MCELA Mattersprograms, resources, connections |
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Inside: Writing Contests Matter - Multimedia Climate Stories from Maine Public Radio. Deadline 2/23/24. $500 for the winning entry. More details are linked below.
- Margaret Chase Smith Essay Contest.Maine high school seniors only. Deadline 4/2/24. $1000 for first place, $500 for second place, $250 for third place, and five $50 honorable mention prizes. More details are linked below.
- 2024 Terry Plunkett Maine Poetry Contest. Maine high school students and UMA students. Deadline 3/1/24. Winners will read their work at the Festival. More details are linked below.
MCELA Programming Matters - MCELA Conference March 2024: Ignite Joy–Tending the Spaces Between with Keynote Penny Kittle and 40 workshops! Scroll for an exclusive message from Penny Kittle and our a first look at our program and sessions. Limited tickets remaining–Act fast!
- In-person workshop: Exploring the Meaning(s) of Literarcy.
2 Maine locations: @Lewiston Middle School on 3/2 and @Bonny Eagle High School on 4/6. Scroll for more details and links for registration.
Opportunities Matter Resources Matter - World Read Aloud Day is February 7th. Scroll for link to resources.
- Free resources at myshakespeare.com
Our Words Matter Message from the MCELA Executive Board Member, Michelle DeBlois: Winter is a time of reflection, and when I think about the choices I make in my day-to-day routine, I realize that I base so much of my decision-making on emotions, not logic. Even though I consider myself a logical thinker, emotions rule my answers to questions like, what do I want to experience? What do I want to eat? And especially, what do I want to read? Students should have the freedom to allow their emotions to influence their experience in the classroom, too. One of the best avenues to enable this is during independent reading time. Ask your students to consider their purpose when choosing books. Do they want to laugh or cry (or both)? Do they want to learn new things or see things from different perspectives? Do they want to escape? The joy of reading comes from the choice of reading… and the emotional experience that choice yields. Choosing books is more than lexiles and levels, genres and authors. Think about what would happen if we let go of our “logic-based” performance expectations and comparisons that impose internal and external pressures on reading. What kind of readers would show up in your classroom? If you want to know more about helping your students find joy in reading through purpose, we have a session all about it during our MCELA Conference in March. On behalf of the MCELA board, I’d love to invite you to come to the conference, explore new strategies, and share your ideas! Michelle DeBlois MCELA Executive Board Member maine.ela@gmail.com MCELA website: mainecela.org |
Maine high school seniors only. Deadline 4/2/24 $1000 for first place, $500 for second place, $250 for third place, and five $50 honorable mention prizes. |
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The contest is for Maine high school students and University of Maine system undergraduate students only.
The deadline for submission is March 1, 2024.
When you submit, please be sure to follow these guidelines: |
- Contestants may submit up to 3 pieces of original work.
- Please submit a SEPARATE entry for each piece of work.
- Each poem may have a maximum of 52 lines.
- Submissions will be judged blind, so please make sure your name is not present in the submitted poem document.
- Prior Plunkett Poetry Contest winners are not eligible to participate.
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Save the date: Saturday, April 27, 2024, for UMAs 22nd annual Terry Plunkett Maine Poetry Festival. |
This year, the festival will include live readings in the Danforth Gallery and the Jewett Hall Auditorium on the Augusta campus of the University of Maine at Augusta and will include participation from Maine high schools, the University of Maine System campuses, and the Maine poetry community. The keynote speaker will be Brian Turner, who is best known for his poems about serving in the Iraq War, and his poems resonate today given current global conflicts. His poems are empathic and intersectional, often showing multiple points of view and the ripple effects of violence on a community. The festival is free and open to all. |
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MCELA Programming Matters |
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| Click the link below to access an exclusive message from Penny Kittle for Maine ELA educators regarding the conference. |
In-person MCELA workshop: 2 dates and locations! Limited space available. |
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Exploring the Meaning(s) of LiteracyFinding Interdisciplinary Connections
between the Language and VisualIn-person workshop. Lewiston Middle School, Saturday, March 2, 2024, 9 am-4:30 pm Click here to register! Only 20 tickets. Bonny Eagle High School in Saco. Saturday, April 6, 2024, 9 am-4:30 pm Click here to register! Only 20 tickets. 6 contact hours Cost: $55 (includes lunch) How can we expand our understanding of these elements to include both the Language and Visual Arts? This workshop is for teachers who are interested in multi-disciplinary thinking, learning, and making that combine both disciplines. Through writing poetry and creating a one-of-a-kind “artist’s book” we will investigate the relationship of form and content through aesthetic and literary means. The emphasis will be on process and skill-building. No previous Book Arts experience is required! We will consider some of the many educational benefits of interdisciplinary teaching and learning: ● Expression of Student Identity ● Experiential Problem-Solving ● Diversity of Student Experience ● Honoring Multiple Intelligences Instructors: Judy Novey (Visual Arts) and Lorry Stillman (Language Arts) are both veteran teachers at the Middle and Secondary levels. Together, over a span of twenty years, they created and taught an interdisciplinary course called Word & Image that combined the literacies of both of their disciplines. In retirement, they have developed a series of presentations and workshop formats that focus on the benefits of interdisciplinary teaching and learning. |
Membership year is September 2023-August 2024. MCELA Membership Includes: - Discounted conference rate
- Monthly newsletter
- Northwords Publication
- Free or discounted book studies
- Free or discounted workshops
- and other surprise events and opportunities along the way!
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Elevate Student Wellbeing and Academics with SpiritCorps – Now Free for Your School! Transform your students' lives with SpiritCorps, a three-week program designed for 7th to 10th graders. Our project-based approach integrates narrative writing, self-discovery, and the sharing of personal stories to boost academic skills and mental wellbeing. Last year's results speak for themselves: - Academic Impact: 24.8% improvement in 5 ELA CCR Anchor Standards.
- SEL Benefits: Teachers report 25.2% improvement, while students report an astounding 72.8% boost.
- Caring Connections: Students perceive a positive impact of 65.7%.
Exciting news – thanks to our DOE partnership, your school's first engagement is free for the remainder of the 2023-24 school year. Limited spring openings are available. Watch our brief video, "Introduction to SpiritCorps," and contact Christina O'Neal, Director of Program Partnerships, at coneal@spiritseries.org today to explore bringing SpiritCorps to your school! Empower your students to thrive academically and emotionally with SpiritCorps. |
Unlock Your Chance to Attend the Don Graves Write Now! Conference – On Us! Dreaming of attending the annual Don Graves Write Now! Conference in North Conway, New Hampshire? MCELA is here to make it happen for you! We're thrilled to announce that we'll be covering the Saturday 4/6/24 registration cost for 4 lucky educators. Imagine immersing yourself in a day of inspiration, learning, and networking at this renowned conference – all at no cost to you! Simply complete the form below by 2/16/24 for your shot at winning this incredible opportunity. Seize this chance to enhance your professional development and experience the Don Graves Write Now! 2024 Conference without worrying about the registration fees. Let MCELA be your ticket to an enriching educational experience. Fill out the form now – your conference adventure awaits! https://forms.gle/ra4hNGv3Y6qYTuQK6 |
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We are pleased to announce that the Literacy Connections Conference is returning to UMaine's campus on Friday, May 10th! The theme for this year's conference is: Advancing Literacy Access and Understanding for All!
Our keynote, Katie Kelly will focus on Critical Comprehension to bring all levels of readers to success Proposals are now being accepted for presentations for early childhood through adult literacy. If your proposal is accepted, you can attend the conference for free! (One free admission per proposal.) Watch for registration details in the next month. We hope to see you there! Katherine (Kathie) WingAdministrative Specialist College of Education and Human Development University of Maine 5766 Shibles Hall Room 203 Orono, ME 04469-5766 Phone: 207.581.2493 Fax: 207.581.9052 UM Class of 2020
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MCELA's Academic Journal. Click the cover above to access the 2023 volume and past volumes. Write for yourself and for us. Submissions for the 2024 Northwords are due by May 1, 2024. More information can be accessed here: Northwords Call for Submissions. |
Are you a Writing Project Educator? NCTE & NWP need your reflections! |
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As you’re likely aware, the National Writing Project is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. NCTE and NWP have a storied and shared history, including a remarkable overlap of contributions from leaders in the field. We want to help honor NWP by sharing stories of how NWP has helped teachers in their careers. I’m reaching out to ask if you’ll share reflections of your time and experience with NWP. We’ve set up a simple intake form at ncte.org/nwp-50 with three prompts. Feel free to respond to any or all of the questions to let people know how NWP has impacted your professional journey. Beginning this spring, responses will be compiled in a digital scrapbook and may appear in an NCTE publication. We’re asking for submissions by February 20. We hope you’ll take the opportunity to submit your thoughts, and I encourage you to share this invitation with your network so we can present a broad sample of NWP insights. Let me know if you have any questions, and thanks so much for your consideration. Take care – lisa Lisa Storm Fink Professional Learning and Member Engagement | National Council of Teachers of English |
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Dear K-12 Educators and Youth Librarians, We are doctoral students at Oakland University working under the direction of Dr. Tanya Christ, a professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning. We are conducting a research study to discover the impact of the United States’ sociopolitical climate on current literacy practices. We are recruiting current K-12 educators who teach literacy in some capacity (e.g., K-5 elementary
teachers, grade 6-12 teachers including ELA and other content area teachers, reading specialists, literacy interventionists, etc.) or youth librarians to complete an online survey about whether/how the sociopolitical context in the U.S. is affecting their professional practices. The survey will take approximately 20 minutes. Your participation in this study is voluntary. The research will take place online, so you may access the survey anywhere and using any device you choose. If you have any questions about the research, please contact Dr. Christ via email at christ@oakland.edu
To participate in the survey, please click the link below:
https://oakland.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_djvbpxhvu5jGOX4
Sincerely,
Dr. Tanya Christ
Danielle Alexander
Nathan Heim
Yujie Mao
Jennifer Ostheimer
Mary Patillo-Dunn
Kim Stein |
Here's what Michelle DeBlois, MCELA President and CEO/Founder of ReMo.app is reading right now: |
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stay tuned via social media |
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