NEWSLETTER Leading the Way to Literacy An Affiliate of the International Literacy Association VOLUME XXXV, NO. 6 August 2019 Message from FLA Chair, Laurie Lee Welcome to a new school year! This time of year is always exciting! Hopefully, you have all had time for a well-deserved break, and now you are preparing to be back in your schools again. A time of new beginnings! We're starting a brand-new year at FLA as well. It is my pleasure to serve as chair this year and I want to thank Dr. Enrique Puig who is now immediate past-chair. He did a great deal to strengthen our organization, and we look forward to building on that as we move through 2019 and into 2020. Our website has been enhanced, renewing membership and registering for the annual conference is easier than ever, and local councils are doing great things in their districts and communities. Go to our website at https://www.flareads.org and check things out. Thank you for being an active part of YOUR Florida Literacy Association. We are excited to work alongside all of you to promote literacy in our classrooms, schools, districts, and in our state. Best wishes for a great 2019-2020 school year!

FLA Conference 2019 – Florida Hotel in Orlando We are excited to announce registration is open for the Florida Literacy Association Conference in Orlando on November 2-3 with preconference institutes on November 1. You will not want to miss this opportunity to join colleagues for this intellectually stimulating (and fun) event. Our theme this year is “Choose Your Own Adventure!” Take a look at our keynote speakers! View the conference schedule and register at .http://flareads.org/conference.

Wiley Blevins Sarah Lerner Keynote - A Fresh Look at Phonics Keynote - Parkland Speaks: Survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas Share their Stories

P a g e |2 FLA:LeadingtheWaytoLiteracy August2019

Additionally, the conference will include numerous breakout sessions and opportunities to meet and share with colleagues. We look forward to seeing you in November at the Florida Hotel and Conference Center!

Reimagining the Classroom By Susan E. Kelly, FLA Newsletter Editor

Courtesy of Benita Kay Moyers Courtesy of Bondi Public at NorvaNivel at Edutopia.org Summer may be a time for unwinding near a pool or beach but it’s also a time when teachers begin thinking about and planning for the upcoming school year. Sure, we may have our toes in the sand but our mind is often busy reflecting on the prior year and reimagining our classroom space. We search for ideas by attending workshops and conferences, skimming through online resources (Pinterest is our best friend), and picking the brain of our colleagues - all while sifting through yard and back-to-school sales to find low-priced items to create a rich learning environment for our future learners. While curriculum and innovative teaching practices are important, creating an environment for learning begins with the physical room arrangement. Decisions about furnishings (desks versus tables) and arrangement of furniture (open versus creating nooks), reflect our views on teaching and learning, even if unintended. While our generosity abounds, our pockets are often empty and creating the perfect “Pinterest” classroom is frequently not achievable. Teachers do not always have a choice, inheriting furnishings that were purchased with traditional ways of teaching in mind. Yet, we are creative and resourceful. Instead of placing desks in rows, we configure them in ways that allow students to collaborate. We stack bins together to create shelves that provide students with access to supplies, and we create reading nooks with rugs and beanbag chairs we were lucky to find at a yard sale. In other words, we find ways to adapt traditional furnishings to align with our increasing knowledge of best practices. Conventional and Agile Classroom Designs Student and teacher desks go so far back that many are considered antiques. Styles have changed, but the role they play in a conventional classroom has not. Think about it – desks are not comfortable (although I have known students who have fallen asleep in one). The conventional classroom design tends to be adult-centered rather than child-centered. In adult-centered classrooms, the teacher’s role is to deliver instruction in which students are the recipients of information. The layout of the classroom reflects the two roles; the teacher sits or stands at the front of the room while students are situated facing the teacher. While blackboards have been traded in for Smartboards, it is common to see them being used in traditional ways. Conventional teaching assumes all students learn at the same pace, have the same needs, and that the teacher knows what’s best. Therefore, there is no need to differentiate the process or provide alternative seating or resources.

P a g e |3 FLA:LeadingtheWaytoLiteracy August2019

On the other hand, the agile classroom or flexible classroom, “gives students the power to decide how they learn and from whom; it offers more choice, promoting a sense of ownership, control and agency. Guided by their teachers, students are empowered to think and make smart choices.” (Levin, 2019, p. 23). Components of an agile classroom include:

• Increased sense of ownership • Removing barriers to learning – diverse learners • Movement and adaptability (Levin, 2019, p. 22)

While the agile classroom provides a variety of seating options, student voice and engagement is at the heart of the design. The flexible space allows students to have some control over how they learn. Additionally, agile designs give teachers the ability to implement best practices with greater ease. Questions to Consider When I insist that we NEED another gorgeous but uncomfortable mid-century chair for our home, my husband frequently reminds me “form follows function.” Many of the chairs I think we need serve no function. The function or purpose should guide our decisions of each item and space we include in our classroom design. By placing function first, every inch of our classroom space is likely to be utilized. As you reimagine the physical environment of your classroom, consider the following:

• What are the various roles I play in assisting learning? How will my classroom arrangement support these roles?

• What roles do my students play in learning? How will they take initiative in the room's arrangement and

make adjustments according to their specific learning needs? • What specific resources will enhance my students’ learning? How will I design the classroom space to

provide them access to resources?

• What different types of learning activities will occur throughout the day? How will I create different learning areas and zones in my room’s design to allow for each activity?

Years ago, I came across a cartoon that depicted a famous historical figure who had been resurrected from the dead. As he explored his new environment, he was awed by all that had changed – machines that dispensed dollar bills with the swipe of a card, black boxes that magically produced printed text, and gadgets attached to humans that allowed them to communicate with others despite being miles away. That is, until he wandered into a school building in which he remarked, “Awe, I remember this.” Nothing much had changed. While there has consistently been a push in education towards adopting innovative teaching practices, the design of the physical environment has often been neglected. “America’s classroom is one of the last holdouts and it’s in dire need of evolution” (Levin, 2019, p. 22). In order to become a part of the evolution, we need to take into account the reciprocal relationship between innovative practices and classroom design. So, while you are at the beach, soaking in the sun and listening to the sounds of the waves, imagine your dream classroom and on your way home, pay attention to those yard sale signs. J Levine, J. (2019). How the agile classroom impacts student engagement and outcomes. Essentials Magazine (Winter), 21-23.

P a g e |4 FLA:LeadingtheWaytoLiteracy August2019

SHARE YOUR IDEAS!!! We asked you to give some thought to the four questions posed above. Throughout the next few months, we will publish and send a follow-up to “Reimagining the Classroom.” We invite you to share your ideas, photos, and questions related to designing the dream classroom! Please email susan.kelly@ucf.edu and type FLA Reimaging Classroom in the subject line. We can’t wait to hear from YOU!

PROJECTS HAPPENING AROUND the STATE We are excited to include a section devoted to projects related to literacy happening around the state of Florida. Please feel free to send projects you would like to see featured to newsletter editor, Susan Kelly.

P a g e |5 FLA:LeadingtheWaytoLiteracy August2019

Join FLA Today!!! Join our mission to spread good news about teaching and learning by becoming a member of FLA at http://flareads.org/membership. Your membership includes:

• Access to the FLA Journal • Updates news related to education • Seasonal newsletters • Discounted registration to yearly conference

Find out more about the Florida Literacy Association at www.flareads.org Susan E. Kelly, Ed. D. FLA Board of Officers FLA Newsletter Editor Laurie Lee, Chair 2019-20 Kevin Smith, Chair-Elect University of Central Florida Thania Oller, Secretary College of Community Innovation and Education Lymaris Santana, Treasurer Tony Jennings Exceptional Education Institute Kevin Smith, Vice-chair Joyce Warner, Vice-chair E-mail: Susan.kelly@ucf.edu Hope Colle, Vice-chair Mary Ann Clark, ILA Coordinator Enrique A. Puig, Immediate Past-President

is Leading the Way to Literacy!

Visit https://www.literacyworldwide.org/meetings-events/calendar-of-events for International Literacy Association affiliate professional learning events, conferences, and meetings across the globe.