69th MRA Conference: Full Schedule

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10:30am EST

Author Visits: Beyond the Basics, Beyond the Books LIMITED

Saturday March 8, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EST

River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Teachers use goal setting to direct many elements of the curriculum. Why not author visits?
Authors Alice B. McGinty and Sarah Aronson share a new approach to planning and implementing school visits. This includes a checklist of social-emotional and curriculum goals which will provide the tools to give students empowering, meaningful interactions with authors, bringing reading and writing to life.

Speakers

Alice McGinty

Author, SCBWI Michigan

As the author of over 50 books for children, both fiction and nonfiction, I love to visit schools and libraries and to feel the magic that happens when connecting with young readers! With award-winning books like Bathe the Cat, Pancakes to Parathas: Breakfast Around the World, and... Read More →

Sarah Aronson

Saturday March 8, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EST
River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Appropriate for All Levels

Strand(s) Community and Family Literacy, Diverse Literature for Children and Young Adults, Literacy Educator Preparation

1:00pm EST

Growing Teachers in their Support of Multilingual Learners LIMITED

Saturday March 8, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST

River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

This session integrates the Literacy Essentials with research in English language development to deepen teachers' understanding and application of instruction while supporting multilingual learners and building capacity to interact with families and communities across diverse language and cultural backgrounds.

Speakers

Elizabeth Stolle

Grand Valley State University

Grand Valley State University's (GVSU) mission is to empower learners and enrich society through teaching, scholarship, equity, and public service. GVSU's vision is to prepare globally-minded citizens.

Dr. Christina M. Ponzio

Assistant Professor, Grand Valley State University

Building from my previous experiences as a secondary ELA/ESL teacher, ESL program coordinator, and literacy coach in Metro Detroit and teacher educator at Michigan State University, University of Michigan, and Wayne State University, I am committed to advancing equity, inclusion and... Read More →

Lindsay Stoetzel

Professor, Grand Valley State University

Saturday March 8, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm EST
River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Middle School to Post Secondary (6-12+)

Strand(s) Culturally Responsive Instruction, Language Comprehension, Multilingual and Multidialectal Literacy

2:30pm EST

High-Impact Literacy Tutoring: Interventions and Strategies to Move Under-Performing Students Forward FULL

Saturday March 8, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EST

River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

This session will report on a university partnership that entails tutors working in schools with under performing students. There will be audience participation that highlights specifically promoting love, joy and passion for reading. Further, high-impact tutoring strategies and interventions will be featured that include: Getting to know our students as the heart of differentiating tutoring.

Speakers

Margaret Policastro

Department Chair, Professor and Director of Language and Literacy, Roosevelt University

Dr. Policastro is a professor of language and literacy at Roosevelt University where she is the director of the Literacy leadership MA program and the founding director of the Summer Reading Clinic. She teachers graduate and undergraduate courses in Language and Literacy. Dr. Policastro... Read More →

Saturday March 8, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EST
River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Elementary (K-5) Literacy Coaching Middle School to Post Secondary (6-12+)

Strand(s) Advocacy, Early Language and Literacy, Foundational Reading Skills

10:30am EDT

Empathy & Digital Literacy: A Sample Unit Plan for Adolescent Developing Readers LIMITED

Sunday March 9, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EDT

River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

In this session, middle school and high school teachers will be guided through a unit plan that engages developing adolescent readers in viewing and analyzing digital texts, and understanding and synthesizing multiple perspectives through writing. Participants will leave with a ready-to-implement unit plan, and will be equipped to apply these strategies to their own teaching contexts.

Speakers

Julee Boland

Reading Specialist and Director of Professional Development and School Improvement, Washtenaw Technical Middle College

Hello! I’m a high school reading specialist and the Director of Professional Development and School Improvement for Washtenaw Technical Middle College in Ann Arbor. I have more than 20 years of teaching experience working with adolescent readers. At WTMC, I've conducted action research... Read More →

Sunday March 9, 2025 10:30am - 11:30am EDT
River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Middle School to Post Secondary (6-12+) Literacy Coaching

Strand(s) Digital Literacy, Social-Emotional Learning and Wellness

12:30pm EDT

Come to Camp! Creating an Inclusive, Positive Literacy Summer Camp Experience for Middle School Students LIMITED

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT

River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

How can middle-grades students reconnect to their love of reading and writing? Invite them to a Summer Camp to rebuild their literate identities! Presenters share how an ISD-created middle school literacy program has helped students read and write more while optimizing choice, collaboration and creativity. Learn about the basic summer camp structure, low-cost resources, and how to collect data.

Speakers

Liz Lietz, MRA President

ELA Consultant, Macomb Intermediate School District

Liz Lietz is an ELA Consultant for the Macomb Intermediate School District. She is currently serving as the President of the Michigan Reading Association, and is a Member-At-Large for NCTE's Conference on English Leadership (CEL) executive board. Liz taught high school English and... Read More →

Sara Belvedere

Secondary English & Continuous Improvement Consultant, Macomb ISD

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Middle School to Post Secondary (6-12+)

Strand(s) Disciplinary Literacy, Diverse Literature for Children and Young Adults, Written Expression

1:45pm EDT

25 Culturally Relevant Read-Alouds that Motivate Students into Independent Reading and Writing FILLING

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm EDT

River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

This session will highlight the most recent culturally relevant children's and adolescent literature. Participants will be engaged in interactive read-aloud, how to do them and featuring books that prepare students to write and become activists for change in their community. This will be an interactive session with audience participation and resources to bring back to the classroom and use.

Speakers

Margaret Policastro

Department Chair, Professor and Director of Language and Literacy, Roosevelt University

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm EDT
River Overlook A (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Early Childhood (Birth-K) Elementary (K-5) Literacy Coaching Middle School to Post Secondary (6-12+)

Strand(s) Culturally Responsive Instruction, Diverse Literature for Children and Young Adults, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ), Early Language and Literacy, Literacy Educator Preparation, Literacy Policy for Equity and Justice, Writing for Equity a