a path to multimodal integration or the chance to build your teacher toolbox for visual literacy, rhetorical reading and critical thinking. Explore lessons and learn to navigate resources with a fellow active classroom educator.

Presenter: Ramona Puchalski-Piretti, Conard High School

H.27 Inviting Hope to Stay through Young Adult Literature

ROOM 208 (LEVEL 2)

Maya Angelou writes, “Hope and fear cannot occupy the same space. Invite one to stay.” Never has hope been more important to the mental well-being of secondary students than in this post-pandemic present. Participants will learn how one school used selected YA titles, responsive writing, and community outreach projects to bring hope to students’ lives and local community.

Presenter: Judi Thorn, Thorn Learning Consultants LLC

H.28 Layered Read-Alouds to Promote Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Pedagogy

ROOM 207 (LEVEL 2)

In this interactive session, presenters will introduce the Layered Read-Aloud strategy as a classroom experience and as an assignment in university methods courses. Presenters will share the necessity and the emergence of this assignment in their teaching and the affordances to student engagement and representation. Attendees will be invited to create their own foundational Layered Read-Alouds.

Presenters: Reka Barton Tempestt Johnson, University of South Carolina

H.29 Muslim Mothers as Guides: Championing and Protecting Their Children’s Literacy Lives in the United States

ROOM 257 B (LEVEL 2)

Muslim mothers in the United States are often and wrongfully storied as voiceless within their homes and communities. This presentation serves as a call to action to make space to elevate Muslim mothers’ voices as they tell their own stories about how they mother their children in the Islamophobic context of the US, and specifically how they champion and guide their children’s literacy experiences.

Presenter: Saba Vlach, University of Iowa

H.30 Nurturing Creativity through 14 Poetry Exercises: Intergrating Emotional Intelligence while Developing Writing

ROOM 161 (LEVEL 1)

I spent decades learning to teach and use the writing process preparing students to write college level essays and begun metacognitively to embed healthy habits of the mind into all the lessons and activities to prepare students for better lives. I especially achieved a high level of success in a long poetry unit. I will share what I have recently published in a book titled “Nurturing Creativity through Poetry Writing, Integrating Emotional Intelligence in the Secondary Classroom.

Presenter: Michael Goldfine, retired English teacher, State College, PA

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

H.31 Putting Our Words on Front Street: Celebrating Student Voices through Authentic Publication ROOM 206 A (LEVEL 2)

Writing is identity work; it must be shared and celebrated beyond the evaluative eyes of a teacher. In this session, two secondary teachers will help learners reinvigorate student writing by discussing authentic publication experiences for their students. Join us as we breathe life, energy, and joy back into student writing.

Presenters: Amber Funderburgh, Vista Ridge High School, Cedar Park, TX

Nicole Mize, Vista Ridge High School, Cedar Park, TX

H.32 Radical Love in Literacy: hooks, Freire, and Darder in Today’s Classroom ROOM 255 (LEVEL 2)

Literacy education as transformation and liberation through a pedagogy of radical love as conceptualized by bell hooks, Paulo Freire, and Antonia Darder. We aspire to reinvigorate and rejuvenate your work and mindset as literacy teachers. We will discuss what it means to teach reading and writing with radical love in today’s culture.

Presenters: Jacinta Bader, Brooklyn City Schools

Bethany Berg, Brooklyn City Schools

H.33 Reading Heart, Writing Hope: Building Empathy and Humanity through Cultural Literacy, Inquiry Learning, Arts Integration, and Competency-Based Education ROOM 156 A (LEVEL 1)

The pursuit of curating a relevant, purposeful, and engaging curriculum that correlates with actionable learning is an art—a dance drawing together student voice and need. During this session, we will share strategies that have led to authentic opportunities for students to develop meaningful expressions of their worldviews through culturally rich mentor texts, art, inquiry, and CBE.

Presenters: Abby Arriola, Don Tyson School of Innovation

Natalie Campbell, Don Tyson School of Innovation

H.34 Snap, Chat, and Write: Students’ Perceptions of Literacy and Responses to a Program That Promotes Critical Consciousness

ROOM 205 C (LEVEL 2)

This study explored how six Black youth in middle and high school perceived literacy and responded to Black Participatory Action Research (BPAR). Students participating in the study conducted action research

projects using photographs and narratives with a goal of transforming their school communities and cultivating their critical literacy skills. They documented schooling strengths and challenges.

Presenter: Glenda Chisholm, Georgia State University

H.35 Teach Your School to TRAC Their Source: Building Information Literacy Skills via Common Terminology

ROOM 152 (LEVEL 1)

This workshop will focus on how embracing simplified information literacy tools consistently can benefit the whole school community. We’ll discuss their uses and the collaboration efforts that have enabled these tools to be successfully used by students to simplify higherlevel thinking and be embraced by an entire school community. Come see what TRAC is all about!

Presenter: Sarah Chessman, Wellesley Middle School

H.36 Teaching Antiracist Approaches to Audience in Writing in the Disciplines Courses

ROOM 103 (LEVEL 1)

Drawing on a qualitative study on how race becomes salient in undergraduate writing-in-the-disciplines courses, this researcher finds that students with antiracist sensibilities expressed a desire to learn how to communicate with marginalized populations. Students’ stories can offer strategies for antiracist writing teachers to recast audience, thereby fostering hope and heart.

Presenter: Haivan Hoang, University of Massachusetts Amherst

H.37 Teaching Narrative through Game Design for Hope and Transformation

ROOM 209 (LEVEL 2)

To game is to co-create a story. Recently we’ve seen games become movies, the same way that books become movies. Each follows similar conventions of narrative with some key differences. This session will present two units designed for high school classrooms: the first presents narrative components through games, and the second facilitates students designing games for transformation.

Presenters: K. A. Keener, New York City Department of Education/ New Directions Secondary School

Rachel Besharat Mann, Wesleyan University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

H.38 Teaching with Mentor Text: Digging into Rich Text to Model and Teach the Standards ROOM 251 (LEVEL 2)

Teach grammar skills in isolation no more! With this instructional strategy, students learn to analyze engaging text and discover the use of language beyond simply identifying the parts of speech. They examine how authors craft language to convey meaning and make text interesting. Take skills instruction from passive to active engagement while building the bridge between reading and writing.

Presenters: Kimberly Pennington, Gulf Shores Elementary School Melissa Ryall

H.39 Telling Isn’t Teaching: Close Reading and Composition Lessons from a Montessori Muse ROOM 204 A (LEVEL 2)

Teachers can improve student engagement with literature and mastery of composition skills by using some standard, easily transferable Montessori practices. In this highly interactive, student-centered session, participants will practice Montessori-inspired approaches to literacy that can help our students to have more ownership over and confidence with these skills.

Presenter: Blake Taylor, Walnut Hills High School

H.40 Telling Our Stories in Pictures and Words: Fostering Critical Empathy within the Multilingual Classroom ROOM 206 B (LEVEL 2)

Witness firsthand the powerful collage images and poignant writing created by students in a multilingual classroom as they reconstruct and share their family immigration stories. Observe how creating multimodal “identity texts” helps to affirm students’ identities, foster critical empathy, and cultivate deeper understanding about who we are at our core. Listen to students’ heartfelt reflections.

Presenter: Beth Olshansky, Center for the Advancement of Art-Based Literacy

H.41 The New 21st Century Classroom: A Pedagogical Approach to Teaching Students in the Age of Influencers

ROOM 211 (LEVEL 2)

YouTubers, influencers, and content creators dominate our kids’ attention and their aspirations. With this new landscape, we must equip our students with the tools and literacies necessary to understand the complexities of these spaces. This workshop explores digital tools, text sets, and teaching points that will support students as they dig deeper into the world in which they immerse themselves.

Presenter: Nicole Conter, Teachers College, Columbia University

H..42 The People Can Fly: Exploring Black American Mythology and Folk Literature in Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon

ROOM 154 (LEVEL 1)

Song of Solomon addresses the Black American myth of flight, among other themes. In this workshop we’ll explore the oral histories that gave birth to this myth and trace the ways in which this folklore influenced Black culture for the next two hundred years. We’ll also discuss the works of artists like Faith Ringgold, Virginia Hamilton, Robert Hayden, Daveed Diggs, and Beyoncé.

Presenter: Angela Jones, Harvest Collegiate High School

H.43 The Stories We Tell: Creating Shared Destinies (The Armenian Genocide Captured in Memoir)

ROOM 258 A (LEVEL 2)

“Those who tell the story rule society”—Plato. Attendees will be equipped with a multiliteracy lesson plan that shares the history of the Armenian Genocide through memoir, inquiry, and writing opportunities. The lesson set moves the participants through the process of finding hope in stories; and how shared memories can heal us, connect us, and lead us to a pursuit of dignity for all people.

Presenter: Kristi Ugland, Bishop England High School

H.44 Thematic-Based Instruction: Bringing Secondary Montessori Philosophy to a Traditional 7-12 ELA Classroom

ROOM 151 A (LEVEL 1)

Teachers will participate in a workshop to incorporate thematic-based instruction that encompasses different instructional strategies through the use of anchor texts, supplemental texts, seminar discussions, project-based learning, and culminating activities in their classrooms. This supports the Universal Design for Learning to meet the needs of students through meaningful thematic connection.

Presenters: Nathaniel Burke, Cincinnati Public Schools

Robert Wheatley, Cincinnati Public Schools

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

H.45 This Is Just to Say . . . Food Writing in the ELA Classroom

ROOM 162 B (LEVEL 1)

Food is integral to identity. In this session connecting food, heart, hope, and humanity, teachers will share culturally relevant activities for a food writing unit. Teachers will offer podcast, documentary, poetry, and memoir mentor texts through choice boards to facilitate student-created food diaries, food maps, reviews, and a class cookbook. Presenters will offer extension ideas and activities.

Presenters: Amber DeSimony, Niskayuna High School

Kristin Richard, Niskayuna High School

H.46 Transforming Dominant Ideologies: Centering Student Critical Hopes through Problem-Based Learning

ROOM 104 A (LEVEL 1)

A problem-based curriculum asks learners to envision the transformation of their community by creating space to examine racialized identities, practicing antiracist analysis and efforts, and articulating learners’ hope for their future. Learners practiced freedom dreaming, critical literacy, and joy collectively. Participants can access literature, prompts, and standards-based assessments for secondary ELA.

Presenters: Petra Lange

Erin Perry, Valley High School

H.47 US-Ghana Literacy Virtual Exchange: Reading and Writing Children’s Lives across Borders ROOM 160 B (LEVEL 1)

This session reports on an exchange program, “USGhana Literacy Virtual Storytelling Exchange,” between Ghanaian students in Ghana and Ghanaian diasporic students in the US. The curriculum unit draws on picturebooks: Gizo-Gizo! A Tale from the Zongo Lagoon by author and co-presenter Emily Wiliamson Ibrahim, Nana Akua Goes to School by Tricia Elam Walker, and Mama’s Amazing Cover Cloth by Ruby Yayra Goka.

Presenters: Emily Williamson Ibrahim, Kenyon College/Zongo Story Project

Elsa Wiehe, Boston University African Studies Center Education Program

H.48 Using the Heart, Hope, and Humanity Found in Picturebooks in the Secondary Classroom

ROOM 159 (LEVEL 1)

This session will introduce ten ways picturebooks can be used in the secondary ELA classroom. Using examples from classic and contemporary stories, diverse and

culturally responsive stories, and a few crowd favorites, veteran teacher and tradebook authors will provide the connections between picturebooks and relevant ELA curriculum. Attendees will leave with 100 picturebook titles to use!

Presenter: Gabriela Orozco Belt, Needles High School/Balzer + Bray

H.50 When Students Take the Lead: How a Discussion about the Intersection of Gender and K–12 Schooling Opened a Brave Space in an Education Classroom

ROOM 205 A (LEVEL 2)

This interactive session focuses on a study exploring the creation of a brave classroom space for preservice teachers enrolled in a 400-level Critical Issues of Education course. Examples highlight powerful findings that emerged after students challenged the professor to walk the walk by including readings and opportunities to discuss the experiences of LGBTQIA+ students in K–12 settings.

Presenters: Sandra Freire-Ferraz, Univeristy of Brasilia

Janet Navarro, Grand Valley State University

H.51 Writing about Literature from a MotherDaughter Teaching Team: Bridging the Gap between Inservice and Veteran Teachers

ROOM 102 A (LEVEL 1)

A veteran and a preservice teacher will discuss how to bridge the gap between writing instruction in the university and writing instruction in the classroom. Topics will include writing about literature, meeting students where they are, helping students to find their own humanity in their writing (even when book choice is not an option), fostering a love of writing and reading, and more.

Presenters: Kathryn Clark, Lake Central School Corporation

Abigail Goss, Ball State University

H.52 Young People Judge the National Book Awards for Young People’s Literature: Building Reading Culture through Authentic Literary Work

ROOM 256 (LEVEL 2)

Each year, judges for the National Book Awards declare finalists in October before announcing winners in November. This presentation shares student experiences taking on this process in real time, with panels of student judges reading and evaluating finalists to award their own winners while building a culture of critical reading.

Presenter: Evan Mousseau, Brookline High School, Brookline MA

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

H.53 ELATE Commissions Meeting #1

ROOM 210 A (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the English Language Arts Teacher Educators (ELATE)

All interested ELATE and NCTE members are invited to come learn about the ELATE commissions. After an overview from each commission, attendees can visit the commissions at roundtables to learn more about past and current commission projects.

Presenters: Nadia Behizadeh, Georgia State University

Sheridan Blau, professor emeritus, University of California, Santa Barbara & Teachers College, Columbia University

Amanda Brewer, University of Central Missouri

Fawn Canady, Sonoma State University

Katharine Covino-Poutasse, Fitchburg State University

Merideth Garcia, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

Keisha Green, University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Pamela Hartman, Ball State University

Alice Hays, California State University, Bakersfield

Julianna Kershen, University of Oklahoma

Catherine Lammert, Texas Tech University

Danielle Lillge, Illinois State University

Naitnaphit Limlamai, Colorado State University-Fort Collins

Steffany Maher, Indiana University Southeast

Brady Nash, Miami University

Cynthia Nicholson, Norfolk State University

Todd Reynolds, University of Wyoming

Vanessa Sullivan, Arizona State University

Danny Wade, Washburn University

Wendy Williams, Arizona State University

Ashlynn Wittchow, Louisiana State University

Committee Chair: Nadia Behizadeh, Georgia State University

Committee Members: Keisha McIntosh Allen, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Katie Caster, Teachers College, Columbia University

Anthony Celaya, Western Washington University

Cati V. de los Rios, University of California, Berkeley

Maria Hernandez Goff, California State University, Fresno

Rubén González, Stanford University

Keisha Green, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Davena Jackson, Boston University

Lindy L. Johnson, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA

Jung Kim, Lewis Universty, Romeoville, IL

David E. Low, California State University, Fresno

Joanne E. Marciano, Michigan State University

Keisha McIntyre-McCullough, Florida International University

T. Philip Nichols, Baylor University, Waco, TX

Grace D. Player, University of Connecticut

Bradley Robinson, Texas State University, San Marcos

Luke Rodesiler, Purdue University, Fort Wayne, IN

Melanie Shoffner, James Madison University

Roundtable 1: Commission on Social Justice in Teacher Education Programs

Co-Chairs: Danielle Lillge, Illinois State University

Naitnaphit Limlamai, Colorado State University

Cynthia S. Nicholson, Norfolk State University

Roundtable 2: Commission on Digital Literacies and Teacher Education (D-LITE)

Co-Chairs: Meredith Garcia, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

Brady Nash, Miami University, OH

Roundtable 3: Commission on the Study and Teaching of Adolescent Literature

Co-Chairs: Alice Hays, California State University, Bakersfield

Steffany Comfort Maher, Indiana University Southeast

Roundtable 4: Commission on the Teaching of Poetry

Co-Chairs: Juliana E. Lopez-Kershen, University of Oklahoma, Norman

Danny Wade, Washburn University, Topeka, KS

Roundtable 5: Commission on English Methods Teaching and Learning

Co-Chairs: Katy Covino-Poutasse, Fitchburg State University, MA

Todd Reynolds, University of Wyoming, Laramie

Roundtable 6: Commission on Writing Teacher Education

Co-Chairs: Elsie Lindy Olan, University of Central Florida, Orlando

Vanessa Sullivan, Arizona State University, Tempe

Roundtable 7: Commission on Arts and Literacies

Co-Chairs: Pamela Hartman, Ball State University, Muncie, IN

Wendy Williams, Arizona State University, Tempe

Roundtable 8: Commission on Family and Community Literacies

Co-Chairs: Tracey T. Flores, The University of Texas at Austin

Laura Gonzales, The University of Texas at El Paso

Roundtable 9: Commission on the History of English Education

Co-Chairs: Sheridan Blau, Teachers College, Columbia University

Ashlynn Wittchow, Teachers College, Columbia University

Roundtable 10: Commission on Climate Justice, Inquiry, and Action

Co-Chairs: Fawn Canady, Sonoma State University

Catherine Lammert, Texas Tech University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

I.1 HS Matters—Monsters Matter: Finding Humanity in Villainized Characters ROOM 207 (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the Secondary Section Steering Committee

Using Monster Theory and the Monstrous Feminine, both postmodern perspectives, this presentation will show how these reading lenses produce valuable insight into any work’s character motivations, themes, and world perspectives. Emphasis will be placed on how contemporary versions of monsters can articulate new readings of canonical “monsters.” Participants will leave with specific activities.

Presenter: Laura Bolf-Beliveau, University of Central Oklahoma

I.2 “...A Negligible Factor in the Thought of the World”: Pedagogy and Andragogy via History and Experiential Learning to Teach African American Literature in Florida ROOM 153 C (LEVEL 1)

This presentation identifies and demonstrates practices in teaching African American literature at a state college in Florida. Through dissemination of history while utilizing Experiential Learning as a theoretical framework, students are taught to think critically and introspectively on the significance of African American literature in a state where it is deemed to have no “educational value.”

Presenter: Orlando A. Pizana, University of South Florida

I.3 Show (Don’t Tell) Them the Way: Using Guided Inquiry in the ELA Classroom to Augment Students’ Critical Thinking and Creativity

ROOM 160 A (LEVEL 1)

Join 2024 Ohio District 7 Teacher of the Year Steve Kucinski in a presentation designed to equip you to use Guided Inquiry in your ELA classroom successfully. We have strayed so far from compelling students to think critically from the beginning of a project as opposed to after its conclusion. Guided Inquiry truly teaches students how to think more critically and to be more creative.

Presenter: Steve Kucinski, Dublin Coffman High School/The Ohio State University

I.4 A Momma’s Love: Centering the Voices of Black Girls through Critical Family Ethnography

ROOM 150 (LEVEL 1)

There is a long history of Black girls and their experiences being heavily overlooked, devalued, discounted, and dehumanized historically in a variety of social contexts. This presentation will discuss the capacity of critical family ethnography to humanize the comprehensive evolution of Black female identities and languages across educational spaces.

Presenter: Merlong Taylor, Mercer University

I.5 AI, Close Reading, and Self-Perception: At the Crossroads of the Future of Intermediate and Middle Grade Students

ROOM 154 (LEVEL 1)

Do you wonder what learning is as the AI era is ushered in? This session is devoted to looking at essential skills students need without AI and intelligence that supersedes the developmentally appropriate cognitive abilities of our students. We will also consider the role of self-perception and motivation in light of AI. Please bring your thoughts and opinions as we explore the future together.

Presenter: Justin Stygles, Brunswick School Department/Corwin Literacy

I.6 Building Knowledge, Cultivating Citizenship: Bringing Together Two Important Goals for Elementary Education ROOM 209 (LEVEL 2)

Creating interdisciplinary experiences allows learners to engage and connect with the content, themselves, and their community. Using a thematic learning template, we will demonstrate methods using purposeful talk, a broadened definition of texts, and dramatic play to create joyful experiences where students learn new content, become active community members, and pursue positive social change.

Presenters: Katie Even, The Reading and Writing Project –Mossflower

Shanna Schwartz, Educators for Collaborative Literacy

Sara Thorne, P.S. 29 John M. Harrigan Elementary School, New York City Departmetnt of Education

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

I.7 Building Students’ Literacy and Language Strengths with Collaborative, Engaging, and Empowering Experiences

ROOM 102 A (LEVEL 1)

An award-winning children’s poet-author, poet laureate of Missouri and Drury University, and veteran co-author of books for the classroom, will demonstrate with audience engagement the collaborative and empowering experiences of poetry. Join in reading partner-voice poems and sharing examples of word ladders and hands-on lessons.

Tradebook Author/Illustrator: David L. Harrison, Benchmark Education Company

I.8 Centering Literacy, Inquiry, and Humanity in a True Crime Media Course

ROOM 205 C (LEVEL 2)

There’s no denying we are in the midst of a true crime boom. While this explosion has invited valid criticism of the genre, it also presents compelling pedagogical opportunities. Given its popular with young adults, true crime can be a valuable classroom text. This presentation will demonstrate the genre’s potential for engaging students in urgent discourses and fostering critical media literacy.

Presenter: Lauren Picard, University of Denver

I.9 Collaborative at Heart: Reimagining Collaboration in Student Teaching beyond Isolation and Individualism

ROOM 203 (LEVEL 2)

This presentation examines how teacher preparation programs discursively perpetuate educational norms of individualism, isolation, and noninterference. Come reimagine the opportunities that programs have to prepare novice teachers to collaborate with “heart, hope, and humanity.”

Presenter: Christopher Kingsland, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

I.10 Community Literacy Engagement: Preservice Teachers Create Family Literacy Projects for Local Students around Diverse Children’s Literature

ROOM 162 A (LEVEL 1)

This academic service-learning initiative enables teacher education candidates to create research-based family literacy activities to donate to local elementary students. Each project includes a detailed letter, which provides an activity overview; materials; step-by-step procedures; prompting questions; ideas for differentiation to meet the needs of all learning styles; and real-world extensions.

Presenter: Anne Katz, University of Houston

I.11 Cultivate Inclusivity and Empathy through Cultural Aphorisms

ROOM 259 A (LEVEL 2)

Are you struggling to make all your students feel seen? Today’s social environment calls on educators to be intentional in providing safe spaces where empathy is nurtured. This workshop shows teachers how to use culturally representative visuals to foster inclusivity. Learn to build community in the classroom. Leave with methods to incorporate diverse voices into your lessons and classroom design.

Presenter: Michelle Singh, LCT-E Learning Solutions

I.12 Cultivating the Hope and Hearts of Teachers: Culturally Responsive Book Groups to Build Community and Teacher Practice

ROOM 160 B (LEVEL 1)

In this interactive session, teachers from a 6–12 public school present strategies for building culturally responsive book groups that include teachers, students, and administrators. Resources will focus on building equity in the school community as well as improving individual teacher practice. Participants will walk away with strategies and tools for their own school contexts.

Presenters: Amy Matthusen, East-West School of International Studies

LaToya Patterson, East-West School of International Studies

I.13 Decoding the Prompt: Strategies for Transforming Student Success in Timed Writing for Advanced Placement English Courses and Beyond

ROOM 104 C (LEVEL 1)

Join us in exploring parallels between Crying in H Mart and Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well.” Uncover the threads linking Frida Kahlo’s Self-Portrait, Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” and Thoreau. This session for ELA educators delves into diverse instructional strategies for timed writing prompts, promoting equity through varied voices, graphic organizers, and inclusive assessments in both AP and beyond.

Presenters: Tien Pham, Erie Public Schools

Miriam Plotinsky, Montgomery County Public Schools

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

I.14 Engaging the Writer’s Notebook: Developing Student Voice through High-Volume, Low-Stakes Writing Practice

ROOM 211 (LEVEL 2)

Students build confidence in their voice through purposeful and engaging low-stakes writing practice. By increasing the volume of student writing in writer’s notebooks, students explore writing characteristics and craft in authentic and relevant mentor texts. Bring your notebook and a pen—student writing is empowered when they see teachers as both writers and teachers of writing.

Presenters: Cassie Madewell, Hebron 9/Lewisville ISD

Alyson Vick, Hebron 9/Lewisville ISD

I.15 Engaging, Experiential Hands-on Strategies for the ELA Classroom

ROOM 254 B (LEVEL 2)

This presentation offers engaging, purposeful experiential strategies such as using LEGO to find your writer’s voice, using optical illusions to teach about the importance of perspectives, or using a wordless picture book to teach about transitions. Use this presentation’s content with little preparation but high student engagement leading to increased students’ long-term retention.

Presenter: Lea Maryanow, St. Paul’s School

I.16 Enhancing Educators’ Support of Muslim Students in the English Language Arts Classroom

ROOM 156 A (LEVEL 1)

To advocate for the integration of Muslim literature into curriculum, this presentation hopes to collaborate with educators to look at perceptions of Muslim representation and discuss strategies to support Muslim students. This presentation will promote the inclusion of diverse voices, especially Muslim students’ voices, to create an equitable learning environment.

Presenters: Haleema Khalil, North Carolina State University

Crystal Lee, North Carolina State University

I.17 Ensuring Student Voices through Discussion: The Socratic Seminar

ROOM 252 B (LEVEL 2)

Teachers will learn strategies to guide students through the entire Socratic seminar process, from text annotation, topic selection, question writing, response preparation, discussion facilitation and discussion protocols, and reflection. A structured Socratic seminar ensures that all students have an equal opportunity to have their voices heard.

Presenters: Kelly Danielson, The Woodstock Academy

Michael Harten, The Woodstock Academy

I.18 Exploring the Ethics of Storytelling with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners through Drama

ROOM 252 A (LEVEL 2)

Storytelling and drama can invite culturally and linguistically diverse learners’ lived experiences and identities into the curriculum. Yet, the way we ask our students to share their stories can run the risk of making students feel further marginalized, pigeonholed, or retraumatized. This session explores the ethical considerations inherent in asking students to share their stories.

Presenter: Kathleen McGovern, The University of Southern Maine

I.19 Found Truth: Racial Reconciliation within and beyond the English Classroom

ROOM 205 B (LEVEL 2)

Around the country, communities are promoting remembrance and reconciliation in response to local histories of racial violence. Yet many students know little about these histories in their own communities. Acquire strategies to facilitate hard conversations through literature, confront painful history through found poetry, and empower students to become involved in community remembrance work.

Presenters: Caitlin Atkins, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School

Lesley Younge, Maret School

I.20 From Inspiration to Liberation: Writing in and around Nature

ROOM 255 (LEVEL 2)

Participants will redefine nature writing, a genre rooted in 1700s first-person natural observations. We’ll examine its colonial influence and disrupt its alignment to expressivist pedagogy. Emphasizing indigenous views on nature and collaboration, attendees will transform nature writing into a communal, inclusive, and liberatory practice that can extend to their diverse learning environments.

Presenters: Lucy Arnold, University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Jessica Hawkins, University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

I.21 Go Where the Sidewalk Ends: The Value of Reading, Writing, and Publishing Children’s Books in Secondary Education ROOM 254 A (LEVEL 2)

This session will explore how secondary ELA teachers can transform their classrooms into incubators of creativity and connection by integrating children’s books into their curriculum. Together, we will delve into the practicalities and joys of reading, writing, and sharing children’s books, laying the groundwork for an educational legacy that extends far beyond our current classrooms.

Presenter: Andrew Cotten, Mountain Brook Junior High

I.22 Grow Your Own Teachers: Using High School and Community College Partnerships to Recruit the Next Generation of Teachers ROOM 258 A (LEVEL 2)

By working with area community colleges, Illinois high schools can work to offer educational opportunities for students to participate in coursework, observation, and field experience in the field of education. An engaging and accessible course can provide students with opportunities to explore the education field prior to college.

Presenter: Brenda Stalder, Quincy Public Schools

I.23 Hip-Hop and Spoken Word Praisesongs from the High School English Classroom

ROOM 151 A (LEVEL 1)

This individual presentation shares original spoken word compositions from a recent multimodal dissertation that studied a high school poetry slam. The presenter is a teacher educator and former high school English teacher who worked alongside youth to create a poetry slam at a public high school in the northeastern United States.

Presenter: Brian Mooney, Fairleigh Dickinson University

I.24 Hope for Different Days Ahead: The Role of Student Humor in a Critical Literacy Classroom ROOM 210 C (LEVEL 2)

In this presentation, one high school ELA teacher and one literacy researcher discuss relationships between teacher-initiated critical literacy lessons and student-initiated humorous outbursts. The goal of our discussion is to explore how teachers and students negotiate understandings of humor and social critique vis-à-vis the critical literacy curriculum.

Presenters: David Low, California State University, Fresno Emma Nalchajian, Boston Public Schools

I.25 If Books Could Talk: Using AI to Nurture Literary Explorers

ROOM 103 (LEVEL 1)

What if students could engage in witty banter with Percy Jackson or problem solve with Sherlock Holmes? Join us for an interactive session where we will dive into the worlds of our favorite stories, bringing texts and characters to life using the latest in AI technology. You will leave with ready-to-use, free tools to ignite a passion for active reading, writing, questioning, and understanding!

Presenter: Heather Anderson, Oklahoma State University Writing Project

I.26 Inquiry, AI, Zombies, and Time Travel: Everything You Need to Address Academic Honesty and Save Humanity!

ROOM 157 A (LEVEL 1)

The reasons behind academic dishonesty have not changed over time, even though the means continue to evolve. What can we as ELA teachers do to preemptively help strengthen that integrity? This discussion module will provide attendees with the tools they will need. Re-thinking assessment and rediscovering inquiry might just stop this cheating apocalypse from taking place.

Presenter: Michael Crowther, Bishop’s College School

I.27 Integrating Technology to Create Virtual Field Trip Experiences and Digital Literacy Exploration

ROOM 257 A (LEVEL 2)

Join us as we demonstrate the power of Google Slides in crafting immersive and differentiated virtual field trips to explore various literacy forms. Whether you are an elementary teacher looking to prepare your students for a field trip or a high school teacher hoping to lead your students through the literary landscape of America, we hope to unleash the power of digital field trip experiences.

Presenters: Savannah Armistead, University of Mississippi Anna Robinson, University of Mississippi

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

I.28 Intentionally and Sustainably Validating American Sign Language in the ELA Classroom ROOM 256 (LEVEL 2)

In this presentation, Cait O’Connor (she/her/hers), a hearing middle school ELA teacher, will discuss the ways she has learned about and incorporated discussions of ableism and disability and made American Sign Language visible in her English language arts classroom and beyond.

Presenter: Caitlin O’Connor

I.29 Leveraging Growth Mindset and Frequent Opportunities to Support Students in Revision ROOM 151 B (LEVEL 1)

We will share our work supporting student understanding of writing as an ongoing process that can always be improved. We will share practices of revising work in all content areas to build revision muscle focusing on revision for elaboration. This frames writing with a growth mindset lens as something we all do and can improve. Ideas for rubrics, practices, and implementation will be shared.

Presenters: Sarah Gayman

Madysen Gifford

Kelsey Nelson

Serena Rahahleh

I.30 Literature as Liberation: Using Texts to Dismantle Dominant Narratives and Inspire Humanity in Education ROOM 162 B (LEVEL 1)

In this interactive workshop, Boston Writing Project educators will present on the ways in which literature (from picture to college-level books) can interrupt dominant narratives in our culture. Join us if you are interested in using texts as an instrument of change, liberation, and joy. Participants will receive lesson plans, book lists with discussion questions, and writing prompts.

Presenters: Mary Dibinga, Boston Public Schools

Amy Gonzalez, Cambridge Public Schools

Nakia Hill, City of Boston

Dan Tobin, Rindge Avenue Upper School, Cambridge, MA

I.31 My Curriculum Sucks! How to Adapt Curriculum to Create a Pro-Black Learning Experience ROOM 159 (LEVEL 1)

No curriculum meets the needs of all students. We will explore how to meet the needs of all students by evaluating your curriculum from a pro-Black and culturally relevant perspective. From there, we will look at how to adjust, supplement, and revise your curriculum to create something that cultivates a proBlack learning experience.

Presenters: Tiffany Herndon, Nzinga Incorporated

Jennifer Herring, Aspire Public Schools/Texas Tech University

I.32 Never Grade Again…Well Almost Never: Pedagogies, Practices, and Systems for Giving Timely, Efficient, and Impactful Feedback

ROOM 251 (LEVEL 2)

This session will offer rationale and support with adjusting grading policies and practices that result in creating cultures of revision, intrinsic motivation for students to engage positively in the work, and help lighten teachers’ grading loads while promoting deeper conversations about revision and proficiency.

Presenters: Jacqueline Smilack, Denver Public Schools

Caitlin Weaver, Denver Public Schools

I.33 Nurturing “Historically and Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning” in a Middle School ELA Classroom: A University-School Collaboration

ROOM 206 A (LEVEL 2)

Presenters engage with literacy expert Muhammad’s (2023) Unearthing Joy as they—one literacy doctoral candidate and one middle school ELA teacher—share findings of how one unit was intentionally co-designed using The Watsons Go to Birmingham and Muhammad’s Historically and Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning Framework to nuance pursuits of identity, skills, intellect, criticality, and joy.

Presenters: Michelle Commeret, University of Florida

Jillian Miley, P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School, University of Florida

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

I.34 Overlooked, Underreported, and In the Gaps: Discovering New Voices and Developing Global Competency in the ELA Classroom ROOM 208 (LEVEL 2)

I.37 Picture This! A Framework for Selecting Picture Books for the Secondary Classroom

ROOM 102 B (LEVEL 1)

This session will explain how a research unit on overlooked and underreported individuals allows students to develop important global competencies and empowers them to raise awareness about important global issues. Attendees will learn how to design lessons and projects using guiding questions, global thinking routines, and key resources.

Presenters: Amy Frontier, Ann Arbor Public Schools

Don Packard, Ann Arbor Public Schools

I.35 Persuasion in the Mode of Sound: Teaching Rhetorical Appeals Using Radio Advertisements ROOM 204 A (LEVEL 2)

From AP students delving into ethos, pathos, and logos to freshmen exploring the basics of persuasive writing, rhetorical appeals have remained crucial to effective communication since the time of Aristotle. This session showcases how, in a digital, multimodal, and globalized world, radio ads are a relevant and engaging way for students to foster a hands-on understanding of rhetorical appeals.

Presenters: Danah Hashem, University of Massachusetts Boston Anne Mooney, Malden High School

I.36 Photo Storytelling: Engaging Students in the Narrative Writing Process with Photography ROOM 157 C (LEVEL 1)

In this session, participants learn to enhance students’ sensory and figurative language writing skills through visual exploration in photography. By using hearttouching, hope-evoking images showcasing humanity’s diversity, educators empower students to create narratives reflecting a profound understanding of the world.

Presenter: Rachelle Provost, Prince George’s County Public Schools

Analysis of literary devices. Thematic connections. Beautiful mentor sentences. Would it surprise you to learn that all of these things can be brought into the secondary classroom through picture books? In this dynamic and engaging session, learn about four lenses for choosing incredible picture books to elevate the discourse in your secondary classroom.

Presenter: Sarah Honore, Houston ISD

I.38 Porch Conversations as Method: Freedom Dreaming in Teacher Education through Ancestral-Afrofuturistic Writing ROOM 156 B (LEVEL 1)

This session examines “porch conversations” as a research method that mobilizes archival research, oral history interviewing, and speculative fiction to reimagine educational futures in teacher education. Session attendees will learn theories, such as womanism and daughtering, that inform this method and how to apply it to their practices as literacy educators and teacher educators.

Presenter: Asia Thomas Uzomba, American University

I.39 Positioning New Literacies Content for 21st-Century Teaching

ROOM 160 C (LEVEL 1)

This session shares an overview of New Literacies theory positioned for teaching in the 21st century. For teachers currently teaching in P–20 classrooms, New Literacies theory can have a direct impact on their teaching practice. Attendees will challenge teaching practice and discuss positioning New Literacies theory at the focal point of literacy pedagogy, technology, and the social world.

Presenter: Ryan Kelly, Arkansas State University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

I.40 Racial Literacy for International Asian Students: Examining White Writing Faculty Teaching Beliefs and Practices

ROOM 104 A (LEVEL 1)

In this critical ethnographic study, the researcher examined the beliefs and teaching practices of two white second-language writing teachers whose main student population was international Asian students. The study employs the “Racial Literacy Development Model for Teaching and Learning” (Sealey-Ruiz, 2021). The study advocates for increased education on racial literacy for international students.

Presenter: Nasiba Norova, University of Massachusetts Boston

I.41 Shrouded Displays of Heteronormativity in the Teaching of Literature: Crafting LGBTQIA+Inclusive Classrooms

ROOM 156 C (LEVEL 1)

This presentation will examine the perpetuation of homophobia through our silences and the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people in negative contexts only. Educators will be provided examples of challenging texts and dialogue that occur in K–12 English classrooms, strategies to incorporate these conversations, and a model for reflecting on the dialogue we use in the classroom to ensure inclusive practices.

Presenters: Kate Kelly, Curry College

Amy Leshinsky, Curry College

I.42 Slow on Purpose: The Humane Practice of Decelerated Reading and Viewing

ROOM 204 B (LEVEL 2)

As reading teachers and readers ourselves, we value deep thinking for understanding. We relish the joy that meaning making brings, yet realize comprehension takes time. Our everyday literacy practices feel shallow when rushed, and time is scarce. How can we move toward a more satisfying, decelerated habit of reading and viewing? Let’s explore the benefits of deceleration, for you and your students.

Presenter: Tanny McGregor, Tanny McGregor Consulting

I.43 Students in and of the World: Exploring Scholarly Gaps and Experiential Artifacts

ROOM 206 B (LEVEL 2)

We encourage students to see themselves as agents of transformation in the world. We present 1) experiential models of transformation through which students explore ways that individuals respond to trauma and, then, strive to build personal and cultural resilience;

and 2) scholarly models of transformation through which students assert themselves in distinction from established thinking.

Presenters: Thomas Akbari, Northeastern University

Bret Keeling, Northeastern University

I.44 Teaching and the Writing Life: Making the Best of Both Worlds

ROOM 258 C (LEVEL 2)

Many English teachers are active writers or aspiring ones. How can these two vocations complement and enrich one another, rather than compete? In this session, middle grade author Karen Wilfrid offers her insights for how to be a successful “teacher-writer”: incorporating real-world writing skills into your teaching practice and finding creative ways to develop—and make time for—your own writing.

Presenter: Karen Wilfrid

I.45 Teaching Paraphrasing Methods: Rewording, Resentencing, Reparagraphing

ROOM 259 B (LEVEL 2)

As teachers of writing, how can we help our students find their own voices? How can we help them stop relying on excessive quoting or plagiarizing? While modeling the methods of re-wording, re-sentencing, and re-paragraphing, the presenters will share guidelines for when and how to delete irrelevant information from the original text and for creating hybrids of paraphrase, summary, and quotation.

Presenters: Kerri Bennett, Arkansas State University

Robert Lamm, Arkansas State University

I.46 The Three-Grammars Framework: Uncovering the Plural in Grammars for Humanizing Composition Practices

ROOM 157 B (LEVEL 1)

Participants will first explore a three-grammars framework and the affordance this approach offers teacher and student writing. These explorations will lead to a workshop of designing humanizing writing units such as flash biography, multimodal how-tos, and research talks intended for specific impacts on audiences that celebrate rich language practices.

Presenter: Sarah Donovan, Oklahoma State University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

I.47 The Balikbayan Project: The Possibility of Return

ROOM 257 B (LEVEL 2)

In a society that deems AAPI individuals invisible and where queer lives are under threat, this session centers Filipinx diasporic and ancestral knowledge through an arts-based literacy inquiry and YPAR project. Focusing on agency and imagination to make sense of identity and dream new worlds, I discuss a framework that allows intersectional youth to “return home” to self through a literacy lens.

Presenter: Anthony Andre Zarate

I.48 The Black Cap Is in the Air: Developing Strategies to Combat Book Banning and Promote Community Engagement

ROOM 104 B (LEVEL 1)

The purpose of this workshop is to have participants develop hands-on strategies that they can employ in various scenarios concerning book banning. Participants will appraise websites devoted to censoring literature and then form their own book critiques that they defend.

Presenter: Kevin Staton, Fairfield Public Schools

I.49 The Write Way Forward: Success with a Blended Teaching Pedagogy on the Modern University Campus

ROOM 258 B (LEVEL 2)

The needs of the modern classroom reflect the needs of the students, no matter the setting. Hear from lecturers Jonathan Guelzo of the United States Military Academy in West Point, NY, and Thomas Ohno-Machado of Howard University in Washington, DC, to learn ways they center multimodal pedagogy to prepare the next generation of writers, scholars, and leaders.

Presenters: Jonathan Guelzo

Thomas Ohno-Machado

I.50 Using Diverse Science, Speculative, and Fantasy to Engage Students in the Middle School Classroom

ROOM 205 A (LEVEL 2)

This presentation discusses the use of diverse middle grade science, speculative, and fantasy fiction in the classroom to explore aspects of the human condition against the backdrop of fantastical lands and situations. This work seeks to redefine the usefulness of science fiction novels and will provide tips for picking novels, strategies, and activities educators can use with students.

Presenter: Doricka Menefee, University of North Texas

I.51 Using Positioning Theory to Investigate the Participation of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Adolescent Students in Classroom Discussion

ROOM 153 A (LEVEL 1)

This presentation reports the findings of a scoping review of peer-reviewed studies that used positioning theory to study adolescent CLD students’ participation in class discussion. Participants will be introduced to a new model that can help them self-reflect on how teachers are honoring students’ transnational funds of knowledge and other cultural and linguistic assets.

Presenter: Karissa Sywulka, Saint Louis University

I.52 Collaborative Knowledge Creation Transcribing Library of Congress Primary Sources

ROOM

Crowdsourced transcription of primary source documents offers students the opportunity to read closely in context and use critical inquiry to decipher texts while learning in community and making a real world impact. The Library of Congress and Black digital humanities program Douglass Day will share strategies for integrating transcription into curricula and service learning.

Presenter: Lauren Algee, Library of Congress

I.53 Photography Pastiching: Using the Art of Visual Composition to Engage with Purposeful and Relevant Writing

ROOM

The internet makes access to the most talented and outspoken photographers in the world easy. These artists use their cameras to tell stories, capture moments, and make waves to create change. Since every part of their process mirrors that of traditional writing, we can use their work to engage our students. This session has a particular focus on female and non-binary artists.

Presenter: Ramona Puchalski-Piretti, Conard High School

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

NCTE AUTHOR STRAND SESSION

J.1 NCTE Author Strand: Sonic Literacy: Using the Mode of Sound to Teach High School Reading and Writing ROOM 151 B (LEVEL 1)

In this session, we’ll talk about our book, a guide to the theory and practice of leveraging the audio mode to empower student readers and writers. Covering sound text genres like radio ads, audio dramas, speeches etc., our research-backed discussions and classroom-ready assignments explore the audio mode’s accessibility, diversity, and relevance in ELA students’ lives.

Presenters: Danah Hashem, UMass Boston

Anne Mooney, Malden High School

J.2 #MakersInTheMiddle

Social Awareness and Change through Community Writing and Indigenous Storytelling

ROOM 205 B (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the Middle Level Section Steering Committee

Storytelling and writing are interconnected in creating social awareness and activism among our youth. Our session features Wampanoag historian, educator, and author Linda Coombs, who will share her process of researching and representing indigenous voices in storytelling as a method of social change, along with practicing classroom teachers sharing their researchbased writing projects.

Presenters: Alethea Maldonado Cavin, Lockhart ISD

Linda Coombs, Random House Children’s Books

Haley Shaffer

J.3

Building Communities through Critical Reading and Writing Practices

ROOM 153 C (LEVEL 1)

This session highlights the role of local communities of youth, teachers, and parents in imagining powerful reading and writing communities beyond what traditional schools provide. From communities collaborating on social justice issues, teachers creating libraries beyond what is available in their schools, and communities mentoring youth writers, this session will focus on the possibilities available to collective community action.

Presenters: Ashley Boyd, Washington Sate University, “Conversations on Young Adult Literature and Social Justice: Building Human Connections through a Community Reading Project”

Meredith Murray, Fontbonne University/Booksource, “From the Heart: Enhancing Student Engagement and Reading Outcomes through Collaborative Book Selection in Classroom Libraries” Wendy Williams, Arizona State University, “Strategies for Building a Supportive Community in the Classroom: Findings from a Study of a Youth Writing Program”

Rachael Wolney, Washington State University, “Conversations on Young Adult Literature and Social Justice: Building Human Connections through a Community Reading Project”

J.4 Centering Joy through Critical Inquiry and Composition

ROOM 157 A (LEVEL 1)

This session illuminates the role of joy and connection in writing and critical inquiry spaces in urban high schools that serve plurilingual youth of color.

Presenter: Aimee Hendrix-Soto, Texas Woman’s University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

J.5 Using Models of Disability to Analyze Children’s Literature

ROOM 153 A (LEVEL 1)

We will share findings from our research and equip teachers with tools and resources to help them critique disability representation in children’s literature. Teachers will feel empowered to have conversations around potential deficit portrayals or stereotypes of disability populations with their students. We will share the models of disability we use to analyze books and share exemplary titles.

Presenters: Sara Parrish, John Carroll University

Jewel Yoder Kuhns, John Carroll University

Deborah Wolter, Ann Arbor Public Schools District

J.6 Inclusive Teaching

ROOM 159 (LEVEL 1)

This session shares strategies for supporting students from diverse backgrounds through culturally and linguistically responsive and sustaining pedagogies.

Presenters: Hannah Franz, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, “A Linguistically Inclusive Approach to Grading Writing”

Heather Moulton, Central Arizona College, “DEI in Action: Disrupting Traditional Pedagogy in Community College Composition Classes”

J.7 Innovations in Literacy Teacher Education

ROOM 160 A (LEVEL 1)

Get ready to innovate! Led by teachers, teacher educators, and National Writing Project site leaders, this interactive panel highlights innovative approaches to literacy education, including incorporating historically responsive literacy across content areas, methods for supporting future teachers in exploring and identifying their theory of action, and the use of multimodal texts like The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill to engage teachers and students in identity work and critical sociocultural analysis.

Presenters: Andrea LeMahieu Glaws, Colorado State University, “Making Disciplinary Literacy Actionable and Relevant through the Incorporation of Historically Responsive Literacy in Content Area Classrooms”

Rebecca Kaminski, “Getting to the Heart of Praxis: Encouraging Future Teachers to Explore a Theory of Action”

Jasmyne Rogers, The University of Alabama, “Spark Somethin’ in Critical Literacy and Liberatory Spaces: Examining The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill as a Multimodal Text”

Ellen Shelton, The University of Mississippi, “Getting to the Heart of Praxis: Encouraging Future Teachers to Explore a Theory of Action”

J.8 Multimodal Literacies: Sharing Ways to Give Hope in the Writing Classroom

ROOM 206 B (LEVEL 2)

This session shares ways to infuse multimodal literacies into writing instruction. One presenter demonstrates the power of multimodal social justice projects, and another focuses on using one-to-two-day multimodal lesson plans. This session provides the tools educators need to empower students to have hope within themselves, reflect with their hearts, and connect with humanity.

Presenters: Heather-Ann O’Loughlin, Arizona State University, “The In-Betweeners: 1-2 Day Multimodal Assignments That Allow Students a Chance to Breathe and Reflect”

Tara Warmerdam, Fresno Pacific University, “‘What Do You Care About?’: Hope and Speaking from the Heart with Adolescents”

J.9 “What Is Poetry, if Not a Luxury?”: Centering Social-Emotional Learning to Help Students Internalize and Humanize Texts ROOM 211 (LEVEL 2)

Participants will explore why we read texts beyond the academic, and will learn a process to add internalization to their students’ intellectualization of a text. They will practice a structured SEL process to gain proximity to a text based on their own intersectional identity and lived experiences. They will, ultimately, respond to Audre Lorde’s question “What is poetry, if not a luxury?”

Presenters: Scott Bayer

Chanea Bond

J.10 Arthur Applebee’s Tradition and Reform in the Teaching of English (1974) at Fifty: Our Shared History

ROOM 160 C (LEVEL 1)

NCTE 2024 is an ideal occasion to look back upon Arthur Applebee’s Tradition and Reform in the Teaching of English: A History (1974), and upon the 50 years since NCTE published this landmark curricular history. Furthering our understanding of the origins and development of high school English can inform teacher preparation and practice, and our vision for the future of English language arts.

Chair: Sheridan Blau, professor emeritus, University of California, Santa Barbara & Teachers College, Columbia University

Presenter: Andrew Newman, Stony Brook University

Jonna Perrillo, The University of Texas at El Paso

Annmarie Sheahan, Albuquerque Public Schools

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

J.11 “I Love My Class Family”: Literacy Learning as Relational Pedagogy

ROOM 252 B (LEVEL 2)

In this presentation we share how children experienced ways of being in relation with each other and the curriculum through interactive read-alouds and writing engagements. Dialogic interactions around children’s literature revealed an understanding that peers listened and responded to one another’s ideas, and the knowledge created belonged to the greater community.

Presenters: Amy Seely Flint, University of Louisville

Wanda Jaggers, University of Louisville

Tasha Tropp Laman, Western Washington University

Reanne Rossi, West Hills STEM Academy/Bremerton School District

J.12 #TeachLivingPoets: Persistence in Resistance— Poems That Challenge, Protest, and Hold on to Hope

ROOM 157 C (LEVEL 1)

This #TeachLivingPoets panel will offer classroom-tested strategies that complicate the canon and foster student questioning, discovery, and insight. We are excited to share new, engaging ideas for students to explore advocacy through poetry and connect poems to their own lived experiences. Panelists will introduce works from our favorite living poets sure to inspire and provide hope.

Presenters: Susan Barber, Midtown High School

Joel Garza, Greenhill School

Jessyca Mathews, Michigan Council of Teachers of English

Melissa Smith, Lake Norman Charter High School

Grover Winfield, Rappahannock High School

J.13 “It Feels Dystopian!”: Exploring the Problems of Today’s World with YA Literature

ROOM 102 B (LEVEL 1)

The enduring popularity of YA dystopia is one indication that students want to read and talk about political, social, and environmental problems. This session brings together YA authors whose new books are “modern dystopias” presented in a variety of genres and formats. After authors share events and questions that sparked their books, participants will crowdsource curriculum connections.

Chair: Jennifer Buehler, Saint Louis University

Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Donna Barba Higuera, Levine Querido

Sacha Lamb, Levine Querido

Jen Wang, Macmillan

Seema Yasmin, Simon & Schuster

J.14 A Community of Abolitionist Praxis: A Fugitive Approach to English Language Arts Teacher Education

ROOM 154 (LEVEL 1)

The presenters elucidate the involvement of novice ELA teachers of color in a “community of abolitionist praxis”—a fugitive space, beyond the confines of traditional teacher education, where participants develop and enact an abolitionist praxis. The presenters outline how to implement and sustain a community of abolitionist praxis within, outside, and against traditional teacher education.

Presenters: Rubén González, Stanford University

Haia Haidari, Dublin High School, California

Stephanie Robillard, Saint Mary’s College

J.15 ABCs of Play in Literacy: Apps, Books, and Culture

ROOM 255 (LEVEL 2)

Leaders in education, children’s literature, engineering, and school psychology share research-based strategies to enhance literacy outcomes using play. Panelists emphasize the heart of learning and move instruction forward using current and futuristic tools. Applying a multidisciplinary, multimodal approach, presenters convey unique methods of enhancing student and family engagement.

Presenters: Stephanie Box, Pecan Park Elementary

Pamela Courtney, Macmillan (FSG)

Eloise Freeman, LAUSD Retired Elementary Teacher

Shantel Gobin

J.P. Miller

Mona Pease

Allen Wells, HarperCollins/Macmillan

J.16 Amplifying Your Multilingual Students’ Voices

ROOM 208 (LEVEL 2)

Secondary ELA and ML educators will outline two frameworks that center on language development and the scaffolding of instruction to provide access. These amplify multilingual student voices while honoring their funds of knowledge. We will share with you real-world student work and provide resources that you can implement in your own classrooms that are good for all, but essential for some.

Presenters: Ani Arakelian, Hillcrest High School

Scott Christensen, Canyons School District

Amy Gutiérrez, Canyons School District

Lesli Morris, Canyons School District

Leona Schulz, Midvale Middle School

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

J.17 Analyzing and Elevating Asian American Representation in Children’s Books

ROOM 209 (LEVEL 2)

In this interactive session, presenters will share resources and strategies for K–8 classroom teachers to engage their students with critical conversations on children’s books about AAPI guided by AsianCrit tenets. Join us for an AAPI book author’s suggestions on how to engage students with these books in the classrooms and teachers’ experiences reading them with their students.

Presenters: Amy Tondreau, University of Maryland

Shuling Yang, University of Maryland

J.18 Are You Listening to Me? Finding Space to Listen to Our Students with Heart and Humanity ROOM 256 (LEVEL 2)

To create a climate of curious listening among our students, we must model excellent listening ourselves. But restrictive curricula, administrative tasks, and countless distractions pull us away from listening to our students. How can we quiet the noise long enough to make space for true listening? Come explore some practical classroom structures that allow us to position ourselves as listeners.

Presenters: Katie Keier, Fairfax County Public Schools

Christy Thompson, Fairfax County Public Schools

Kassia Wedekind

J.19 Confronting Post-Truth with Hope and Heart: Integrating Critical Media Literacy into the ELA Curriculum

ROOM 104 B (LEVEL 1)

Misinformation, propaganda, fake news—all characterize the “post-truth” era. ELA teachers can play a key role in helping students navigate our often confusing media landscape. In this session, a PhD student, three teachers (rural, suburban, and urban), and a student teacher share the results of a semester-long practitioner research effort to integrate critical media literacy into their curricula.

Presenters: Cindy Aubuchon, McCutcheon High School

Benjamin Lathrop, Purdue University

Katie Plonski, Tecumseh Junior High School

Kaylyn Stockdell, Attica Junior-Senior High School

Arden Woodall

J.20 Consider the Source: Exploring Multiple Perspectives Using Primary Sources in the ELA Classroom

ROOM 153 B (LEVEL 1)

Discover the power of primary sources in the English language arts classroom! Led by experienced classroom teachers and staff from the Massachusetts Historical Society, this interactive panel explores effective strategies for tackling primary sources in the elementary and secondary ELA classroom and introduces participants to The History Source, a free online resource for teachers.

Presenters: Rebekah Brooks, Stoneham Public Schools

Maura Condon, Medfield Public Schools

Emily Donahue, Newton Public Schools

Jason Eppskrier, Stoneham Public Schools

Paula Sampson, Massachusetts Historical Society

Heather Wilson, Massachusetts Historical Society

J.21 Dig Deeply into Mentor Texts to Inspire Student Motivation and Engagement

ROOM 251 (LEVEL 2)

This session will focus on the connection between teaching with mentor texts and student engagement. The goal is to show participants how they can help students across a school develop mentor-mentee relationships with authors that will inspire them to write and learn how to craft their writing powerfully.

Presenters: Carl Anderson

Emily Callahan, Smithville School District

Ralph Fletcher

Sharon Hill, Greenacres Elementary School

J.22 Diversifying Verse: Expanding the Poetic Canon by Including BIPOC Poets in Classrooms and Collections

ROOM 162 B (LEVEL 1)

Young people need access to historically marginalized voices in poetry. BIPOC authors will amplify these voices and present activities to build critical literacy in K–8 students through the reading and writing of diverse poetry. Attendees will be connected to various resources, including a list of recommended works by poets from underrepresented communities.

Chair: Padma Venkatraman, Penguin Random House

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Valerie Bolling, Chronicle/HarperCollins/Scholastic

Lisa Stringfellow, The Winsor School/HarperCollins/Quill Tree

Books

Suma Subramaniam

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

J.23 Dreaming beyond the Classroom: Exploring Youth Imagination and Civic Praxis in Intergenerational Pedagogical Design ROOM 151 A (LEVEL 1)

This youth-led presentation shares findings from a social design research project examining youth freedom-dreaming through the collaborative design and implementation of a framework for teachers based on the identities, values, and experiences of high school and undergraduate activist-oriented youth. The presenters share youth-developed strategies for engaging and connecting with students.

Presenters: Lauren Kelly, Rutgers University

Abigail Osorio

Semaj Skillings

J.24 Exploring Concepts and Tools in Text-Based AI: A Rhode Island Experience ROOM 254 B (LEVEL 2)

A learning specialist, a high school English teacher, and a college professor share their explorations of the policies, pedagogies, and relationships they developed while adapting text-based AI to their respective environments. Using frameworks based on NWP principles, they will describe their experiences, provide opportunities for experiential learning, and share resources.

Presenters: Janet Johnson, Rhode Island College

Alyssa Mason, Moses Brown School

Keith Sanzen, Scituate High School

J.25 Finding the Write Balance: Integrating ChatGPT into the Writing Workshop ROOM 161 (LEVEL 1)

This session will explore the impact of AI on writing. We aim to equip educators with strategies to explore AI’s impact on narrative, informational, poetry, and research writing. Shift your perspective from threat to invaluable tool. We’ll address responsible use, ethical considerations, and preserving the writing journey. Join us in embracing AI’s power to inspire the next generation of writers.

Presenters: Dennis Magliozzi, Exeter High School

Thomas Newkirk, University of New Hampshire

Kristina Peterson, Exeter High School/Heinemann

J.26 Fool Me Once: Preparing K–12 Students to Decode Online Media and Survive the Internet ROOM 102 A (LEVEL 1)

As the saying goes, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” The problem with many Internet consumers is they don’t realize or care they’ve been fooled more than once. Preparing students to decode online, multimodal information is essential to developing literate and civically engaged communities today. Our panelists will share their tips for achieving this in K–12 classrooms.

Presenters: Emily Clark, Scarsdale Public Schools

Shoshana Cooper, Scarsdale Public Schools

Meredith Dutra, Scarsdale High School

Susan Luft, Scarsdale Public Schools

Paul Tomizawa, Scarsdale Public Schools

William Yang, Scarsdale Public Schools

J.27 From Research to Practice: Research-Based Writing Instruction That Strengthens Teaching and Engages Scholars ROOM 259 B (LEVEL 2)

When literacy educators are fluent in the research behind best instructional practices, students’ writing lives flourish. In this session, the coauthors of Two Writing Teachers share essential research about writing instruction so teachers can engage scholars to become strong writers with the power to change the world.

Presenters: Lainie Levin, Northbrook-Glenview District 30

Melanie Meehan, Simsbury Public Schools

Stacey Shubitz, Shubitz Literacy LLC

Leah Thomas, Two Writing Teachers

Sarah Valter, Lindbergh Schools

J.28 From White Folks Who Teach in the Hood: Reflections on Race, Culture, and Identity ROOM 150 (LEVEL 1)

Progressive white educators speak on the challenges and reimaginings of antiracist education, cultural responsiveness, and sustained liberatory learning practices.

Presenters: Chris Emdin, Teachers College, Columbia University

Adam Seidel, educator

sam seidel, Stanford d.school

Eli Tucker-Raymond, Boston University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

J.29 Getting to the Heart of It All: Creating Relevance and Authenticity through Project-Based Research

ROOM 156 C (LEVEL 1)

The Senior Capstone is a year-long project that merges research, writing, presentation skills, collaboration, and community involvement to push all students beyond the classroom, producing empathetic and responsible citizens. Attendees will learn about the genesis of the program before exploring some results and participating in related activities.

Presenters: Brandon Abdon, Murray State University

Jennifer Nash, Fort Thomas Independent Schools

Lauren Peterson, Fort Thomas Independent Schools

J.30 Graphic Novels as Mirrors and Windows: Fostering Empathy into Comic-Based Pedagogy

ROOM 156 B (LEVEL 1)

Led by experienced educators as well as award-winning writers, explore effective ways to incorporate diverse graphic narratives into your instructional approach. Learn how to facilitate students in connecting with characters, comprehending complex perspectives, and using graphic storytelling as both mirrors and windows to explore the world.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: George Jreije

Kristen Kiesling, Abrams

Dan Santat, MacKids

Tim Smyth, Wissahickon High School

J.31 Hugging Hearts with Humor to Engage Students in Reading, Writing, and SEL

ROOM 162 A (LEVEL 1)

In this session, we share how humorous picture books are powerful (and fun!) tools teachers can use to make reading, writing, and SEL themes more accessible to students. Teachers will leave with booklists, writing prompts, classroom examples, and ways to engage in open, honest, and fun discussions with students. Humor can build hope, open hearts, and help our young learners believe in themselves.

Presenters: Sylvia Chen, Atheneum/Simon & Schuster

Carrie Finison, Penguin Random House

Andrew Hacket, PageStreet Kids/WorthyKids/The Little Press

Janet Sumner Johnson, Pixel+Ink/Capstone

J.32 Immigration History and Young Adult Literature: An Interdisciplinary Model

ROOM 204 A (LEVEL 2)

Based on an immigration history cross-university collaborative learning experience between three very different courses, this presentation shares opportunities for using young adult literature to facilitate conversation, teaching moves for engaging students in discussions about immigration history, and practical ideas for structuring interdisciplinary collaboration.

Presenters: Arianna Banack, University of South Florida

Ricki Ginsberg, Colorado State University

Jessica Jackson

J.33 Let’s Talk about It: How We Help Students Have Critical Conversations

ROOM 205 C (LEVEL 2)

In this session, we’ll share how we help students join classroom conversations willing to explore their thinking. You’ll learn how to move students into critical conversations that help them think critically, respond compassionately, and listen carefully.

Presenters: Kylene Beers, Beers.Probst Consulting

Stephanie Harvey, Stephanie Harvey Consulting

Jennifer Ochoa, MS 324-New York City Department of Education

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

J.34 Let’s Talk about Mental Health! Exploring the Power of Story ROOM 203 (LEVEL 2)

In this session, middle grade and YA authors will speak about their work, share their process, and respond to questions on the use of mental health-themed literature in the classroom. Session participants will leave with booklists to develop mental health literacy (MHL) among adolescent readers and suggestions for considerately and effectively engaging such content and conversations as educators.

Presenters: Katherine Buckett, Lesley University

Jill Donlan, Lesley University

Brooke Eisenbach, Lesley University

Emily Finnegan, Lesley University

Jason Frydman, Lesley University

Bailey McCarney, Lesley University

Respondents: Yuliana Astorga-Licardie

Daphne Freeman

Susan James

Tori Kelley, Central Florida Mental Health Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: James Bird, Macmillan and Feiwel & Friends

Kerry Cerra, Carolrhoda Books, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group

Alexandra Flinn

Melody Maysonet, Blackstone Publishing

Amy Sarig (A.S. King) King, Dutton

Nora Shalaway Carpenter, Running Press Kids/Hachette Book Group

J.35 Literacies That Enact Change: Translingual and Culturally Sustaining Writing Instruction in Home, Community, and School Settings

ROOM 258 C (LEVEL 2)

This symposium provides specific examples of how ELA teachers can push against English-only ideologies to make learning more humanizing, relevant, and purposeful for EB students. Researcher-educators will share how they have engaged their students in explicit translingual writing instruction that draws on their students’ translingual and transcultural funds of knowledge.

Presenters: Xiaochen Du, Jump Emerging Dual Language School

CoCo Li, Chapin Intermediate School

Alisha Nguyen, Lesley University

Tairan Qiu, University of Houston

Yang Wang, University of South Carolina

Dianne Wellington

J.36 Literacy Is Love Work: Disruption and Liberation in the English Classroom ROOM 258 B (LEVEL 2)

How can we embody critical love in our teaching? How can we fulfill the promise of teaching as love work, of literacy as love work? Join the #DisruptTexts cofounders to explore how critical love can empower teachers and students toward a literacy that frees us all. This is an interactive session combining scholarship and practice. Participants will leave feeling affirmed, challenged, and inspired.

Presenters: Tricia Ebarvia, Greene Street Friends School

Lorena German, Multicultural Classroom

Ellen Oh, We Need Diverse Books/Random House Children’s Books

Kim Parker, Harvard University

Randy Ribay, Penguin Young Readers

Shifa Saltagi Safadi, Penguin Random House

J.37 Nature-Themed Mentor Texts to Fuel K–2 Research, Writing, and Action

ROOM 252 A (LEVEL 2)

Our natural world is a continual source of hope and wonder for children. Filled with rich imagery and language, nature-themed picture books model strong descriptive writing and teach research through observation and inquiry. In this session, award-winning authors share literacy activities that connect children to nature, empowering them to write from the heart and contribute to humanity.

Chair: Lesley Burnap, Calvin Coolidge School, Shrewsbury

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Adriana Hernández Bergstrom, Scholastic

Heather Lang, Candlewick Press

Susan Edwards Richmond, Mass Audubon Drumlin Farm Community Preschool

Melissa Stewart, Reycraft

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

J.38 New Research on Writing: The Heart of the National Writing Project ROOM 207 (LEVEL 2)

As NWP celebrates 50 years, join us to learn about the latest research on writing, writing instruction, and teacher learning from NWP Regional Sites. After a brief review of NWP’s contributions to writing research, participants will engage with ongoing research about writing engagement, our youngest writers, argument, and facility with research itself. Help steer the next 50 years of NWP research.

Presenters: Megan Breaux, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Tim Dewar

Diana Hammond

Crag Hill, University of Oklahoma

Amy Lannin, University of Missouri

Jonathan Marine, George Mason University

Paul Rogers

Katie Schrodt

J.39 Parenthood and the Professoriate: Negotiating New Identities in Teacher Education ROOM 259 A (LEVEL 2)

A session for educators pursuing academics while juggling the demands of work and family. Three PhD moms reflect on navigating their personal and professional identities as they moved from secondary English teachers to college professors. They offer practical suggestions for finding work/life balance and creating a community for attendees pursuing “the life of the mind” with the joy of parenting.

Presenters: Sara Hoeve, Hope College

Steffany Maher, Indiana University Southeast

Katie Sluiter, Wyoming Junior High School

J.40 Popular Culture, Media, and the Artifacts of Childhood: Digging into Children’s Identity Texts

J.41 Practical Strategies for Supporting Postsecondary Readers ROOM 206 A (LEVEL 2)

Instructors in community colleges, open-access institutions, and dual credit programs often face complex challenges in developing accessible, equitable, and effective strategies for supporting students’ development as postsecondary readers. This panel presentation will describe practical strategies for integrating reading instruction into college classes.

Presenters: Joanne Baird Giordano, Salt Lake Community College

Rachel Ihara, Kingsborough Community College CUNY

Cheryl Hogue Smith, Kingsborough Community College CUNY

J.42 Reaching Readers and Writers: Teaching with Heart and Authenticity within the Constraints of a Mandated, Prescribed Literacy Curriculum

ROOM 254 A (LEVEL 2)

How can teachers use their professional judgment and expertise to make literacy relevant, engaging, and meaningful while teaching within the constraints of a mandated program? How can teachers still include independent reading and writing workshop? Four panelists will share what is working for them, show student work, and reassure you that you can still teach from the heart and for your students.

Presenters: Julia Arcuri, Davidson Elementary, Katy ISD

Whitney La Rocca, La Rocca Literacy

Jessie Miller, Davidson Elementary, Katy ISD

Hannah Schneewind, Trusting Readers LLC

J.43 Restorying Silences and Reclaiming Ourselves: Asian/American Stories ROOM 152 (LEVEL 1)

ROOM 050 (EXHIBIT LEVEL)

Offering ideas for analyzing symbolic, visual, aesthetic, and semantic features of popular culture texts alongside children’s literacy products, this session interrogates what happens when early years researchers and practitioners transform into ethnographers and archaeologists of children’s interests and social worlds.

Presenters: Rachel Knight, Teachers College, Columbia University

Carmen Lugo Llerena

Jon Wargo, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Haeny Yoon, Teachers College, Columbia University

Highlighting themes of hope and humanity, the session will begin with a brief overview of the complex and nuanced influences of race, culture, and sociopolitical identities on Asian/Americans and the stories they tell. The presenters will discuss how themes of silence, trauma, and the importance of storytelling connect their reading/writing of texts and personal experiences.

Presenters: Mike Jung, Algonquin/Allida/Levine Querido

Jung Kim, Lewis University

Chu Ly, Framingham State University

Rani Pan, Boston Public Schools

Thien Pham, author

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

J.44 Social Action Projects: Turn Literacy Skills into Tools for Advocacy ROOM 103 (LEVEL 1)

Social action projects empower students to assess their own communities and create necessary change. Through reading, writing, and critical thinking, students gain the ability to articulate their ideas, understand diverse perspectives, and take an active role in raising awareness and confronting real-world problems through a project they implement in their community.

Presenters: Carolyn Fritts

Diane Robinson

Jennifer Mitchell

Michael Moran

Andrew Schultz

J.45 Stand for the Banned: Practical Tools for Fighting Censorship in Schools ROOM 160 B (LEVEL 1)

Our students deserve to see themselves reflected in the books they read. But an organized campaign against the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ and diverse books in classrooms and school libraries threatens access to information and student rights. In this program, a panel of educators and advocates will talk about their experiences fighting book bans and how others can advocate for the right to read.

Presenters: Betsy Gomez, American Library Association

Ben Hodge, Central York High School

Patricia Jackson, Central York High School

Cameron Samuels, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT)

J.46 Teaching Is Heart Work: Cultivating Literacies of the Head, Heart, and Hand in the English Language Arts Classroom

ROOM 156 A (LEVEL 1)

This panel presentation explores the question, "How do English educators cultivate literacies of the head, heart, and hand alongside their students to enact change in the world?" We apply the head-heart-hand model to our pedagogies and research methodologies to advance the teaching of English as a humanizing project of hope, justice, and social change.

Presenters: David Beauzil, Teachers College, Columbia University

Christine Feliciano-Barrett, Teachers College, Columbia University/KIPP

Diana Liu, Brooklyn Technical High School/Teachers College, Columbia University

Brian Mooney, Fairleigh Dickinson University

J.47 Waystations, Node, and Paths: Teaching Strategies and Resources for Diverse YA and MG Literature

ROOM 104 C (LEVEL 1)

This session is all about strategies and resources you can take home to your classrooms on the teaching of diverse-in-all-the-ways YA and MG literature. We plan to talk teaching middle school, high school, and some university-level instruction. What’s exciting about this panel is that it brings together authors of new YA and MG, most of whom are teachers too, with two educators as moderators.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Aaron Aceves, The University of Texas at Austin/Simon & Schuster

Tracy Badua, HarperCollins

Latesha Dejean

Jen Ferguson, Coe College/Heartdrum/HarperCollins

Caroline Huntoon, Greenhills School/Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan

Joaquin Munoz, University of British Columbia

Hannah V. Sawyerr, Abrams

J.48 Weaving in Language and Conventions: Simple Ways to Add Purposeful Word Study Into Your Already Packed Day

ROOM 257 A (LEVEL 2)

While educators know the importance of engaging students in the study of language and conventions, it can often feel daunting to figure out just how much, when, and how. Research is clear that out-of-context practices do not stick. This session will provide some do-it-tomorrow methods of weaving the study of language and conventions into your teaching.

Presenters: Khary Fletcher, Old Saybrook Public Schools

Christopher Lehman, The Educator Collaborative

Kristine Paulson, Skokie School District 73.5

J.49 When the Points Don’t Matter: Motivating Learners through Authentic and Rigorous Celebratory Learning Structures

ROOM 157 B (LEVEL 1)

Imagine classrooms where teachers’ assessments stretch far beyond any gradebook. Instead of grades, the spirit of celebration, cultivated through regular opportunities to share learning, fuels motivation. Join us to reflect on our curricular structures that promote authentic sharing from all learners, thoughtful feedback from multiple perspectives, and connected reflection toward growth.

Presenters: Liz Baranik

Chris Hass

Tianna Myers

Emily Whitecotton, Center for Inquiry

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

J.50 Dreaming Up a Unit: Planning for Cultural Relevance and Critical Consciousness as an Act of Change

ROOM 204 B (LEVEL 2)

This session will share concrete activities an instructor used in a planning and instruction course for ELA preservice teachers to engage them in dreaming and planning beyond their current limitations, while also reflecting on the tension of preparing PSTs for teaching within the constraints of the contexts in which they are currently placed, and preparing them to dream and plan beyond those constraints.

Presenter: Emily Grove, University of Georgia

J.51 Eight Great Memoirs That Capture the Resilience of the Human Spirit ROOM 253 A-C (LEVEL 2)

This roundtable session highlights eight memoirs that open windows into writers’ lives and allow teachers to make learning actionable, relevant, purposeful, and engaging for students. At each table, facilitators and attendees will engage in collaborative discussions about teaching these powerful texts that help students capture the resilience of the human spirit.

Roundtablle Leaders:

Table 1: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Keri Epps, Leni Caldwell & Matt Koval, Wake Forest University; Elizabeth Kennard, Charlotte Country Day School; Carl Young, North Carolina State University

Table 2: Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Ashley D. Black, Northwest Missouri State University; Taylor Crandall, Lesley University; Jennifer Fernbach, The Downtown School; Lindsay Schneider, Reagan High School; Kelli Sowerbrower, Northgate High School

Table 3: Educated by Tara Westover

Justin Corazza, Cranford High School; Madeline Katsarelis, Charlotte Country Day School; Rachel Koval, Ministerio de Educacion Publica de Costa Rica; Liz Shults, Homewood High

School; Taylor Whitman, Wake Forest University

Table 4: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Lauren Jensen, Fairfax County Public Schools; Sheryl Long, Meredith College; Joan Mitchell & Michele Myers, Wake Forest University; Lily Richards, FamilyAid Boston

Table 5: They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

Heather Barto Wiley, R.J. Reynolds High School; Michelle Falter, St. Norbert College; Kimberly Jones, Chapel Hill High School; Savannah Smith, Wake Forest University

Table 6: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Greg Bartley, Oakland University; Victor Malo-Juvera, University of North Carolina Wilmington; Kate Youngblood, Ben Franklin High School; Ben Woodcock, Okemos High School

Table 7: I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

Elizabeth Davis, Sayre School; Alice Garcia, edCount; Pamela Kirkland, RJ Reynolds High School; Alicia Lemar, Wake Forest University; Caroline Pope, Reagan High School

Table 8: Spinning by Tillie Walden

Alan Brown & Rachel Rosen, Wake Forest University; Mark Lewis & Liz Shanks, James Madison University; Luke Rodesiler, Purdue University Fort Wayne

J.52 Hope and Wonder: Cultivating Connection and Community through an All School Read

ROOM 257 B (LEVEL 2)

Unlock the unifying power of an All School Read! Join faculty and student presenters in this interactive session as we guide you through our innovative approach to developing a series of workshops and community events based around one text. Sample some of our mini-workshops and see firsthand how a year-long endeavor culminates in a day of transformative shared experiences and community engagement.

Roundtable Leaders: Allison Bass-Riccio, Cheshire Academy

Nicole Beaudwin, Cheshire Academy

Kate Daly, Cheshire Academy

Jennifer Guarino, Cheshire Academy

Lucy McDermott, Cheshire Academy

Ishaan Pandey, Cheshire Academy

Laney Paul, Cheshire Academy

Sasha Russell, Cheshire Academy

David Samuels, Cheshire Academy

Naomi Wolfe, Cheshire Academy

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

J.53 How We Use Storytelling Games for Heart, Hope, and Humanity

ROOM 210 C (LEVEL 2)

How can you customize storytelling games for your classroom or library programming to support changing ourselves and the world? Join this roundtable session to learn from multiple teachers, librarians, and teacher educators about different ways they have integrated storytelling games with their students.

Roundtable Leaders:

Table 1: Robin Lange-Fazio, “Developing a Table Top Role Playing Game (RPG) for a Middle School Classroom”

Table 2: Virginia Killian-Lund, The University of Rhode Island; Karis Jones, Empire State University SUNY; Darian Thrailkill, East Carolina University; Kelly Smith, Arizona State University; Faye Edmiston, The Ohio State University, “Playing Games with Teacher Educators”

Table 3: Nathan Lawrence & Peter Reitz, Commerce High School; Beth Krone, Kennesaw State University, “Writing Collaborative Fanfiction for The Great Gatsby”

Table 4: Emily Schindler & Danny Beckwith, San Diego Comic Con Museum, “Supporting Youth in Game Design”

Table 5: Mia Gittlen, Milpitas High School, “Using Games in Library Stations”

Table 6: Alex Corbitt, SUNY Cortland, “Supporting Critical Worldbuilding”

Table 7: Brady Nash, The University of Florida; Abigail Sweinhart, Miami University, “Readers Exploring Subjectivity through an Interactive, Multimodal Narrative”

Table 8: C. Will West, Murray State University, “High Schoolers Learning to Read and Write through Dungeons and Dragons”

Table 9: Jennifer Castillo, The Peddle School, “Supporting Vocabulary Learning and Creating a ‘Double Experience’ through Roleplaying Games Paired with Literary Texts”

J.54 NCTE 2024 Black Children’s and Young Adult Literature Roundtable

ROOM 258 A (LEVEL 2)

The Brown Bookshelf will continue to build community and encourage dialogue between Black authors, illustrators, teachers, and librarians working to provide increased visibility and access to works exploring the breadth of the Black experience. Participating authors will discuss their current books and the ways they can be used to bring heart, hope, and humanity to students and classrooms.

Roundtable Leaders: Crystal Allen, Balzer and Bray

Tracey Baptiste, Little Brown Books for Young Readers/Disney Publishing/The Brown Bookshelf/ Algonquin Young Reader

Kelly Starling Lyons, HarperCollins/Penguin Random House/Lee & Low/ Albert Whitman, founding member of The Brown Bookshelf

Kevin Staton, Fairfield Public Schools

Don Tate, Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books; founding member of The Brown Bookshelf

Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, University of Michigan

J.55 Teaching with the 2024 Charlotte Huck and Orbis Pictus Award Books

ROOM 205 A (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the Charlotte Huck Award® for Outstanding Fiction for Children and Orbis Pictus Award® for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children Committees

Don’t miss this interactive children’s literature session! The authors, illustrators, and committee members of the 2024 Charlotte Huck & Orbis Pictus Book Awards will host roundtable conversations with participants about lesson ideas, discussion strategies, and cross-curricular uses for the 2024 winning titles. Bonus: All participants are eligible for signed books!

Presenters: Grace Choi, Fairfax County Public Schools

Suzanne Costner, Fairview Elementary School

Caryl Crowell, retired, Tucson Unified School District

Cecilia Espinosa, Lehman College

Jason Griffith, Penn State University

Maria Leija, The University of Texas at San Antonio

Julia Lopez-Robertson, University of South Carolina

Becki Maldonado

Katherine Marsh, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/ Clarion/Harper Kids

Janelle Mathis, University of North Texas

Tiffany Rehbein, Washington Middle School

Hiawatha Smith, University of Wisconsin-River Falls

Yoo Kyung Sung, University of New Mexico

Kimetrice Tate, International Prep Academy

Melissa Wells, University of Mary Washington

Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Selina Alko, Carolrhoda Books

L.E. Carmichael, Kids Can Press

Sneed B. Collard III, Charlesbridge

Lulu Delacre, Candlewick

Sarah Everett, HarperCollins

Raj Haldar, Sourcebooks Explore Vicki Johnson, Little Bee Books

Kristen W. Larson, Astra/HarperCollins/Chronicle Books

Carole Lindstrom, Abrams Books for Young Readers

Dan Nott, Random House Children’s Books

Alyssa Reynoso-Morris, Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Traci Sorell, Charlesbridge

Caren Stelson, Carolrhoda Books

Matt Tavares, Candlewick Press

Duncan Tonatiuh, Abrams Books for Young Readers

Judith Valdés B., little bee books

Charles Waters, Charlesbridge Publishing

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

J.56 Technology Has Heart! Leveraging Digital Tools for Justice, Equity, and Antiracism

ROOM 210 B (LEVEL 2)

At the heart of this session is an emphasis on engagement with students’ multiple literacies. Presenters share approaches to leveraging digital tools in the ELA classroom to move toward justice, equity, and antiracism. Specifically, presenters introduce practical strategies for engaging with multimodal texts, critical media literacy, connection building, and digital composition.

Roundtable Leaders:

Table 1: Lucy Arnold; University of North Carolina, Charlotte, “Forging Communities in Contested Spaces: Critical Media Literacy as a Social Justice Practice”

Table 2: Alexandra Johnson, Fairfax County Public Schools; Lindy Johnson; William and Mary; Grace Myhyun Kim; The University of Texas at Austin, “Affirming Students’ Multiple Literacies”

Table 3: Clarice M. Moran, Appalachian State University, “Leveraging Digital Tools to Enhance Social-Emotional Learning Practices”

Table 4: Mary Rice, University of New Mexico; Stephanie Rollag Yoon, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, “Digital Composition in Classrooms: Audiences, Purposes, Identities, Materialities”

Table 5: Janelle Bence, New Tech High at Coppell; Nicole Mirra, Rutgers University; Christina Puntel, W. B. Saul High School; Mary Richards, Alaska Writing Project; Molly Robbins, Cherokee Trail High School, “Bridging Time, Space, and Experience: Reclaiming the Purpose of Digital Connection in the Classroom”

Table 6: Merideth Garcia, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse; Amy Piotrowski; Utah State University, “Equitable Teaching of Multimodal Texts”

Table 7: Bryan Ripley Crandall, Fairfield University; Jennifer S. Dail, Kennesaw State University; Christian Z. Goering, University of Arkansas; W. Ian O’Byrne, College of Charleston; Detra Price, The Ohio State University; Shelbie Witte, Oklahoma State University, “When you know better, do better: Developing Antiracist, Digitally Literate Educators through Critical Media Literacy”

Table 8: Trevor Aleo; Greenwich Country Day School; Troy Hicks; Central Michigan University, “Fostering Digital Literary Literacies: Moving Students Toward Participatory Forms of Reading, Writing, and Thinking about Literature”

J.57 ELATE Membership Meeting and Social ROOM 210 A (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by English Language Arts Teacher Educators (ELATE)

All those interested in shaping English language arts teacher education are invited to attend this membership meeting and social to mingle with representatives from English education programs nationwide and prospective English education graduate students and PhD candidates.

Presenters: Nadia Behizadeh, Georgia State University

Keisha Green, University of Massachusetts Amhurst

FRIDAY EVENING EVENTS

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

5:00–6:30 P.M.

Annual Business Meeting for the Board of Directors and Other Members of the Council

ROOM 210 C (BCEC, LEVEL 2)

The agenda for the meeting will be available at the door. The rules of conduct for the meeting are listed in this Convention program. NCTE, ELATE, TYCA, and NCTE Section nominating committees will be on hand to accept nominations for candidates for the 2024 elections.

Presiding: Rochelle (Shelley) Rodrigo, University of Arizona, NCTE President

Parliamentarian: Victor Del Hierro, University of Florida, NCTE Parliamentarian

Presentation of Resolutions: Sheila Carter-Tod, University of Denver, Resolutions Committee Chair

Campus Connections: The 2024 ELATE-GS Graduate Student Get Together

ROOM 210 A (BCEC, LEVEL 2)

All current and prospective members of the ELATE-Graduate Student strand are invited to attend our first ELATE-GS social event on Friday, November 22, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Consider it an ELATE-GS “homecoming.” We will provide a brief overview of who we are as the ELATE-GS Strand, provide a calendar of events planned for the upcoming year, and vote on new officers for 2024–2025. Rep your program or school. School attire is strongly encouraged.

Presenters: Katie Caster, Teachers College, Columbia University

Rubén González, Stanford University

8:00–9:30 P.M.

Cultural Celebration, hosted by the Black, Latinx, and American Indian Caucuses

ROOM 210 B (BCEC, LEVEL 2)

The celebration, cosponsored by the Black, Latinx, and American Indian Caucuses, opens with a welcome and introductions to the history of the celebration by Caucus leadership. Local youth artists will perform, engaging the audience in the history and tradition of the local community through various creative endeavors. The celebration will conclude with a mix and mingle networking event for all in attendance who wish to continue the conversation. The Cultural Celebration is open to all those in attendance at the NCTE Annual Convention.

Presenters: Tracey T. Flores, The University of Texas at Austin

Alexis McGee, University of British Columbia Joaquin Munoz, University of British Columbia

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

6:30–8:00 P.M.

NCTE in Primetime

Primary Sources & Poetry

Celebrating English Language Arts with the Library of Congress & the Poet of Code

EXHIBIT HALL B 1 (EXHIBIT LEVEL)

Join your fellow #NCTE24 attendees to celebrate together on Friday night with two exemplary speakers: Dr. Joy Buolamwini and Lee Ann Potter. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to network with each other and be inspired by the gems waiting for you and your students at the Library of Congress and the brilliance of the Poet of Code. NCTE in Primetime is open to all attendees and is included as part of your Convention registration. The evening will begin with a networking reception with hors d’oeuvres.

DR. JOY BUOLAMWINI is the founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, a groundbreaking researcher, and a renowned speaker. Her writing has been featured in publications such as TIME, The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, and The Atlantic. As the Poet of Code, she creates art to illuminate the impact of artificial intelligence on society and advises world leaders on preventing AI harms. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Rhodes Scholarship, the inaugural Morals & Machines Prize, and the Technological Innovation Award from the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. Her MIT research on facial recognition technologies is featured in the Emmy-nominated documentary Coded Bias. Born in Canada to Ghanaian immigrants, Buolamwini lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

LEE ANN POTTER is the Director of Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives at the Library of Congress. She leads a dynamic team committed to developing educational programs and materials based on primary sources. Before coming to the Library, she created and directed education and volunteer programs at the National Archives and Records Administration for 16 years. Prior to that, she worked at the Smithsonian on a project to build museum-school partnerships, and before that, she was a high school social studies teacher. During the 2009–10 school year, she served as a Fulbright Roving Scholar of American Studies in Norway. She has conducted hundreds of presentations and is the author of more than one hundred articles promoting teaching with primary sources.

NCTE gratefully acknowledges the support of the Library of Congress for this special event and the ongoing work to expand the use of primary sources in English language arts.

A book signing will follow the session.

LEE ANN POTTER

DR. JOY BUOLAMWINI

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23

7:00–9:15 A.M.

ALAN BREAKFAST

ROOM 210 B (BCEC, LEVEL 2)

ELLEN OH is an award-winning author and editor of middle grades and young adult novels, including Haru, Zombie Dog Hero; Finding Junie Kim; The Dragon Egg Princess; the Spirit Hunters trilogy; and The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee. She has also edited and contributed to On the Block: Stories of Home; You Are Here: Connecting Flights; and Flying Lessons & Other Stories She is a founding member of We Need Diverse Books, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing diversity in children’s literature. Oh lives in Rockville, Maryland, with her husband, three human children, and two dog children.

Visit the NCTE Registration Desk to purchase a ticket to this meal event (pending availability). A book signing will follow the breakfast.

SATURDAY FEATURED SESSIONS

4:15-5:30 P.M.

Connecting Our Hearts: Having Difficult Conversations in the Classroom ROOM 205 A (BCEC, LEVEL 2)

This session, facilitated by Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, consists of a panel of teachers and other experts who will discuss their experiences conducting difficult topics in the classroom, including topics related to race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation. The panelists will share how they navigate conversations and build community, starting first with the teacher and the development of self-awareness and critical love for humanity.

Presenter: Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, Teachers College, Columbia University

YOLANDA SEALEY-RUIZ, PhD, is a Professor of English Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and the 2024 New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development’s Dorothy Height Distinguished Alumni Award winner. Her research has appeared in several top-tier academic journals. She is coeditor of five books and is coauthor of the multiple award-winning book Advancing Racial Literacies in Teacher Education: Activism for Equity in Digital Spaces (2021) where she examines her concept of Archeology of Self ™ in education. For three years in a row, she was named one of EdWeek’s EduScholar Influencers a list of the Top 1% of educational scholars in the United States a highly selective group of 200 scholars (chosen from a pool of 20,000).

At Teachers College, Sealey-Ruiz is the founder of the Racial Literacy Project @TC, and the Racial Literacy Roundtables Series, where for 15 years, national scholars, teachers, and students facilitate conversations around race and other issues involving diversity. She appeared in Spike Lee’s “2 Fists Up: We Gon’ Be Alright” (2016), a documentary about the Black Lives Matter movement and the campus protests at Mizzou, and “Defining Us, Children at the Crossroads of Change,” a documentary about supporting and educating the nation’s Black and Latinae male youth. Yolanda’s first full-length collection of poetry, Love from the Vortex & Other Poems, was published in March 2020. Her sophomore book of poetry, The Peace Chronicles, was published in July 2021. Yolanda opened the 2022 TEDx UPENN conference at the University of Pennsylvania with her TEDx Talk: Truth, Love & Racial Literacy. Connect with Yolanda on Twitter at @RuizSealey and on Instagram at @yolie_sealeyruiz

ELLEN OH

7:30–8:45 A.M.

NCTE AWARDS SESSION

ROOM 205 B (BCEC, LEVEL 2)

Join us to celebrate many of these 2024 NCTE award recipients at a special breakfast session (all attendees are welcome; no ticket is required).

Chair: Shelley Rodrigo, NCTE President, University of Arizona

JAMES R. SQUIRE AWARD

Kylene Beers, renowned teacher and professional author, TX

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

Ulrich H. Hardt, Portland State University

EARLY CAREER EDUCATOR OF COLOR LEADERSHIP AWARDS

2024–2025 Recipients:

Lakeya Afolalu, University of Washington

Huan Gao, University of Memphis

Wenyu Guo, University of South Florida

Rachel Jordan, Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary School, Philadelphia

Lakisha Odlum, Teachers College, Columbia University

Rocio Rivas, Trevor Browne High School, Phoenix, AZ

2023–2024 Recipients:

G. Edzordzi Agbozo, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Elizabeth Castro, University of California, Davis

Rabiyatu Jalloh, West Philadelphia High School

Darius Phelps, Teachers College, Columbia University

Sherita Roundtree, Towson University

DAVID H. RUSSELL AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED RESEARCH IN THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH

“K for the Way”: DJ Rhetoric and Literacy for 21st Century Writing

Studies by Todd Craig, New York City College of Technology & CUNY Graduate Center

ADVANCEMENT OF PEOPLE OF COLOR LEADERSHIP AWARD

Bilal Polson, Northern Parkway Elementary School, NY

LGBTQIA+ ADVOCACY AND LEADERSHIP AWARD

Saurabh Anand, University of Georgia

GEORGE ORWELL AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTION TO HONESTY AND CLARITY IN PUBLIC LANGUAGE

Making Americans: Stories of Historic Struggles, New Ideas, and Inspiration in Immigrant Education by Jessica Lander, Lowell High School, MA

NATIONAL INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM AWARD

Henry “Cody” Miller, SUNY Brockport

Honorable Mention: Honesty for Ohio Education, cofounded by Lisa Vahey

PROMISING RESEARCHER AWARD

Alex Corbitt, SUNY at Cortland, NY

MEDIA LITERACY AWARD

T. Philip Nichols, Baylor University

ALAN C. PURVES AWARD

“Adopting an Empathizing Stance in Classroom Argumentation: Pedagogical Constructs and Affordances” by Min-Young Kim & Sanghee Ryu (May 2024)

Honorable Mention: "I’m Outside the Box. Too Outside the Box, I Explode It!’: Exploring Literacies of Dignity with Middle School Youth” by Danielle R. Filipiak (February 2024)

SHELLEY RODRIGO

THE SCREENING ROOM: FILMS AT NCTE

THE SCREENING ROOM: FILMS AT NCTETHE SCREENING ROOM: FILMS AT NCTE

Now Screening at NCTE 2024

ROOM: 052B (EXHIBIT LEVEL)

10:30 A.M.–5:00 P.M.

Now Screening at NCTE screens recent feature films. We also include some student-made films, offering teachers creative ways to have their own students create films. All films featured at the screenings can become springboards for classroom study.

Cochairs: Christina Anker, Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, IL

David Handelman, Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, IL

Consultants: Frank Baker, Media Literacy Clearinghouse, Inc., Columbia, SC

Mary Christel, Adlai E. Stevenson H.S. (retired), Wheeling, IL

William Kist, Kent State University

Annotations for the films were compiled using information found on the webpage for each film.

11:00 A.M. —12:45 P.M.

A Reckoning in Boston (2021, 93 min & Q & A)

A white filmmaker comes into a Black community looking for transformation in the lives of low-income adults enrolled in a night course in the humanities. As he spends more time with the students, he’s awakened to the violence, racism, and gentrification that threaten their very place in the city.

A Q & A with the director will follow the screening. https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/a-reckoning-inboston/ https://www.areckoninginboston.com/

12:45 - 2:30 P.M.

Reimagining the Indian: The Fight against Native American Mascoting (2022, 95 min & Q & A)

Reimagining the Indian is a comprehensive examination of the movement to eradicate the words, images, and gestures that many Native Americans and their allies find demeaning and offensive. The film takes a deep-dive into the issues through archival footage and interviews with those involved in the fight. The psychological research is clear, the use of Native American mascots is detrimental, not only to Native people, but to marginalized groups everywhere.

A Q & A with the director and producer will follow the screening.

https://imaginingtheindianfilm.org/

THE SCREENING ROOM: FILMS AT NCTE

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

2:30–3:35 P.M.

Teacher (2023, 50 min & Q& A)

In a time when teachers are leaving the profession at an alarming pace, Nkanga Nsa makes the selfless choice to change careers and dive headfirst into the classroom. Teacher chronicles her transformative yearlong residency at Curtis Elementary in the Roseland Community on the Southside of Chicago. Through the process we get an inside look at the challenges teachers face in and out of the classroom and explore the root causes of the teacher shortage.

A Q&A with the director and teachers included in the documentary will follow the screening.

https://www.teacherdocumentary.com/

Support material: https://www.teacherdocumentary.com/store-1

SHORTS (in conversation)

4:35–5:00 P.M.

The Boy (2023, 25 min)

3:35–4:35 P.M.

Making Shakespeare: The First Folio (2023, first hour excerpt)

Great Performances episode PBS

Celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s First Folio, which saved 18 plays from being lost. Tracing the First Folio’s story, the film also spotlights how New York City’s Public Theater presents Shakespeare’s work for today’s audiences.

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/making-shakespeare-firstfolio/15130/

Yahav Winner’s film captures the discordant reality of life along the Israel-Gaza border.

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/screening-room/a-murdered-israelifilmmakers-prophetic-warning-in-the-boy

4:35–5:00 P.M.

The Present (2020, 24 min)

On his wedding anniversary, Yusef and his young daughter set out in the West Bank to buy his wife a gift. Between soldiers, segregated roads, and checkpoints, how easy is it to go shopping?

https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/ct-ent-israelipalestinian-war-on-film-20231109-z5s7zrlwnzcp5psn62kh3xx724-story. html

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

11:00–11:20 A.M.

BYS.16 Texts That Cultivate Wonder and Curiosity about Our Natural World

Kristine Schutz, University of Illinois Chicago

Jen Vincent, Bannockburn School

11:30–11:50 A.M.

BYS.17 Storybook Connections: Supporting Children of Incarcerated Parents through Literature

Vivett Dukes, Teachers College, Columbia University

12:00–12:20 P.M.

BYS.18 Science in Poetry: Picturebooks and Poetry Collections That Weave Facts and Form

Marcie Flinchum Atkins, Oak View Elementary School/Fairfax County Public Schools

12:30–12:50 P.M.

BYS.19 From Hushed to Heard: The Picturebooks That Amplify the Accomplishments of Black Women and Their Impact on the World

Markesha Tisby, Tisby Educational Consulting

1:00–1:20 P.M.

BYS.20 Books That Give Us HOPE for HUMANITY

Laura Haney, L.W. Conder Arts Integration Magnet School

1:30–1:50 P.M.

BYS.21 What the Heart Wants: Books That Don’t Get Returned

Carrie M. Santo-Thomas, Warren Township High School Almond Campus

2:30–2:50 P.M.

BYS.22 Pairing Picturebooks and Novels

Aliza Werner, Bookelicious

3:00–3:20 P.M.

BYS.23 Characters (Real & Fictional) That Inspire Hope, Heart, and Humanity

Bitsy Parks, Beaverton School District

Mandy Robek, Olentangy Local School District

3:30–3:50 P.M.

BYS.24 Read Alouds of Resistance and Joy in the Face of Grief and Pain

Samira Ahmed, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Luz Yadira Herrera, California State University, Dominguez Hills

Nawal Qarooni, NQC Literacy

Jasmine Warga, Balzer + Bray/ HarperCollins

4:00–4:20 P.M.

BYS.25 Reading Is Life: Diversity. Equity. Cultures. Joyce Brooks

Mary Jade Haney, Horrell Hill Elementary School/Richland County School District One

Erica Jennings Deedra Lee, Southeast Middle School

4:30–4:50 P.M.

BYS.26 Inspiring Hope with Queer Representation

Julie Hoffman, Springfield Public Schools

Cindi Koudelka, Fieldcrest CUSD 6/ Aurora University

5:00–5:20 P.M.

BYS.27 People You Should Know: Engaging Biographies for Middle Grade and High School

Michelle Houts, Ohio University Press/ Feeding Minds Press, Random House

5:30–5:50 P.M.

BYS.28 The Orbis Pictus Award®: Selected Nominated Titles You Should Know

Caryl Crowell, Retired, Tucson Unified School District

Julia López-Robertson, University of South Carolina

Janelle Mathis, University of North Texas

Melissa Summer Wells, University of Mary Washington

EXHIBITOR SESSIONS

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

8:15–9:30 A.M.

ES-K.01 Sparking the Writing Revolution with the Latest Insights and Research ROOM 155 (LEVEL 1)

E S M

Sponsored by Amplify

Writing is a powerful lever for deepening knowledge, improving reading comprehension, and enabling all students to access grade-level material. But it’s also the most difficult thing we ask students to do. Join Natalie Wexler and Judith C. Hochman, Ph.D., to learn how to make writing less overwhelming for students, and why you should embed it in your core curriculum across all subjects and grades.

Presenters: Judith C. Hochman, Founder, The Writing Revolution/Co-Author, The Writing Revolution

Natalie Wexler, Education Writer; Author, The Knowledge Gap/Co-Author, The Writing Revolution

8:15–9:30 A.M.

ES-K.02 Improve Accessibility and Joy for Readers with Large Print ROOM 158 (LEVEL 1)

11:00–11:30 A.M.

Sponsored by Gale

Give readers choices in format—national research shows large print helps students enjoy reading, increasing confidence and stamina with easier decoding and less distraction. With high-demand titles, large print is a no-tech solution to engage readers with age-appropriate, relatable content— it’s helped many students, including multi-language learners or those with dyslexia, ADHD, or low vision.

Presenters: Sabine McAlpine, VP, Thorndike Press and Print

Tiffany Schofield, Sr. Acquisition Editor, Thorndike Press

ES-L.01 How to Bring Back Reading in the Age of Digital Distraction: A Simple Secondary Reading Protocol That Works ROOM 158 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by Zinc Learning Labs

Our job has never been harder. Students’ achievement depends on fundamental abilities they simply don’t have. When we equip them with the skills to succeed and discover the pleasure of reading, we give them a lifeline to mental agency and freedom. Learn Zinc’s simple strategies for equipping secondary students with the four skills proven to raise comprehension, focus, stamina, and joy in reading.

Presenters: Matt Bardin Zinc Learning Labs

Leah Sewell, Zinc Learning Labs

11:00 A.M.–12:15 P.M.

ES-L.02 To Read Stuff You Have to Know Stuff ROOM 156 A (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by Savvas

In the age of click-and-go reading, why do students need to know information when they can just look things up? Because students who know more are able to read more and read better. This session will explore the importance of building knowers.

Presenter: Kelly Gallagher, Anaheim Union High School District, CA

11:45 A.M.–12:15 P.M.

ES-M.01 Phonological Awareness and Phonics: Transferring Learning Using Decodable Text ROOM 158 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by Pioneer Valley Books

Orchestrating the transfer of phonological awareness and phonics instruction from isolation to continuous text is at the heart of literacy learning. We will uncover the value of creating strategically aligned activities and explore the power of applying that learning to engaging decodable text. The goal: to build confident decoders and encoders who love to read and write and to instill hope as they read to learn more about their world.

Presenter: Karen Cangemi, Pioneer Valley Books

EXHIBITOR SESSIONS

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

1:15–2:30 P.M.

ES-N.01 Building Better Writers: Strengthening Writing Skills with Sentence-Level Feedback ROOM 155 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by Quill.org

Feedback isn’t just about correcting mistakes—it’s about honoring students' voices and empowering them to communicate more effectively. In this session, we’ll explore how ELA teachers, with the support of Quill. org’s tools, can provide sentence-level feedback that fosters student self-efficacy and bridges the gap to strong long-form writing.

Presenter: Scarlet Melo, Professional Learning Specialist

ES-N.02 Empowering Students to Drive Their Data ROOM 158 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by ThinkCERA

Teachers, coaches, and building leaders will explore the benefits of explicit instruction on student data to both build student buy-in and empower them to drive their growth. Engage in a student data tracking process utilizing any regularly collected data by experiencing a data folder lesson as students with sample MAP and ThinkCERCA data and explore resources attendees can adapt to their unique needs.

Presenters: Erin Beatty, Cincinnati Public Schools

Janine Smith, Cincinnati Public Schools

Caitlin Vagedes, ThinkCERCA

2:45–4:00 P.M.

ES-O.01 Bringing The New York Times into the English Classroom

ROOM 155 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by The New York Times

We'll explore exercises to improve media literacy, foster critical thinking, and excite students around writing and research, using The New York Times as a classroom tool. We’ll dive into the difference between News and Opinion and how to foster this understanding among students; discover how Games can support students' mental sharpness; explore Cooking and how to empower students around food; get to know The Athletic, which offers in-depth sports journalism and can get students excited about persuasive writing, analysis, and longform nonfiction; and more.

Presenter: Mark Condor, The New York Times

ES-O.02 Celebrate American Lit with BFW!

ROOM 158 (LEVEL 1)

Sponsored by Bedford/Freeman/Worth Publishers

The forthcoming second edition of American Literature & Rhetoric, by Robin Dissin Aufses, Renée H. Shea, Katherine E. Cordes, Natalie Landaeta Castillo, and Lawrence Scanlon is cause for celebration! Join us!

Presenters: Robin Dissin Aufses

Natalie Landaeta Castillo

Katherine E. Cordes

Lawrence Scanlon

Renée H. Shea

SPECIAL EVENT

9:00 A.M.–5:30 P.M.

Leaf and Pen and the New York State English Council's Drop-in Writing Space

NORTH EAST LOBBY (LEVEL 1)

Drop in at any point in the Convention, for some time, space, and inspiration to do your own writing, in any form. We provide tools and activities for everything from brainstorming to generation to sharing. Feel free to try these—and bring them back to your schools and classrooms—or to make your own use of this space for writing, creativity, reflection, and breath.

Hosts: Eve Becker, Diana Liu, Lauren Nappi

THE SCREENING ROOM: FILMS AT SCREENINGNCTETHE ROOM: FILMS AT NCTE

POSTER SESSIONS

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Poster presentations will take place at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center at the locations listed below.

11:45 A.M.–1:00 P.M. / EXHIBIT HALL A (EXHIBIT LEVEL)

What Exactly Is “Just Right”?

Leveling readers and organizing classroom texts by reading level is still a very common practice in elementary classrooms. However, there is significant evidence that this practice is not only not useful, it's harmful. On this poster, I address each argument for leveling with what the research says we can do instead to support all our children in becoming life-long readers.

Presenter: Evelyn Pollins, University of Illinois Chicago

Teaching Shakespeare’s Hamlet as a Ghost Story: A Creative Writing Approach

Based on a creative writing activity from the presenter’s recent book, Teaching Hamlet to the Next Generation, this hands-on session will provide participants with strategies that they can incorporate immediately into their own Hamlet instruction.

Presenter: Joseph Haughey, Northwest Missouri State University

Expanding the Gradual Release of Responsibility: A New Model

The Cycle of Responsibility shifts the Gradual Release of Responsibility model to a cyclical process that includes five motivators for early literacy teaching and learning: challenge, creativity, collaboration, choice, and independence.

Presenters: Adrienne Minnery, Shelton School District Antony Smith, University of Washington Bothell

Literature for the “Left-Brained” Mind: Getting Math and Science Students to Excel in English Courses

In literature courses, we have many students who love analyzing novels, short stories, and poems, and many that would rather be cracking calculus or physics equations. We’ll explore how to get our more “leftbrained” students to see how literary analysis can be broken down into simple formulas while still not alienating our book-loving students who crave a more traditional inquiry experience.

Presenter: William Denton, Oak Lawn Community High School, Oak Lawn, IL

Three Ways Writing Workshop Brings Authenticity to the Classroom

Too often our students see writing as a task on the way to graduation, not a human activity which they can share. In that case, there’s no reason to not use ChatGPT. Writing workshop, however, brings writing to the students’ identities. Authentic texts, an authentic process, and authentic purposes all help our students see themselves as authentic writers.

Presenter: Andrew Filler, Howard Gardner Charter School, MI

ChatGPT’s Disruption of Culturally Responsive Literacy Instruction: How the Predictive Nature of an LLM Contributes to Stereotyping in Student Research

OpenAI’s ChatGPT and other LLMs lend themselves to content that is antithetical to culturally responsive practices. Students depend on AI frequently and are unable to build new literacy research skills that incorporate their lived experiences. We highlight stereotypes that are perpetuated through predictive AI and considers how to use AI effectively while strengthening students’ research skills.

Presenters: Cassie Lo, St. Thomas Aquinas College Michael Malin, North Rockland Central School District

Critical Media Pedagogy and Critical Consciousness Development: A Retrospective Case

Drawing on retrospective reflections from first-generation college students about their learning during an interdisciplinary high-school environmental justice documentary project, this case study explores how critical media pedagogy provided opportunities for critical consciousness development and examines how that learning impacted future thinking, learning, and actions.

Presenter: Anthony Voulgarides, Hunter College, CUNY

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Building Connections: 6–12 English Language Arts Collaborations and Purposeful Text Selections

Teaching and learning can be isolating endeavors in today’s world. How do we encourage students and colleagues to practice empathy and perspective-taking in classrooms burdened by the numerous pressures of our current society? In this poster session, two secondary educators provide a model for selecting literary texts to nurture empathy and build school community today and for their futures.

Presenters: Lindsey Franklin, P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School, University of Florida

Jillian Miley, P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School, University of Florida

Measuring College-Ready Literacy Skills in High School Completers and First-Year College Students

This research offers a comprehensive review of secondary and college-level literacy standards, identifying constructs to be integrated in a literacy self-efficacy scale for high school completers. The presentation also shares data from interviews with first-year college students; these responses, along with literature review constructs, serve as the foundation for further scale development.

Presenter: Charlie Potter, Metropolitan State University, Denver, CO

Using Drama in the High School ELA Classroom to Inspire Heart and Humanity

This poster will share findings and applicable practitioner strategies from a study of a literacy coach’s collaboration with a teacher to implement drama-based pedagogies in the ELA classroom. Lesson examples and findings specific to the impact of these strategies on student meaning making and literacy learning will be shared.

Presenter: Chelsea Taylor, Wicomico County Board of Education

Fostering Hope and Heart through Global Books

Come find out about exceptional global books! Title VI National Resource Centers (NRCs) in African, European, Latin American, Middle Eastern, and South Asian area studies housed in universities around the nation sponsor a number of book awards which highlight easily accessible global books which have been vetted by scholars and educators to have accurate content.

Presenters: Deborah Jane, University of Minnesota

Kathrina O’Connell, Bemidji State University

Tamara Ramirez-Torres, El Colegio High School

Susan Tenon, Fairport Harbor Exempted School District, OH

From Mandate to Practice: Teacher Perspectives on Implementation of “High-Quality” Literacy Curriculum

This mixed-methods study followed 15 elementary schools across one district in the first year of implementing EL, a state-approved “high-quality” literacy curriculum. Through surveys, classroom observations, and student and teacher interviews, we explored teachers’ perceptions of the new curriculum and the conditions that either constrained or enabled teacher agency and cohesive instruction.

Presenters: Deana Lew, Newton Public Schools

Joelle Pedersen, Newton Public Schools/Boston College

Integrating Black History and Algebra Concepts: Creating Inclusive Learning Spaces in Mathematics Education

In this engaging presentation, Ware, a distinguished Doctor of Education specializing in mathematics education, will share his innovative approach to creating inclusive learning spaces in mathematics classrooms. The session will focus on Ware’s groundbreaking series of mathematics textbooks, specifically tailored for Algebra 1, which seamlessly integrates Black history with algebra concepts.

Presenter: Kendall Ware, Dream Builders 4 Equity/Harris Stowe State University

The Impact of Instructional Coaching: A First-Year Teacher’s Experience Working toward Equity Pedagogy

Explore the impact an instructional literacy coaching partnership has on a first-year teacher’s practice, including a review of literature on literacy coaching, artifacts from coaching conversations, co-created inclusive curriculum and assessment, student work samples, and reflections. This poster will demonstrate how to incorporate critical literacy in the creation of US history units.

Presenter: Christa Blaske, P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School, University of Florida

Carla-Ann Brown, P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School, University of Florida

Culturally Responsive Teaching: Empowering Student Identity through Literacy

The presentation explores the role of identity construction in English education for multilingual and multicultural students, emphasizing the critical connection between literacy and identity. It advocates for culturally responsive teaching and addresses the challenges faced by minority students, particularly those affected by the “model minority” stereotype among Asian Americans.

Presenter: Ellin Kim, Teachers College, Columbia University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Critically Engaging with Children’s Environmental Media to Teach about Climate Change in Elementary Classrooms

This presentation shares guiding questions and ideas for teachers when selecting texts to teach about climate change with children’s environmental media. An animated musical cartoon about global warming will be highlighted to demonstrate how teachers can draw upon both the content and the multimodal components of the eco-text to engage students in critical conversations around climate change.

Presenters: Robby Anggriawan, Illinois State University

Sarah Reid, Illinois State University

Constructing Success: Scaffolding Project-Based Learning

While project-based learning is a student-centered approach to instruction, most students need varying levels of teacher support to successfully learn skills and concepts through each phase of the project. This poster explains how project-based learning differs from product assessment and provides scaffolding strategies based on case studies in presenters’ classrooms.

Presenters: Katherine McGrail, The Miami Valley School

Debbie Voetberg, The Miami Valley School

Teachable Moments: Using AI-Generated Lesson Plans to Support Preservice Teachers’ Pedagogical Thinking about Reading Instruction

Our poster will showcase how preservice teachers recognize and utilize AI in reading instruction lesson planning. Combining specific knowledge about students with the support of AI-generated lesson plans is an important step toward teacher candidate development. With guidance and support, teachers can learn to evaluate, modify, and implement creative and contentrich lessons using AI technologies.

Presenters: Mary Ellen Oslick, Stetson University

Melissa Parks, Stetson University

Where Is the Power in a Picturebook?

Picturebooks are a valuable resource for fostering student representation and academic growth. They offer students opportunities to connect with their peers, explore the world, and develop essential academic skills. When students feel a personal connection to a picturebook, does it enhance their comprehension of academic subjects or social and emotional learning concepts?

Presenters: Angela Mundt, University of Northern Iowa/Jacobson Center for Comprehensive Literacy

Marissa Schweinfurth, University of Northern Iowa/Jacobson Center for Comprehensive Literacy

Try a New Lens: Literary Theory in the K–12 ELA Classroom

Reading is a window to the world, an opportunity for students to explore both themselves and new perspectives (Bishop, 1990). This interactive poster will display 12 literary lenses that can be used to create meaningful multiple-perspective learning opportunities for students. Attendees will walk away with a new lens for planning an ELA lesson or unit.

Presenter: Jenna Copper, Slippery Rock University

What’s in a Name? Exploring Identity through Literature

In this lesson, students will read several texts where characters explore their names and their relation to their identities and heritage (texts can be modified to fit student levels and needs). Then, students will analyze the characters and their relation to their own name identities. Students will create a “name story” of their own exploring their personal identities and heritage. Visual and art components can be added to suit student needs and abilities. The lesson uses diverse texts in literature and personal narrative.

Presenters: Monica Murphy, Swampscott Middle School

Lucia Papile

When “Stepping In” becomes “Stepping On”: Navigating the Dance of Unwanted Mentoring during Student Teaching

This poster illustrates three distinct narratives of how ELA student teachers responded to unwanted “stepping in” by their mentor teachers during instruction. Drawing on research on mentoring and co-teaching, this presentation considers how student teachers worked (and danced) in and out of step within their placements to enact socially just teaching practices.

Presenter: Christopher Kingsland, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Fostering Passion and Confidence in Writing (in English and Beyond!)

Does student writing often strike you as flat, formulaic, and unconvincing? Stasis Theory is an instructional tool that helps our students display their intelligence on an issue with a passionate and potent voice. Specifically, it helps students articulate a focused position within the conversation, generate relevant ideas to support it, and structure these ideas in a persuasive manner.

Presenter: Daniel O’Rourke, Riverside Brookfield High School

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

1:15–2:30 P.M. / EXHIBIT HALL A (EXHIBIT LEVEL)

“It’s everything so you get to understand it in all different ways”: Using Drama to Develop Vocabulary and Content Knowledge for Writing

Drama-rich pedagogy can be used to enrich and enliven established approaches for the teaching of writing, including genre pedagogy. This poster presents work carried out in a third/fourth grade science and literacy classroom demonstrating how drama can provide multimodal, highly engaging, and embodied entry points to writing for students.

Presenter: Rafaela Cleeve Gerkens, Faculty of Education

Preparing Future Teachers to Work with Transnational Families Using Culturally Sustaining Literature

In this poster, participants will be engaged in using interactive and culturally responsive texts, mixed-media journals, and field-based experiences that empower transnational and refugee students and their families in the classroom.

Presenters: Julie Paul Flannery, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Grace Jepkemboi, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Addressing Adolescent Apathy: Re-Engaging Middle and High School Student Interest in English Language Arts Content

In the modern educational landscape, students demonstrate increasing levels of apathy in English language arts settings. We will demonstrate a plausible solution to this issue through an ELA lesson employing authentic tasks and the legitimization of digital technology. In a poster session, we will justify our pedagogical choices and explore data collected in middle and high school classrooms.

Presenters: Emma Perron, Florida State University

Alicia Southworth, Florida State University

Hospitable Hearts: Supporting Students’ Social and Emotional Outcomes through Community Collaboration

In this interactive poster presentation, one elementary school administrator in a rural, Title 1 school and two university faculty from separate institutions will present ELA teacher survey results in response to the following research question: How do ELA teachers develop meaningful parent, caregiver, and community partnerships to advance social-emotional learning outcomes for all students?

Presenters: Peggy Hopper, Mississippi State University

Jerry Bradford Parker, Pontotoc County School District

Mary Ann Parker, University of North Alabama

Democracy Quest: Using Virtual Reality to Increase Student Interest in Learning while Building Content Knowledge and Literacy Skills

Can virtual reality help increase student interest in learning? Democracy Quest (DQ), a three-year project funded by the Department of Defense, seeks to answer this question. DQ’s goal is to develop critical thinking and empathy skills while interacting with virtual characters. The session will include samples of primary sources, research surveys, and an opportunity to see DQ’s virtual world for yourself.

Presenters: Whitney McCarthy, Custer Baker Intermediate School, Franklin, IN Elizabeth R. Osborn, Indiana University Center on Representative Government

Dialogic Instruction to Navigate and Transform

For a former teacher, enacting dialogic instruction (DI) afforded the freedom to center students’ choices and value their voices, despite increases in curricular restrictions, standardization, and accountability. DI was for me a kind of fugitive pedagogy; this practitioner paper aims to support teachers in enacting DI towards navigating and transforming our classrooms.

Presenter: Rebecca Lee, Michigan State University

Storyboxes: A Screenless Multimodal Approach to Teaching Early Literacy

Ever heard of a storybox? It is a soft, box-shaped, screen-free speaker device that connects to the Internet using a kid-safe platform that allows students to listen to and create stories. This poster presentation documents a year-long research study with diverse kindergarten students who engage with literacy through storyboxes in order to expand oral narrative skills and listening comprehension.

Presenters: Sally Brown, Georgia Southern University Jennifer Smalarz, Whitesville Elementary School

Examining Power in Picturebook Biographies

This poster presentation shares initial findings of a study of picturebook biographies with a focus on their potential for readers to explore and understand the ways authors and illustrators depict their subjects operating within contexts, exercising various types and degrees of power. We highlight the transformative pedagogical possibilities inherent in high-quality nonfiction.

Presenter: Sunah Chung, University of Northern Iowa

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Integrating Enrichment Projects into Elementary Literacy Intervention: Repositioning Students as Creative and Capable

When students are labeled as struggling, support takes precedence—but often at the exclusion of creative projects. How can small-group literacy instruction integrate foundational skills with activities that foster creativity and social-emotional learning? This poster will share findings from a year-long qualitative study and share strategies for monolingual and bilingual instructional settings.

Presenter: Emily Johns-O’Leary, University of Colorado Boulder

How to Make Much Ado about You(r Students) with Universal Design for Learning and Early British Literature

My poster introduces the background of Universal Design for Learning and gives a case study of using its components to create a cumulative assessment offering multiple options to spark students’ passions while cultivating belonging in the classroom. The case study includes initial assignment parameters, examples of student work, and the outcome of the assignment against the original UDL goals.

Presenter: Maggie Raymond, Bishop Lynch High School

Practical Steps for Incorporating Equity-Based Instruction in the English Language Arts Classroom

An overview of the steps involved in conducting an Equity Audit of ELA texts using the NYU Steinhardt Scorecard and developing an Equity Library consisting of culturally responsive diverse titles. The session will also highlight strategies for implementing these titles in the ELA classroom, partnership with the school library, and the role of administrative support for these initiatives.

Presenters: Kristen Fehr-Thompson Jaclyn OHagan

Colleen Oates-Robesch

Reimagining a Foundational Early Childhood Graduate Course through Stories

Stories are pivotal in human cognition, framing our understanding of the world. However, when elevated as absolute truths, they can silence diverse narratives, even in early childhood education. This presentation reimagined a graduate course, employing transformative learning and narrative inquiry to explore dominant and alternative narratives in the field of early childhood through the lens of students’ experiences.

Presenters: Maria Acevedo Aquino, Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Catherine O’Brien, Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Analog Adventures: Cultivating a Love for Reading in the Digital Age

What is the impact on students when they read books of their own choosing? Given the time and space to read, students will fall in love with reading for the first time—or perhaps all over again. Additionally, students will notice their reading pays dividends—in and out of the classroom. My presentation will inspire you to breathe new life into your students’ reading lives.

Presenter: Jennifer Billings, Marblehead High School

Student-Led Learning: A Framework to Empower and Amplify Student Voices

This poster session will show you how to empower students to take on more active roles in teaching and learning through the use of a metacognitive framework: watch, intend, reflect, and engage. Using this framework, we will look at students as advisors, coaches, teachers, and agents of change.

Presenters: Jill DeRosa, South Country Central School District/ Long Island University/Benchmark Publishing

Jennifer Hayhurst, South Country Central School District/Long Island University/Benchmark Publishing

The Journal Project

This poster will provide information on a successful journaling endeavor for middle school students. This poster will include numeric proof of student success, as well as tips for teachers who wish to use this technique in their own classrooms. Not only will this poster cover the success of the students, but it will also mention the social and emotional changes within the classroom as a result.

Presenters: Alison Hruby, Morehead State University Kayla Underwood, Nicholas County Middle and High School, Carlisle, KY

Writing Their Way to Well-Being: How Journals Were Used with Adolescents to Integrate SEL and Academic Writing on Well-Being Topics

Students are struggling more than ever with mental health, but what if educators could impact well-being with journals? This poster will highlight findings from a case study where students learned about their wellbeing while writing. The information will highlight student work samples and voices on well-being improvements and examples of how SEL can be tied to academic content through journaling.

Presenter: Kristin Bellinger

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Cultivating Agency and Expertness among Literacy Educators Using an Advocacy Framework

Literacy educators are being deprofessionalized as their expertness is being replaced with scripted curriculum and legislative mandates. They are leaving the field. Teachers need avenues to effectively advocate for their professionalism. Participants will learn how teachers utilized components of Everyday Advocacy (Fleicher & Garcia, 2021) to navigate this professional reality.

Presenter: Jennifer Schneringer, University of Missouri

Amplifying Voices: Utilizing Black Women’s Life Writing to Champion Abolitionist Teaching and Social Justice

Discover the impact of black women’s memoirs as educational resources for promoting abolitionist teaching and social justice in classrooms. Learn to integrate these narratives to teach identity, social change, and self-care, fostering a more inclusive and equitable educational environment.

Presenter: Tilifayea Griffin, Georgia State University

Understanding Multimodal Text Assessments

Students engage with various multimodal texts in and out of school. Therefore, corresponding school assessment needs to be reconceptualized to jump out of the box of print-based practices and to recognize literacies’ sociocultural and sociopolitical dimensions. However, the assessment of multimodal text is still lagging in many cases. This poster reviews related literature.

Presenter: Hong Zhang, University of Florida

Why Triptych? Promoting Student Engagement with Counternarratives via Genre Blending

A triptych is a three-paneled artwork in which each panel is used to explore a central theme. In this session, using triptych as metaphor, I will advocate for a new type of multigenre paper for use in the secondary English classroom, one that asks students to engage with diverse texts while forming conclusions in the interstices of personal narrative, literary analysis, and research writing.

Presenter: Merit O’Hare, Teachers College, Columbia University

The Impact of Student Choice, Voice, and Volume in Reading

When students are given choice and voice in their reading materials, they read more volume, and produce better results. Come see what current secondary ELA teachers are doing in their classrooms to get students of all levels (from novice readers in Reading Intervention to advanced readers in IB English) motivated to be part of a reading community.

Presenter: Megan Koppes, Kalispell Public Schools

2:45–4:00 P.M. / EXHIBIT HALL A (EXHIBIT LEVEL)

Shakespeare in the College Classroom

What are the best practices for teaching Shakespeare’s plays in a diverse college classroom? This poster session attends to Shakespeare’s literary sources, early modern stagecraft, performance history, and film adaptation to achieve a studentcentered pedagogical method that develops critical thinking and historical consciousness, as well as encourages aesthetic exploration.

Presenter: Esther Hu, Boston University

Bringing Hope to Language Acquisition: Integrating Duolingo into ELA and ESOL Classrooms

The surge of English language learners in secondary ELA classrooms necessitates creative approaches to enhancing their English language acquisition. This proposal advocates for implementing Duolingo, an internationally recognized language learning program, to improve English competence among ELLs. Duolingo provides a transformational approach to language instruction by harnessing technologies.

Presenter: Linh Hoang, Florida State University

Celebrating Young Creative Minds with the Brazilian: Classic Children’s Book Marcelo Martello Marshmallow: A Playful Reflection about Language and Its Origin

Tapioca Stories presents Marcelo, Martelo, Marshmallow, a vibrant translation of Ruth Rocha’s classic Brazilian children’s book. Illustrated by Ana Matsusaki and translated by Tal Goldfajn, young Marcelo’s linguistic adventures offer insights and activities on neologism and linguistic signs, connecting young readers with the depth of Latin American culture and the love of language.

Presenters: Yael Berstein, Tapioca Stories

Tal Goldfajn, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Creating Student-Centered Freedom Writing Strategies for BIPOC Students

This poster introduces educators to writing methods for BIPOC students. Teachers will challenge students to embrace “freedom writing” through narrative, argumentative, and informative methods. Educators are given resources for student-centered writing activities. The Freedom Writers novel/film are used as a reference. Students will use their voice to write for social change, justice, and equity.

Presenter: Wytinsea Jones, Hardaway High School

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Utilizing the Science of Reading to Build Heart Hope and Humanity in the Secondary ELA Classroom

By the time students enter the secondary classroom the expectation is that they are prepared to engage with text. However, when students are unable to read an assigned text, teachers aren’t sure how to proceed. Join us as we navigate the intersection between evidenceand research-based practices in order to infuse our classrooms with heart, instill hope, and cultivate a love for literacy.

Presenters: Michelle Peterson-Davis, Uniondale UFSD

Christine Zandstra, Roy C. Ketcham High School

Writing Embodiment: Fanfiction as a Tool for Knowledge Building in First-Year Composition

This presentation aims to explore how introducing fanfiction writing into the first-year composition classroom can provide opportunities for students to engage in embodied individual and sociocultural epistemological discourse. In doing this, students are provided the mental and emotional space to become more socially conscious and engaged community participants both in and beyond the classroom.

Presenter: Courtney Crisp, Ball State University

Exploring Teachers’ Lived Literacies: Disrupting Hegemonic Conceptions of Literacy in Schools

In this poster session, I share research findings from a narrative inquiry examining three English teachers' personal conceptions of literacy and the ways these conceptions cross the boundary into their classrooms. These findings also serve as a professional development model for literacy educators to explore the influence their literacy histories have on their pedagogical practices.

Presenter: Katie Whitley, Manchester Regional High School

Exploring the Implementation and Impact of Embedded Vocabulary Teaching in High School Biology: A Focus on Scientific and Engineering Practices

This study investigates the role of embedded vocabulary teaching (EVT) in high school biology, focusing on its impact on Multilingual Learners’ (MLs) engagement with Scientific and Engineering Practices (SEPs). Through a multiple case study of four biology teachers, we explore how EVT strategies are implemented and their effectiveness in promoting MLs’ participation in scientific activities.

Presenters: Julie Brown, University of Florida

Mark Pacheco, University of Florida

Han Zheng, University of Florida

Fostering Strong Claim/Evidence Connections in Argument Writing: How Students Took a Cultural Stance across Multiple Mediums

Two high school English teachers from Eastern Kentucky showcase how their students used their cultural stances on assigned multiple media texts (e.g., a Ted Talk on gaming) to apply claim/evidence connections in their written arguments through a poster presentation. The poster presentation will include lesson materials, detailed explanations of lesson instruction, and student comments and voices.

Presenters: Alora Jones, Fleming County High School, Flemingsburg, KY

Brandie Trent, Fleming County High School, Flemingsburg, KY

From Cheatbot to Writing Partner: How Students Use ChatGPT to Unsequester the Writing Process

How can writers use ChatGPT as a supportive chatbot rather than a cheatbot? Drawing from a study with high school students, we share how students used the tool to assist with argument, diction, and style, while learning that there is more than one way to write a good essay. We illustrate how students use ChatGPT in three phases of the writing process—planning, translating, and reviewing.

Presenters: Christopher Mah, Stanford University

Lena Phalen, Stanford University

Follow the Yellow Brick Road: How to Help Students Unlock Their Writer’s Voice

As teachers, dive into this poster presentation to learn more about writer’s voice in the classroom by first discovering your own voice, which will help students unlock theirs. With inspiration from other young adult authors, walk away ready to acknowledge and applaud students as they develop their own writer’s voice and are empowered to make change in the world with heart, hope, and humanity.

Presenter: Lori Polydoros, Santa Ana Unified School District

Critical Reflection and Community Building: Blogging with Preservice Teachers

Learn about a project investigating how blogging can be used to help preservice teachers develop a practice of critical reflection and build community in a postpandemic world.

Presenters: Samantha Duke, North Carolina State University

Alicia Whitley, North Carolina State University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Literacy Practices to Enact Change: Making Shifts in Reading Lenses and in Writing Frames

With an interest in literacy practices to enact change, the speaker offers practical ideas for expanding the scope of student reading and writing via shifts in reading lenses and writing frames. She focuses especially on questions students can bring to texts and ways in which introductions and conclusions can expand context and meaning of writing, opening all to the world.

Presenter: Dana H. Maloney, Montclair State University, NJ

Mindfulness for the Endless Stack: A Qualitative Study of English Teachers Incorporating Mindfulness Practices into Their Feedback Work

How might mindfulness practices such as meditation help English teachers more intentionally and compassionately navigate providing feedback on student writing? This poster will share findings from a dissertation study on this topic. Viewers will learn with new strategies for (a) managing the challenges of feedback and (b) finding moments of joy and connection in this work.

Presenter: Jenny Goransson, George Mason University

Playful Learning in Writers Workshop

This presentation explores play-based pedagogy in classroom-based and teacher education contexts, focusing on integrating play into writers workshop. Drawing from the work of Lucy Calkins, Anne Haas Dyson, Angela Stockman, and the Reggio Emilia pedagogy, we discuss how educators inspire writing through play.

Presenters: Cathy Fields, University of Massachusetts Amherst/ Longmeadow Public Schools

Meghan Whitfield, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Culturally Responsive Practices through Poetry Diversity and Digital Literacy in Preservice Teacher Education

poetry, and research will be shared with participants explaining why names are so important. Participants will also have the opportunity to explore their names and learn about other’s names.

Presenters: Ben Cromwell

Raven Cromwell, Utah Valley University

Supporting K–3 Children’s Social and Emotional Learning with Children’s Literature and Literacy Activities

In this informational poster session, participants will learn evidence-based and developmentally appropriate literacy instructions using children’s literature that supports children’s social and emotional development. This poster will also provide specific book titles that can be incorporated into K–3 literacy activities and readalouds that address the CASEL 5 framework.

Presenters: Soo Joung Kim, Saint Michael’s College

Stacy Simonyi, Saint Michael’s College

Teacher Educators Write: Answering the Call to Write about the Craft of New Teacher Preparation

Teacher Educators Write is an online venue for writing about how you make literacy learning actionable, relevant, purposeful, and engaging for teacher candidates. If you work with preservice teachers, visit this poster session to learn about a publishing space where writing by teacher educators illuminates a shared belief in the influence of skilled teaching on new teachers’ development.

Presenter: Suzanne Kaback, University of St. Thomas

How the “Spot the Difference” Approach Helps Students Conquer Literary Analysis

This presentation focuses on how teacher candidates gain skills through creative artifact that gives them opportunity to explore their cultural identity using creative writing, and critical thinking through coding through digital platforms in order to utilize culturally responsive practices. The artifact, example instructional practices, and students’ visual examples will be shared.

Presenters: Selen Ergin-Cakmak, New York Public Schools

Meral Kaya, Brooklyn College, City University of New York

The Power of Names in the Classroom

This poster presentation examines how the “Spot the Difference” approach helps students pay more attention to the effect specific words have in a text passage. Teachers will walk away with engaging, differentiated, ready-to-use material for astonishing improvement in literary analysis.

Presenter: Lea Maryanow, St. Paul’s School

The Heart of Teacher Education: Building Confidence in Preservice Teachers

This interactive poster session will teach you why it is important to use students’ preferred names and pronounce them correctly. Children’s books, slam

Teacher education programs often struggle against the logistical barriers of providing preservice teachers with more quality time in the K–12 classroom. This poster will present practical examples of how teacher education programs can work with local schools to enhance field experiences and explore the factors that increase preservice teacher confidence.

Presenters: Allison Thompson, Riverside High School, Greer, SC

Bill Visco, University of Akron

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Technology in Writing Instruction: Engaging Students and Affirming Cultural Identities with Pixton.com

This poster board will illustrate how elementary school teachers can enhance student engagement and help students embrace their cultural identities as they become proficient writers by utilizing a technology platform to showcase their students’ uniqueness and writing skills.

Presenter: Livia Gama Fagundes, New York City Department of Education

How Can We Unify Body and Mind in Class?

Epistemic beliefs remain dualistic and disembodied. What changes when we: (1) conceive of the bodymind as a unit, (2) train students to see the body as a site of knowledge production and constituent element of mind, and (3) link learning and embodiment? This poster presents teacher research from BodyMind Literacy, an interdisciplinary and experimental course in the UCLA Honors Collegium.

Presenter: Lauri Mattenson, University of California Los Angeles

4:15–5:30 P.M. / EXHIBIT HALL A (EXHIBIT LEVEL)

Always Ask for Help: A Documentary Film about a Teacher and Her Students

The “Always Ask for Help” project started 20 years ago when Arnie Stewart told his story to an 11th grade English class. At 59 years old, Arnie accidentally fed his kids dog food because he could barely read or write. His story changed their lives and made their teacher dedicate her life to a partnership and continued legacy for literacy. The documentary is in production.

Presenter: Janet Lee, Best Day EVER Productions

Integrating Universal Design for Learning and Disciplinary Literacy in ELA

This poster presentation focuses on preservice secondary English language arts teachers’ initial attempts to grapple with the integration of UDL and disciplinary literacy in ELA in a course titled Literacy in the Content Areas. Ultimately, the presenter offers suggestions for integrating UDL and disciplinary literacy in ELA teacher preparation.

Presenter: Lisa Paolucci, St. Francis College

Critical Capacities: An Interdisciplinary Approach in the ELA and Engineering Classrooms

Learning must go beyond the classroom to engage students in critical activities that can impact their communities and their world. This poster presents the “Critical Capacities” framework, a pedagogical approach that intersects English language arts and engineering processes. The framework extends learning by centering students’ lived realities and driving actionable change in their communities.

Presenter: Neisha Terry Young, Stony Brook University

Critical Reading in the Age of Disinformation: Five Questions for Any Text

What does critical reading mean in a time of social media, YouTube, algorithms, AI, and fake news? This display gives five questions for examining any text to see the influences around it, the voices and sponsors, the craft and rhetoric, the intent and message, and one’s own reactions. You’ll learn a simple, powerful, classroomtested daily practice to help students habitually ask the five questions!

Presenter: Marilyn Pryle, Abington Heights High School

Embracing Inclusion: Forging New Learning Connections and Creating a Culture of Belonging: Inclusive Teaching Practices

In the current polarizing times, it is imperative to make our classrooms a safe space for students, so the environment is conducive to their academic success. It is equally important to engage students in critical thinking and reflection strategies outside of the classroom to understand mutual respect and humanize education to understand diversity. This presentation will address student belonging and inclusion in the classroom which will showcase not just readings that students can identify with but global perspectives on everyday life which will help students navigate themselves towards mutual respect and understanding.

Presenter: Rima Gulshan, Northern Virginia Community College

Engaging Scholars through Counterstory and Connection

Authentic literacy practices should celebrate joyful stories of the AAPIDA community, but what texts and literary lens are best to teach the growing diverse student body? We will offer a discussion and examination about how counterstory narratives empower scholars and promote empathy across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups and challenge ourselves to view all stories with complexity, nuance, and compassion.

Presenter: Erin Perkins, Adlai E. Stevenson High School

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Ethnic Studies and Writing Instruction: Composing Spaces for Possibility

Ethnic Studies offers a plethora of possibilities for writing instruction across grades and subjects. Building on principles of Ethnic Studies, this poster will make visible some ways that writing emerges in and beyond classrooms. The poster will offer a three-pronged view of writing: genre-spanning mentor texts (possibility), curriculum design (space), and student voice (composing).

Presenters: Hannah Hohle, Bay Area Writing Project/University of California Berkeley

Hillary Walker, Bay Area Writing Project/University of California Berkeley

Jenn Wolfe, California State University Northridge

Hope for the Future: How Preservice Teachers View Financial Literacy

A Ramsey Solutions study found teaching as one of the top five professions to become millionaires. Over half of the US states require a personal finance course for graduation, but future teachers report feeling ill-prepared to manage the future income. This poster will include summary charts made after reading an article about different types of literacy focusing on those specific to financial literacy.

Presenter: Stacey Fisher, East Tennessee State University

From Page to Stage: Infusing Performance Literacy and Dramatic Lenses in Order to Empower English Language Heart and Move beyond a Classroom to Change the World

How do performance strategies excavate texts with empathy? Viewers will explore dynamic resources related to Landry & Wootton’s Arts Literacy Performance Cycle, an engaging approach that builds community, fosters creativity, and nurtures inquiry. This process restores heart by catalyzing learning, instills hope by cultivating change, and inspires humanity by helping students unlock true curiosity.

Presenter: Kristina Aste-Mayer, Danvers High School

Making Writers Workshop Mine

When teaching students to become writers, it’s important to emphasize voice and choice. We want to encourage others to intentionally create ways for students to write about their personal interests and experiences. From crafting personal narratives to writing multi-chapter memoirs, we found that when our students are excited about their work, they engage more in their learning.

Presenters: Meredith Klusman, Pathways High School, Milwaukee, WI

Brett Rutledge, Hoech Middle School

Preparing Literacy Educators for Developmentally Appropriate Critical Information Literacy Instruction

This poster will introduce critical information literacy and describe how it can be practiced within a writing classroom using the example of a graduate English course geared towards high school and college writing teachers. The poster will provide insight into how developmentally appropriate elements of critical information literacy can be incorporated into high school and college courses.

Presenter: Jennifer Turner, Minnesota State University, Mankato

READCON: A Curriculum for Library Readiness

Advocacy and Community Empowerment during Challenging Conditions

READCON partners educators with experts in education and family law; crisis communication, public and media relations; community reconciliation; and youth leadership to develop a targeted suite of blended professional development experiences.

Presenter: Valerie Byrd Fort

Readers’ Roundtable: Collaborative Inquiry + Dialogue in Middle School

Readers’ Roundtable is a unique means of encouraging a student-centered, whole-class discussion about literature. Presenters will share topics and essential questions, scaffolds for written preparations, student-driven record-keeping, and synthesis of ideas for follow-up lessons. Participants will learn how Roundtable supports students in becoming independent, critical, and enthusiastic readers.

Presenters: Angela Lathem-Ballard, Center for Teaching and Learning

Glenn Powers, Center for Teaching and Learning

Relief and Hope through Multimodal Autobiographical Writing with Multilingual Learners

Multilingual language learners come to school in the US to pursue the American Dream, yet many struggle with the social and emotional journies of their lives. This presentation will demonstrate how multimodal autobiographical writing as asset-based pedagogy can assist MLLs through their transitions to the US, providing hope for their futures, all while meeting language and content-area goals.

Presenter: Sarah Campbell, Indiana University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

Scientists Are Writers, Too: Facilitating Academic Research Writing in a Student-Run, Peer-Reviewed Journal

Even though argument-based writing is central in scientific disciplines (and all academic discourse for that matter), high schools rarely provide students with opportunities to engage in the research publication process. Our academic journal, Sigma, is a student-run, peer-reviewed publication that mirrors the authentic research writing processes that students will find in academic publishing.

Presenter: Christopher Olshefski, Winchester Thurston School

Valuing Storytelling among Children in a Racially, Culturally, and Linguistically Complex Classroom

This presentation negotiates tensions between teacher beliefs and the politics of schooling in the age of highly monitored early literacy teaching. This study discusses the implications of the contrast between the personal and the system of schooling in a culturally, linguistically, and racially diverse public first-grade classroom.

Presenter: Maile Newberry-Wortham, University of Missouri, Columbia

Tensions in Teacher Candidates’ Conceptualizations of Culturally Relevant and Just Teaching: Competing Discourses in Contentious Contexts

Beginning English teacher candidates (TCs) experienced current political and educational policy as competing discourses with methods courses co-designed around cultural relevance and justice. We offer typologies of ways TCs managed tensions and found disciplinary concepts did or did not connect, with implications for assignments where TCs grapple with competing discourses in contentious contexts.

Presenters: Emily Plummer Catena, Florida State University

F Blake Tenore, Florida State University

Teaching Out-of-Field in English: Past, Present, and Hope for the Future

When teachers teach classes for which they are not licensed, they are teaching out-of-field (OOF), a misalignment of qualifications from the course they teach. Teaching OOF is bad for students and teachers yet is growing due to teacher shortages. In Texas, ELA has the most courses taught OOF. We discuss research around teaching OOF in ELA and ways to improve teaching and student outcomes.

Presenters: Minda Lopez, Texas State University Katrina Jansky Quintanilla

The Whole Story: Media and the Shaping of Student Perceptions

This poster session delves into the dynamics of how media shape the perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs of adolescents. This session aims to share the results of classroom practice that involves students tracking and monitoring their views based on a series of media, with the goal of helping students unravel the complex relationship between media consumption and students’ responses to the texts.

Presenter: Brian Weishar, Lakehead University

Finding Hope through Painful Histories with Connection: Collaboration between ELA and Civics to Teach Holocaust Studies

In this poster session, an experienced civics teacher and an early-career ELA teacher share their model to guide 7th-grade students through the painful history of the Holocaust. Through this partnership of middle grade humanities teachers, we present a way to satisfy state standards and grapple with genocide while emphasizing individual stories, confronting prejudice, and moving forward with hope.

Presenters: Jillian Miley, P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School, University of Florida

Megan Miller, P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School, University of Florida

Exploring Local News: Students Improve Thinking, Reading, and Writing Skills through Community Engagement

Learn about our federally funded media literacy unit that connects reading and thinking skills with the writing process using a student-centric, project-based approach. See how local news and community-based issues can serve as a motivational hook to empower and engage students of all reading levels. Results showed that students improved their reading and critical thinking skills in 8–10 weeks.

Presenters: Florian Feucht, Thinking Habitats

Mona Mustafa, Paterson Charter School for Science and Technology

All sessions will be held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center unless otherwise noted.

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

K.1 HS Matters—Supporting Student Writers by Teaching for Agency: Toward Equity and Justice in Our Teaching and Assessment of Writing

ROOM 206 B (LEVEL 2)

Sponsored by the Secondary Section Steering Committee

This panel will explore how to design writing tasks and assess them in ways that encourage student agency and center linguistic equity practices in instruction and assessment. Then teachers will discuss how they have implemented these ideas in their middle and high school classrooms with linguistically diverse students.

Presenters: Christina Dobbs, Boston University

Christine Montecillo Leider, University of Massachusetts Boston

Meghan McCormick, Malden Public Schools

Emma Meier, McDevitt Middle School

Erik Scott, Cambridge Public Schools/Boston University

K.2 #MakersInTheMiddle—Creating a HeARTful Community: Infusing ELA, Art, and Activism to Promote Student Voices

Room 205 A (level 2)

Sponsored by the Middle Level Section Steering Committee

In this #MakersInTheMiddle interactive session, you are invited to join graphic novelist Debbie Fong and classroom teachers as they collectively unpack their discoveries and learning within a community-based, exploratory unit of study resulting in work that integrates both language arts and art in an effort to promote authentic student writing.

Chair: Sarah Bonner, University of North Carolina Wilmington Roundtable Leaders: Reka Barton

Alex Corbitt, SUNY Cortland

Casey Pennington, SUNY Cortland

Ankhi Thakurta, Boston College

Jon Wargo, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Tradebook Author/Illustrator: Debbie Fong, Random House Children’s Books

K.3 Centering Teachers and Students in Humanizing Assessments

ROOM 151 B (LEVEL 1)

This session considers how teachers and students can be involved in the ongoing development of assessments. Honoring teachers and students in this process, as the presenters will share, can shift classroom instruction and agency for teacher and student learning.

Presenters: Mueze Bawany, Chicago Public Schools & Daniel P. Moore, Stanford University, “’Transformative, Not Punitive’: Cogenerating Humanizing Assessments with Grade 9 ELA Students”

Danielle DeFauw, University of Michigan-Dearborn & Katherine Higgs-Coulthard, Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN, “Exploring Elementary Teachers’ Assessment Practices and Development of Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Writing”

K.4 New Literacies, Multiliteracies, and Multimodalities: Tensions and Possibilities for Teaching and Teacher Education

ROOM 156 A (LEVEL 1)

Dive into tensions and possibilities for integrating new literacies within ELA teacher preparation programs and ELA classrooms! Presenters in this panel emphasize the need to position new literacies at the forefront of P–20 literacy pedagogy, while also exploring strategies for incorporating multimodalities and multiliteracies into teacher education programs.

Presenters: Jonathan Bartels, University of Michigan-Flint, “Nurturing New Literacies in a Changing World: Exploring the Tension(s) of Centering New Literacies in Education”

Hongye Zeng, University of Maryland, “Moving from Literacy to Literacies: Finding Space for Multiliteracies and Multimodalities in Literacy Teacher Education Classrooms”

K.5 Passion Projects and Rebuilding Curiosity in Secondary ELA

ROOM 156 B (LEVEL 1)

These two presentations seek to challenge the notion that curiosity dwindles in adolescence. Each presentation offers ways for ELA educators to rekindle curiosity and passion for learning in the secondary classroom through choice-based inquiry projects.

Presenters: Maria Clinton, Northglenn High, Northglenn, CO, “Rebuilding Curiosity in the Secondary Classroom: A Springboard to Enthusiasm, Achievement, and Community”

Patricia Elmore, Athens State University, “Incorporating Writing for Social Media into the Secondary ELA Classroom”

K.6 Pedagogies and Practices for LGBTQIA+ Humanity

ROOM 156 C (LEVEL 1)

This panel details practitioner approaches for teaching with and about LGBTQIA+ communities. Presenters focus specifically on various pedagogies for teaching youth literature and including LGBTQIA+ content in both welcoming and restrictive contexts.

Presenters: Jill Ceneskie, Olentangy Local Schools, “Simple Ways to Add LGBTQIA+ Representation in Secondary ELA Classrooms for Fiction and Nonfiction”

Grant King, “Queer Pedagogy, Queer Practice: Applying Queer Theory in the Classroom”

Lauren LaPorta, Altair Education Consulting, “Reshaping Perspectives: Strategies for Overcoming Resistance in LGBTQIA+ Inclusion”

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

K.7 Reimagining and Supporting Diversity in School and Classroom Libraries: Using StoryMaps and the Diverse BookFinder

ROOM 157 A (LEVEL 1)

How do you teach in a time and place that restricts, suppresses, or outright censors the lived histories and experiences of its citizens? This session will navigate the silencing of systemic oppression by creating texts that arise organically from marginalized groups through the use of StoryMapping, geo-inquiry processes, and the Diverse BookFinder (DBF), a free online resource.

Presenters: Brittany Kester, University of Florida & Megan Koppitch, P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School, University of Florida, “Supporting Diversity in School and Classroom Libraries: Using the Diverse BookFinder to Evaluate Book Collections”

Shanna Peeples, West Texas A&M University, “Reimagining the Mother Road with StoryMaps: Social Justice Work in Challenging Contexts”

K.8 The Texts and Contexts of Teaching LGBTQIA+ Youth Literature

ROOM 152 (LEVEL 1)

This panel highlights the hope present in LGBTQIA+ youth literature. Presenters explore teaching strategies for challenging exclusionary canon, exploring book clubs in Puerto Rico, and honoring the intersection of rural queer life.

Presenters: Gabriel Acevedo, Arizona State University, “A Queer Book Club: Developing Empathy and Resistencia through Young Adult Literature in Puerto Rican Classrooms”

Karen Eppley, Penn State University; Matthew Panozzo, University of Memphis; Rachelle Kuehl & Josh Thompson, Virginia Tech, “Queer and Rural Intersections in Contemporary Middle Grade Novels”

Tara West, The Ohio State University, “Centering Joy, Healing, and Acceptance through Neurodivergence and Queer Literature for Young Adults”

K.9 Building Bridges: When High School and College Writing Programs Share Visions and Resources

ROOM 153 A (LEVEL 1)

Are you a high school or college writing teacher in need of shared resources for writing improvement? This session will help high school teachers provide opportunities and applications for process writing that includes conferencing, response groups, and digital writing. Future networking and communication are included.

Presenters: Sheridan Steelman, Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI

Audra Whetstone, Northview High School

K.10 Poems and Picturebooks as Writing Prompts and Conversation Starters

ROOM 254 A (LEVEL 2)

First comes reading; then comprehension. But what follows—personal writing and conversation skills—is what allows children to express themselves and learn from others. Three traditionally-published authors and an educator discuss how children’s literature can be used in fun, creative ways to help students come to know themselves and those around them better, while developing literacy skills.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Matt Forrest Esenwine, Beaming Books/Astra Young Readers/POW! Kids Books

Laura Purdie Salas, Lerner

Michelle Schaub, Norton/Sleeping Bear

Charles Waters, Charlesbridge Publishing

K.11 Action Steps toward Passionate Writing Students

ROOM 104 A (LEVEL 1)

Challenged by shortened time for writing instruction, the presenters met outside of the school day to brainstorm ideas and celebrate their passion for teaching writing. Their collaboration led to creative writing initiatives for students. In this session, the presenters share initiatives and ideas for impactful, student-centered work and passionate writers.

Presenters: Kristin Fitch, Simsbury Public Schools

Lisa Jacobs, Simsbury Public Schools

Melanie Meehan, Simsbury Public Schools

Beth Scudder, Simsbury Public Schools

Rebecca Warchut, Simsbury Public Schools

Frank Zuliani, Simsbury Public Schools

K.12 Becoming Literate: Building Identities in Elementary School Classrooms

ROOM 160 C (LEVEL 1)

In this interactive session, teacher educators, literacy scholars, and former and current elementary school teachers will guide participants to explore literate identities in classrooms. The presenters will provide practices that align assessments to students’ evolving literate identities and support their literate identities to be validating, rigorous, relational, and transformative.

Presenters: Ted Kesler, Queens College, CUNY

Lindsey Moses, Arizona State University

Meridith Ogden, Pinnacle Peak Preparatory

Dina Weiss, Hewlett Elementary School

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

K.13 Beyond Old MacDonald—Rural Representation in Picturebooks: Building a Classroom Library That Fosters Respect, Empathy, and Understanding

ROOM 153 B (LEVEL 1)

Four picturebook authors and an editor discuss how rural voices are represented in children’s literature. Participants will learn how to move beyond stereotypes and into the diverse, accurate stories that represent modern rural living. Resources will include booklists and activities to shift perspectives toward a broader understanding of the connections between urban and rural communities.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Lisa Amstutz, author

Lisl Detlefsen, author

Janice N. Harrington, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Michelle Houts, Ohio University Press/Feeding Minds Press/Random House

Julia Recko, Feeding Minds Press, American Farm Bureau Foundation

K.14 Building Empathetic Viewpoints through Picturebooks

ROOM 252 A (LEVEL 2)

If a goal of literature in the ELA classroom is to help students better understand their community, our society, and the larger world around them, picturebooks are a valuable tool in our repertoire. Join our conversation with picturebook authors discussing the ways inclusive representation humanizes cultures, opening hearts and helping students grow an empathetic approach to the world.

Presenter: Jillian Heise, Fox Point-Bayside School District

Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Vera Ahiyya, The Tutu Teacher, Random House Children’s Books

Carole Lindstrom, Abrams Books for Young Readers

Kyle Lukoff, Penguin Young Readers

Raakhee Mirchandani, Little Brown

Maysa Odeh, Macmillan

K.15 Centering Middle Grade Novels about Families in Crisis in Our Classrooms: Providing Authentic Narratives to Inspire Hope in Young Readers

ROOM 159 (LEVEL 1)

This panel of acclaimed authors and educators will discuss the need to center middle grade literature featuring authentic portrayals of families in crisis in the classroom. In our post-pandemic world, there is a critical need for educators to expand classroom practice so that students can see relevant, purposeful, and engaging reflections of their own brave experiences in the books they read.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Chris Baron, Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan

James Bird, MacMillan/Feiwel & Friends

Susan James

Amber McBride, Macmillan

Marcella Pixley, Candlewick

K.16 Change Really Does Sing: Talking about Race in a Community-Wide Reading Program with Homegoing, Door of No Return, New Kid, and Change Sings

ROOM 211 (LEVEL 2)

Teachers, college students, professors, and public librarians from one community discuss their participation in a community-wide reading program that used a text set of books to explore issues of race, identity, home, and belonging. Presenters will share the resources and activities they used for each book and how they navigated political divides and the possibility of book challenges/bans.

Presenters: Audra Bolhuis, West Ottawa High School

Rachel Leep, Hope College

Bridget Pyle, Black River Public Schools

Sarah Rinsema-Sybenga, Muskegon Area District Library

Ron Suszek, Muskegon Area District Library

Deborah Van Duinen, Hope College

Kristin VanEyk, Hope College

Dana VanderLugt, Ottawa Intermediate School District

Adelyn Wilcox, Hope College

Eric Wilkinson, West Ottawa Public Schools

K.17 Civic Engagement with Global Perspectives in the English Classroom

ROOM 104 B (LEVEL 1)

Join representatives from international National Resource Centers at the University of Minnesota and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a high school English teacher to learn how students have used literary activities to enact change. This presentation equips teachers with free resources to globally diversify the learning experiences of their students in the language arts classroom.

Presenters: Joanie Heineman, Red Wing High School

Deborah Jane, University of Minnesota

Nicole Palasz, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

K.18 Consent and Writing Pedagogy: A Hope for Human Connections

ROOM 051 (EXHIBIT LEVEL)

Teachers in this panel maintain that consent has a powerful role to play in ELA classrooms. We offer approaches to writing and literacy that transform what is possible when we teach with a consent mindset.

Chair and Presenter: Timothy Oleksiak, University of Massachusetts Boston

Presenters: Al Harahap, Queens College, CUNY

Violet Livingston, Michigan State University

Sam Phillips, University of North Carolina, Greensboro

Stephanie West-Puckett, University of Rhode Island

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

K.19 Creating a Deep Culture of Writing in Secondary Schools: Practices That Create Community, Make Writing Great, and Invite Writing across the School Day ROOM 258 A (LEVEL 2)

This session will ignite new thinking about creating authentic writing communities in schools. Participants will learn from fellow educators who have fostered strong cultures of writing across their school, and hear about the specific practices that made that possible. This interactive session will help participants reimagine how writing can look in their schools.

Presenters: Rhonda Perry, Salk School of Science

Marcel Pezet, Salk School of Science

Ling Teo, Salk School of Science

Katherine Wischow, Reading and Writing Project

K.20 Creating Change with Picturebook Biographies ROOM 103 (LEVEL 1)

Join authors of picturebook biographies about diverse activists to explore the process of change making. Participants will leave with elementary classroom activities and a list of picturebook biographies. They will have time to share their own ideas and experiences about teaching this topic. Come to be inspired to encourage students to create positive change in your community and the world.

Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Anne Broyles, Holiday House

Nina Crews, Christy Ottaviano Books/LBYR

Dinah Johnson, Christy Ottaviano Books/LBYR/University of South Carolina

Cynthia Levinson, Simon & Schuster

Michelle Markel, HarperCollins

Pat Zietlow-Miller, Viking

K.21 Curating Heart, Hope, and Humanity: CoCreating Galleries of Girlhoods of Color

ROOM 257 A (LEVEL 2)

In this symposium, the presenters highlight three unique projects that are designed to co-create gallery spaces with GoC that center on their passions, hopes, dreams, experiences, and humanity. Each paper will demonstrate how language and literacy pedagogies that center the lived realities of GoC can lead to creative transformations and opportunities for GoC to represent themselves authentically.

Presenters: Chelsea Bouldin, Syracuse University

Courtney Mauldin

Idalia Nuñez, The University of Texas at San Antonio

Grace Player, University of Connecticut

Rochele Royster, Syracuse University

Mónica González Ybarra, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

K.22 Embracing Multilingualism in K–12 Classrooms through the Use of Children’s and Youth Literature

ROOM 050 (EXHIBIT LEVEL)

Normalizing and embracing multilingualism is part of educators’ responsibilities to combat language oppression, resist language erasure, and interrogate the underlying English monolingual ideologies in teaching ELA. This panel will examine the occurrences of multilingualism in English-dominant children’s and youth literature and discuss how these texts can be used in different K–12 classrooms.

Presenters: Celina-Maria Espinosa de Rosales, University of South Carolina

Tracey T. Flores, The University of Texas at Austin

Kyungjin Hwang, University of South Carolina

Jung Kim, Lewis University

CoCo Li, Chapin Intermediate School

Alisha Nguyen, Lesley University

Yang Wang, University of South Carolina

Jing Zhang, Carver-Lyon Elementary School

K.23 Engaging the Heart: Book Clubs, Book Chats, and Read-Alouds to Grow Humanity and Offer Hope in K–8 Classrooms

ROOM 162 B (LEVEL 1)

The panel builds connections through a shared body of literature that reflects the faces in today’s classrooms while providing windows to the world. Panelists share approaches to shape reading identities and incorporate new experiences into the lives of students and teachers. Panelists explore relationships with writing and reading as pathways to wonder, critique, and engage with others.

Presenters: Lynne Dorfman, Arcadia University

Aileen Hower

Dana Kramaroff, Boyertown Area School District/Penguin Random House

Brenda Krupp, independent literacy consultant

K.24 Fighting Fake News in the Age of AI: Building Bridges to News and Digital Literacies

ROOM 204 A (LEVEL 2)

Our students are bombarded with texts from a variety of sources each day, many developed by human actors and/or AI with an intent to deceive and manipulate them. This session will explore how traditional topics of the ELA curriculum can be taught in ways that promote openminded inquiry, critical reading, news literacy, and digital literacies that can serve to promote hope, humanity, and agency.

Presenters: Deborah Appleman, Carleton College

Michael Smith, Temple University

Jeffrey Wilhelm, Boise State University

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

K.25 Finding Hope through Sharing Stories

ROOM 153 C (LEVEL 1)

Join educators and author, Hanh Bui, (Ánh’s New Word: A Story about Learning a New Language) in a panel discussion about the transformative power of finding one’s voice by sharing culturally authentic children’s literature.

Chair: Sarah Fischer, Messiah University

Tradebook Author/Illustrator: Hanh Bui, Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends

Presenters: Alexandra Cass, Winding Creek Elementary School

Marshella Cass, North Main Street School

Emilee Truitt, Sara Lindemuth/Anna Carter Primary School

K.26 Growth and Growing Pains: Student and Instructor Perceptions of English Dual Enrollment Courses

ROOM 151 A (LEVEL 1)

This presentation shares interviews with dual enrollment (DE) students and teachers on the perceived benefits and challenges of DE English courses. The DE English classroom develops student literacies and emphasizes the pivotal role of literacy educators in enacting change. We explore the growth and growing pains of Ohio’s DE model in extending student learning beyond the secondary classroom.

Presenters: Christine Denecker, University of Findlay

Nicole Diederich, University of Findlay

Jamie Erford, Bluffton High School

Wes Martin, Northwestern High School

K.27 Harnessing AI to Teach with Heart, Hope, and Humanity

ROOM 258 B (LEVEL 2)

In this interactive presentation, teachers and researchers will share their thinking and solicit ideas on best practices for using generative artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT and DALL-E, in English education. The group will share current research, offer tips, and seek input from the NCTE membership at large.

Presenters and Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Varsha Bajaj, Penguin Random House

Stefani Boutelier, Aquinas College

Melanie Hundley, Vanderbilt University

Rajani LaRocca, Little Bee Books/Candlewick/HarperCollins/ Abrams/Penguin Random House

Robert Maloy, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Rick Marlatt, New Mexico State University

Clarice Moran, Appalachian State University

Emma Otheguy, Simon & Schuster

Emily Pendergrass, Vanderbilt University

Amy Piotrowski, Utah State University

Meera Sriram, Random House Children’s Books

Lisa Stringfellow, The Winsor School/HarperCollins/Quill Tree Books

Torrey Trust, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Ingrid Vredevoogd, Grandville High School, MI

Carl Young, North Carolina State University

K.28 Heads, Hearts, and Hands-On Learning: Fiction as a Tool for Conflict Resolution and Problem Solving

ROOM 102 B (LEVEL 1)

A panel of five authors discusses how elements of fiction, e.g., character development and try-fail cycles, can provide models for real-life conflict resolution. In a collaborative exercise, they’ll demonstrate practical, hands-on strategies for problem solving in and out of the classroom. Teachers will leave with a bibliography of relevant fiction and other suggested tools for actionable learning.

Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Jenn Bishop, Chronicle Books

Ernesto Cisneros, Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins

Janet Sumner Johnson, Pixel+Ink/Capstone

Elisa Stone Leahy, Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins

Tricia Springstubb, Holiday House/Peachtree/Pixel+Ink

K.29 Heart, Hope, and Humanity: Crime Narratives as a Lens into the Human Soul

ROOM 207 (LEVEL 2)

Teaching crime fiction may seem counterintuitive to ideals of heart, hope, and humanity, but it can help us challenge and reaffirm these seemingly idyllic aspirations. In this session, we help educators integrate crime fiction into their existing classroom practices and explore how studying it helps us move beyond platitudes about right and wrong toward a more complex conception of humanity.

Chair: Bob Fecho, Teachers College, Columbia University

International Services

Presenters: Chelsey Barber, Teachers College, Columbia University

Kelsey Hammond, Teachers College, Columbia University

Natalie Morgan, Teachers College, Columbia University

International Services

All sessions will be held at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center unless otherwise noted.

Session proposals and their descriptions were created by the session speakers and reviewed through a peer-review process. Session content does not necessarily reflect NCTE policies or positions.

K.30 Hope, Bravery, and Resilience: An Exploration of Heroes through Nonfiction Picturebooks

ROOM 251 (LEVEL 2)

This panel illuminates how the power of small but strong beliefs and actions of hope, bravery, and resilience can transform the ordinary to the extraordinary. Three collaborators discuss their nonfiction picturebooks of unlikely heroes (both human and animal!), and one teacher shares how literature ignites curiosity and serves as a bridge to understand ourselves and the known and unknown world.

Chair: Nancy Johnson, Western Washington University

Presenters: Sambat Meas, APOPO Visitor Center, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Megan Sloan, Snohomish School District

Tradebook Authors/Illustrators: Huy Voun Lee, Lerner Books

Scott Riley, Lerner Books/Singapore American School

K.31 Keeping Heart, Hope, and Humanity in the AI Loop: Teaching Secondary Writing in the Generative Age

ROOM 258 C (LEVEL 2)

Over the past few years there has been much excitement, debate, and anxiety regarding the arrival of AI and its potential impact for teaching and learning. This panel shares ways to use artificial intelligence (AI) to support the teaching of secondary writing in innovative, hands-on, and supportive ways.

Chair: Tanya Baker, National Writing Project

Presenters: Paul Allison, National Writing Project/ WritingPartners.net

Bonnee Bentum, Philadelphia Writing Project/Science Leadership Academy at Beeber

David Cole, NEXMAP

Respondent: Jessica Early, Arizona State University

K.32 Leveraging the Power of Read-Alouds to Nurture Hearts and Minds in the Myopic Era of the Science of Reading (Yes, You Can Do Both!)