It has been another busy week. Dr. Bickmore's YA Wednesday has some good news that is the product of an idea that began at the 2017 Conference on English Education (CEE) Summer Conference last June in Columbus, Ohio at The Ohio State University campus. Typical of past CEE conferences, it was a wonderful experience. The keynote speakers were insightful and sessions were an opportunity for renewal. Members of CEE often accomplish much of their work through the work of the organization's various commissions.
CEE has commissions that have a specific focus on issues that members discuss in an effort to supply leadership and information for English Educators. They consist of the following:
CEE has commissions that have a specific focus on issues that members discuss in an effort to supply leadership and information for English Educators. They consist of the following:
- Commission on Social Justice in Teacher Education Programs
- Commission on New Literacies, Technologies and Teacher Education
- Commission on the Study and Teaching of Adolescent Literature
- Commission on the Teaching of Poetry
- Commission on English Methods Teaching and Learning
- Commission on Writing Teacher Education
- Commission on Arts and Literacies
As you might guess, I have been participating with the activities of the Commission on the Study of Teaching of Adolescent Literature. Commissions often suggest and sponsor sessions during the annual NCTE convention. During the summer conference, each commission has the chance to hold planning meetings. Last summer, an idea surfaced that has circulated among the membership for several years. Members of this commission are extremely productive; they attend the ALAN workshop, participate and present at sessions during NCTE and other conferences, write articles for The ALAN Review, The Signal Journal, and Study and Scrutiny, and there have been a number of recent edited books with a great collection of chapters.
At the same time, there has not been a summit to explore what we collectively know about research and teaching of young adult literature. There are few large scale empirical studies and the research community hasn't yet claimed the same respect as literary scholars that has been achieved by those in the field of children's literature. We still work to promote young adult literature as valuable reading material for adolescents. We continue to advocate for diverse books and free choice reading even as we try to collection information on how it is used in schools. Members in attendance at the two planning sessions, suggested it was perhaps time to explore what we know through the activities of a summit. Several of us--Crag Hill, Sarah Donovan, Michelle Falter, Gretchen Rumohr-Voskuil, and myself, were charged with exploring the possibility of putting together a summit. We began brainstorming and meeting every few weeks on google hangouts.
At the same time, there has not been a summit to explore what we collectively know about research and teaching of young adult literature. There are few large scale empirical studies and the research community hasn't yet claimed the same respect as literary scholars that has been achieved by those in the field of children's literature. We still work to promote young adult literature as valuable reading material for adolescents. We continue to advocate for diverse books and free choice reading even as we try to collection information on how it is used in schools. Members in attendance at the two planning sessions, suggested it was perhaps time to explore what we know through the activities of a summit. Several of us--Crag Hill, Sarah Donovan, Michelle Falter, Gretchen Rumohr-Voskuil, and myself, were charged with exploring the possibility of putting together a summit. We began brainstorming and meeting every few weeks on google hangouts.
We wanted to include the perspective of researchers, teachers, librarians, graduate students, and the community of YA writers as well. We wanted people to bring ideas and research projects, and suggestions for summarizing what we know. UNLV has agreed to help support this summit and a local committee of Las Vegas teachers and librarians will help us organize events for educators and students. Thursday will function as a regular conference packed with presentations and panels. Please consider submitting proposals. Friday will function as a EduCamp with the ideas and meetings of the day coming from the presentations and discussion from the previous day. Saturday will be more like regular YA conference with three author keynote with each keynote followed by an hour of breakout session linked to topics that appear in the author's books as well as a practical sessions that focuses on how to use these books in the classroom. Those who attend the whole conference will participate in all three days--Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
To accommodate local teachers, librarians, parents, and students, there will be the option to attend just the Saturday event. We have made arrangement for the three keynote authors for Saturday to also attend on Thursday and Friday as participants. We hope that the summit facilitates and open dialogue between everyone interested in young adult literature. Of course, there will be more details to come as the event approaches, but we hope you plan to attend now.
To accommodate local teachers, librarians, parents, and students, there will be the option to attend just the Saturday event. We have made arrangement for the three keynote authors for Saturday to also attend on Thursday and Friday as participants. We hope that the summit facilitates and open dialogue between everyone interested in young adult literature. Of course, there will be more details to come as the event approaches, but we hope you plan to attend now.
One of the members of the planning committee, Sarah Donovan, captures the excitement and anticipations that we all feel:
As a doc student at UIC, I researched young adult genocide literature. I spent a lot of time trying to connect with the authors who wrote these books for their insight into the writing and publication process. I had always imagined a conference that would put researchers authors and teachers in the same room to talk about the craft and teaching of these books. Now I teach diverse literature in middle school and teacher ed, and because of this conference I will finally have the opportunity to actually sit with some of our field's emerging and established authors, researchers, librarian, and teachers from across the country. What a gift this conference will be for us and for the students with whom we share these books.
We hope you will join us and authors--Laurie Halse Anderson, Kekla Magoon, and Bill Konigsberg as, collectively, we discuss our field.
As a doc student at UIC, I researched young adult genocide literature. I spent a lot of time trying to connect with the authors who wrote these books for their insight into the writing and publication process. I had always imagined a conference that would put researchers authors and teachers in the same room to talk about the craft and teaching of these books. Now I teach diverse literature in middle school and teacher ed, and because of this conference I will finally have the opportunity to actually sit with some of our field's emerging and established authors, researchers, librarian, and teachers from across the country. What a gift this conference will be for us and for the students with whom we share these books.
We hope you will join us and authors--Laurie Halse Anderson, Kekla Magoon, and Bill Konigsberg as, collectively, we discuss our field.
| summit_flyer_and_proposal.pdf |
Please join us in Las Vegas. For more information you can email me at [email protected] and follow this blog.
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