Have you struggled to get students to dive deeper into texts or digital content and move beyond more superficial readings and viewings? Are you interested in engaging students in thinking and dialogue in a more creative way?
Reader response strategies such as Sketch to Stretch or Graffiti Boards can be valuable tools for thinking critically about texts and media, increasing comprehension, and helping students connect their personal lives and experiences to text or media through dialogue and drawing.
Dr. Kathy Short, from the University of Arizona Department of Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies, will provide an introduction to reader response strategies. We will explore practical applications with engaging digital content from PBS LearningMedia, and will share a variety of hands-on and digital tools for educators to use with students. This will be an interactive course and teachers will have opportunity to explore the Sketch to Stretch strategy in-depth and collaborate with other educators.
Date: September 2
Time: 4:00 - 5:15 p.m.
Cost: Free
Facilitator: Kathy Short and Cheryl Gerken
Kathy G. Short is a professor in Teaching, Learning and Sociocultural Studies at the University of Arizona and works with educators around the world on inquiry and literature-based curriculum. Her research focuses on inquiry, global children’s and adolescent literature, literature circles, and intercultural understanding. She has co-authored many books, including Teaching Globally: Reading the World through Literature, Creating Classrooms for Authors and Inquirers, and Learning Together.
Cheryl Gerken is a former bilingual 4th-grade teacher and K-5 Librarian with 11 years of experience and holds an Master’s Degree in Language, Reading and Culture from the University of Arizona . She currently works for Arizona Public Media as the Educational Outreach Coordinator, focused on sharing free, high-quality PBS resources with teachers, schools, districts and community members through workshops and information sessions. She has a passion for finding ways to inspire curiosity and student engagement in and out of the classroom and believes that critical literacy and critical thinking can be woven into every area of the curriculum at all grade levels.
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