Literacy Learning Zone

#cyberPD Book Selections For a decade, #cyberPD has been an anticipated summer event to connect educators near and far in collaborative professional conversation. Through blogs, Twitter, and various digital media, participants share thinking around a common professional title featured for discussion. Though the main event is in July of each year, the conversations and connections carry across the year. Since #cyberPD's first event, we've grown from a group of less than 15 to a community of over 150 educators.   We have found this community to be powerful and the conversations have helped us grow in our journey as educators. These conversations have pushed us, made us uncomfortable, and allowed us the chance to see things from different perspectives. It’s amazing to think that #cyberPD was a pioneer for online book clubs and this community made it possible!   Yet, here we are today. When we got ready to “share our bookstacks,” COVID was in full swing and teachers we...

I'm reading and reflecting on Welcome to Writing Workshop with a different lens than most teachers. As a reading specialist, I am not fully implementing writing workshop. However, I can support teachers with implementation, brainstorm ideas through the challenges, and support reading and writing in my role knowing the full experience of the workshop model. My Thoughts and Reflections for Week 1: Chapter 1-4 "It's our belief that every student can write --  even the ones who have stopped believing in themselves as writers ."   (Shubitz & Dorfmann, p.1) Takeaways I work with students who have not yet developed the belief that they are readers and writers. So to hear from the authors they too belief ALL students are writers reminds me of the power of YET. I need to remember this definition when talking about workshop: "The structure of writing workshop is simple: it is student centered and based on the belief that students...

Announcing the 2019 #cyberPD Book! Check out our  NEW  #cyberPD MeWe Community   to learn more! We can't wait for YOU to join in the conversations! ________________________________________________________________ It's that time of year again! Cathy and I have finally selected our #cyberPD book for our summer learning. It's never an easy decision.  Conversations go back and forth.  Ideas fly.  Standards are high.  Book stacks full of possibilities are higher.  And then ... it happens.  The just right book emerges from the stacks. The book selection is important, but what makes this PD event truly successful are the amazing teachers and educators across the globe that support each other through the learning process. YOU make #cyberPD a success!  Thank YOU for joining us ... whether this is your very first year, or your 9th year,  or somewhere in between, we are thrilled YOU are joining in!  _______...

It's the 9th Annual #cyberPD Summer Event! Check out our NEW  #cyberPD MeWe Group   to learn more! We can't wait for YOU to join in the conversations! ________________________________________________________________ I can't believe it's that time of year already. Where do the days, weeks, months go? I'm ready to slow things down for summer and enjoy a few great books. Ok, who am I kidding? A LOT of great books. The one book always at the top of my list is the professional development book selected for #cyberPD. This book is treasured and shared by many educators across the globe as we come together to learn, to share, to grow, to know better, and to be better in all that we do. Here are the titles we have read over the last eight summers: Here's how #cyberPD Works: NOW ... The time to share your PD book stack! JUNE 1st ... The much anticipated #cyberPD book will be announced! This allows everyone time to purchase the book and begin readin...

It's the 8th Annual  #cyberPD Summer Event! Join in our  #cyberPD Google+ Community  to participate!  We want YOU to join in the conversations! This July we are reading and learning together around the new title  from Sara Ahmed  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * My Thoughts and Reflections for Week 3: Chapter 5 & 6 "You have to be able to see the humanity in others before you can activate your empathy by self-identifying and making connections ."   (Ahmed, p.103) Takeaways:  Sara shares two more lessons that will provide a great depth on reflection and conversation, both geared towards upper grades. Our Universe of Obligation: Naming people and groups that we feel responsibility for, those that you will be an upstander for, and how this circle may include o...

It's the 8th Annual  #cyberPD Summer Event! Join in our  #cyberPD Google+ Community  to participate! We want YOU to join in the conversations! This July we are reading and learning together around the new title from Sara Ahmed  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * My Thoughts and Reflections for Week 2: A Little Late Chapter 3: Being Candid "We have come a long way together and I am watching  your minds and hearts grow a little stronger every day ."   (Ahmed, p.73) Takeaways:  At first I thought ... social comprehension was more of a SEL approach. Now I think ... social comprehension is an inquiry approach at it's best with the students' as the curriculum and students asking the most important questions that matter to them.  At first I though...