Thirty-seven from Bradley attend Statewide Reading Conference

In early October, 27 Bradley student teachers and 10 practicing teachers from Bradley’s eight professional development school (PDS) sites attended the 2015 Illinois Reading Council (IRC) Conference in Peoria. The 3-day, statewide conference was held at the Peoria Civic Center and Marriott Pere Marquette Hotel, less than two miles from Bradley’s campus. 

The IRC is a large, highly active professional organization that supports literacy education on a variety of levels. The conference featured thousands of literacy advocates, educators, and researchers presenting on topics and issues relevant to teachers of all grade levels and content areas. Themed “Passport to Possibilities,” the 2015 conference strands included Early Career, Coaching, ICARE (Illinois Council for Affective Reading Education), Librarians, Technology, Title I, CIRP (College Instructors of Reading Professionals), English Language Learners, ILLC (Illinois Language and Literacy Council), Reluctant Readers, SRL, and Writing.

In a follow up survey, 93% of Bradley PDS conference attendees reported that they learned something new at the conference; 67% stated that they learned something they can use in their classrooms immediately, and 87% stated that they took away ideas they can use in the future. Eighty-seven percent of survey respondents reported that they networked with other professionals and received free literacy materials at the conference, and 73% would like to participate in conferences like the IRC Conference in the future.

Following the conference, Alona Dawson, interventionist at Glen Oak Community Learning Center, reflected, “The IRC Conference was fabulous with so many valuable workshops to choose from. I attended sessions on fluency, vocabulary, ELL, close reading, writing, and discipline; but the most beneficial session for me was on balanced literacy. District 150 has been teaching a balanced literacy program for the last five years, and this workshop provided new ideas for me to share with my staff. Thanks for the opportunity to attend.”

Dr. Jana Hunzicker, William T. Kemper Fellow for Teaching Excellence, commented, “Reading and writing are integral to the success of all learners, regardless of grade level or subject area. We are fortunate to be able to support Bradley PDS teacher and student teacher attendance at this quality literacy-based professional development experience right here in Peoria.”

Indeed, 80% of those who responded to the survey urged the Bradley PDS Partnership to continue funding PDS participation in statewide professional conferences, a priority that aligns with four of the five Bradley PDS Partnership goals. In 2016, the IRC Conference will be held in Peoria again, along with a statewide conference featuring science and mathematics education. “We will have even more options next year,” Dr. Hunzicker anticipates.