69th MRA Conference: Full Schedule

10:30am EST

Empowering Readers with Computational Thinking LIMITED

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

River Overlook D (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Computational Thinking (CT) is a set of strategies for tackling complex problems. In this hands-on session, participants will discover how CT skills—decomposition, pattern recognition, algorithm design, and abstraction—can strengthen students' literacy skills, boost teacher efficacy, and integrate technology to enrich reading and writing instruction.

Speakers

Katie Marchionna

Michigan Computational Thinking Project Manager, Project Tomorrow

Ask me how Computational Thinking can give students the tools they need to be effective problem-solvers!

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

Literacy Coaching

Strand(s) Digital Literacy, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ), Literacy Coaching and Leadership

1:00pm EST

Independent Reading in High School That Honors Choice and Creativity and Doesn’t Kill the Love of Reading LIMITED

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

River Overlook D (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

How do you assess independent reading when you can’t read every book? How do you know if students are fake reading? How can you improve reading skills and practice important writing skills? How do you repair students’ relationships with reading? This session will tackle all this and provide adaptable solutions/ideas that can be taken from this session and used in classrooms.

Speakers

Becky Schwartz

High School Teacher, Springport Public Schools

Becky Schwartz is an English/Social Studies teacher at Springport High School in Jackson county Michigan. In her over 10 years of teaching, she has taught 7th - 12 grade in English, social studies, and computer science. She has been a teacher consultant with the Chippewa River Writing... Read More →

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

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

Strand(s) Assessment and Evaluation, Diverse Literature for Children and Young Adults

2:30pm EST

Building Bridges: Developing Community Partnerships that Improve Literacy Learning LIMITED

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

River Overlook D (DeVos Place - Upper Level)

Although schools and school districts list building community partnerships as a goal, many of them do not know how to establish and sustain community partnerships. The purpose of this presentation is to show attendees how to mobilize and sustain community partnerships by using statistical and anecdotal data from their literacy intervention project.

Speakers

Gwendolyn Thompson McMillon

Professor of Literacy, Oakland University

Joshua McMillon

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

Appropriate for All Levels

Strand(s) Community and Family Literacy, Culturally Responsive Instruction, Foundational Reading Skills