2023 MDE Diversity in Literature Symposium: The How and Why of Literacy

MDE, in collaboration with MiMTSS TA Center, is excited to host an in-person literacy event for educators and administrators in Michigan. There is space for 600 Michigan educators to learn and network in support of Goal 2 of Michigan’s Top 10 Education Strategic Plan: Improve early literacy achievement.

The conference opens with a keynote from Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, author of “Cultivating Genius” and “Unearthing Joy.” Dr. Muhammad will blend history, theory, and engaging approaches for culturally and responsive student-centered learning. She will demonstrate researched-based equity practices and describe how pedagogical examples transfer to lesson and unit plans.

Conference attendees will select from nine breakout sessions in the morning with a wide range of diverse literacy resources, the science of reading topics, and much more. Lunch will be provided in the afternoon, followed by a selection of nine more breakout sessions.

When: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. on March 16, 2023
Where: Lansing Center
Cost: $75

Note: Parking is $10

Register

Conference Materials

All conference materials, including handouts and PowerPoint presentations, are available via Dropbox. Materials will be added as they are received.

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Gholdy Muhammad

Dr. Gholnecsar (Gholdy) Muhammad is an Associate Professor of Literacy, Language, and Culture at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has previously served as a classroom teacher, literacy specialist, school district administrator, curriculum director, and school board president. She studies Black historical excellence in education, intending to reframe curriculum and instruction today. Dr. Muhammad’s scholarship has appeared in leading academic journals and books. She has also received numerous national awards and is the author of the best-selling book, Cultivating Genius: An Equity Model for Culturally and Historically Responsive Literacy. She also co-authored Black girls’ literacies: An Edited Volume. Her Culturally and Historically Responsive Education Model has been adopted across thousands of U.S. schools and districts across Canada. In 2022 she was named among the top 1% Edu-Scholar Public Influencers due to her impact on policy and practice. She has also received numerous awards from national organizations and universities. She was named the American Educational Research Association Division K Early Career Award and the 2021 NCTE Outstanding Elementary Educator in the English Language Arts. She has led a federal grant with the United States Department of Education to study culturally and historically responsive literacy in STEM classrooms. Her forthcoming book, Unearthing Joy, is the sequel to Cultivating Genius and provides a practical guide for putting culturally and historically responsive education into curricular practice.

Agenda

• How to Bridge the Early Literacy Research into Kindergarten through Second Grade Classroom Instruction
• Increasing Teacher Knowledge through High-Quality Professional Development: One District’s Story
• Syntax: Its Integral Role in Text Comprehension
• Culturally Response Sentence Writing Instruction Through Sentence Combining
• Providing Reading Intervention for Students in Grades 4-9: Overview of IES Practice Guide
• Secondary MTSS Implementaion: Literacy Across the Core Subject Areas
• Revealing the Reading Brain
• Unpacking the Science of Reading
• Diverse Library Resources
• Bringing Mirrors and Windows to Life through Interactive Read Alouds and Lesson Plan Ideas with Acclaimed Author Angela Joy: “Black is a Rainbow Color”

• Scaffolding Complex Texts, Instructional Strategies for Equitable Access to Rigorous Content
• Purposeful Practice – A Key to Differentiating Instruction in an MTSS Framework
• Windows, Mirrors and Sliding Glass Doors: Diversifying P-5 Classroom Libraries
• How to Bridge the Literacy Research into Third through Fifth Grade Classroom Instruction
• Writing as a Tool for Improving Reading Comprehension
• Intensifying Literacy Instruction at the Elementary & Secondary Level
• Explaining the Simple View of Reading
• Partnering with ALL Families
• Library of Michigan – Selection Process for Diverse Books
• Bringing Mirrors and Winows to Life Through Picture Book Text and Backmatter with Acclaimed Author Angela Joy: CHOOSING BRAVE