Indiana Council of Teachers of English Revitalizes Annual Conference
On March 16, the Indiana Council of Teachers of English (ICTE) hosted the newly reinstated, annual ICTE Conference at Park Tudor Elementary in Indianapolis, Indiana. ICTE was a dormant state chapter of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) until about a year and a half ago. A small group of dedicated teachers, including the Center for Literacy Education’s Dr. Mike Macaluso, reinvigorated the chapter with the hopes of empowering English teachers across the state to share their expertise.
One of ICTE’s first priorities as a reestablished affiliate was to host a yearly conference where this sharing of ideas and experience could take place. The Center for Literacy Education helped to fund this year’s ICTE conference, which was fittingly themed “Revitalize Your Teaching, Revitalize Yourself.” The event boasted over 150 participants, including several national vendors and highly respected speakers.
Barbara Shoup, an author and Indiana resident, opened the conference with the morning keynote address. In her speech, she talked about how her recent foray into painting helped her think about her process as a writer. Following the keynote, ICTE offered three different sessions of presentations on best practices, research, and trends in English education. During each session, ICTE offered attendees seven presentation options, totaling 21 possible presentations. Several members of the CLE presented during these sessions, including Dr. Betsy Okello, Dr. Mike Macaluso, and Dr. Kati Macaluso. Dr. Okello spoke on “Read Aloud as a Form of Explicit Instruction,” and all three professors presented “Tips for Teaching Culturally Diverse Literature in Middle School.”
“While I came in with my prepared topic, the presentation allowed me to the good opportunity to hear from practicing teachers -- their needs, concerns, and interests,” Dr. Mike Macaluso says. “I think opportunities like this are good for all teacher educators because it keeps us current with the needs and interests of the field.”
The conference also provided three ACE Teaching Fellows with the opportunity to share their expertise with other teachers. Emma Fleming of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School (Stockton, CA) and Jackie Winsch of St. Laurentius Catholic School (Philadelphia, PA) spoke on lessons they have learned teaching elementary students in “Energized by Empathy: Using Theater Education to Create an Empathetic Classroom Culture.”
“As an early career educator, this conference offered the opportunity to strengthen my professional leadership and passion for curriculum and instruction, specifically in the realm of literacy,” Fleming says. “I truly loved speaking with Jackie about our mutual love of integrated arts education and how theatre has served our classroom communities.”
Also, Elena Silla of St. Cornelius School (Oakland, CA) presented "Helping Students Find Their Voices: The Power of Socratic Seminars,” where she discussed the implementation and benefits of Socratic Seminars in all classroom, with a focus on elementary and middle school classes.
Silla says, “As a second-year teacher, it was such a valuable experience to learn about techniques to revitalize our classrooms and our teacher identity from other educators. Having the opportunity to discuss helping students find their voices and speak out during Socratic seminars not only helped me learn more about this student-centered practice but hopefully inspired others to integrate more student-centered discussion techniques in their classrooms as well.”
Thomas C. Foster, author of How to Read Literature Like a Professor, delivered the lunch keynote address, followed by craft talks from Poet Laureate of Indiana Adrian Matejka and novelist Kathy Higgs-Coulthard. The day concluded with “The Future is Now,” a series of nine roundtable discussions led by preservice and early career teachers.
“It's wonderful to see practicing teachers presenting on their own teaching successes and to see them positioned as experts in the field,” Macaluso says. “We hope that this conference, and those to come, really bolsters the literacy efforts and achievements of Indiana educators. We want to draw attention to the good educational work happening in our state!”
Next year's ICTE Conference will be held at the University of Notre Dame at the Mendoza College of Business. Updates on the event can be found by following ICTE on Twitter (@ICTE17).
