Kim Arroyo, Gavit Middle School,  Hammond, IN

Mark Letcher, Purdue University,  Calumet Hammond, IN

Jannette Vehrs-Snelson, Griffith Middle/High School, Griffith, IN

Nick Trottier, Gavit Middle/High School,  Hammond, IN

In this era of Common Core State Standards, as well as revised state standards that borrow heavily from CCSS, there is a greater emphasis on reading across disciplines. Literacy is now a shared responsibility among all teachers and no longer falls exclusively on the ELA teacher. The panelists feel it is vital that students learn to appreciate reading in all of their classes, avoiding reader disengagement, as some of the panelists themselves experienced in their own middle and high school years.  At their respective school sites, the presenters on this panel have taken steps to address reading instruction within their classrooms, as well as on a school-wide basis.
 AUDIENCE: Teachers (all levels); Collegiate Faculty; Media Specialists

Cassie Cox, Two Rivers High School, Ogden, UT

If you are brimming with ideas about your classroom shelves stuffed with new books and supplies or want to sweeten your school year with author visits and field trips, then this is one breakout session you don't want to miss! This workshop will equip educators with resources for revolutionizing classroom, schools and communities. Cox is an award-winning educator known for her motivational, inspiring, and entertaining approach to inspiring educators and is driven by the motto "Ask Until the Answer Is Yes" --come fill your bag with possibilities to fund your passion for teaching and reading.  
 AUDIENCE: Classroom Teachers (all levels); Librarians; Administrators

Sarah Ressler Wright Rutherford B. Hayes High School Delaware, OH

Are you a librarian perusing bookstore shelves wondering if you too should have a Horror section?  Are you a  teacher questioning why you spend your money on books when the school library already has them? I am a high school English teacher-turned-librarian who has gone rogue by arranging the school library's fiction collection by genre and creating satellite libraries in English classrooms. This presentation will provide easy and practical ways to reshape your classroom/school library, while doubling your checkouts. Downloadable genre shelf cards, genre address label templates, and many more resources will be provided. 
 AUDIENCE: Classroom Teachers & Librarians; Middle and High School

Cynthia Minnich, Upper Dauphin Area High School, Millersburg, PA

Sarah Andersen, Fenton Senior High, Fenton, MI

Sarah Darer Littman, Scholastic, Cos Cob, CT

Teenagers live in a world where they are overwhelmed with words - in advertisements, social media, and the news. While teachers and librarians often focus on evaluating sources used for academic research, the fact remains that our young readers of the world are often left unprepared to critically read everything else that gets thrown at them. In a world where the "news" is increasingly becoming driven by what will generate the most clicks, we want to show how YA literature can introduce the concepts of rhetoric and critical reading in real world contexts familiar to teens. By examining YA titles that give insight into"the rest of the story" behind the stories that get shared on social media and in the headlines, we are able to engage with students in safe discussion about the stories they are exposed to every day.
 AUDIENCE: Middle School & High School Teachers & Librarians

What does the popular ascent of both YA film adaptations and dystopian stories tell us about our world and how teens situate themselves in that world? How can teachers use film and television to pair with YA texts to create rich, thematic connections in their classrooms?  This session will help bridge the gap between student interest in reading and media resources and provide information on how to make these connections happen. 

AUDIENCE: Secondary; Ages 12 - 20

Toby Emert, Agnes Scott College,  Decatur, GA

Julia Watts, Young Adult Author,  Knoxville, TN

In this presentation, Lambda Award winner Julia Watts, author of many young adult novels, and Toby Emert, theatre artist and teacher educator, discuss the process of collaborating to translate Watts' 2001 novel, Finding H.F., for the stage. The breakout session will include an introduction to the work of adapting a young adult novel for the stage, a 20-minute excerpt of the play as a staged performance, and a discussion of the importance of bringing texts with queer characters into the middle and high school English classroom.

AUDIENCE: Middle, Secondary, College

Laura Jiménez , Boston University, Boston, MA

This breakout session will provide participants with examples of the ways print-dominant readers experienced making sense of graphic novels, the ways graphic novel readers deal with confusing or conflicting information, and how this evidence helps explain the time spent reading. We will discuss how understanding the time readers spend in graphic novels will enable teachers to help guide students to use their time wisely in these complex and engaging texts.

AUDIENCE: Upper Elementary, Middle and High School; ELL

Amanda Meyers, Pritzker College Prep High School, Chicago, IL

Teachers frequently self-censor their curriculum by avoiding controversial texts out of fear of parental and administrative backlash. This session will explore the development, implementation, and positive effects of a student-driven unit that confronts the censorship of YA literature. The goal of this session is to empower participants to push critical conversations in their classrooms by providing tangible methods for increasing student engagement. 

AUDIENCE: Secondary; Ages 12-20

Wake Forest Students (TBA)

This breakout session will examine the power of sports talk and books, while showcasing an innovative after-school literacy program that uses sports-related young adult literature.   This literacy program seeks to encourage ninth and tenth grade boys to read and write for enjoyment, while learning essential skills required in English/language arts. Attendees will come away with text suggestions, curricular resources, and program development ideas to help engage sports-minded students, particularly reluctant and/or unmotivated readers, through an examination of sports culture and related social issues such as steroids, substance abuse, concussions, bullying, and homophobia. 

AUDIENCE: Middle School; High School

KEYWORDS: Sports; Popular Culture; Out-of-school Literacies; After-School Program