webinar

Webinar: Multilingual Voices, Disciplinary Spaces: Literacy Practices for Equity and Inclusion

Webinar

Missed the live webinar? You can now access the recording of “Multilingual Voices, Disciplinary Spaces: Literacy Practices for Equity and Inclusion”! Held on June 17, panelists Shari Revels-Davis, Jasmine Lauer, Diana Vargas Hager, and Carrie Rieder discussed proper resources for MLLs, how to navigate linguistic & cultural diversity, centering MLLs’ identities, and leveraging multilingualism as an asset.

Webinar: Showcasing Teachers’ Literacy Expertise

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Missed the live webinar? You can now access the recording of “Showcasing Teachers’ Literacy Expertise”! Held on May 29, 2025, this insightful session members were Nikki Upchurch and Haleigh Jo Baker. Discover how Nikki, a middle grade teacher, and Haleigh, a high school math teacher, engage in creative and effective literacy practices that support classroom learning.

Showcasing Teachers’ Literacy Expertise

Materials Matter: Leveraging Quality NGSS Curricula to Enact Disciplinary Literacy

Webinar

Explore how to leverage quality NGSS curricula to enact disciplinary literacy in your 6-12 classroom with this recorded webinar featuring Mary Starr, Executive Director of the Michigan Math and Science Leadership Network. Discover the hidden disciplinary literacy within NGSS-aligned materials and learn how to incorporate additional opportunities using science and engineering practices. This session focuses on helping science learners recognize and utilize literacy practices in their own learning. Watch now to gain valuable insights from this free webinar, originally presented on March 15th, and funded by a grant from the South Carolina Middle Grades Initiative.

About the Presenter

Mary is the Executive Director of the Michigan Math and Science Leadership Network and a leader of the Disciplinary Literacy Essentials initiative in Michigan. She has authored textbooks, provides NGSS professional learning and leadership support across Michigan and the US. Currently, Mary is a co-PI on an NSF grant called Learning in Places. When she’s not organizing, writing or providing learning opportunities she can be found working elbow to elbow with science teachers in the classrooms.

We Teach English in Times of Perpetual Crisis: Selling a Story of Reading (and Literacy)

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English-speaking countries are once again in the midst of another Reading War, and in the U.S., the “science of reading” (SOR) movement is taking center stage. This movement has led to intense media scrutiny of reading programs, teachers, and teacher education, as well as sweeping state-level legislation and mandates.

In our December 2024 webinar, P.L. Thomas explores the history of the Reading Wars, breaks down the key elements of the SOR movement, and highlights why these changes pose significant challenges for educators. From threats to teacher autonomy to the risk of overlooking individual student needs, this conversation is vital for all educators—not just those who teach beginning readers.

Watch the webinar below to better understand this pressing issue and its implications for the future of education.

About the Presenter

P.L. Thomas, Professor of Education (Furman University, Greenville SC), taught high school English in rural South Carolina before moving to teacher education. He is a former column editor for English Journal (National Council of Teachers of English) and author of How to End the Reading War and Serve the Literacy Needs of All Students (2nd ed.; IAP, 2022) and Teaching Writing as Journey, Not Destination: Essays Exploring What ‘Teaching Writing’ Means (IAP, 2019). NCTE named Thomas the 2013 George Orwell Award winner. He coedited (with Chris Goering) Critical Media Literacy and Fake News in Post-Truth America (Brill, 2018), receiving the 2019 Divergent Award for Excellence in 21st Century Literacies.

Follow his work @plthomasEdD and the becoming radical: https://radicalscholarship.wordpress.com/

Coaching Teachers in Disciplinary Literacy

Teaching, Webinar

Thanks to Dr. Littlejohn and Dr. Rogers for sharing their insights on how to grow disciplinary literacy through coaching.

About the authors

Dr. Wanda Littlejohn is a native of North Augusta, SC, and has 22 years’ experience in the field of education with a background in science. Currently, she is an InstructionalSpecialist at Carolina High School where she provides professional development for teachers. Her passion is working with
educators to provide engaging and equitable learning experiences for students.

Dr. Fran Rogers is an experienced educator in Greenville, SC with a diverse background in middle school and high school education. She has served in various instructional positions at the school and district levels, including classroom teacher, instructional coach, and Secondary Academic Instructional Specialist.