2009 Conference Speakers
Cultivating Literacy
Iowa Reading Association
ESEA Title I Annual Conference
April 2-3, 2009 - Des Moines, IA
By Lindsey Helmers, 2009 Conference Chair
Be sure to mark you calendars and make plans to attend the 2009 Iowa Reading Association conference. The line up of speakers, authors, and presenters will have you walking away with a crop full of knowledge.
Keynote Speakers
Linda Gambrell, past president of International Reading Association, will inspire you to make a difference in the lives of your students. The furrows of your mind will fill up as she shares her own classroom experience of touching the lives of children through the teaching of reading. She will share with you useful techniques that you can use every day to engage learners in literacy. You won't want to miss the opportunity to hear this exceptional speaker as she shares from the heart and will definitely touch your heart at the same time.
Gail Boushey and Joan Moser, better known as “The Sisters”, are delighted to be coming to our Iowa conference. They will share from their storehouse of knowledge in setting up and implementing a literacy classroom. The Sisters are co-authors of The Daily Five and Simply Beautiful and speak nationally and internationally. Gail is currently a literacy coach and will offer ways for coaches and classroom teachers to collaborate to make instruction meaningful, individualized, and successful for all students. You will enjoy hearing how Joan juggles the role of K-2 teacher with the energy and humor it demands. Check out their website - www.the2sisters.com.
Let your thinking be cultivated as you listen to Marcus Conyers, author of ten books on the brain and teaching. Mr. Conyers will have you up off your seats as he offers practical strategies to use in helping your students learn to read and enjoy remembering what they have read from various texts. .The seeds of possibilities will be sprouting as you learn new ways to enhance thinking in your classroom.
Full Crop of Authors
Mary Casanova returns to Iowa to share her love of writing and reading with you. Mary has 19 published books to her credit. Enjoy as Mary tells about her travels and experiences while writing her books. Titles include The Klipfish Code, Dog Watch, and Utterly Otterly Day. Check out Mary's website at www.marycasanova.com.
Trinka Hakes Noble is the award winning author of numerous picture books including Apple Tree Christmas, The Scarlet Stocking Spy, The Last Brother, and The Legend of the Cape May Diamond. Ms. Noble also wrote the ever-popular Jimmy's Boa series and Meanwhile Back at the Ranch. You will definitely want to join Ms. Noble as she discusses the learning power of the strong storytelling, especially when it comes from the heart.
Shelley Gill, author of Adventure at the Top of the World, Adventure at the Bottom of the World, Kiana's Iditarod, North Country Christmas, Danger, the Dog Yard Cat, and numerous other books about nature, animals and adventure, loves to inspire students to be excited about reading and writing. Her talks cover a whole range of topics from the Iditarod Sled Dog Race to chasing whales. Shelley's website is www.shelleygill.com.
John Archambault's work has motivated kids to turn off the TV and get turned on to the magical words that reading can deliver. Joh is most well known for his best-selling classic, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Other titles of John's include Barn Dance, The Ghost-Eye Tree, Knots on a Counting Rope, and Boom Chicka Rock. John has also authored the new Rockin' Reading series for beginning readers with David Plummer. Check out John's website - www.johnarchambault.com.
Brad Tassell will entertain his audience as he shares about his book, Billy Fustertag Does Comedy. Brad will also talk more seriously about bullying. Educators will want to hear about another of Brad's book, Don't Feed the Bully and tips on bully control in your classroom and school. www.dontfeedthebully.com is Brad's website.
You won't want to miss the many other presenters, many of Iowa's own pride and joy, who will educate, entertain, and enlighten you as you attend the 2009 conference.
Carol Gorman Sharron McElmeel
Jeni Reeves Carol Bodensteiner
One of the Friday luncheons will include a panel made up of Iowa author Carol Gorman (www.carolgorman.com) whose books include Stumptown Kid, Dork in Disguise, Dork on the Run, Chelsey and the Green-Haired Kid, illustrator Jeni Reeves (illustrator of Colors of Kenya, Voice of Freedom, The Girl Who Struck Out Babe Ruth – www.jenireeves.com) and Sharron McElmeel (author of two dozen books for educators and parents and director of the literary organization McBookwords).
You will also hear both days from Brad Tassell, Don’t Feed the Bully, Jimmy Fustertag Does Comedy and Iowa author, Carol Bodensteiner, Growing Up Country and many of our own crop of Iowa educators.
The bumper crop of speakers, authors and presenters will fill your wagons to overflowing with new books, new ideas, and tried and true techniques to use with your students.
